Hindi Bhakti Sahitya Me Guru Ka Swarup Aur Mahattva

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Hindi Bhakti Sahitya me Guru ka Swarup aur Mahattva" by Kishorilal Raigar, focusing on the concept of the Guru:

The article, "The Form and Importance of the Guru in Hindi Devotional Literature" by Dr. Kishorilal Raigar, asserts that the Guru is the essence that eradicates ignorance and facilitates our realization of the divine. The author expertly synthesizes the Guru's glory as found in the works of prominent devotional poets from the Siddha and Nath traditions, as well as Hindi Bhakti era saints like Kabir, Nanak, Ravidas, Dadu Dayal, Charan Das, Swami Shivdayal Singh, Mirabai, Sain Bulle Shah, and Tulsidas. The essay clearly illustrates the Guru's supreme importance.

The text highlights that from birth, humans are inclined to learn, and acquiring knowledge in the world necessitates a Guru. While a mother is the first Guru, teaching the initial lessons of life, the concept of a Guru takes on a specific and profound meaning in the realm of spirituality and devotion. The importance of the Guru is extensively discussed in Vedic, Upanishadic, Buddhist, Jain, Siddha, and Nath literature. In a general sense, a Guru is one who liberates beings from worldly attachments and guides them from darkness to light. The article emphasizes that during the medieval period of Hindi literature, the stream of devotion provided salvation to many from the ocean of the world, and it was the Guru who facilitated this transcendence. Both the saguna (devotional with form) and nirguna (devotional without form) streams of devotion extensively discuss the nature and significance of the Guru.

The tradition of nirguna literature in Hindi, originating from the Siddhas and Nathas, leads to the saints. Prominent Siddha poets like Sarahpa, Shabarpa, Luipa, and Kukkuripa were masters of esoteric knowledge, which required a capable Guru to impart. Sarahpa is noted for valuing Guru-service. The path of spiritual practice is complex, and to avoid deviation, a practitioner must seek a Guru. Luipa is quoted as saying, "Lui speaks, ask the Guru and go." Nath literature also extensively describes the Guru's greatness.

The Guru is identified as the one who can show the true path for an ignorant soul to connect with the Supreme Being. The Guru awakens love for the divine within the soul and guides it towards oneness. Through the Guru's grace, the inner doors of the heart are opened. The Adi Granth states that through the Guru's grace, inner barriers are removed.

Guru Arjan Dev even stated that the Supreme Being manifests as a saint or Guru to bestow love and devotion upon the soul, leading to liberation. The scriptures consider the Guru as Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh, equating them with the Supreme Brahman. Kabir Das elevates the Guru's status even above God, stating that when both God and Guru are present, one should bow to the Guru first, as the Guru revealed God.

The article argues that a Guru is indeed greater than God because it is through the Guru's grace that God can be realized; otherwise, the soul wanders lost in the world. The Guru is the key to the lock of the world, and without their knowledge, the intricate lock of worldly existence cannot be opened. Guru Arjan Dev illustrates this by saying that to open the lock of the world, the key lies with the Guru, and without the Guru's shelter, liberation is impossible. Thus, Guru Nanak Sahib clearly states that realization of the formless Akal Purush (God) is possible only through the Guru's grace.

Regarding who can be a Guru, Maharaj Sawan Singh of RadhaSwami Satsang stated that a Guru must be a living Guru of the current time. Past enlightened beings, though perfect, cannot assist us. We need a perfect saint-Guru who can connect our consciousness to the inner Name and through whose meditation, we can unite our mind and soul with the divine word or Name. Dariya Sahib explicitly states that a living Guru is essential; seeing them makes even death flee. Swami Shivdayal Singh further elaborates that without a Guru, devotion is not possible, and without devotion, one cannot reach Satlok (the true abode). Until one meets a Guru, the work of a devotee cannot be accomplished.

Kabir extensively detailed the form and importance of the Guru in his sayings, songs, and couplets. He emphasizes that no worldly relation is as close as a Satguru, who fully bestows the ultimate truth they seek onto the disciple. Kabir repeatedly expresses his devotion to the Guru. The Guru liberates the disciple from blind imitation of the world, holding the lamp of knowledge to guide them to the realization of Brahman. Kabir's saying, "I was following the world and traditions, but then I met the Satguru, who gave me a lamp in my hand," illustrates this. Meeting the Guru illuminates the disciple's heart with knowledge. True Gurus are valiant warriors who, like warriors in battle, defeat adversaries with arrows of truth, freeing the disciple from all illusions through self-realization. Kabir Gyan Guddi extensively elaborates on the Guru's significance, stating that without a Guru, the soul's illusions cannot be dispelled, and well-being is impossible. The subtle path is found through the Guru, who unlocks the barriers of many lifetimes.

Kabir believed that the Guru leads to the state of "unmani" (a state of yogic absorption) and dispels the restless tendencies of the mind, detaching it from worldly pursuits. He also spoke of the Guru providing a divine lamp filled with the oil of love and the wick of knowledge, enabling the disciple to engage in worldly transactions with proper understanding and thus avoid returning to the cycle of birth and death. The Guru's grace leads to liberation from the cycle of transmigration.

Kabir further illustrates that many souls are destroyed like moths drawn to the flame of worldly illusion, but only a few are saved by the Guru's knowledge and grace. He stresses the importance of a wise and knowledgeable Guru. If both the Guru and the disciple are blind and ignorant, they will both fall into the well. He also laments that when neither the Guru nor the disciple is enlightened, and greed prevails, both drown by clinging to a stone boat. Conversely, even if a virtuous person finds a true Guru, if their mind is already corrupt, they cannot benefit, just as good dye is useless on spoiled cloth.

Kabir compares the Satguru to a skilled blacksmith who, through persistent effort, shapes iron, and to a goldsmith who purifies gold through trials by fire. The Guru thus makes the disciple worthy, enabling them to emerge pure like gold and realize the essence of Brahman.

Other nirguna saints, like Ravidas, also extolled the Guru's glory. Ravidas states that only the Guru initiates one into true love and ferries them across the ocean of existence. The Guru provides the lamp of knowledge, ignites it, and guides the disciple in devotion to God, freeing them from the cycle of birth and death. Ravidas emphasizes that the Guru holds the key to reaching God. He criticizes those who claim spiritual knowledge by studying scriptures without approaching a true Guru. Practices like pranayama, empty meditation, ear-piercing, and wearing saffron robes are not the hallmarks of a true Guru. A true Guru guides the disciple in inner spiritual exploration, leading them to the Divine.

Ravidas believed that the Satguru destroys the sins of past lives and shows the true path, rescuing those engrossed in worldly desires and attachments. A true Guru performs duties selflessly, unaffected by worldly dualities like pleasure and pain, gain and loss, life and death, joy and sorrow. They remain untouched by the water of the world, like a lotus leaf. They are embodiments of compassion and forgiveness, always engaged in selfless service. They rise above attachment and aversion, not even desiring to be called a Guru. Ravidas expresses deep reverence for such Satgurus, washes their feet, and bows his head, as meeting them severs the karmic bonds of lifetimes. He describes the joy of meeting a Satguru as inexpressible. The Guru's grace breaks the disciple's prarabdha karma and opens the gates of the heart, bestowing divine love. Ravidas likens the Guru's touch to the philosopher's stone turning copper into gold.

The article notes that Dadu Dayal stated that without meeting the Satguru, the world cannot be transcended, and all worldly bonds are broken. Only then can one attain the supreme state and realize their true form. Charan Das also believed that the Satguru liberates one from all worldly ailments, instills love for God, and removes all suffering.

Swami Shivdayal Singh emphasizes that the Guru is a benefactor and friend, guiding the disciple, freeing them from the clutches of death, and revealing the secrets of existence. The Guru also helps one cross the ocean of the world and guides them in their spiritual journey.

The article then turns to the Sufi saints of the prem margi (path of love), who also highly revered the Guru, believing that without a Guru, the mystery of the formless Brahman cannot be grasped. Jayasi, a famous Sufi saint, emphasized in his Padmavat that the Guru shows the path, and without a Guru, the formless Brahman of the world cannot be transcended. Sultan Bahu referred to the Murshid (Guru) as the door of mercy, whose circumambulation is equivalent to the pilgrimage to Mecca. Sain Bulle Shah considered the Guru to be God incarnate, stating that God appeared in human form, awakening the world.

In Santmat, the Guru is given paramount importance for imparting the method of remembrance (simran) and bestowing the Name (nam-dan). Kabir cautions that one who practices remembrance without a Guru is futile, even if they do it a hundred times a day. The Satguru is the giver of salvation and liberation. The Adi Granth states that through the Guru's path, one can reach the Supreme Being. Dariya Sahib echoes this, stating that through contemplation of the eternal sound, divine vision arises, and the enlightened Guru understands this sound and the eternal melody.

Santmat teaches that the inward spiritual practice to reach the Supreme Being is taught by the Satguru, known as the Guru Mantra, Nam-Dan, or Guru's Word. Sufis refer to this as receiving the secret of the Kalma. The spiritual practice of the Guru's Word is, in fact, the Guru himself in tangible form. The Name bestowed by the Satguru holds great power. Maharaj Sawan Singh explains that the remembrance taught by the Satguru is not mere words; it contains the Satguru's power and compassion, making it highly effective. This remembrance easily concentrates the mind internally. The remembrance given by the Satguru is like a bullet from a gun, while self-willed remembrance is like a thrown stone. The article concludes that the Satguru is like the Supreme Being, who bestows the Name and guides the disciple's spiritual journey. Such disciples have their veils lifted, leading to liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Nanak states that meeting the Satguru completes the process, and liberation is found amidst living, playing, eating, and enjoying. The Satguru provides the disciple with an elixir of immortality, through which they can cross the ocean of the world. Even time fears the Satguru's word. Kabir reiterates this by saying the Guru gave him a wondrous medicine filled with nectar. He further distinguishes between worldly Gurus who cause repeated births and deaths and the true Satguru who can deliver from the cycle of existence.

Kabir, Ravidas, and other nirguna saints considered their physical Gurus as God, and their devotional songs often praised their Gurus, underscoring the Guru's supreme position in devotion. In saguna bhakti, the Satguru is also given special significance. Mirabai considered Sant Ravidas her Guru and stated that through his grace, she attained the vision of God. She also mentioned receiving guidance in "surat shabd" (consciousness and sound) from her Satguru Ravidas. Mirabai illustrates the Guru's importance by describing how a newly married soul reaching God's abode is asked why it remained unmarried for so long. The soul replies that it had not yet met its Satguru, who could find a suitable groom (God), fix the wedding date, and unite them. In essence, union with God is impossible without a true Satguru. Mirabai considered the Satguru the one who ferries one across the ocean of existence, as the Name received from the Satguru helps one cross this sea.

Goswami Tulsidas also considered the Satguru as the form of Hari. In his renowned work Ramcharit Manas, he venerates the Guru as the ocean of mercy in human form, whose words are like the sun that dispels the great darkness of delusion. Tulsidas considered the dust from the Guru's lotus feet as a life-giving herb that cures all worldly diseases. This dust cleanses the devotee's mind and, when applied as a tilak, brings the collection of virtues under control. The light from the Guru's fingernails is like the radiance of precious gems, and remembering it bestows divine vision, dispelling the darkness of ignorance. He attributed his writing of Ramcharit Manas to the Guru's grace.

In conclusion, Hindi devotional literature extensively portrays the form and greatness of the Guru. Across the Siddha, Nath, and Saint traditions, the Guru is regarded as God, a living person of the time who is united with God. Through their grace, the Guru bestows the Name, destroys all sins, alleviates the threefold miseries (spiritual, material, and divine), breaks all worldly bonds, and liberates the disciple from the prison of darkness. The Satguru guides the disciple on a spiritual journey through the bestowed Name, revealing the inner sound and light. Kabir, Nanak, Ravidas, Dadu, Charan Das, Swami Shivdayal Singh, along with Sufi poets like Jayasi, Sain Bulle Shah, Sultan Bahu, and saguna devotees like Tulsidas and Mirabai, have all described the Satguru's greatness with heartfelt emotion, proving the Guru's infinite significance. The Guru is capable of crossing the ocean of the world, as the Satguru embodies the Supreme Being in physical form.