We are seeing about legends of ideal guru shishya relationships, from Mahabharata.

Not the present corporate guru shishya relationships, or weekend guru shishya relationships, or paid spiritual retreat guru shishya relationships.

The original, how it used to be.

In which the shishya as a child goes to the guru’s ashrama, stays with him for a few years, becoming a member of his own family, like a son, learns for a few years, then returns.

These gurus are not life long gurus, they don’t keep their shishyas to do their work forever.

Guru shushrusha is there.
But that is for a few years.
Then the shishya has to compulsorily go back.
And start life of his own.

They don’t have to become personal secretaries to the guru taking care of the various departments of the guruji’s business.

They don't have to become orderlies for the guruji.

They are not even at the beck and call of the Guruji once they come back from the gurukul.

They are on their own.

But while being there, with the guru how complete dedication and surrender helps, this we have seen.

Aruni, shishya of Dhaumya was told by the guru: go to the field and fix the bund or border that is broken.
Water is flowing out of the field.
He went and tried many things.
Then he lied down at the broken gap and stopped the flow of water with his own body.
When he didn’t come back, guruji went to check.

When he found Aruni lying down on the field and stopping water with his body, he called out to him, come here.
Aruni got up.
Water again started flowing out.

Guruji said, stop the flow of water; he stopped.
Guruji said, get up; he got up.
Not even bothering that the whole day’s effort was going to go to waste.

This is guru bhakti.
Dhaumya said: now you can go home, all knowledge is yours.
I have transferred them to you.

Not sitting and learning 12 hrs, 18 hrs a day.
This much is sufficient.

Don’t confuse this with the shakti patha deeksha that you get by paying 10,000 or 25,000 after which the guruji tells you that I have transferred my power to you.

Did you feel an electric current going through your body when I touched your Ajna chakra?

This was not that kind of transfer.
This was different.

Dhaumya’s second shishya was Upamanyu.

Dhaumya told Upamanyu: take these cows to the forest and take care of them.
Today onwards, this is your duty.

Every day, in the morning Upamanyu would take the cows to the forest, graze them, and bring them back at sunset.

Nothing was given to him to eat during the day.
Nobody mentioned anything about his food.

After a few days, guruji asked him: you are looking quite healthy.
Nobody is giving you any food.
How come you are still healthy?

He said while the cows are still grazing, I go to the nearby village and take bhiksha.
That I eat.

But don’t you know that bhiksha that you take as a brahmachari, you are supposed to give to the guru?

Tomorrow onwards you come and give it to me.

A few days went by.
Upamanyu was still looking healthy.
Dhaumya questioned him.

He said, after I collect the first bhiksha, which I come and give to you, I take a second bhiksha which I use for myself.

No, you can’t do that.
In a day, you can take bhiskhsa only once.
Otherwise, you may be depriving another brahmachari of bhiksha that is due to him.

Families who give bhiksha, they have their own limitations.
They have limited resources.
How will they keep on giving?

If you take twice, they may have to say no to the next brahmachari who comes.

Don’t do this.

A few more days passed.
Upamanyu was still looking healthy.

Dhaumya asked him.

He said I am surviving on milk.

Guruji said: did I give you permission to do that?

That is stealing.
Don’t do that.

A few more days passed.
Upamanyu was still healthy.

Dhaumya asked him.
How come you are healthy?

When the calves drink milk, the froth that flows out of their mouth, I collect it and have it.

No, you shouldn’t do that.

Calves are very kind.

When they see you hungry, they themselves make the froth to flow out of their mouths.
You are depriving them of their food.

All means of getting food were thus blocked.

One day in the forest, Upamanyu was so hungry that he plucked some leaves and ate them.

They were poisonous.
He lost his eyesight.
He started wandering here and there and fell into a well.

When he didn’t return in the evening, Dhaumya went looking for him.

He kept on calling out for him.
Finally, he found Upamanyu in the well.

Upamanyu told him what happened.
Guruji said: start praising Ashwini Kumaras with Rigveda mantras.

They are divine doctors, they will restore your eyesight.

Upmanyu started chanting Rigveda mantras of Ashwini Devas.

After some time they appeared before him.
And said: take this prasada, eat it, you will get back your eyesight.

Upamanyu said: first I will offer it to guruji.

The Kumaras said: you need not do that because Dhaumya himself had praised us before and we had given him prasada.
He never offered it to his own Guru.

You only have to follow what your guru does.

Upamanyu said: sorry I can not do that, I will still offer it to guruji and do as he says.

Ashwini Kumaras were testing him.

They were pleased.
They said: fine, we are restoring your vision right now.

Your guru has black teeth.

We are going to give you golden teeth which will stand as a sign of your guru bhakti.

Dhaumyas’s teeth were black and made of iron because of this offense that he did.

When Ashwins gave him prasada, he didn’t offer it to his own guru, before consuming.

In Atharva Veda, first kanda, 18th sukta starting with निर्लक्ष्म्यं, this concept is what you find.

Deformities in the body are indicative of past bad karma.

We should keep this in mind and consider them as a reminder.

Look, you have done something bad in the past, that is why you have this deformity in the body.

Improve your karma.
The same concept is being conveyed herein Mahabharata through this beautiful story, as part of this story.

Upamanyu went back to the ashrama and told guruji whatever happened.

Dhaumya said: I am so happy for you.

All the Vedas, all the shastras, they will come in your mind as and when you need them.

Now you can go back.

There are a few more points here.

The teeth of the guru are made of iron.
He is harsh on the shishya.
He is harsh to the extent that he is cruel.

Dhaumya got black teeth made of iron because of his own karma, he was not perfect in his duty towards his own guru.

He was harsh on his shishya.
He got iron teeth.

Upamanyu once he learned shishya dharma, he became perfect.
Ashwins blessed him with golden teeth.

He would also be kind and gentle towards his own shishyas.

They are pointing this out.

Your guru got black teeth because of his imperfection.
We are giving you golden teeth so that you become a perfect guru.
You are capable of that.

We are giving you golden teeth, not iron teeth like your own guru; he is harsh with you, so you should not be harsh with your own disciples.

Shishya can be better than the guru.
Another principle revealed.

Even a guru who is not perfect can create a perfect shishya.

Dhaumya knew his limitations.
That iw why instead of restoring the eyesight of Upamanyu himself, he prayed to Ashwini Devas.

Not like the present-day know all gurus.