How do we think about our Gurus? How do we remember & acknowledge them?
One Sanskrit Shloka describes this beautifully
सदा शिव समारमभां शङ्कराचार्य मध्यमाम्॥
अस्मदाचार्य पर्यन्तां वन्दे गुरु परम्पराम्॥
Meaning
“I bow to the lineage of Gurus, beginning with Lord Sadāśiva, having Adi Shankaracharya in the middle, and extending down to my own revered teacher.”
This verse acknowledges & honors the teachers, while also beautifully honoring the continuity of wisdom.
Be it scientific principles that we have discovered, or spiritual wisdom that has transitioned generations, it can be compared to a relay race where each runner carefully passes the torch to the next. The light
is not owned by any one runner, it is preserved and passed forward. Similarly, spiritual knowledge is viewed as something entrusted from teacher to student across generations.
The verse reminds us that:
- Knowledge is received with humility
- Every teacher is both a learner from those before and a guide for those after
- All of us learn in unison, and none of us learn in isolation
The verse invites us to remember that our knowledge, skills, talents, abilities, and insights are gifts shaped by countless people who came before us. Gratitude for that lineage fosters both humility and responsibility: we receive wisdom, nurture it, and pass it on with integrity.
For those who are interested in what the words of the verse mean in Sanskrit:
- सदा शिव (Sadāśiva) – Lord Shiva, the eternal auspicious one; regarded in many traditions as the primordial teacher (Adi Guru).
- समारम्भाम् (samārambhām) – beginning with, originating from.
- शङ्कराचार्य (Śaṅkarācārya) – Adi Shankaracharya, the great philosopher who revitalized Advaita Vedanta.
- मध्यमाम् (madhyamām) – in the middle, with Shankaracharya as a central link in the lineage.
- अस्मदाचार्य (asmad-ācārya) – my own teacher (or my teacher’s lineage).
- पर्यन्ताम् (paryantām) – extending up to, ending with.
- वन्दे (vande) – I bow to, I offer my reverence.
- गुरु परम्पराम् (guru-paramparām) – the lineage of spiritual teachers.
Now, think about it… Who is your Guru? Your teacher? Have you found them? If you have not found one yet, remember this,
The Guru appears in one’s life, when the student is ready.
Till then, with all humility, share your knowledge with those around you, and slowly and steadily, you will be walking on the path where you will meet your Guru.