Introduction: Chapter 40 of Guru Charitra explains a powerful spiritual truth: The result you receive depends entirely on the faith you hold.
Shri Guru recites a sacred verse:
“Mantra, pilgrimage, priest, deity, astrologer, medicine, and Guru — the fruit depends on the faith you place in them.”
Where there is faith, results appear. Where there is doubt, no result follows.
Thus:
* Never doubt the Guru’s words * Do not over-analyse spiritual instructions * Excessive logic weakens spiritual growth
Lord Dattatreya says: “True faith awakens inner strength.”
A prince named Dhananjay once entered a forest with a tribal hunter (Shabar). They discovered an abandoned Shiva temple.
The Shabar saw a stone shaped like a Shiva lingam and said:
“You are my Guru. Teach me how to worship this lingam.”
The prince taught him the entire ritual and instructed:
“Offer ash from the cremation ground and food cooked at home as offerings.”
Shabar obeyed with complete devotion.
One day, ash was not available anywhere. The Shabar panicked:
“I have broken my Guru’s command!”
His wife calmly said:
“Do not worry. Today I will give the ash.”
She meant:
“Burn my body and offer my ashes.”
She said:
“Let my body serve the Guru’s instruction. This is my greatest blessing.”
The Shabar, with pain in his heart, fulfilled her wish. He completed the worship.
After the ritual, he called:
“Come take the prasad!”
And to his shock — his wife appeared alive before him.
She said simply:
“I do not know how. This is the Lord’s grace.”
Such is the power of unwavering faith.
Modern thinking says:
“If ash is unavailable, use something else!”
But this mindset — practical yet rational — kills the power of faith.
Faith demands heart, not calculation. In spiritual matters:
Obedience brings results. Logic brings delay.
Once, Vyankatnath Maharaj and some disciples were travelling at night through a forest. Dacoits stopped their car with weapons and demanded all valuables.
Everyone looked at Maharaj.
He said calmly:
“Give them everything you have.”
They obeyed.
After driving ahead, another gang of real dacoits stopped them. They were surprised that the car had no valuables and let them pass.
Soon, the first gang returned and stopped them again — but this time with folded hands:
“Take everything back. Had we kept it, you would have been killed by the next gang. Go safely.”
Pure faith in the Guru’s command protected everyone.
Vyankatnath Maharaj was the 15th Nath in direct lineage after Machchhindranath.
For over 30 years, through the Nath Shaktipeeth, their blessings continue to uplift countless seekers.
Faith is the bridge between human effort and divine intervention.