gu-śabdas tv andhakārasya ru-śabdas tan-nivārakaḥ |
andhakāra-nirodhitvād gurur ity abhidhīyate ||
(Skanda Purāṇa)
“The syllable gu means darkness, and the syllable ru means its remover. A guru is so called because of his being a dispeller of darkness.”
nāma-śreṣṭhaṁ manum api śacī-putram atra svarūpaṁ
rūpaṁ tasyāgrajam uru-purīṁ māthurīṁ goṣṭha-vāṭīm |
rādhā-kuṇḍaṁ giri-varam aho rādhikā-mādhavāśāṁ
prāpto yasya prathita-kṛpayā śrī-guruṁ taṁ nato’smi ||
(Muktā-caritam)
“I offer obeisance unto śrī-guru, he by whose celebrated grace I have received the supreme name, the mantra, the Son of Śacī, Svarūpa, Rūpa, his elder brother [i.e., Sanātana], the great abode of Mathurā, Vṛndāvana, Rādhā Kuṇḍa, the best of mountains [i.e., Govardhana], and aho!, hope of [personally serving] Rādhikā and Mādhava.”
nāhi kā̐hāso virodha, nāhi kā̐hā anurodha,
sahaja vastu kari vivecana |
yadi haya rāga-dveśa, tāhā̐ haya āveśa,
sahaja vastu nā yāya likhana ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.2.86)
“Neither out of opposition to anyone, nor in compliance to anyone, I discuss the fundamental subject-matter. If partiality or enmity arise and absorption in them occurs, then description of the fundamental subject is not possible.”
ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā |
cakṣur unmilitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ ||
(Cited in Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā to Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.1.1; Prema-bhakti-candrikā: 1)
“Obeisance unto śrī-guru, he by whom my eyes, which were blinded by the cataract of ignorance, have been opened with the collyrium-wand of knowledge.”
aho he putrakā yūyam asmad-arthe’tiduḥkhitāḥ |
ātmā vai prāṇināṁ preṣṭhas tam anādṛtya mat-parāḥ ||
etad eva hi sac-chiṣyaiḥ kartavyaṁ guru-niṣkṛtam |
yad vai viśuddha-bhāvena sarvārthātmārpaṇaṁ gurau ||
tuṣṭo’haṁ bho dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ satyāḥ santu manorathāḥ |
chandāṁsy ayāta-yāmāni bhavantv iha paratra ca ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.80.40–42; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 2.112)
“[Sāndīpani Muni to Kṛṣṇa and Sudāmā after finding that they have endured a night trapped in the forest by a storm after going out to collect firewood for his service]: Aho! O sons! The body is certainly most dear to living beings, but you two, being devoted to me, have disregarded it and been greatly troubled for my sake. Purely offering the entirety of one’s wealth and self to guru—this is indeed the requital of guru to be performed by sincere disciples. Bho! Best of the twice-born! I am satisfied [with you both because of your ideal attitude and conduct as disciples]. In this world and the next may your desires be fulfilled, and may the mantras [i.e., the mantras in the Vedas that I have taught you] be undiminished [i.e., remain ever-fresh and imbued with their essence—may they manifest themselves in your mind and bestow their wisdom and benefit upon you in this life and the next].”
tasmād anyad bhagavad-bhajanam api nāpekṣate |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 237)
“Therefore [i.e., because Hari can become pleased to reveal himself simply in response to guru-bhakti], even other service to Bhagavān is not required [for a sādhaka fully engaged in personal service to his guru].”
bhaktir yathā harau me’sti tadvan niṣṭhā gurau yadi |
mamāsti tena satyena svaṁ darśayatu hariḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa, cited in Bhakti Sandarbha 237)
[Devahūti prayed:] “If I have fixity upon my guru just as I have bhakti to Hari, then may Hari on account of such virtue reveal Himself to me.”
guru-mūlam idaṁ sarvaṁ tasmān nityaṁ guruṁ bhajet |
puraścaraṇa-hīno’pi mantrī siddhyen na saṁśayaḥ ||
(Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 17.242)
“The basis of all these [preliminary rites] is the guru. Therefore, always serve the guru. Thereby, even a mantra-sādhaka who has not performed any preliminary rites (puraścaraṇa) can attain perfection. Of this, there is no doubt.”
ācāryopāsanaṁ … |
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 13.7)
“Serving an ācārya [is an aspect of true knowledge].”
tatra bhāgavatān dharmān śikṣed gurv-ātma-daivataḥ |
amāyayānuvṛttyā yais tuṣyed ātmātmado hariḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.3.22; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.98; Bhakti Sandarbha: 206)
“One for whom the guru is the Self (ātmā) and the Devatā should, through unaffected adherence, learn from him [viz., the guru] Bhāgavata-dharmas by which Hari, he who is the Self and the Bestower of himself, can be pleased.”
