ONE of the main Hindu texts, the Bhagavad Gita, is a dialogue between God in the form of Lord Krishna and his friend, Arjuna, who accepts Krishna as his Guru on the battlefield, prior to Mahabharata battle. Not only does this dialogue outline many of the ideals of Hinduism, but their relationship is considered an ideal one of Guru-Shishya. In the Gita, Krishna speaks to Arjuna of the importance of finding a Guru. Guru or the Satguru awakens dormant spiritual knowledge within the disciple. The Guru is considered a noble person with saintly qualities who enlightens the mind of his disciple.

Guru is a Sanskrit term for “teacher” or “master”. The Hindu Guru- Shishya tradition is the religious doctrine or experiential wisdom transmitted from teacher to student. The Guru is seen as the one who “dispels the darkness of ignorance. The syllables gu and ru stand for darkness and light, respectively.

The Guru-Disciple relationship has been a tradition in India since time immemorial. In all the scriptures and sayings of sages and saints the significance and importance of the Guru has been highlighted from a very high pedestal. If there is any true well-wisher of any disciple, it is the Guru and none else. There are, however, many people who are always ready to offer advice and give directions and pretend to be the Guru – for such persons it is business – but it is the true Guru who shows the way to the divine door and who helps one to lead a purposeful life. The relationship with a true and genuine Guru is long-lasting and infinite. His blessings remain with us even after we have passed away. The Guru not only instructs the disciple in meditation and concentration but also teaches him the social behaviour and the correct way to lead life. He creates an intellectual revolution in the mind of his disciples and sees them excel in life.

Knowledge is the Divine Path: The parents give birth to the person and also educate him but it is the Guru who gives a second life by infusing in him the strains of true knowledge. The knowledge given by him is invaluable and helps in realising God. A knowledgeable person is supposed to have been born the second time. The knowledge given by the Guru is unique, deep, permanent and of an exceptionally high value.

The status of the Guru is also regarded as higher than that of God. It is the Guru who makes us realise the presence and value of God and it is the Guru who holds our hands and leads us to the divine door. The

Guru opens the door to let us have the vision of God who, in fact, always resides within us but we ignorants, are unable to see him. Guru has the technique using which he enables us to feel the presence of God. It is the Guru who tells us that only through knowledge we can feel the presence of God and come face-to-face with him even though God does not have any physical form. Knowledge is, in fact, the divine path.

Guru is a Complete  Guide: The Guru has to be a complete teacher and guide. In case the Guru is not complete then the knowledge given by him would also be incomplete and we continue to grope in the darkness. We should always look for the Guru who is genuine and complete in all respects. Only then we can hope for salvation for ourselves. To evaluate the genuineness and completeness of a Guru we cannot look for a branded person. There are many branded so- called Gurus around but their genuineness remains doubtful. We have to be with the Guru for some time to feel His and absorb His Divine essence and when we feel satisfied and confident we can surrender our ego and personality to him and ask for his benign blessings. That still does not complete the circle. It is also for the Guru to accept us. The Guru also has his own yardstick to assess the capacities and capabilities of his disciples. He wants to be sure that the knowledge given by him is not misused. Once we are accepted, the circle is complete and a true relationship begins.

The one who navigates you through the troubled times; who leads you to successful conclusions; who guides you to lead a purposeful life; who helps you to meditate and concentrate; who makes you feel the urge to be in the company of God; can well be the ideal and true Guru for you. This is for sure.

Guru is the Giver of Knowledge: A person without a Guru is considered as an orphan. An acharya is the giver of gyan [knowledge] in the form of shiksha [instruction]. A Guru also gives diksha [initiation] which is the spiritual awakening of the disciple by the grace of the Guru. Diksha is also considered to be the procedure of bestowing the divine powers of a Guru upon the disciple, through which the disciple progresses continuously along the path to divinity.

Classification of Gurus: In the Upanishads, five signs of a Satguru [True Guru] are mentioned. In the presence of a Satguru; Knowledge flourishes [Gyanaraksha]; Sorrow diminishes [Dukhakshaya]; Joy wells up without any reason [Sukhaaavirbhava]; Abundance dawns [Samriddhi]; all talents manifest [Sarvasamvardhan]. The Guru is the one who guides his disciple to become ‘jivanmukta’, the liberated soul able to achieve salvation in his lifetime.

The Guru-shishya tradition exists almost in all religions of the world though the terminology used for it might be different. ‘There is no salvation without a teacher’ is widely accepted by everyone in the world.

Guru believes in leading an Ideal Life: A true Guru appears to be a plain and ordinary person. He holds high ideals yet leads a simple and ideal life. A plain-looking saintly person having deep knowledge and strong belief in God, with a unique radiance and also having a pure aura around him, are the indications of a true Guru. A true Guru is the real representative of God. He is a godly personality who is worthy of reverence. Look for such a Holy person and prepare yourself to offer salutations in his holy feet. Such is the Guru whom you could trust and feel confident in his company. His grace will flow into your personality and your life would be a glorious life.