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It is not uncommon for people to consider Bhagavān Himself or an avtāra of Bhagavān as their guru. Let us understand what Pujyapad Puri Shankaracharyaji (Maharajaji) has to say about this. Is it alright to do this? Would it help us attain Īśvara? Can Bhagavan become our guru?
Maharajaji explains – If we are to consider any form of Bhagavan as our guru, then our guru would be as inaccessible as the Īśvara we wish to attain.
Who would guide us in such a situation? If we are a capable student, then we shall get the right guru. Taking the help of the guru we can reach Govinda.
In his discourse, Maharajaji mentions exceptional situations where Bhagavan Himself becomes the guru.
Bhagavan Sri Krishna said in the Gita –
सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज | ch 18 vs 66
Resigning all your duties to Me, the all-powerful and all supporting Lord, take refuge in Me alone.
ईश्वर: सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति | ch 18 vs 61
Arjuna, God abides in the heart of all creatures.
The above implies that if we are as lucky as Arjuna, then Bhagavān shall become our guru.
So when does Bhagavan become our guru?
As stated in the Gita –
शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् || ch 2, vs 7
I am your disciple. Pray, instruct me, who have taken refuge in You.
Bhagavan Sri Krishna himself becomes the guru of Uddhavaji. While Uddhavaji learned the Nitishastra from Brihaspatiji, Sri Krishna became his guru, like that of Arjuna’s.
There are few selected people for whom Jagadishvara himself becomes guru. These are exceptions.
For others, the knowledge of Jagadishvara that is passed on through a traditional lineage or parampara is to be followed. They need to take the support of that and the guidance of the guru to attain Govinda.
The first shloka of the Bhagvata Purana, mentions the below –
तेने ब्रह्म हृदा य आदिकवये मुह्यन्ति यत्सूरयः।
It means that Bhagavan Srimannarayana, passes on the knowledge of the vedas to Brahmaji. Brahmaji passed the knowledge to Vashishthaji, That knowledge is further passed down through all the gurus to us. This is how a guru parampara is formed.
That is why it is written in the Yogadarshana that if we start tracing back through the lineage of the traditional guru paramparas, at the root we shall find Bhagavan as the first guru.
Therefore, a guru of a traditional parampara can guide us in our journey to attain Ishvara.