Who is Guru according to Veda?

Guru is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field in Hinduism, a personal spiritual teacher or guide. ... In the educational system of ancient India, knowledge of the Vedas was personally transmitted through oral teachings from the guru to his pupil (pupils were always male in that period).

Classically, the pupil lived at the home of his guru and served him with obedience and devotion. 

It is the guru who prescribes spiritual disciplines and who, at the time of initiation, instructs the student in the use of the mantra (sacred formula) to assist in meditation. The example of the guru who, though human, has achieved spiritual enlightenment leads the devotee to discover the same potentialities within himself. 

In Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher.

The literal translation of guru is someone who is a “dispeller of darkness.” The darkness here is ignorance. 

• Who is our first guru ?

Our Indian tradition speaks, Mother is the first guru for everyone. What is Guru? A mother’s journey starts way before the child takes birth. She is called the first guru as even when the child is in her womb, she starts talking to the baby and shares some valuable lessons from day-to-day life. 

A mother is literally the child’s first guru as she teaches the toddler to say ‘Maa’ every day. Perhaps, this is why the first word that every baby speaks is ‘Maa’. 

She teaches a child to read and write and recite his first poem. In most of the households, a mother is the one who would be helping a child do her homework as well. 

She is the Guru who shows the ways which lead to the academics and spiritual Gurus. Even after we grow up, the ocean of experience that she has, will always have a solution for our problems. Her advice is just not related to our day-to-day matters, but even as she grows, your mother might just bowl you over by giving some very practical advice about life. Listen to her carefully, for it might just be the best teaching lesson you’ll ever receive.  

Great sage most revered Kabir has preached:

“Guru the washer man, disciple is the cloth, the name of God liken to the soap, wash the mind on foundation firm to realize the glow of Truth.

• Who is guru according to Vedas?

The Vedas enjoin us to seek out a guru; actually, they say to seek out the guru, not just a guru. The guru is one because he comes in disciplic succession. What Vyasadeva and Krishna taught 5,000 years ago is also being taught now. There is no difference between the two instructions. Although hundreds and thousands of acaryas have come and gone, the message is one. The real guru cannot be two because the real guru does not speak differently from his predecessors. Some spiritual teachers say, “In my opinion you should do this,” but this is not a guru. Such so-called gurus are simply rascals. The genuine guru has only one opinion, and that is the opinion expressed by Krishna, Vyasadeva, Narada, Arjuna, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the Gosvamis. Five thousand years ago Lord Sri Krishna spoke Bhagavad-gita, and Vyasadeva recorded it. Srila Vyasadeva did not say, “This is my opinion.” Rather, he wrote, sri bhagavan uvaca, that is, “The Supreme Personality of Godhead says.” Whatever Vyasadeva wrote was originally spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Srila Vyasadeva did not give his own opinion.

Consequently, Srila Vyasadeva is a guru. He does not misinterpret the words of Krishna but transmits them exactly as they were spoken. If we send a telegram, the person who delivers the telegram does not have to correct it, edit it or add to it. He simply presents it. That is the guru’s business. The guru may be this person or that, but the message is the same; therefore it is said that guru is one. 

• Role of guru in life :

A guru guides the spiritual progress of their students (known as shishya). In Hindu culture, the word guru has a deeper meaning than just a teacher. A guru is considered as next to God and is highly respected. Those who disrespect him are considered uncivilized. Hindus believe that a person’s life is incomplete without a guru. 

No one can move forward on the path of life without Gurudev's teachings and blessings.

The wife, daughter, and son of the guru are treated like a mother, sister, and brother respectively by his disciples. A true guru not only imparts knowledge to the disciples but also protects and guides them in their lives. Hence, he is also called Gurudev (teacher god) by his disciples.

The following Sanskrit Shloka describes the importance of teacher in Hindu culture :

Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnu, Gururdevo Maheshwara ||

Gurur Sakshaat Parbrahma, Tasmai Shree Gurave Namah ||

The meaning of this mantra is”

Guru is Brahma

Guru is Vishnu

Guru is Lord Shiva

My salutations to him who is the Supreme Soul himself.

Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh are the three most important deities of Hindus. A teacher is considered as equivalent to them. 

In ancient India, the Gurukul system was practiced for education in which the students had to go to the teacher’s home to acquire knowledge. The homes of the teachers were referred to as Ashramas. The fees for the education, called Gurudakshina, used to be paid at the end of the completion of education. The teachers in ancient times were selfless and knowledgeable. They used impart knowledge to the students as their duty mainly, instead of cravings for wealth.

• Real story of Guru and Shishya:

Students also had a great respect to their teachers at that time. A story from Mahabharata would explain this. 

Dronacharya was the teacher of the Kauravas and the Pandavas who were princes of Hastinapur. Eklavya was an Indigenous boy. Eklavya was refused to give education by Dronacharya as he was not from the royal family. Then, Eklavya made a statue of Dronacharya and practiced archery and other arts before it. Soon, he pioneered many arts on his own, but he was best at archery. 

After the completion of his curriculum, he went to Dronacharya and offered him Gurudakshina. Dronacharya refused it as he did not teach him. Then, Eklavya told him the story about his statue and practice. Dronacharya asked him to display his archery skills and was amazed by it. Eklavya was equivalent to his best student, Arjuna. 

Therefore, shrewd Dronacharya asked the thumb of his right hand as Gurudakshina so that Eklavya would not be able to compete with his best student, Arjuna. Eklavya understood the cunningness of the Dronacharya but gave the thumb of his right hand to Dronacharya immediately. Thus, he freed himself from the debt of Guru Dakshina. But this did not affect Eklavya as much as Dronacharya had thought and Eklavya still managed to be one of the best archers of his time. 

The moral of the story is the students were ready to sacrifice anything for their teachers. 

Guru-Shishya Parampara (Teacher-Disciple Tradition) is one of the important aspects of Hinduism. Many important Hindu scriptures like Bhagavad-Gita, Vedas, etc. were preserved in this way. Lord Krishna was the guru of Arjuna. Therefore, he told him Bhagavad-Gita to clear his doubts about war and life. 

1. Krishna-Arjuna.

2. Sandipani-Krishna.

3. Vasishtha-Rama.

4. Dronacharya-Arjuna.

5. Dattatreya-Navnath 

Now a day, you would find a spiritual teacher at every corner of India. Most of them use their powers to earn money and fame. It is very difficult to find a genuine guru these days. Those who are really good prefer to stay away from the crowd. But this is the reality of the 21st century and we have to accept it. If you want knowledge, you have to pay the fees also. Otherwise, you will have to travel to the Himalayas to find a guru. 

• A lecture given by

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

on Vyasa-puja day, 1973, at Bhaktivedanta Manor, England 

om ajnana-timirandhasya

jnananjana-salakaya||

caksur unmilitam yena

tasmai sri-gurave namah||

“I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my guru, my spiritual master, opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.”

The word ajnana means ignorance or darkness. If all the lights in this room immediately went out, we would not be able to tell where we or others are sitting. Everything would become confused. Similarly, we are all in darkness in this material world, which is a world of tamas. Tamas or timira means darkness. This material world is dark, and therefore it needs sunlight or moonlight for illumination. However, there is another world, a spiritual world, that is beyond this darkness.   

• Who is a True Teacher?

They call those men Acharya who are devoid of greed, who are self-possessed and devoid of arrogance, straight forward and who are educated and self-disciplined. 

An Acharya is one who fully understands the conclusions of the revealed scriptures. His own behavior reflects his deep realization, and thus he is a living example of divine precept. He is therefore known as a Acharya, or one who teaches the meaning of the scriptures both by word and deed.  

It has been said in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11/3/29) 

Tasmad gurung prapadyet jignasuh shreyamuttamam||

After the word cha nisnatang brahmanyupasama shrayam||

“Therefore, if one sincerely desires to attain true happiness, then he must take refuge in a Sadguru through initiation. The merit of a Sadguru is that he has deeply grasped the judgments of the scriptures, and is capable of producing convictions about those judgments of others as well. Only such great people who have taken refuge in the Supreme Lord, ignoring the benefits of inanimate happiness, should know that they are the righteous gurus. ” 

• He will not only give full wisdom advice, he will be a ‘Acharya’, who will teach by setting an example through his own way of life.

• His senses must be subjugated to him, he will be the senses. If a guru's senses are unrestrained, and if he does not teach his disciples sense control, then he is unqualified to be a guru. 

Sripad Roop Goswami, a sixteenth-century Vedic philosopher and a leading disciple of Sri Chetanya Mahaprabhu, mentions six signs of Gurudev in his Sriupadesamrita texts: He can rule the whole world.  

• Real difference between Guru and God

Once Guru and God arrive at a devotee’s home. He came out and fell in their feet. When he went to God’s feet, God said wait, first you should bow down to Guru.

When devotee went to guru’s feet, guru said I have brought God to your home go and bow down to God first.

Devotee returned to God’s feet, then God said, your Guru has brought God in your life, he has told you Path to me, so first go to guru’s feet.

Devotee went back to guru’s feet, then guru said. I only have told you the path to divinity. But God has made you. Isn’t it?! So go and bow down to God first.

Then he went back to God’s feet. God said wait. This is all right but i want to tell you about God’s and Guru’s principle. In God’s principle, i have justice system. If you do good deeds you get good return, good karma will take you to havens, will yield liberation, you will get good life but if you do bad karma it will yield only bad results. You get punished, you go to hell, you will be stuck and your soul will suffer.

But see Guru principle, Guru is very innocent. When you go to Guru. How so ever you are, in whatever state you are. Whatever your karma’s are. Guru will embrace you. Guru will purify you and brings you to my feet. That’s why guru never pushes away anyone. Guru only polishes you and bring them to divinity. 

• Conclusion

There is a system of testing and reconciliation to reach a conclusion on a controversial issue: Guru-Sadhu Shastra. The teachings of the Guru must be consistent with the decisions of the saints (i.e. the former Acharyas of the Guru-tradition), and that decision must again be directly scriptural. One can verify the authenticity of the knowledge one is hearing from one's guru by judging whether the theory is in complete harmony with the knowledge imparted by the previous Acharyas of the tradition and with the scriptural knowledge. This is the proof of perfect infallible knowledge.