The Light of the Guru

Paramacharya of SWAHA, H.H. Pt. Hardeo Persad

On the annual occasion of Guru Purnima, the Guru is specially honoured, revered and worshipped. Basically, there are three kinds of Gurus: the Vidya Guru, the Kul Guru and the Diksha Guru. The Vidya Guru is a teacher, such as our teachers in school. The Kul Guru is the family priest, the one who performs our rites and rituals. The Diksha Guru is the one who initiates us into the divine life. The Guru and chela (devotee) relationship is a wonderful institution provided to us in Sanatan Dharma.

The spiritual Guru is one who removes the ignorance of the world of duality by providing us with the light of wisdom. The prayer, Om asato maa, sad gamaya, tamaso maa jyotir gamaya, states, “O Lord, lead me from ignorance to the light and truth of knowledge.” Ignorance, in this sense, is bondage to the world of materialism and dualism. In life, there are two pathways that we can follow: Pravritti and Nivritti marg. The Guru guides us away from the path of Pravritti (materialism, worldliness) to Nivritti, the path where we can identify with our true self.

The Guru leads us to Ganesh, who is a form of wisdom and the Guru within. In other words, the Guru teaches us and guides to that point where he awakens the Guru within. The Guru is a unique, special, highly qualified person in our lives. In the Shree Raamcharitramaanas, the Guru said to Shabari, “The third stage in devotion, is to worship the lotuslike feet of the Guru with a guileless purpose.” Kabir Das also said that if the Guru and God were to stand side by side, we should bow to the Guru’s feet first. Why? Because the Guru is the one who leads us to Bhagavan. In the Guru Gita, Bhagavan Shankar related to Parvati Devi that “the root of meditation is the form of the Guru. The root of puja is the worship of the feet of the Guru. The root of all mantras is the word of the Guru. Liberation and freedom from bondage both in this world and in the hereafter depend on the grace of the Guru.”

Given the significant position of the Guru in one’s life, one should select one’s Guru carefully, with single-minded devotion and discernment. Who should we select as a Guru? Bhagavan Shankar elaborates: “The hidden, the firm, the loving and contented, the silently concentrated, the one who wanders at will, and who suddenly and unexpectedly turns up to bless his shishya (disciple) out of his abundant mercy and of his own accord, these are the five kinds of Gurus.”

On the auspicious day of Guru Purnima on July 13, 2022, we are all urged to worship the Guru, remembering that Bhagavan is Jagad Guru.