Guru Lakshanas

THE ATTRIBUTES OF GURU (GURU LAKSHANA)

Now let us proceed to know about the attributes or lakshaNAs of a Guru. Infact, I wanted to first deal with shishya lakShaNa or who qualifies to be a disciple and receive initiation into this sastra. But, the world now abounds in self styled fake gurus who have been consistently causing harm to this great shastra by misinterpreting and misrepresenting facts. Because of such fakies and the spurious materials they propagate, Tantra has now come to be identified with Sex, black magic and witch craft, which is far from the truth. As the article progresses, one can see that it is the supreme shakti herself who decides who should practice this sastra!
Tantra says,

"guru shiShya pade sthitvA svayameva sadAshivaH
prashnottara parairvAkyaiH tantram samavatArayat"meaning,

"It is the lord sadAshiva himself who by being in the state of both the guru and the sishya, created tantra in the form of questions and answers"

This is obvious because, to worship the shakti one has to become shiva himself -"shivo bhUtvA shivAM yajet" . So much for this great sastra.

So first about the guru and then about the shiShya-s.

Even though there are many tantric literatures which describe the attributes of guru & shiShya, kulArNava is the first and the foremost among these works. so I shall be quoting from this text.

shrIguruH parameshAni shuddhaveSho manoharaH
sarvalakShaNa sampannaH sarvAvayavashobhitaH

sarvAgamArtha tatvajnaH sarvamantravidhAnavit
lokasammohanakaro devavat priyadarshanaH

sundaraH sulabhaH svacchaH bhramasamshayanAshakaH
ingitAkAravit prAjnaH UhApohavidujjvalaH

O parameshAni (devi), the shrIguru is one, who is attired in clean apparels, who is charming, who is endowed with all lakShaNas or attributes and who possesses faultless limbs. He is the guru, who knows the true meaning of all the Agamas, who knows the application of all mantras, who is capable of attracting the world towards him, and who is, like a deva possessed of a pleasing countenance. He is the guru, who is beautiful, easily accessible, very clean, who destroys both delusions and doubts, knows the meaning of (body language) gestures, wise and knows the pros and cons

 antarlakShyo bahirdrShTiH sarvajno deshakAlavit
AjnAsiddhistrikAlajno nigrahAnugrahakShamaH

He is the guru whose look though may be outward, has his attention directed inwards. He is all knowing, possessing the knowledge of desha and kAla i.e the two dimensions of time and space. All the siddhis lie at his command. He is the knower of the past present and future. He is the one competent to both punish and bless.

vedhako bodhakaH shAntaH sarvajIvadayAparaH

svAdhInendriyasancAra ShadvargavijayakShamaH

He is the guru who is capable of piercing all the subtle chakras of the sishya, capable of infusing knowledge, is quiet and compassionate to all living beings. Whose senses are under his control, who has conquered the sixfold enemies of kAma krodha lobha moha mada mAtsarya or lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride and jealousy.

agragaNyotigambhIraH pAtrApatravisheShavit

shivaviShNusamassAdhuH mandadarshana dUShakaH

He is the first and foremost in everything, highly solemn and knows the distinction between the person fit to receive knowledge and the one who is not. He is equal to shiva, & Vishnu, pious and who has the capacity to quell doctrines or darshanas of the unawakened fools.

Nirmalo nityasantuShTaH svatantro mantrashaktimAn

Sadbhaktavatsalo dhIraH kRpAluH smitapUrNavAk

He is blemishless, ever content, possesses unbridled freedom and endowed with the powers of mantras, affectionate towards his devotees, steadfast, merciful and speaks with a blossoming smile.

alolupohyasangkalpapakShapAtI vichakShaNaH

vittavidyAdibhirmantrayantratantrAdyavikrayI
He is the guru who is not over ambitious, without self desire and free from bias. He is the guru who is not swayed by money and does not sell mantra yantra and tantra for money

 
yaH shivaH sarvagaH sUkShmaschonmanA niShkalovyayaH

vyomAkArohyajonantaH sa kathaM pUjyate priye

ata eva shivasAkShAdgururUpaM samAshritaH

bhaktyAsaMpUjito devi bhuktimuktiM prayacchhati

The siva who is all pervading, subtle unattainable by the mind, imperishable, whose form is “aprAkrta divya tejo maya” of the form of ether, eternal and infinite, how can he be worshipped ? that’s why out of compassion for his creatures, he takes the form of the guru and when so worshipped in devotion, grants liberation and fulfillment.

Shivoham nAkrtirdevi naradrggocaro nahi

tasmAt shrIgururUpeNa shiShyAn rakShati dhArmikAn

O devi, siva has no binding form, nor perceivable by the human eye,. That’s why taking the form of guru he protects the disciples who sticks to dharma.

manuShyacarmaNA baddhaH sAkShAt parashivaH svayaM

sacchhiShyAnugrahArthAya gUDhaM paryaTati kShitau

The guru is none other than the supreme siva enclosed in the human skin. For the sake of bestowing grace on the true disciple, he treads the earth concealing his true form.

atrinetraH shivaH sAkShAt acaturbAhuracyutaH

acaturvadano brahmA shrIguruH kathitaH priye

In the human form, the guru is said to be none other than siva without his three eyes, Vishnu without his four arms, brahma without his four faces.

 naravat drshyate loke shrIguruH pApakarmaNa

shivavat drshyate loke bhavAni puNyakarmaNA

shrIguruM paramaM tatvaM tiShTantaM cakShuragrataH

mandabhAgyA na pashyantihyandhAH sUryamivoditaM

The shrIguru appears as a human to those who are sinners, due to their sinful deeds. The guru appears as shiva to those who are doers of good deeds. The shrIguru who is embodiment of truth cannot be visualized by the less fortunate even if he stands before them, just as the blind who cannot see the rising sun.

guruH sadAshivaH sAkShAt satyameva na saMshayaH

shiva eva gururnocedbhuktimuktiM dadAti kaH

sadAshivasya devasya shrIgurorapi pArvatI

ubhayorantaraM nAsti yaH karoti sa pAtakI

Verily the guru is sadashiva and that’s true beyond doubt, for who else can give both fulfillment and liberation ?
There is no difference between lord sadasiva and guru, O Parvati ! those who differentiate are indeed sinners.

It is evident from the lakShaNa-s enumerated above that it is not easy to get a competent guru in this shAstra ! Thus the aspirant has to be intellegent enough to discriminate the genuine from the fraud. To day just as the aspiring upAsaka is 'praying' for a competent guru, spurious gurus are there everywhere 'preying' for a gullible shiShya!

As the technology advances, these self styled gurus also adapt it to suit their needs. It is not uncommon to find online gurus offering dIkShA too online ! In todays world, rules of kuladharma is followed more in the breach than in their observance. Therefore, dear aspirants, never fall prey to such false gurus if you ever aspire to be a upAsaka in this path.

Having said so, I also wish to add here that 'svapnadIkShA' or initiation by the guru in one's dream or initiation by the guru by appearing in a subtle form are not beyond the realm of possibilities. But one should understand that these are exceptions and resorted to by the all powerful guru in exceptional circumstances in exceptional cases.
However, exceptions are meant to be exceptions and can never become the rule.

'svecchAcAra' and svAtantrya are all for the guru only and not for the shiShya in his initial stages of upAsana. If there are no rules to be followed in this path, what for the tAntrik texts were created by the lord ? what for did lord parashurAma pen his kalpasUtra if no rules are required to be followed ?

Be that as it may. Having said about the lakShaNa-s of the guru, it is also necessary to know the competency of the guru i.e. the capacity of the guru that makes him the guru and distinguishes him from the ordinary, spurious gurus.

So here we proceed to know about the guru's competency..