What is Sanatana Dharma? Sanatana is ever present and Dharma is yagna or Kriya. In the Bhagavadgita it has been stated in sloka28, chapter 4; sloka 29, chapter 4 and sloka 65 chapter 18 that:
“DHRAVYAYAJNASTAPOYAJNA YOGAYAJNASTATHAPARE…” etc
“APANE JUHAVATI PRANAM PRANEHAPANAM TATHAPARE…” etc
“MANMANA BHAVO MADBHAKTO MADJANI MANG NAMASKURU…” etc
The gist of the meaning of these slokas is that no matter what yajna you do, the summom bonum is you should repose your active mind in the still mind which is the end result of any yajna. Since the end result of all yajnas is the same there has to be a common factor covering all the different yajnas which produces this common result. It is not the various yajnas that is Sanatana Dharma but the common factor in them which produces this common result. This common factor is blind faith, devotion and respect reposed on your Gurudeva. This is not hearsay, not emotion but the supreme science Kriyayoga. Kriya infers action and yoga infers union, so it is the process or action by which we can achieve union with the Absolute. Gurudeva is embodiment of Kriyayoga and nothing else; he is salvation and nothing else; he is be-all and end-all and nothing else.
One may ask the question- “ How is this possible?’ The answer is that the practice of Kriyayoga without reposing implicit faith, unflinching devotion and respect on Gurudeva does not produce the desired result. For the uninitiated, he has to take initiation from Gurudeva with blind faith, devotion and full respect reposed in him. Initiation from a Sadguru or a true Guru is a must. Surrender to Gurudeva should be made thus-
“ O Gurudeva, you only are controlling everything that happens in this world. You only are doing everything that happens in my life. I do not know what is right or wrong- you only know that. I do not know what is good or bad- you only know that. I shall run my life according to the instructions I receive from you verbally or when you are not available physically, your instructions from within me.”
Surrender to Gurudeva is made by reposing the active mind on the still mind incessantly. Still mind is Kutastha or the unchangeable and eternal Sadgurudeva. This is the technique of staying in Kutastha. By staying in the aforesaid state, one would achieve the state of ‘Niscintayoga uccate’ , i.e. worry free or tension free state or the state where one would graduate from a sadhaka to a yogi.
It is referring to the state of surrender that Yogiraj Sri Shyamacharan Lahiri has written in His diary “Whatever happens is done by Guru- Bhagavan” and “Guru-Bhagavan is controlling everything”.
This in simpler terms would denote- “O Gurudeva- my only job is to keep my head on your lotus feet. You may decide to keep me alive or you may decide to take my life- it is your decision- not mine, I do not have any prayer to offer to you.” This is the realm of selfless love or “ Nishkam Prem.”
This surrender leads one to seeing his Gurudeva in his own self. Gurudeva still remains the source of self-confidence but from the external form Gurudeva comes in the internal form and enters the being of the disciple.it is just like the pole vaulter who crosses the barrier with the aid of a pole but leaves the pole behind at the time of crossing the barrier. Here the pole vaulter is the disciple and the pole is the Gurudeva. When the pole vaulter prepares for his jump, he has the pole for his support. When he gives his jump, he leans on the pole and raises himself off the ground. When he has reached the maximum height from the ground level he leaves the pole and crosses the barrier with the momentum gathered from the pole.
Sadguru shows the Kutastha or the still mind at the time of giving initiation without which no initiation is complete. At the time of giving initiation Sadguru opens the Third Eye of a disciple by showing where Kutastha is and how to repose there. Kutastha is the Third Eye of knowledge which when opened by the Sadguru floods the disciple with devine knowledge instantly. There is no waiting period between opening the Third Eye and getting Devine knowledge just as there is no waiting period to get light when an electric bulb is lit in a dark room.
Surrender to Gurudeva is therefore staying in Kutastha, it is moksha or liberation from bomdage, it is the state of Vijnana pada, it is the state of Vedanta or end of all knowledge, it is the state of relinquishing the consequences of past deeds. Thus Gurudeva is the embodiment of Sanatana Dharma who is none else but Bhagavan Krishna- Dvaipayana Vyasa. God has promised that whenever the balance of dharma and adharma is tilted, He would appear on Earth and restore it.
Infact this signifies that God will take us to Kutastha or to Bhagavan Krishna- Dvaipayana Vyasa when the necessary devotion, respect and faith so far not administered on account of adharma would flood all beings which is imminent.