Shree Guru Charitra - English Version - Shree Gurudev Datta - S.N. Huddar ।। श्री गुरुचरित्र ।। श्री दत्त महाराज
The Shri Guru Charitra is a book based on the life story of Shri Narasimha Saraswati, written by the 15th-16th century poet Shri Saraswati Gangadhar. The book includes the life story of Shri Narasimha Saraswati, his philosophy and related stories. The language used is the 14-15th century Marathi.
गुरुचरित्र आणि गुरुलीलामृत हे दोन्ही ग्रंथ दत्तसंप्रदायात पूर्वार्ध आणि उत्तरार्ध म्हणून गणले जातात. त्यांचे पारायणही उपासना म्हणून केले जाते. पारायणाचे वेळी सप्ताहाचे बंधन असण्याने अर्थ-चिंतन करायला अवसर नसतो. म्हणून उपासनेचाच एक भाग या दृष्टिकोनातून ग्रंथाचा अभ्यासही करायला हवा. श्रीपादश्रीवल्लभ, श्रीनृसिंहसरस्वती, श्रीस्वामी समर्थ या दत्तावतारी-सत्पुरुषांनी भक्तांवर कृपादृष्टी टाकून त्यांच्या पाठीमागे कृपाशक्तीही उभी केली. तिला चमत्कार असे म्हटले गेले आहे. पण हे चमत्कार श्रद्धेच्या वाढीसाठी असून त्यायोगे भक्तांची मनोकामना पूर्ण होते हा एक भाग; पण मनोकामना पूर्ण झाल्यावर त्यांनी गुरुसेवा/ गुरूउपासना अखंडपणे चालू ठेवून आत्मज्ञानप्राप्ती करून घेतली पाहिजे. म्हणूनच गुरूंनी केलेल्या चमत्कारांमागील भक्तिसूत्र शोधून घेऊन त्यांतील गुरुबोध जाणून घ्यायला हवा. गुरु-शिष्य संवाद हा त्यासाठीच असतो.
Details of the Guru Charitra
Shri Guru Charitra is a holy book of Datta Sampradaya written by Sri Saraswati Gangadhar Sakhare in 15th Century. The book recounts the Holy Life of Shri Dattatreya, Shripada Shri Vallabha (around 1320 A.D – 1350 A.D) and Shri Narasimha Saraswati (around 1378 A.D – 1458 A.D), his philosophy and teachings. The Book also provides some of the other Important Historical facts. The language used here is 14-15th century Marathi.
Sri Saraswati Gangadhar was a Descendant of Sri Sayamdev who was a Close Disciple to Sri Narasimha Saraswati. Saraswati Gangadhar refers to himself as Namadharaka in the Book. The book is written in the form of a conversation between Siddha Muni (who too was a disciple of Shri Narasimha Saraswati) and Namdharak who is listening to Sri Siddha.
Namadharaka spent most of his Life at Kadaganchi, a village nearby Ganagapur. He meets Sri Siddha Muni near Ganagapur and when he realizes that Sri Siddha Muni was a Disciple of Sri Guru, he requests him to narrate the Holy Life of Sri Narasimha Saraswati. Sri Siddha Muni takes Namadharak to Bhima-Amarja Sangam and then starts narrating “Sri Guru Charitra”.
Benefits of reading Shri Guru Charitra or its
Devotees who read Shri Guru Charitra or perform its Parayana experience a Spiritual Joy and also Material Well Being. Some Devotees perform the Parayan for their Physical and Mental Well Being. Numerous are the Instances in Sri Guru Charitra where we see different people from across the Country who came to Shri Guru were cured by him by his mere Kind Glance. Even today devotees experience his Blessings by reading Sri Guru Charitra repeatedly. There are Specific Chapters (Adhyays) in Guru Charitra which are believed to cure Specific Problems in Life. Here are few :- Adhyay 8 for Birth of a Wise and Intelligent Child, Adhyay 14 for Solving Employment Problems, Adhyay 17 for Development of Childrens, Adhyay 18 for Financial well being, Adhyay 20-21 for Ghost or Bhoot Preta Badha, Adhyay 10 and 38 for Financial Upliftment, Adhyay 13 and 45 for Health related Problems, etc.
Instructions / Rules and Procedure for Reading Shri Guru Charitra (Sri Guru Charitra Parayan Vidhi)
Shri Guru Charitra contains many Mantras from Vedas, Shlokas and Stories from Various Puranas and it is in itself the Life Story of Dattavatari Shri Guru Narasimha Saraswati Swami Maharaj. So there are few regulations which have to be followed during its Reading. Shri Guru Charitra can be read Daily or as a Saptah Parayana (7 days) or in 3 days.
Saptah Parayan must be read for 7 days dividing the Total Chapters (Adyays) into 1-9 Adhyays on 1st day, 10-21 on 2nd, 22-29 on 3rd, 30-35 on 4th, 36-38 on 5th, 39-43 on 6th and 44-53 on the Last Day.