[Advaita-l] Guidance of Guru.

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Mon, 22 Nov 2004, Amuthan Arunkumar R wrote:

> i'd like to confirm the statements made by quoting the
> following:
> "AScaryavatpaSyati, kaScidenam AScaryavadvadati,
> tathaiva cAnya:, AScaryavaccainam anya: Sr.noti,
> SrutvApyenam veda na caiva kaScit". (SrImad bhagavad
> gItA 2.29)
>
> this verse clearly shows the insufficiency of a person
> who is merely a Srotriya and not a brahmanishTha in
> imparting instructions about the Atman.
>
> again, i'd like to quote one more Sloka from
> SrImadhbhagavadgItA with the bhAshya of SrI
> SankaracArya to prove the statements made:
>
> "tadviddhi praNipAtena paripraSnena sevayA,
> upadeksyanti te jn.Anam jn.AninastatvadarSina:"
> (SrImadbhagavadgItA 4.34)
>
> the teachers have to be "tatvadarSina:" i.e. they
> necesarily have to be brahmanishTha-s. i'd like to
> quote AcArya's bhashya:
>
> "....jn.Anavanto'pi kecit, yathAvat tatvadarSanaSIlA:
> APARE NA:, ata: viSinashTi tatvadarSina: iti. ye
> samyagdarSina: tai: upadishTam jn.Anam kAryakshamam
> bhavati, NA ITARAT iti bhagavata: matam."
>
> that the guru has to be a brahmanishTha is abundantly
> clear from the AcArya's bhAshya.
>

Thankyou.  you have certainly given food for thought and I definately want
to take a closer look at those Gita shlokas you mentioned.  However it
should be noted that atleast according to mundakopanishadbhashya it seems
Shankaracharya takes brahmanishta to be equal to sannyasi.  A sannyasi can
be either a vividisha (seeker) or vidvan (knower) of Brahman.  The idea of
the Guru being brahmanishta seems to be (atleast this is the impression I
get) such a one will not be distracted by worldly needs and concerns not
necessarily that he will be able to convey some special information a mere
mortal cannot.  Experience is intensely personal and not easily passed on.
But unlike the animals, through the divine faculty of speech, Man has the
ability to learn and comprehend.  This is why Vagdevi has always held the
highest place of honour in our civilization and why comprehension of
words of Vedanta is the key to moksha.

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
It's a boy! See the pictures - http://www.braincells.com/nilagriva/