On Guru Purnima we honor all true Gurus.
In the world this word ‘Guru' has come to be used more casually. Basically, anyone who's a teacher may be called by the word or the name guru, like,
“Oh my music guru. My Hindi guru.”
Anyone who teaches you something, people have started referring to them as their guru of that particular type. However, the word guru, as are all Sanskrit words, are very specifically defined.
In the Vedas, it tells us exactly what Guru means.
“Guru is the one who gives knowledge and who eliminates ignorance.”
Yes, someone may say that's what I was saying, “That's why I call my Hindi teacher my guru also. He gives me knowledge of how to speak Hindi.” “That's why I call my harmonium teacher my guru, because he or she gives me the knowledge of music. So they are also my guru. It's exactly according to what Vedas are saying.” No, not quite.
It's not someone who gives any kind of knowledge or who eliminates just any kind of ignorance. Guru is the one who eliminates the initial source of ignorance, which is maya.
So, ‘gu’ (गु) means maya and ‘ru’ (रु) means the one who has the power to eliminate the effect of maya on a soul. That is a Guru. So the true Guru is not just someone with knowledge. Of course, according to our scriptures, the Guru to be able to help the souls has to have a knowledge of all of our Divine scriptures, but it's more than just being knowledgeable in the scriptures. The Guru must be Divinely realized.
…श्रोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठम् ।।
…shrotriyaṁ brahmaniṣhṭham.
- Mundkopanishad 1.2.12
Vedas say, “Guru must be knowledgeable in all of the scriptures and be established in the Divine experience of God all the time.”
…ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिन:।।
…gyāninas tattva-darśhinaḥ.
Gita says the exact same thing here.
शाब्दे परे च निष्णातं…।।
Shabde pare cha niṣhṇātaṃ…
- Bhagwatam 11.3.21
Bhagwatam also says the exact same thing in different words. That the Guru is not only someone who has an intellectual understanding of the scriptures, but is someone who is established in the Divine bliss.
