VI
Sadhu Om

WHEN IN ANCIENT DAYS even Sri Dakshinamurti the Adi-

guru, guru of all gurus was able to reveal the truth of that one
Self only through silence, the speechless speech, who else can
reveal it through speech?

In this connection, Sri Bhagavan once told the following
story to Sri Muruganar. When the four aged Sanakadi rishis
first saw the sixteen-year-old Sri Dakshinamurti sitting under
the banyan tree, they were at once attracted by him,
understanding him to be the real Sadguru.

They approached him, did three pradakshinas around him,
prostrated before him, sat at his feet and began to ask very shrewd
and pertinent questions about the nature of Reality and the means
of attaining it. Because of the great compassion and fatherly love
(vatsalya) which he felt for his aged disciples, the young Sri
Dakshinamurti was overjoyed to see their earnestness, wisdom and
maturity, and hence he gave apt replies to each of their questions.

As he answered each consecutive question, further doubts
rose in their minds and still they asked further questions. Thus
they continued to question Sri Dakshinamurti for one whole
year, and he continued to clear their doubts through his
compassionate answers.

Finally, however, Sri Dakshinamurti understood that if he
gave more answers to their questions more doubts would rise in
their minds and hence there would never be an end to their
ignorance (ajnana). Therefore, suppressing even the feeling of
compassion and fatherly love which was welling up within him,
he merged himself into the supreme silence. Because of their
great maturity (which had been ripened to perfection through
their year-long association with the Sadguru), as soon as Sri
Page 49
Dakshinamurti thus merged himself, they too were automatically
merged within, into silence, the state of Self.

Wonder-struck on hearing Sri Bhagavan narrating the
story in this manner, Sri Muruganar remarked that in no book
is it mentioned that Sri Dakshinamurti ever spoke anything.

"But this is what actually happened" replied Sri Bhagavan.

From the authoritative way in which Sri Bhagavan thus
replied and from the clear and descriptive way in which he had
told the story, Sri Muruganar understood that Sri Bhagavan
was none other than Sri Dakshinamurti himself.