Guru Mahima

Human beings should ponder who plays an important role in the development of consciousness in life? I remember a beautiful line of a poet-

Teachers provide knowledge and eradicate bad habits.
Teacher eradicates doubts, I offer prayer to his feet.

In fact, teachers bring totality to our lives. We offer prayer to the ultimate teacher power through whose sheer and divine blessings. We get immense happiness and prosperity in our life. Teacher power is such divine power which brings aestheticism and prosperity in our life. It becomes a bridge between us and the ultimate god. A question was raised in the Mundakopanishad that what is mandatory for the human being to attain the ultimate goal. Rishi replies—
Parikshya lokan karmachitan brahmano nirvedamayannastyakritah kritenam

Tahigyanartham sa gurumevabhigachchhetu, samitpandih shrotriyam brahmanishtham II

Those people who want their welfare must lose their ego to get the desired result. It means that they fail to attain the ultimate god. Therefore, they must surrender to the feet of such a divine teacher who knows the esoteric of shrotriya-ved and how to attain the ultimate goal. This mantra has the word samitpani- means holding samidha in hands. Samidha means inflammable item. Sam and indha. This word emanates from dipt dhatu.

That’s why havan woods are called samidha because they catch fire after coming in contact with fire. This samidha is the main characteristic of celibacy. There was a tradition in the ancient time that eager disciples used to visit their teachers by holding samidha in their hands. It meant that the disciples had visited their teachers for total surrender. As samidha loses its existence after coming in contact with fire, similarly, the disciples themselves evaporate in the aura of acharya. They look like teachers. That’s why, in this mantra, this adjective has been coined for the disciples. Therefore, we offer prayer to the divine power.

Gururbrahma gururvishnuh gurudevo maheshwarah I
Guruh sakshat param-brahma tasmen shri guruve naham II

Now, what’s the meaning of this divine and great word? Let’s see guru is made of two words- gu and ru. Gu means darkness and ru means eradicator. It means that the teacher's power eradicates darkness and ignorance. In our sanatan Indian culture has been a teacher-disciple tradition since time immemorial. Neither this tradition nor the alive experience of rishi was able to get transferred from one generation to another. The people can attain the ultimate consciousness through knowledge acquired from teacher-disciple tradition. A human being can attain it under the sheer blessings of a teacher who can eradicate darkness, doubt, tension and bring ultimate bliss and happiness in their life. The scholars have been treating teachers as deities for boosting Indian belief, realizing all the dreams, getting success, etc.
Teacher is the true representative of the ultimate god. Teacher is like an ambassador. As the ambassador represents his country, similarly, shrotriya brahmanishtha teacher represents the ultimate god. Following the path of the teacher means moving on the path provided by the god.
Divine presence of the teacher declares ultimate divine power. But at the same time, the disciple plays an important role in it. He must be able to move on this path. If he doesn’t possess respect, devotion, belief, etc he is not entitled to be said as a disciple. That’s why, respect has been given importance in the ved and this message has been conveyed in 22nd mantra of shashthoadhyaya of Shwetashvataropanishad-

Yasya deve parabhaktiryatha deshe tatha guron I
Tasyaite kathita hvarthah prakashante mahatmanah II

Rishi says that as a seeker has great reverence in the ultimate god, similarly, the teacher also has the same reverence. That great personality possesses esoteric meaning suggested by the teacher. According to upnishad, a disciple must be respectful. Then he will be able to pave the way suggested by the teacher.
Upnishad says that the vital energy of a teacher lives in the heart of the disciple and vice-versa. Disciple is patient, while the teacher is a doctor. When the disciple falls prey to diseases, the teacher provides him medicines. Teacher’s discourse must contain reverence and belief for the disciple. We must possess respect, bhakti and surrendering as Arjuna. As Arjuna said—shishyasteahamshadhi man twam prapannam I I am your disciple. I surrender to your feet. Provide me education/knowledge.
Great example of firm reverence on teacher’s discourse is when Saptarshi tested Parvati’s tapasya and said that you should renounce education given by Narad. Replying beautifully, she said, “I won’t renounce sermons delivered by Narad Jee who is my guru.” Keeping firm faith on Narad’s sermons, Parvati asked Saptarshi that the teacher's discourse is a milestone for her. The people must have great faith and reverence in their teachers. Discussing human diseases in Uttar Kand of Ramacharitmanasa, Goswami Tulsidas says that the people must keep faith in teachers’ discourse. This is the main characteristic of the disciple who attains nothing without it.
The teachers continue to shower blessings on their disciples. Only fortunate disciples can get it. Those disciples who assimilate it get the ultimate goal in their life. Teacher is a living thing and a pilgrimage. He instils knowledge in his teacher. He paves his disciple’s spiritual journey. Teacher is a brahma who possesses eternal knowledge. An artist aggravates the possibilities of the disciple. That’s why a poet has said—

Nobody is greater than a teacher on the earth.
Whether somebody does or not, a teacher is of great importance.

There is no word to describe the glory of a teacher whose blessings hold significance. Teacher eradicates the disciple's darkness and bad habits. That’s why, a poet has rightly said-

Even the entire earth is not enough to portray a teacher.
Seven seas will be unable to depict the teacher's glory.

But the mind repeatedly says-
I have no capacity to chant teacher’s glory,
I am unable to depict his blessings,
I am ignorant and illiterate, but I have taken pledge to follow your path,
Teacher is my vital energy, hope and belief,
I am associated with teacher who is my world,
I am fortunate enough to surrender to your feet,
I am fortunate enough to take birth and blessings,
I can sacrifice everything to you,
You are showering rain on barren land,
My life is filled with prosperity,
Your knowledge provides purity, prosperity and peace,
I am happy to surrender to your feet,
I can pray to you, I can follow your path,
I can’t renounce teacher’s order in any case,
I can follow it, I can represent my teacher,
I can follow your path with devotion and reverence,
Teacher is my vital energy, hope and belief.