Guru (गुरुः)

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Guru (Samskrit : गुरुः) means preceptor, one who imparts valuable life lessons to anyone who seeks knowledge. He is one who takes charge of immature children, moulds them and makes them worthy useful citizens of the world. Thus such a preceptor was naturally held high in reverence. Gurus held an esteemed position in the society due to their Vidya or knowledge they possessed (Manyasthana).

The importance which in modern times is attached to the Institution, of study, was in ancient days attached to the teacher in India.

Intellectual Father

While parents are revered and one owes their physical birth to them, the Guru is revered and designated as the spiritual and intellectual father of the student. No education is complete without the help and guidance of the teacher.

Atharvaveda

आचार्य उपनयमानो ब्रह्मचारिणं कृणुते गर्भमन्तः । तं रात्रीस्तिस्र उदरे बिभर्ति तं जातं द्रष्टुमभिसंयन्ति देवाः ॥३॥ (Atha. Veda. 11.7.3)

Acharya bears the Brahmachari (one who is undergoing the Upanayana samskara) in his womb (of jnanasharira) for three nights. The devatas come down to see him (support him) just as he emerges from the womb (Adhyatmaka janma).

Here the night is indicative of Ajnana, state of darkness devoid of knowledge. It also represents the kinds of darkness signified by lack of concepts (thoughts), enquiry (examination) and content (subject matter), and incapability which are removed by the teacher.

Manusmrti

Manu extols the greatness of a preceptor and lays down the role of a acharya as the spiritual father of a student.

तत्र यद्ब्रह्मजन्मास्य मौञ्जीबन्धनचिह्नितम् । तत्रास्य माता सावित्री पिता त्वाचार्य उच्यते । । २.१७० । ।

वेदप्रदानादाचार्यं पितरं परिचक्षते । २.१७१ । । (Manu. Smrt. 2.170-171)

Shruti lays down that for a dvija, the mother gives him the first birth and by Upanayana samskara he gets his second birth, by the Agnistoma and other yajnadikshas he takes the third birth. Of these three births, in the brahmajnama obtained after upanayana, mother is Savitri and Gayatri and acharya is said to be the father. Gautama Dharmasutras also emphasize that the Acharya is the person from whom one receives second birth (at Upanayana) or instruction in the Veda.

तद्द्वितीयं जन्म ॥ तद् यस्मात् स आचार्यः ॥ वेदानुवचनाच् च ॥ (Gaut. Dharm. Sutr. 1.1.8-10)

यिक्तियुक्तं वचो ग्राह्यं न ग्राह्यं गुरुगौरवत् । सर्वशास्त्ररहस्यं तद् याज्ञवल्क्येन भाषितम् ॥ याज्ञवल्क्यशिक्षा , 232

Qualities of a Guru

Skanda purana describes the Gurugita as given by Uma Maheshvara Samvada.

Kinds of gurus

suchaka, vachaka, bodhaka, nishiddhaguru, vihitaguru, karanaguru, paramaguru, mahaguru,

Gurugita slokas 160 to 171

subhashita pustakabhandagaram, samanya neetulu 257 sloka, 159 page