Kṛṣṇa’s Impending Departure; Uddhava’s Surrender; King Yadu and the Avadhūta’s Twenty-Four Gurus
Beginnings
पृथिवी वायुराकाशमापोऽग्निश्चन्द्रमा रवि: । कपोतोऽजगर: सिन्धु: पतङ्गो मधुकृद् गज: ॥ ३३ ॥ मधुहाहरिणो मीन: पिङ्गला कुररोऽर्भक: । कुमारी शरकृत् सर्प ऊर्णनाभि: सुपेशकृत् ॥ ३४ ॥ एते मे गुरवो राजन् चतुर्विंशतिराश्रिता: । शिक्षा वृत्तिभिरेतेषामन्वशिक्षमिहात्मन: ॥ ३५ ॥
pṛthivī vāyur ākāśam āpo ’gniś candramā raviḥ kapoto ’jagaraḥ sindhuḥ pataṅgo madhukṛd gajaḥ
王よ、私は二十四の師に帰依した。すなわち、大地・風・虚空・水・火・月・太陽、鳩と大蛇(アジャガラ);海、蛾、蜜蜂、象と蜜盗み;鹿、魚、遊女ピンガラー、クルラ鳥と幼子;さらに乙女、矢作り、蛇、蜘蛛、そして蜂である。彼らの行いを観じて、私は真我(アートマン)の学を学んだ。
The wasp is known as supeśa-kṛt because it causes the insect that it kills to take a beautiful form in the next life.
In this verse the Avadhūta lists natural elements and creatures as his teachers, showing that spiritual instruction can be received by attentive observation of the world.
King Yadu inquired about the Avadhūta’s extraordinary peace; the Avadhūta replies that he cultivated wisdom by taking lessons from many ‘gurus’ found in nature and daily life.
Practice mindful observation: learn tolerance from earth, steadiness from the ocean, and beware of destructive attraction like the moth drawn to fire.