The importance of a Guru is extolled in the ancient Hindu scriptures. The Svetasvatara Upanishad emphasizes the importance of reverence for a guru stating that the teachings will illuminate those great souls who have reverence for God as well as for a guru. In the Taittiriya Upanishad, students are urged to treat their teacher a god himself. The Guru Gita from the Skanda Purana equates a guru to Shiva himself. In a conversation with Parvati, Shiva, who is the universal Guru, declares thus, “Apart from the Guru, there is no other Brahman. O Beautiful One, what I say is true, it is the truth.” In the same text he further states, “A Guru is Shiva himself, manifested as a human.” A popular Hindu prayer declares, “The Guru is Brahma, the Guru is Vishnu, the Guru is Siva. Indeed, the Guru is the Supreme Absolute. To that Guru I offer my reverent salutations. “
The tradition of gurus played an important role in the preservation and continuity of various schools of Hinduism. Without them, the tradition would have been lost forever. Literally speaking “guru” means large, weighty, long, extended, important, prominent. It also means arduous, difficult, intense, venerable, best, excellent, etc. Indeed, all these meanings apply to a spiritual master, a venerable person, a religious teacher or spiritual guide who is known in the religious and spiritual traditions of India as Guru. In the Vedic tradition, Guru was a reputed priest, Brahmana, who performed purification ceremonies and initiated young students into the study of the Vedas. In ancient India, spiritual teachers who taught the higher knowledge of the Vedas (brahma vidyas) and liberation (moksha) commanded utmost respect. They came from all castes and backgrounds, and gave instruction in the secret knowledge of liberation as an obligatory duty and a selfless service. Some of them visited the royal courts of kings and engaged in public discussions on religious and spiritual matters. In Hinduism a guru symbolises greatness and excellence. The words of a guru are like the words of God. The teaching of a guru is similar to a verbal testimony. The mantra given by a guru during initiation is known as guru mantram, which has the power to cleanse the mind and body and is believed to act like a boat by which a disciple can pass the ocean of samsara and reach the shore of liberation.
Among the planets, Jupiter is known as the guru. In Hindu astrology an auspicious and favorable period in the life of a human being is known as Guru Mahadasa. Even the gods and demons have their own gurus. Brihaspati is the teacher of the gods while Shukracharya is of the Asuras. In ancient Indian polity the guru was also an institution. Kings employed royal gurus who not only helped the children of the royal family learn various arts and crafts but also gave advice to the kings during crucial moments. If necessary, such gurus had to fight on behalf of the kings against their enemies, especially if the guru happened to be a Kshatriya or excelled in warfare.!
Happy Guru Purnima ~ Jai Adiyogi Shankar!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻
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