guru

The Lamp of Many Names

Sanskrit’s Timeless Words for the One Who Dispels Darkness

There are words in every language for a teacher, but Sanskrit gives us a whole constellation of them. Each name is like a facet of a jewel, reflecting a different light on what it means to guide another. To teach is not merely to explain or instruct; it is to remove darkness, to shape character, to inspire inquiry, and to walk beside the learner through life’s passages. In honoring these names, we also honor the timeless role of the teacher — the lamp that lights the way.

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Hridaya Guru

“Guruṁ vinā na margah,” they said—
But mine spoke not, just smiled instead.
Antarātmani, a voice did bloom,
Soft as chandana, in twilight’s room.

Dig not the dust, seek not the skies,
The path is carved where silence lies.
Is hridaya nāda too faint to hear?
Or drowned in māyā, cloaked in fear?

This Guru Purnimā, I bend and bow,
Not outward, but to the ātma now.
To his pāda, unseen, I cling—
And simply bhava, in everything.

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Guru

The teacher knows there’s naught to teach,  
So all who seek, he kindly meets.  
The lover sees none to adore,  
Thus gives his heart to rich and poor.  

The master learns no ground is bound,  
So everywhere, his soul is found.
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