Guru

[Shrisha Rao]

On Tue, 9 Mar 1999, Alfredo Villarroel wrote:

> Dear List,
>
>         I hear my Sanskrit teacher once mentioned that guru is someone
> without questions, in the sense that a guru have understood everything.
> Does anyone knows a text where the concept of guru is so defined ?

`asaMshayaH saMshayachchhid.h gururukto manIshhibhiH' -- one who does not
have a doubt [in himself/herself], and removes doubts [in others] is
considered a Guru.  The complete statement quote from which this is drawn
(from the mahAbhArata-tAtparya-nirNaya), including the physical
characteristics of an ideal Guru, is as follows:

shhaNNavatyaN^gulo yastu nyagrodhaparimaNDalaH  |
saptapAdashchaturhasto dvAtriMshallaxaNairyutaH  ||
asaMshayaH saMshayachchhid.h gururukto manIshhibhiH  ||

tasmAd.h brahmA gururmukhyaH sarveshhAmeva sarvadA  |
anye.api svAtmano mukhyAH kramAd.h gurava IritAH  ||

This is actually a quote from some Purana, but I don't know which or
where.

Regards,

Shrisha Rao

> A. Villarroel