🙏🪷Shree Gurubhyo Namah🪷🙏
The Guru is described as one who is inwardly established in Truth, knowledgeable in śāstra and practice, capable of removing doubts, and competent to guide, correct, bless, & uplift the disciple.
अन्तर्लक्ष्यो बहिर्दृष्टिः सर्वज्ञो देशकालवित् ।
आज्ञासिद्धिस्त्रिकालज्ञो निग्रहानुग्रहक्षमः ॥
antar-lakṣyo bahir-dṛṣṭiḥ sarvajño deśa-kāla-vit ।
ājñā-siddhis trikāla-jño nigrahānugraha-kṣamaḥ ।।
His awareness is fixed inward although his vision is outward; he is knowledgeable, understands the place and time, possesses spiritual accomplishment, knows the three times (past, present, and future), and is capable both of discipline and grace.
Another description says:
सुन्दरः सुलभः स्वच्छो भ्रमसंशयनाशकः ।
इङ्गिताकारवित्प्राज्ञ ऊहापोहविदुज्ज्वलः ॥
sundaraḥ sulabhaḥ svaccho bhrama-saṃśaya-nāśakaḥ ।
iṅgitākāra-vit prājña ūhāpoha-vid ujjvalaḥ ॥
The Guru should be approachable, pure, destroy confusion and doubt, understand the disciple's nature and disposition, be wise, and know what is beneficial and what is not.
Regarding the disciple, the Kularnava Tantra states that a worthy Śiṣya should be externally and internally pure, compassionate, devoted, truthful, self-controlled, free from greed, lust, anger, deceit, and arrogance. The text describes the ideal disciple as one who bows to the Guru, sits respectfully, departs with permission, strives to please the Guru through conduct, obeys instructions, avoids idle speech, falsehood, and flattery, and remains steadfast in devotion.
The Tantra also warns against accepting disciples who are habitually doubtful, ungrateful, disloyal, secret-revealing, arrogant, deceitful, addicted to vice, disrespectful, or lacking in faith. Such persons are said to be unfit vessels for spiritual transmissions.
Perhaps the most profound teaching of the Kularnava regarding the Guru Śiṣya relationship is in its declaration that the Guru, Mantra, and the Deity are ultimately one:
देवता मन्त्ररूपा च मन्त्रः गुरुरूपकः ।
देवता गुरु मन्त्राणामैक्यं सम्यग्विचिन्तयेत् ॥
devatā mantra-rūpā ca mantraḥ guru-rūpakaḥ ।
devatā guru mantrāṇām aikyaṃ samyag vicintayet ॥
The Deity is of the nature of the Mantra, the Mantra is of the nature of the Guru; one should contemplate on the essential unity of Deity, Guru, and Mantra.
Jai SatGurudev! 🙏🙇🕉️