Guru and Guru Tatva from Guru Gita

Hari OM. On the holy occasion of Guru Poornima, 22

nd
July 2013, lets understand the
Guru and Guru Tatva as given in Guru Gita.
One has to carefully interpret Guru and Guru Tatva i.e. Brahma Tatva while reading
Guru Gita.
||Aum Tam Namami Gurum Param||
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Who so ever has the Supreme Love & adoration for the Lord and as for the Lord,
likewise for the Guru; to him these great matters, when they told, become clear of
themselves. (17)
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He who is the Guru is Shiva Himself, so declare the scriptures, and the fact that
Shiva is the Guru, is reminded to us in all the Smritis. He, who makes any distinction
between the two, is guilty of the crime of uniting with his own Gurus wife. (18)

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The Vedas, the Shastras, Puranas, the Itihasas etc., the science of Mantras, Yantras
Mohana, Uchatana etc., cults like the Shaiva, Agama, Shakta, etc., and other cults
existing in the world today are merely false theories expressed in corrupted words
which confuse the ignorant and deluded Jivas. Japa austerities, observances,
pilgrimage sacrifice, charity - all these become a mere waste without understanding
the Guru Tattva. (19, 20, 21)
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Brahman resides in the mouth of the Guru i.e.; his words, and one attains Brahman
by the grace of the Guru. One should meditate on His Guru at all times, just as a
devoted wife thinks of her husband only. (30)
Note: In this sloka, Guru is to be taken as Guru Tatva

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The syllable Gu is the darkness and the syllable Ru is said to be light. There is no
doubt that the Guru is indeed the Supreme Knowledge that dispels (the darkness of)
ignorance. (33)

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Gu Kara means the darkness and Ru Kara means the remover of the darkness.
On account of the power of removing darkness, the teacher is known by the
significant name Guru. (34)

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The letter Gu denotes that He is beyond the three Gunas and Ru denotes that He
is beyond forms. Because He is free from Gunas and forms, He is called the Guru.
(35)

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The first syllable Gu represents the principles such as maya and the second syllable
Ru the supreme knowledge that destroys the illusions of maya. (36)
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The holy lotus feet of the Guru shine like the two pearls (the essence) of the entire
Srutis. The Guru is the exponent of the Truths of the Vedanta. Therefore one should
worship the Guru. (39)

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By the mere remembrance of whom Knowledge dawns in one automatically; he (the
Guru) is ones entire wealth. Therefore one should worship the Guru. (40)
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When one is faced by adverse situations, only Guru helps just like the closest
brother. Guru is manifestation of all religious, therefore, prostrations to the Guru.
(42)
Note: Religion = Dharma = varNa Dharma and jAti Dharma
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Neither those who perform great sacrifices, nor yogis, nor those who practice severe
austerities are liberated if they are averse to Guru Tattva. (52)


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I prostrate myself before that Guru, the Bliss of Brahman, the bestower of Supreme
Happiness, who is Knowledge absolute, transcending the pairs of opposites,
expansive like the sky, the goal indicated by the great sayings like Thou art That,
the one eternal, pure, unchanging, the witness of functions of the intellect, who is
above all Bhavas (mental conditions) and the three Gunas (Sattva, Rajas and
Tamas). (54)
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One should purify his mind by the method prescribed by the Guru. With the
knowledge of the Self, one should reject everything else as unreal. (55)

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What is the use of elaborating here? Without Gurus infinite grace peace of mind is
difficult even after studying millions of scriptures. (56)
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One who cuts as under, for the disciple, the eight kinds of attachment (doubts, pity,
fear, shyness, censure, position in society, high birth and wealth), by the sword of
mercy and bestows absolute Bliss is called Satguru. (57)
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The Guru is one who instructs the disciple about attributeless, eternal Brahman, and
there by reveals the Brahmanbhava (feeling of being Brahman) in his heart just like
one lamp kindles another lamp is the Guru. (75)

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By steadiness in the path to liberation, by seeing ones own Self in oneself, by the
practice of introspection within and by the Grace of the Guru, the Knowledge of the
Self dawns in the Sadhaka. (76)
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By constant meditation on the Guru, the individual soul becomes Brahman, wherever
he lives he is free, there is no doubt in it. (85)

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My dear Parvati, Guru possesses the six qualities of knowledge, dispassion,
lordliness, fame, wealth and sweet-eloquence. (86)
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Guru is Shiva, Guru is God. Guru is the relative of all embodied beings. Guru is the
Self. Guru is Jiva. There is nothing other than the Guru. (87)

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As the Rajasic Brahma, SriGuru creates this universe, as the Sattvic Vishnu, He
protects it and as the Tamasic Rudra, He destroys it. (96)
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By His grace, after having attained a glimpse of that Supreme being in Guru, one
should stay alone, free from all contacts without any attachment and peacefully. (97)
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O beloved Parvati, one might have learned the four vedas and the six- branched
Agamas (shiksha, kalpa, Vyakaranam, Nirukta, Astrology and Chhandas) all
Adhyatma Shastras, but one cannot attain Self-knowledge without Guru. (100)
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One may be engaged in worship of either Shiva or Vishnu, but if he is without
knowledge of the Guru-Tattva, all his worship is a mere waste. (101)
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By the glory of Guru Diksha, all your actions bear fruit. By the attainment of a Guru
one attains everything. One without a Guru is mere fool. (102)
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The body, the senses, the mothers clan, the fathers clan, - all those are present in
ones guru. There is not the least doubt about this. (153)
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Guru is God. Guru is religion. The greatest penance is unshakable faith in God. I
repeat this thrice with force that there is nothing greater than the Guru. (154)

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GuruBhakti is the greatest kind of pilgrimage. Others are worthless. All places of
pilgrimage are present, O Devi, at the sacred holy feet of the Guru. (159)
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There are ever so many Gurus in the world who rob the wealth of their disciples. But
I consider that Guru a rare one among Gurus who removes the afflictions of the
disciples heart. (162)
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He who is the clever, the discriminative, the knower of the truths of spiritual
sciences, the pure, is really the Guru. His Gurutva (state of a Guru) shines. (163)

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Gurus are those who are pure at heart, calm, collected, of a saintly nature, who
speaks measured words, who are free from lust, greed etc. who have conquered
their senses and who are established in good conduct (Sadacharas). (164)
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A Param Guru is free from attachment, etc; peaceful, always contented in Himself,
independent, and one who considers the status of Brahma and Vishnu like a blade of
grass. (180)
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One who is independent at all times and places, who possess an unshakable mind
and always blissful, who experiences the homogenous essence of the Self, such a
one is the Param Guru. (181)



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One who is free from the feeling of duality and non-duality, who shines by the light
of His self-realization, who is able to destroy the deep darkness of ignorance, and is
omniscient, He is a Param Guru. (182)

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By whose mere Darshan (look with devotion), one attains calmness, cheerfulness,
and peace and steadfastness, and peace of mind, such a one is Param Guru. (183)

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One who looks upon his own body as a corpse, and his Self as the non-dual
Brahman, and who has killed the infatuation for wealth and women, such a person is
a Param Guru. (184)

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O dear Parvati, listen to me. There are two classes of knowers of Truth. They are (1)
The Mauni, and (2) The Vakta. No benefit accrues from the Mauni to any person.
(185)
The Vakta on the other hand, is capable of saving others from great whirlpool of
Samsara. Because he is able to clear all doubts by his knowledge of the scriptures,
logical and convincing arguments and by his own direct Self-realization experience.
(186)

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By the Japa of the Gurus name, O Devi, the sins accumulated in the countless lives
are destroyed. There is not the least doubt about this. (187)
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By the devotion practiced towards the Guru, one attains the liberation even without
knowledge. For those who practice unflinching devotion to the Guru, no other
sadhana is required. (212)
Note: Here it has to be taken as Guru Tatva

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It is by the Gurus grace and blessings that Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva become
capable of performing their respective duties- creation, preservation, and dissolution.
(213)

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O Devi, the two-lettered word Guru is the king among all mantras. It is the essence
of the Vedas, Smritis and Puranas. (214)
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The Guru is not different from the conscious Self. Without doubt, this is the truth;
therefore wise men should make an effort to seek knowledge of Atman from Him.
(22)

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The hidden ignorance, absence of the Knowledge of Self, the world- Maya, the body
are all caused by ignorance (Ajnana). By whose grace one attains direct Knowledge
of the Self- he is known by the name Guru. (23)
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Gu Kara means the darkness and Ru Kara means the remover of the darkness.
On account of the power of removing darkness, the teacher is known by the
significant name Guru. (34)
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The letter Gu denotes that He is beyond the three Gunas and Ru denotes that He
is beyond forms. Because He is free from Gunas and forms, He is called the Guru.
(35)