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The Role of Guru in Spiritual sAdhaNA

1. Introduction

It is no exaggeration to say that there is nothing on earth, by paying of which, we could free ourselves from our indebtedness to an AchAryan. The benedictions bestowed by an AchAryan is so great that we have to be ever grateful to him. A number of teachers have taught us different things and have given shape to our lives. We have to be grateful to all of them.

EkamEvaksharam yasthu guru: sishyam prabOdhayEth PrthivyAm nAsthi taddravyam yaddavata cAnmi bhavEth

Even for teaching of an alphabet, we can not repay adequately with anything. The Mother is the first Guru and a number of other Gurus enlighten us on many things. The dharma sAsthrAs declare that one who teaches aathmavidhyA is the most celebrated of all Gurus. "AchAryA: srEshtO gurUNAm" says the Gauthama Dharma sUthrAs. The AchAryA is one who teaches "Brahma VidhyA" or the knowledge of Brahman.

2. The Definition of an AchAryan

An AchAryA is one who expounds the meanings of the sAsthrAs, who practises them himself, who establishes the disciples in those spiritual practises :

AchinOthi hi sAsthrArthAn AchArE sthApayatyapi svayam AcharathE yasmAth tasmAdh AchAryA uchyathE

3. The Uniqueness of an AchAryan

The role of the AchAryan in the field of spiritual sAdhanA is unique. One can not proceed on right lines without the authentic guidance of the AchAryan. The mysteries are not possible of being known without proper initiation by the AchAryan, who happens to be the custodian of such knowledge. The mystic truths that are covered by the outward symbols are not possible of being discovered at all, if one is not initiated by a competent AchAryan. The six disciples pay their homage to the great PippalAdhA in Prasna Upanishad : "Thvam hi nah pithA yOsmAkam AvidhyAyAh pAram param tArayasi (Thou art our Father, who makes us cross the ocean of AvidhyA)."

The aspirants depend entirely on the AchAryan for practising their sadhanA for spiritual perfection. The method, the content and the verification processes are all taught by the AchAryan according to the needs and the abilities of the aspirants. The AchAryan will be in a position to testify the Truths in the light of his own personal experiences.

4. The Upanishadic references to AchAryan

The Upanishads contain number of references to the AchAryan and his significance. VidhyA gained through the AchAryan alone would lead one to the greatest good -- "AchAryAdhaiva vidhyA vidhithA sAdhishtam prApath" -- says sathyakAma Jaabla to his guru GauthamA (ChAndhOgya Upanishad). Though UpakOsalA was initiated into the truths by the sacred fires, they asked him to gain that knowledge of archirAdhi gathi and others from the AchAryA -- "AchAryAsthu tE gathim vakthA" -- (ChAndhOgya Upanishad). UddhAlakA teaches his son SvEthakEthu that knowledge of the highest reality can be got only through AchAryOpadEsA. The illustration of GandhArapurusha, blind folded and hands bound, left by robbers in the midst of a terrible forest, lamenting loudly for being unaware of the direction in which he has to proceed, is given here. A compassionate person unties his bonds and instructs him about the proper direction in which he can proceed to reach his home. Similarly, the AchAryA guides the aspirant after spiritual perfection and helps him to get rid of the cover of ignorance (ChAndhOgya Upanishad). The worldly man suffering under the stress and strain of Aj~nAnam and ViparItha Jn~Anam is very much like the GandhAra Purushan, who was overpowered by the robbers.

The AchAryan shows the path to knowledge, fills one with faith by his own example, initiates the procedure, plans for his progress, gives him the necessary technique, corrects him whenever he goes wrong, and leads him to the ultimate goal surely and safely.

The Mundaka upanidhad says that one who has developed dispassion on seeing te hollowness of the earthly gains should go to such an AchAryan alone, who is a strOthriyA (one versed in scriptures) and BrahmanishtA (One who has realized Brahman)for gaining the knowledge of that Supreme Reality. Swamy Desikan describes the AchAryA lakshaNam in the very first verse of Sri NyAsa Vimsathi:

siddham sathsampradhAyE sthiradhiyamangam srOthriyam Brahmanishtam Satthvastham sathyavAcham samayaniyathayA saadhuvruthyA samEtham DhambhAsUyAdhimuktham jithavishayigaNam dhIrgabhandhum dhayALum skhAlithyE saasitAram svaparahithaparam Desikam bhUshNurIpsEth

Swami Desikan says: "The SadAchAryan sought should be endowed with the following qualities: He must have gained realization; he must be of a firm understanding, sinless, well versed in the scriptures, established in Brahman, sAthvic in nature, truthful, endowed with virtuous behavior, free from jealousy, vanity and other vices, endowed with conquest over his sense organs, forgiving, compassionate, corrective whenever there is a lapse and mindful of his and others' welfare".

SvEtasvatArOpanishad declares that the mystic truths reveal themselves to only one who has supreme devotion towards God and intense devotion towards the Guru in the same way:

Yasya dEvE parAbhakthi yathA dEvE tathA gurau tasyaite kathithA hyArthA: prakAsantE mahAthmana:

Swami Desikan exhorts the aspirants that they should worship the AchAryA even as one worships BhagavAn in the second slOkam of Sri NyAsa Vimsathi :

ajn~AnadhvAntha rOdhAth agha pariharaNAth athma saamyAvahathvAth, janma pradhvamsi janma pradha garimathayA dhivya dhrushti prabhAvAth, nishprathyUhAnrusamsyAth niyatharasathayA nithya sEshithva yOgAth AchAryA: sadhbhiraprathyupakaraNa dhiyA dEvavath syAthupAsya:

The AchAryA is the dispeller of the dismal darkness of ignorance. He removes all of our sins. He makes us equal to himself. He gives us VidyA jn~Ana that would put an end to the cycles of births and deaths. He will endow us with a divine vision. He will have infinite compassion, which will never be stultified. Being of the nature of AnandA, he would ever communicate the same. On account of all these factors, the AchAryA is to be worshipped as one worships God. One should never harbour the feeling that he is doing a good turn in return to the Guru. The Taittiriya says "AchAryA dEvO Bhava". Treat the AchAryAs as God and ApasthambhA voices the same feeling when he says "Devamiva AchAryAm upAsitha". One must therefore worship his AchAryA as God.

In our country, the tradition of paying homage to the GuruparamparA is a unique feature. This affords an opportunity to pay our gratitude to the illustrious line of teachers that have guarded these truths and handed the essence of that supreme teaching. In the Upanishads, the Guru-Sishya paramparais that treasured such vidhyAs are often mentioned. While referring to madhu vidhyA, the ChAndhOgya Upanishad says: "This was taught to PrajApathi by BrahmA. PrajApathi taught it to Manu; latter taught it to people like IshvAku and others. The father of UddhAlakA taught this to him, the eldest son - the name of the great sage ShAndilyA is mentioned as the teacher of that celebrated vidhyA. Even the GitA, the Lord says that this knowledge was handed over from generation to generation through this Guru-Sishya paramparA. It has been ordained that one should meditate upon the illustrious line of his teachers with reverence and gratitude.

An aspirant is advised to seek an AchAryA and gain authentic instructor from him to become able to practise spiritual sadhanA. The sinner Kashathrabandhu and the virtuous PunDarikA became liberated on account of their AchAryAs:

paapishtah Kshathrabandhusccha PunDarikasccha puNyakruth AchAryAvattyA muktou tasmath AchAyavAn bhavEth

The sin of Kshathrabandhu was not an obstacle to Moksham. The puNyam of PuNdarikA could not take him to Moksham. It was only the knowledge taught by the AchAryan that led them to liberation.

It is said that the compassionate Lord Himself assumes the role of the Guru to save erring humanity. Though He exhorted humanity in His incarnations to develop devotion towards Him, He was not successful. He had to admit:

AvajAnanti mAm mUDhAh mAnushim tanumAsthitam

So he thought of a device and came in the role of the Guru and taught the truth. The Guru succeeded where the Lord failed.

5. Varieties of Gurus

There are different types of Gurus. Some are capable of dispelling delusion even by their compassionate looks. They are the "DrushtimAtra" Gurus. This is described as "AchAryA drushtyA mushitha nikhila mohah mukdhaarsana mAtrENa kampathE pAtakam dhruvam". There are"SparsamAthra Gurus", AalinganamAthra Gurus and kathanamAthra Gurus. The Guru is compared to a water-bearing cloud that showers rain profusely. The Guru merely gives his teaching, which may be imbibed by any one in need of it to the extent that is required. He is compared to a boatman, who moves from place to place on the high seas with his boat of knowledge for rescuing the ship-wrecked. He is compared to a gardner that knows the requirements of different kinds of plants and so channelises water according to their needs. This is said to be the exceptional function of the Guru.

The great masters point out that "One should be ever grateful to the Guru and one should bring to light openly the glories of one's Guru. The manthrA should be guarded and should not be made known to all (Gurum PrakAsayEth dhImAn, manthram yathnEna gOpAyEth)".

May Our AchAryan be pleased with us and bless us with their graces!

Credits: N.S. Anantha RangAchAr


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