The Dust of the Lotus Feet

 

(CHARAN KAMAL DHUR)

the phrase "Charan Dhur" has also been used in the scriptures alternately with "Charan Kamal" and both signify the same thing.

 

The dust of the feet of living Masters

As the need of a living Master is of supreme importance so is the need of the dust of his feet.  Whatever comes in contact with the Divine human pole is indeed very blessed: the hem of his garments, the chair or carpet he sits on, the horse he rides on, the things he uses for one purpose or another.  Many a person cured himself of leprosy or blindness by touching the hem of Christ's robe.

The entire world is Thine, my Lord;

Everyone eagerly seeks for the Dust of Thy Feet.  *92

                                                                                   GURU RAM DAS

The service of Thy Feet is a panacea for all ills,

Even the angels and seraphim wish for Thy Dust.  *93

                                                                                   GURU ARJAN

Blessed indeed is the place which a Saint treads upon,

The Rishis like Shankara and Narad pay homage to it.  *94

Wherever a Sadhu walks the land,

The entire region becomes purified.  *95

                                                                                            GURU RAM DAS

Shamas Tabrez, a Muslim Saint, tells us:

With the Dust of a Saint, enlighten thine eyes,

Then shalt thou see all from end to end;

Make for thee a collyrium from the Dust of the Elect;

It shall make thee pure and also renovate thy sight (enabling thee to see God).

Wherever God's elect sets up his habitat, that place becomes sanctified and in course of time grows into a place of pilgrimage.  In fact, all sacred places owe their origin to the sanctifying influenceof one or another holy manof God.  The sanctity of Nankana Sahib, Panja Sahib and Kartarpur, for instance, is due to Guru Nanak who was closely associated with these places.  Amritsar or the Pool of Nectar owes its origin to Guru Ram Das and Guru Arjan.  Similarly, Mecca and Medina owe their spiritual influence to the Prophet Mohammed.  The importance of the holy city of Jerusalem is because of King Divind, the Hebrew prophets, and Jesus Christ.  Banaras, Hardwar and Allahabad on the banks of the Ganges, where the Rishis of old sat in meditation, have captured the imagination of Hindus who throng these places from year to year to gain religious merit.  Sarnath and Bodh Gaya are still honored because of Lord Buddha.  The relics of these various holy places are revered evenby the heads of states, and monuments are raised to preserve them.  But God's elect never stand in need of holy places.  On the contrary, the sanctity of all such places is due to them.  Truly a Godman is a moving place of pilgrimage.

It is not the places that grace men but men the places.

                                                                         ST AGESILAUS

All the places of pilgrimage set up after the various gods and goddesses pine for the dust of the Sadhu's feet,

All, all wish for a devotee of the Lord so as to be blessed with the feet of a Sadhu.  *96

The sacred Ganges, the Jumna, the Godavari and the Saraswati all strive for the dust of Sadhus's feet,

As this dust alone can purify them of the enormous number of sins left over by the sinners.  *97

                                                                                   GURU RAM DAS

In the dust of the Saints' feet, one can find all the merits of the sixty-eight places of pilgrimage:

Through the mercy of the saint, infatuation and delusion are swept off,

A smearing with the dust of the Sadhus is the most meritorious.  *98

With the true Word there comes in perfect satiety,

In the dust of a Saint there is the merit of all pilgrimages.  *99

The sight of a Saint grants one perfect vision, the dust of a Sadhu has the merit of ablution at sacred pools.  *100

                                                                                   GURU RAM DAS

The light of myriads of crest jewels is of no consequence,

And so also is the luster of millions of suns and mons of no value,

As compared to the scintillating light of him in whom He dwells,

And this happens only when countless merits earned in past lives fructify together;

Siva, Sanakadic and Brahma alos wish for the company of such a noble soul,

And he obtains the merit of all thepilgrimages

In whose forehead shines the light of His sight,

The sight of His Lotus Feet flaming in his forehead.  *101

                                                                                            BHAI GURDAS

The merit of visiting all the holy places comes of itself to a person who bows in humility to a living Saint.  It is because of the dust of the feet such a Saint that a person is able to rise in cosmic awareness and become a theist in the true sense of the word.

The Kind and Gracious Lord has become visible,

And Nanak lives by the dust of His Saints.  *102

                                                                                            GURU ARJAN

Nanak ever prays for the gift of Saints' dust,

Noghing else does not he want from the Giver.  *103

It is a great good fortune to have the dust of Saints,

O Nanak! By devotion to the Master one worships the Lord.  *104

Make me of lowly mind, my saintly friend, you mercy has made me fortunate enough,

I have had extreme bliss ineffable;

Nanak is now gifted with the dust (light emanating from the feet of the Master).  *105

                                                                                            GURU ARJAN

In the world of Thy creation, my Lord,

All seek the dust of Thy devoted Sadhus.

O Nanak! He who is so destined

Gets the dust of the Sadhu (light of his feet) and is safely carried across.  *106

                                                                                            GURU RAM DAS

Thou art the support of Thy devotees from time out of mind,

Nanak ever craves for the dust of their feet; O grant it, Munificent Lord.  *107

O Knower of all the hearts, complete within Thyself,

Grant unto me the boon of Sadhus' dust.  *108

The dust of Thy devotee is wondrous swet,

He alone gets it who holds the writ from Thee.  *109

                                                                                            GURU ARJAN

With a great good fortune one gets from the Saints the gift of dust (light),

It is by devotion to the Master that one gets absorbed in the Lord.  *110

                                                                                            GURU RAM DAS

Fortunate is he who secures the dust of a Satugur,

Nanak would ever like to sacrifice himself unto such a Master.  *111

Blessed is he who makes friends with a Sadhu,

Nanak seeks the dust of such devotees, may He grant him that dust.  *112

                                                                                                     GURU ARJAN

I would like to adorn my forehead with the dust of devotees of the perfect Satguru,

O Nanak! The gift of dust from them comes through a great good gortune to those alone who remain absorbed in the Holy Word.  *113

                                                                                   GURU AMAR DAS

 

Inner dust of the Master's Radiant Form

 

The Holy Light that emanates from the feet of the Radiant Form of the Master on the astral plane is often described as the sut of the feet of that form.

Partake of the Bread of Life in the precious immortal Naam,

And smear thy forehead with the dust of the Saints.  *114

                                                                                            GURU RAM DAS

Sant Tulsi Das Ji speaks of it thus:

Take care to retain attention within the two eyebrows,

Purifying the mind and body fix thy gaze at one center;

Then shalt thou penetrate into the Beyond, seeing the Reality face to face,

O Tulsi! The dust of the Saints spreads before thee a carpet of Light.