The Mystery of Adhaar and Adhikar: How Guru Chooses Disciples

Source: YouTube video | Bengali to English Translation

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Devotee: Namaskar, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa: Namaskar, baba. Namaskar.
Devotee: First of all, I would like to greet our friends. Please subscribe to the Guptosadhok Syamakhapa.com channel. The more you subscribe, the more valuable videos we can bring to you. Pranam, Gurudev. Please accept my pranam.
Guru Shyama Khyapa: Pranam, baba. Pranam.
Devotee: Gurudev, in today's episode, the subject I would like you to shed some light on is something we have heard from people who enter spiritual practice. As common people, we have heard two words: adhikar (eligibility/right) and adhaar (receptacle/aptitude). If you could explain these two concepts, it would be very beneficial for us.
Guru Shyama Khyapa: Well, to explain adhaar—take the example of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda. Ramakrishna observed caste very strictly, yet Naren (Narendranath Dutta) was a non-Brahmin while Ramakrishna was a Brahmin. Despite that, he gave Naren a lot of importance. Even though Naren never entered the inner sanctum of the Kali temple, he preferred the Guru or the Mother above all.
Guru Shyama Khyapa: Ramakrishna knew that Naren had a very strong adhaar. If one's karma from previous lives isn't right, one cannot achieve much. What you have done regarding God in your past lives matters; it is a matter of many lifetimes.
Devotee: So, one progresses bit by bit through various births?
Guru Shyama Khyapa: Yes. When Buddha went for a walk as a child and pointed at a mountain, asking what it was, he was told, "It is a mountain of your bones. You have been born so many times that you don't even know."
Guru Shyama Khyapa: If I ask you your age, you might say fifty or fifty-five. But can you tell the age of your soul? You cannot. A person’s current life is a result of their past actions—from the previous birth, the birth before that, and so on. We look back through seven lifetimes.
Guru Shyama Khyapa: I don't find a strong adhaar often. I am waiting; if someone comes, I might find one. I don't know, someone might come.
Devotee: So, Gurudev, by looking at the adhaar, you can understand whether someone will succeed or not?
Guru Shyama Khyapa: Exactly. We can see if it's possible and whether something should be given to them. If I give away all the power I have accumulated to someone else, I will become "sold out" or empty. This happened in the case of Ramakrishna. When he placed his foot on Naren’s head, he said, "From today, I have become a pauper/sold out to you." One foot was on the ground, and the other was on Naren’s head.
Guru Shyama Khyapa: From that day, he fell ill—though that illness was a different matter—but he became empty. He transferred all his power to Vivekananda.
Devotee: So, to receive power of that level, like Vivekananda did, one also needs the capacity. That is what you call adhaar?
Guru Shyama Khyapa: Yes, the capacity to receive that power is found in very few people. A Guru tests a disciple very carefully. People come and go, asking for initiation—that is nothing to us.
Guru Shyama Khyapa: A person whose Guru I was in a previous life will eventually come to me, whether they are in America, Russia, or Japan. They will take initiation from me because I was their Guru in a past life. For them, taking initiation isn't a casual thing.
Guru Shyama Khyapa: Nowadays, people see me on YouTube, like what they see, and ask for initiation. That is what is happening now. Even today, two initiations took place. But these people don't necessarily have that deep past-life connection. Their only "reward" was to hear the Mother's name from me—a sort of "touch" or "blessing."
Devotee: Gurudev, regarding adhaar, a question comes to mind. Through good deeds over many births, one's adhaar improves. Can a person’s caste also be elevated through this? For example, if a Shudra or a Dom...
Guru Shyama Khyapa: If a Guru wishes, he can elevate them to the status of a Brahmin. But usually, a Guru won't do that. Do you know why? Take the case of Sage Vishwamitra. He sought the status of a Brahmarshi and renounced his Kshatriya status. He achieved it, but later he realized, "No, this is not my path. I am a Kshatriya; my job is to rule and serve the country." So, he eventually let go of that status.
Guru Shyama Khyapa: That was a matter of one lifetime. But through the good deeds of many lifetimes, one might eventually be born into a Brahmin family. Conversely, if a Brahmin does bad deeds and ruins their adhaar, they will fall to a lower state. As it is said: "To some you give the status of a Brahmin, and some you make fall."
Guru Shyama Khyapa: Therefore, the concept of adhaar and adhikar is something that spans many births. One should never play games with God. The Mother gives severe punishment. People think, "Nothing will happen to me, I can play with the Mother's name, deceive people, and take their money." But there will be a judgment, and that judgment will be fearsome.
Guru Shyama Khyapa: Our "Khepa"—do you know his name? He said something very profound: "Be careful as you walk, be alert. Oh, Baba Pagla!" Baba Pagla said: "Be careful as you walk, be alert. Whatever you have done since coming here, Chitragupta has recorded it in his ledger. The Creator will judge you, and before Him, no trickery works. Oh, Pagla! Baba Pagla!"
Guru Shyama Khyapa: You may have heard his name. He said: "Whatever you have done since coming here, Chitragupta has recorded it in his ledger. The Creator will judge you, and before Him, no trickery works. Be careful as you walk, be alert." That is why it is said repeatedly: walk carefully. Your judgment will be made by the Creator, and no excuses will work there. You might think you can escape by trickery, but you cannot. It is impossible.
Devotee: I understand. We have grasped this concept. As common people, this explanation of adhaar is very helpful. Thank you, Gurudev. we will discuss more later. We will end here for now.
Guru Shyama Khyapa: (Chanting in Sanskrit) Sarve bhavantu sukhinaáž„ (May all be happy) Sarve santu nirāmayāង (May all be free from illness) Sarve bhadrāáč‡i paƛyantu (May all see what is auspicious) Mā kaƛcit duáž„kha bhāgbhavet (May no one suffer) Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.