Maharishi Garg and the Guru’s Infinite Mercy
गुरु की असीम कृपा — महर्षि गर्ग और ऋषि संदीपनि
Maharishi Garg had a sewak named Sandipani, who was later known as the Guru of Lord Krishna.
There came a stage when Maharishi Garg began playing the role of an insane person among all his devotees.
He acted as if he had lost his mind. He would spit on his own sangat, throw stones at people, yell bad words at them, and completely change his form into that of a disturbed and angry person.
Maharishi Garg would slap people, shout at them, and even reached a state where he would throw drops of his urine at people.
Everyone who witnessed this strange state of Maharishi Garg became frightened. They decided to leave his company and went away, thinking that their Guru had completely lost his mind.
But there was one devotee who remained with Maharishi Garg — Sandipani.
For almost two months, Maharishi Garg continued in this form. Then, one day, he returned to his normal state.
When Guru Ji came back to his original form and saw Sandipani smiling, he asked him,
“Child, you did not run away like the others. Why did you stay?”
Sandipani replied,
“Guru Ji, how could I leave you all alone?”
Rishi Garg then asked,
“What happened to me?”
Sandipani humbly replied,
“Nothing happened to you, Guru Ji. It was all your Leela. You might have taken the hardships of your devotees upon yourself. Everything that happened was under your command.
Guru is the owner of the three worlds. Nothing can affect the Guru.”
Guru Ji listened to Sandipani and smiled.
He said,
“You have gained so much wisdom.”
Sandipani then said,
“Guru Ji, it is time for your bath. I have arranged hot water for you. You were having a fever for the last few days, so I have kept hot water ready in the bathroom.”
Guru Ji smiled and asked,
“You take care of me this much?”
Sandipani replied,
“Guru Ji, You have mercy on us and take care of us. I am nothing. How can I take care of You?”
Guru Ji then asked,
“Tell me, when I was sick, who was giving me food to eat?”
Sandipani replied,
“Guru Ji, You were feeding us. How could we make You feed us? Whatever food we received was only because of Your mercy.”
Hearing these words of wisdom from Sandipani, Guru Ji became extremely happy.
He gave Sandipani the credit for being one of the most superior devotees among all his disciples.
Guru Ji hugged Sandipani and said,
“Today, I bless you with the 64 Kalas. Whatever knowledge, power and divine qualities reside within me shall come into you.”
He continued,
“In the world of God, you will be known as a Maharishi and a Brahma Rishi.”
“May you receive the divine vision –mere sitting anywhere you can see Brahma Lok, Shiv Lok, and the divine form of God and Bhagwati.”
Sandipani sat with folded hands and said,
“Guru Ji, I have been blessed beyond measure. I have become truly Dhanya.”
Guru Ji then said,
“I will not stop here. You took care of me and loved me even when I appeared to be in a state of madness. Today, I bless you with one more thing.”
“I bless you that one day, the Lord of the three worlds will sit at your feet, and you will guide Him as His Guru. You will become the Guru of the Lord Himself.”
Later, Sandipani Ji became the Guru of Lord Krishna.
This is the mercy of the Guru.
If the Guru wishes, even an empty person can be filled with endless wisdom, divine knowledge, and grace.
The Guru's mercy can transform an ordinary devotee into someone whose life becomes an instrument of the powerful and divine Creator.