The Meaning of the Word गुरु guru
The meaning of the Sanskrit word गुरु guru
The usual meanings of the word गुरु guru in Sanskrit are: heavy, weighty, great, large, extended, vehement, violent, excessive, difficult, hard, valuable, venerable, respectable, and a spiritual parent or preceptor.
Though my purpose is not to give all the dictionary meanings here, yet I mention a few to start the discussion.
1.
A गुरु guru alone has the power to speak about or give expression to the realized truth without any distortion.
A गुरु guru alone is capable of describing the many faces of the truth and lead the disciple to the ultimate truth of everything.
It is the गुरु guru who not only communicates the truth to the disciple but also gives him the power to assimilate it and become one with it.
A गुरु guru alone knows to sing the beauty and glory of the higher knowledge as he is in possession of that.
A गुरु guru alone can proclaim the truth as he knows the truth.
It is in this sense that the word गुरु guru is derived from the root-sound गॄ gṝ (गृणाति gṛṇāti) meaning ‘to praise, to speak, to sing, to proclaim etc.’
2.
A गुरु guru encompasses or holds the disciple within him, makes him unite with his consciousness. Then the गुरु guru and the disciple live in one consciousness.
Traditionally when a गुरु guru gives initiation, he holds the disciple in his lap as a mother holds the baby in the womb. Therefore it is said गुरुर्माता gururmātā — गुरु guru is the mother who carries the disciple in the womb of his consciousness before he gives him birth to the life of spirit.
The initiation with a sacred thread is called उपनयन upanayana which literally means ‘to take close to oneself’. And then the disciple is reborn and is called द्विज dvija or born for the second time.
Also a गुरु guru not only embodies the truth to be realized but also has the power to swallow the weakness and ignorance of the disciple and fill him with the immensity of light, truth and wisdom.
It is in this sense the word गुरु guru is derived from the root-sound गॄ gṝ (गिरति girati) meaning ‘to swallow’.
3.
The word गुरु guru also can be derived from the root-sound गृ gṛ (गरति garati) meaning ‘to sprinkle, to drench or make something wet’.
A गुरु guru removes all dryness and drenches the disciple unconditionally with the shower of his Grace. Mere gracious glance (कृपादृष्टि kṛpādṛṣṭi) of the Guru becomes the shower of Grace (कृपावृष्टि kṛpāvṛṣṭi) for the disciple.
From the primary sense of sprinkling or drenching or making something wet the sense of heaviness gets associated with the root-sound गृ gṛ. Anything dry is light and when it becomes wet it gains weight. Compare a piece of dry cloth with that of the same when it becomes wet.
This sense of heaviness later becomes more associated with the word गुरु guru derived from the root-sound गृ gṛ. So we have usages like गुरुभारः gurubhāraḥ meaning heavy weight, गुरुत्व gurutva heaviness etc. A heavy/long syllable is called गुरु अक्षर guru akṣara.
A गुरु guru is truly heavy with knowledge and carries a weighty or dignified personality. His presence is so heavy and intense that one with weakness and selfishness can never stand before the गुरु guru.
A गुरु guru is not only rich in experience but also intensely grounded and well founded in the highest state of his consciousness. So he is extremely heavy and unshakable like a mountain (गिरि giri).
PS: Interestingly many English words beginning with the sound ‘gr’ like ground, great, grapes, grove, grave, greed, gross, grate, green, grand, grace, grip, group, grass, grief, grain etc. do have the sense of heaviness, intensity and seriousness in them.
4.
The word गुरु guru also is connected with the root-sound गुर् gur (गुरते gurate) meaning ‘to lift or to raise’.
A गुरु guru is definitely he who raises the very consciousness of the disciple; lifts him up Godward; uplifts him from the state of ignorance to the state of Wisdom, from the state of darkness to the state of Light, from the state of misery to the state of ananda. Therefore, it is said गुरुः पिता guruḥ pitā — the गुरु guru is the father who tends to the growth and the welfare of the disciple and leads him to the world of Light and Truth by being with him throughout all his difficulties on the path of his साधना sādhanā.
The root-sound गुर्व् gurv (गुर्वति gurvati) belonging to the गृ gṛ family also has the same sense like गुर् gur.
तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ
