Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India

encyclopedia

PERCEPTIONS

The above discussion could be summa-

rized as follows :

The word

aachaarya

can be derived ety-

mologically from

aachaarya =

right conduct

aacharith =

to approach, to go to for in-

struction or

achinothi

to accumulate knowledge

wealth or merit.

Aachaarya

provides shelter to the

An-

thevaasins

as the meaning of the latter

would suggest.

Aachaarya

gives his students a second

birth by performing their

upanayana

samskaara

through which they are initi-

ated into the study of the secret and

sacred lore.

Aachaarya

emancipates

the

student’s

hold through the dissemination of esoteric

knowledge.

Aachaarya

is an institutional instructor of

intellectual and objective knowledge.

Upaadhyaaya

is another term that usu-

ally denotes a teacher, though it is met with

less frequently except in the vocative case

in classical Sanskrit literature. In some

contexts it may also be used pejoratively as

Mudraraakshasam,

where

Chanakya

tries to mollify the sentiments of his student

whom he had treated rather harshly :

'My child, it is only the heady feeling of

being pre-occupied with onerous tasks that

perturbs us and not the irascibility towards

the students that is so commonly co-exis-

tent with the upaadhyaayas.’

Even Manu recognises

Upaadhyaaya

a person who has chosen teaching as his

profession for the sake of his livelihood and

has only a limited knowledge of the subjects

to be taught.

Guru

is a ‘word almost impossible to

render by one English word. It is applied to

anyone to whose authority deference is due

parents, elderly relative, teachers, per-

sons of piety and learning’ as Prof. S.K.

Belvarkar so rightly observes, (of H.O.S.

Vol. 21. p. 16 note 6).

Yajnavalkya defines

guru

broadly as

one who performs the

samskaaras

and

educates the student in the Vedic lore.

In the modern context the term

'guru'

has

acquired a more universal meaning of being

a 'super expert' in a field of knowledge. We

often hear the term

guru

being used for

someone who is at the forefront of his disci-

pline. Hence the terms such as computer

guru, political guru, management guru have

become part of the language.

Saura Purana, guru

is.described as the

destroyer of ignorance. A perusal of the us-

age of the term

guru

in different contexts in

Manusmriti

reveals that it is used as a

synonym for

aachaarya

more particularly

when the rules of conduct are prescribed for

the

Brahmacharin

during the latter’s stay at

the teacher’s residence. A closer examina-

tion of such contexts suggests that an emo-

tional and personal value is attached to

guru.

Words like

bhakti, pujan

etc. are more often

associated with

guru

than with

aachaarya .

From these examples we may fairly

summarise that in their connotations the

term

aachaarya

is objective and institu-

tional whereas

guru

is subjective and

personal. According to Manu, students can

be classified into ten categories or contrarily

ten types of people are fit to be educated by

a teacher.

The son of one’s own teacher, One who ren-

ders personal service, One who exchanges

knowledge: of one subject for the sake of

another, One who is righteous, One who is

austere, One’s relative, One who is capable

of acquiring and retaining knowledge, A

wealthy person, a well-wisher, a dear-per-

son - these ten are fit to be educated by a

preceptor in accordance with the tradition.

A student should be interested in the

fruits of

Dharma

Artha

or at least profi-

cient in rendering personal service.

Classical Sanskrit literature is replete

with stanzas that deal with the various

qualities to be found in an ideal student. It

may not be out of place to summarise these

qualities:

Capacity to acquire and retain knowl-

edge; Perseverence in efforts; Total free-

dom from lethargy; Absence of shyness in

acquiring knowledge; Absence of compla-

cency over one’s own learning; Aversion to

comforts; an alert mind; Detached outlook

towards home, parents etc.; Presence of

mind even in adverse situations; Determi-

nation to succeed; Ever active mind;

Maturity and Absence of anticipation of re-

sults.

The norms he prescribes for the student

regarding his behaviour during his stay at

his preceptor’s house throw a flood of light

on the life and social mores and the times.

(R.N.N)

Tripurashri

(fifth sheath of Sri Chakra) is that of

guru

which is

Sarvarthasadhaka

(grants all prosparity) one

should render

seva (guru). Guru

grants wisdom in the

following manner paving for immortality (1)

Sarva

siddhi

: Attainment direct knowledge of the

aatma.

(2)

Sarva Sampat

: (

Nishkama

) wealth without desire. (3)

Sarva priyamkari:

perpetual pleasure. (4)

Sarva man-

gaiakarini

: the feeling of Shiva auspiciousness. (5)

Sarva kamaprada

: supreme bliss. (6)

Sarva dukha

vimochmi

: freedom from all miseries. (7)

Sarva mrityu

prashamani

: immortality.

(8) Sarva vigna nivarini

: re-

moval of all differences. (9)

arvanga sundari

: Beauty by

removal of all superstitions and

maaya

(illusion). (10)

Sava saubhagya dayini

: Oneness with Shiva.

Guru-dakshina

An offering to the

guru,

In reverence to

guru's

teachings.