Who is a Guru? One who preaches to his disciple is a Guru. Who is a disciple? One who receives preaching from a Guru is a disciple. This is the common definition of the words – Guru and disciple. Read one after the other, one can easily make out that their definitions are interdependent. That is, unless one understands the meaning of the word Guru, one cannot understand the meaning of ‘disciple’, and vice-versa. How then can this question be answered?

Who is having this question? Is it the Guru or the disciple? When it comes to worldly knowledge, unless there are disciples, the Guru will not have a career. However, in the spiritual field, a Guru does not have such difficulty. Our discussion is about the spiritual field. So, let us discuss about Guru and Shishya with regard to spiritual field. In this field, for the Guru, it does not matter if there are disciples or not. Therefore, a spiritual Guru will never face the question -‘who is a disciple?’

Let us come to disciples. Typically, they have spiritual aspirations. They are unable to achieve spiritual progress on their own. Such a disciple will feel ‘I need a Guru’. The question – ‘who is a real Guru?’ also comes to his mind only. ‘How can I become a disciple to a real Guru?’ – this question also comes to his mind. Therefore, we should try to understand the meanings of the terms – Guru and Shishya – from the viewpoint of a disciple only.

Will it not suffice to say ‘one who has achieved spiritual accomplishment is a Guru’? May be it is enough, but two questions arise. How to make out as to how a person has achieved spiritual accomplishment? – this is the first question. If there are many such persons, how can I know who my Guru is? – this is the second question.
For someone who is in a state of ignorance, is it ever possible if the other person has achieved spiritual progress or not? If it is not possible, is there no way for a person to find his Guru?

The uniqueness of human evolution is that man tries to understand the unknown with the help of something that is known. A disciple who is in pursuit of his/her Guru should follow the same method. How?

A boy studying in primary school once got a doubt if his mathematics teacher could tell the 100th table. The teacher said, ‘I can’ and within no time, rattled it out. Now the boy got a fresh doubt. ‘Has the teacher said it correctly or not’ – was his doubt. He asked another elderly person there if the teacher was correct. The elderly person said it was correct. Again the same question arose in the boys mind. Does this elderly man really know if it is correct or not? Now, analyze this situation. The boy does not know if it is correct or not. He is reluctant to believe others because there is a doubt in his mind that the other person may not be correct also. How then can the boy comprehend the ability of his teacher?

Because of the meagerness of the boy’s knowledge, it was not possible to comprehend the knowledge of the Guru, no matter how many people testified it. But, looking at the spontaneity with which the teacher reproduced the table, looking at the confidence of his teacher and remembering the affection that his teacher had for him, the boy becomes influenced and starts believing his teacher. With this belief, he studies hard and becomes a scholar in mathematics himself. He now realizes that his teacher knows not only the 100th table, but is highly well versed in the field of mathematics. He also realizes that rattling out the 100th table, which he had thought to be a great feat, is after all not such a great thing.

Similarly, even in the spiritual path, it is very difficult to spot our Guru by ourselves. Just like the boy in the above example, one spots a Guru by some extraordinary attributes and by the suggestions of others who have achieved some progress. Even here, there are some dilemmas. Many people fall for miracles, ostentatious behaviour, and propaganda machinery of the so-called great people.

What then is the real sign of a Guru? Before we can have the answer to this question, let us understand as to why we need a Guru. Obviously, it is to acquire spiritual knowledge! First of all, you must have a burning desire for it. With such a burning desire inside you, when you go on having the Darshan of holy men, you will come across one holy man, in whose divine presence your mind will experience inexplicable bliss and peace. You will forget your mental turmoil in His presence. You will suddenly feel confident that all your problems will be solved. Above all, you will feel "He is mine". When you meet such a divine person, you can be sure that you have met your Guru.

Thus, in reality, Sadguru will Himself comes to you. This is because He is aware of your deficiency and knows that you cannot spot Him. Does this mean that you should keep quite thinking, "after all, the Sadguru will find me"? No! Such an attitude is not correct. The Almighty God, for the sake of His innumerable children who have varied mindsets, will take innumerable forms. Not all forms are useful to you. Even if the form that is useful to you is wandering near you, the Guru will not reveal Himself unless the disciple acquires eligibility. What is that eligibility? The burning desire mentioned above itself is the eligibility. When such a burning desire sets in, you will never entertain the question "why should I go in search of my Guru? Can’t I simply keep quiet?" Not only that, even if someone says ‘you can keep quiet’, you will not. You will certainly begin your quest. To engage in such a pursuit is your duty. That itself is the yardstick of your eligibility. Once your eligibility is proved, the Sadguru will reveal Himself to you in the form of peace of mind as explained above.

From the above discussion, it became clear as to who is Guru. Still, it has not become possible to define it in one sentence. In fact, to defy all definitions is one of the important characteristics of a Guru. Although it is not possible to define who a Guru is in one sentence, we now know who a Guru is. Keeping this as the basis, can we define who a disciple is?

In the beginning of this discussion, it was said, "One who receives preaching from a Guru is a disciple." We now know who a Guru is. However, you will not automatically become a disciple just because you could spot your Guru.

This sounds like a word of caution. Is this warning meaningful? A person who is yearning to become a disciple may ask, "After seeing many scholarly and pious persons, I could finally ‘spot’ a noble person in whose presence my mind experienced peace and tranquility. Because of this experience, when I am convinced that He is my Guru, how can anybody say that I am not His disciple?" A very intelligent question indeed. But it lacks conviction. The person who puts forth this argument is not fully convinced within himself that finding his Guru does not automatically make him a disciple. Why? It is because of past experience that is skulking in the heart. When he was in his first year in school, he used to address the head master of his school as "Master". However, the head master had never taught him anything. Actually, it was another teacher – his class teacher – that used to actually do the teaching. In reality whose disciple was he at that time? There is another question deep inside his heart. When he reaches the college level, he submitted an application. He was called for an interview. He asked to give him a seat in chemistry. But he was offered a seat in history. But he was bent upon studying under the Chemistry professor. In the end it so happened that he got a seat neither in chemistry or history; he was given a seat in mathematics. Now, whose student is he? Is he a disciple of the chemistry professor, whom he had considered to be his Guru? Needless to say he is not. Thus, his real life experience also tells him that just because he considers someone to be his Guru, it may not be true. When it is so with regard to worldly knowledge, how can it be different in the spiritual field?

Because such thoughts are loitering in his mind, he cannot refute the condition which says "he who receives preaching" as being the characteristic of a disciple. But at the same time, this condition causes mental inconvenience; therefore, he is not prepared to accept it straightaway.

What is the problem in accepting it? Let us take the first example. The student got a seat in mathematics. But he does not have the basic knowledge in that subject. Therefore, the professor asks one of his assistants to teach him the basics. Now whose disciple is this person? Is he the professor’s disciple or is he the disciple of the assistant professor?
The following Sookti is meant for those who are tormented by such doubts. It defines who a disciple is and also puts forth the duties of a disciple. Observe this carefully:

Tava shishyohamityukte rnate siddhyati shishyataa
Prabhunaa hi pradaatavyaa mantritaa dasataathavaa

"Just because you claim that you are a disciple, you do not become one. Whether it is the post of a minister or of a soldier, isn’t it the king who makes the decision?"
The first part of the Sookti tells in no uncertain terms that you do not become a disciple just because you claim to be one. Agreed, it does not confer disciple-hood. What does one need to do to become a disciple? The second part of the Sookti gives the answer. It says ‘studentship is not something that you can earn by your efforts. It is something that a Guru has to confer out of compassion’.

What should one do to become eligible to receive Guru’s compassion? The Sookti does not answer this question directly. Instead, it does so figuratively. How?
A king received several applications for the post of a minister and servants. The king selected one candidate for the post of the minister. He also selected a few persons as servants. Being a king, he did not need the approval of anyone to confirm their appointment. No one is above the king. The person should satisfy the king. That’s all. There are no other criteria here. Similarly, even in the case of a Sadguru, there is no one above Him. To decide if you are fit to become a disciple is his left to Him. No one can question it. You should satisfy Him. Only then you will become His disciple.

Among the many applicants, all may not possess the qualifications required for the post of the minister. Even if they possess minimum qualifications, the king may give them at least the job of servants. If they don’t have even minimum qualification, the will simply remain ordinary citizens.

Similarly if you have the ability to satisfy the Guru, the Guru will bestow studentship to you. Although many aspirants have the qualifications, the king can make only one person his minister, and among the remaining applicants, he will chose a few people as servants. Similarly, the Guru bestows studentship only on a few. If you don’t have the required qualifications, you will remain a devotee. However, you will be a devotee who is constantly longing to become a disciple by enhancing your qualification. If you do not have this attitude, you will just remain a wanderer, traveling back and forth.
This meaning is figuratively implicit in the second part of the Sookti. That’s not all. There are two words – Mantritaa and Daasataa (Mantri=Minister, Daasa=Servant). Here, the word Mantri does not merely mean minister. It also means ‘one who is engaged in spiritual pursuit through Mantra’. What does this meaning imply? It implies that the Guru who has blessed you, knows as to which path is good for you – the path of spiritual pursuit or that of Bhakti (devotion) and decides accordingly. It also implies that unless the Guru makes some decision, you will not get the status of studentship. You will become a disciple only after the Guru decides.

If the Guru becomes compassionate about you, He will show you some path. For the Guru to show you compassion, you must first become eligible. How to earn that eligibility? From the above discussion, we have come to know that the Sookti does not give a direct answer. Let us see were the answer is hidden in the Sookti.

By indirectly saying that the Guru will show you either the path of Upaasana(spiritual practice) or Daasya Bhakti(path of surrender and devotion), it gives you a hint about how one can enhance one’s eligibility. The previous step to the path of Upasana is Nama Sankeertana. The step preceding the path of surrender/devotion is listening to discourses on mythological scriptures and serving the devotees. To do this, one does not require a formal initiation. Anyone can do this. You must develop a natural interest in these. Once you become interested and begin to make conscious effort to enhance that interest, you will get the eligibility of becoming a disciple. When you get the qualification, you, (who used to serve the devotees) will automatically become eligible to serve the Guru. If you were hitherto engaged in Nama Sankeertana, you will become eligible to step in to the path of Upasana. Either way, you will rise from the level of a devotee to become a disciple. This is the way of satisfying a Guru and becoming his disciple – is the indirect message hidden in the Sookti. By the grace of the Guru, after having acquired the status of a disciple, one should continue to carry on one’s pursuit in accordance with the directions of the Guru. One should not forget that the pursuit would go on only as long as one has the blessings of the Guru. One should therefore strive to become eligible to get more blessings. One should also realize that the blessings of the Sadguru is both the means and the fruit of one’s pursuit.

Can a minister ever think "I have become a minister now. Why do I need the king’s benevolence?" Even after becoming a minister, his duty continues to be that of pleasing the king. This is the purpose of comparing the status of a disciple to that of the minister. That is, the disciple should continue to do things that please the Guru. This is the hidden

meaning of the Sookti.
By the grace of Lord Dattatreya, may this message reach your heart and may you all become good disciples of the Sadguru.

Jaya Guru Datta.

Sri Swamiji