Guru Purnima

From a satsang with Paramacharya of SWAHA, Pt. Hardeo Persad

Guru Purnima, celebrated on July 23, 2021, is a day dedicated to the honouring, worship and glorification of the Guru. There are three types of gurus: diksha guru or spiritual preceptor, vidya guru or teacher and kul guru or family priest. The Guru Gita says that one individual can be all three, although in some cases, they are different people. On this auspicious day, it is the diksha guru who is of significance. He is the spiritual teacher who has initiated us into divine life.

Why do we become initiated? There are basically two reasons. Firstly, life can be compared to a boat sailing on the ocean of duality or mundane existence. A ship without a captain will soon arrive at an unfortunate destination as it has no guidance. Initiation is the process through which we accept the captain of the ship of life, the guru, who guides us through this world of duality. We all need guidance at some point in life, and so we are instructed by the religious scriptures. As the father of dharma (righteous conduct), the guru, who transmits the essence of the scriptures to us, is important and necessary to each individual as we progress along life’s journey.

Secondly, it is stated that at birth we are in a state of impurity spiritually, or ashudh. When we get initiated we undergo a spiritual birth. Initiation is important in terms of the conduct of rituals. Often, we are advised that only the initiated should perform puja, which requires a state of purity in the participant. Therefore, initiation is necessary to formally introduce one into divine life and allow one to participate in the various rituals. Thus, the guru is the guide and the key to success in this life.

The following are several verses from the Guru Gita that explains both the role of the Guru and the disciple: On Mount Kailash, Goddess Parvati bowed with great reverence before Bhagavan Shankar who, it is said, leads one to union through devotion. Shivaji symbolises vairaagya, the state of dispassion or detachment, without which there can be no devotion (bhakti). She began by saying, “Salutation to You, O Bholenath, O Lord of Lords and teacher of the universe, Jagadguru. O Benevolent One, initiate me into the knowledge of the Guru. O Lord, by which path can the embodied soul become one with that Supreme?”

Shivaji replied: “O Goddess, you are my own Self. Out of love for you, I will tell you. Your question is helpful to the world. It has not been asked by anyone before. This knowledge you are asking about, O Parvati, is very difficult to obtain in the three worlds. Listen to it, I will reveal it to you. Apart from the Guru, there is no other Brahm. This is the truth. The Vedas, Shastras, Puraanas, the science of mantra and yantra, codes of law and so on, exist in this world, but all those bring about the downfall of beings whose minds are deluded.”

Parvati was the perfect disciple in that She surrendered to the Guru. Shivaji’s explanation is that Brahm is infinite and without attributes and therefore difficult for humans to relate with as we are conditioned to a world of space, time and causation, name and form. We cannot identify with that which is without attributes so we start with the known, the Guru, which takes us to the unknown, Brahm. In this context, the Guru is the known Brahm. He reveals to us the wisdom of the scriptures and religious practices. He, by whom the light of true knowledge arises, is referred to as the Guru. He is the supreme knowledge that disperses ignorance and leads the devotee to the light of wisdom. On the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima, let us reflect on and apply to our lives the wisdom and knowledge of our respective gurus.