Is the Guru Greater Than God? Find Out Why
If both Guru and God are standing in front of you, who should you bow down to first.
Well, answer is simple first you salute the officer of the highest cadre. So, bow to the greater personality.
So, who is the greater personality? God or Guru?
Answer
Vedas are the ultimate scriptural authority and not even one word written in the Vedas is incorrect. To find the answer to this question let us ask Vedas.
Vedas give three seemingly contradictory statements
Logically speaking, only one of these statements can be correct.
So let us reflect on how these three seemingly contradictory statements in the Vedas are all correct.
The supreme scholar of the present era, Jagadguruttam Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, has reconciled this contradiction and explained to us in a very easy and simple to understand manner.
God is greater than Guru
1. Veda says:
न तत्समश्चाभ्यधिकश्च दृश्यते । श्वेता.
na tatsamaścābhyadhikaśca dr̥śyate । śvetā.
No one is even equal to Brahm-Supreme God, let alone be greater than Him. God sustains the entire universe with a fraction of His infinite power. And, the innumerable brahmands (cosmic eggs) merge into His infinite belly at the time of total annihilation (pralaya).
So, God is indisputably the greatest personality.
God and Guru are equal
2. The moment a jeev surrenders to God, He bestows all of His 8 divine qualities [1] to the fullest extent on that fortunate jeev. From the moment of God realization God guides that jeev with His mightiest Yogmaya Shakti. Means God made Guru equal to Himself.
From that fortunate moment onwards the God-realized jeev and God become equal.
Guru is greater than God
3. Finally, from the viewpoint of a sadhak, Guru is greater than God, as there is no limit to the grace of a Guru on the disciple. God says,
निर्मल मन जन जोइ सोइ महिं भावा ।
nirmala mana jana joi soi mahiṁ bhāvā ।
"I take full charge of only those whose mind is free from all material contamination".
Then who will take care of us, the ones whose minds are impure since eternity?
Guru takes up the challenge of cleansing the impure mind of the sadhak, imparting knowledge and helping him along on the path of God realization.
Guru is like the parent of a girl child, who painstakingly raises her, educates her and imbibes all good qualities in her. When she is of marriageable age, a boy comes along, interviews her to assess her qualities, weds her and takes her home. In much the same manner, the Guru performs all the preparatory tasks on the disciple and once the disciple is ready, God comes along to accept the perfected jeev.
Guru imparts knowledge and introduces the jeev to God. Guru teaches the sadhak, how to perform devotion and helps him along the way, as the sadhak continues the practice of devotion. Guru also eliminates the roadblocks arising out of past sanskars, and fights against the bad sanskars of a sadhak that come in the way of performing bhakti.
So, Guru does uncountable things to keep the surrendered soul safe on the path of the devotion. That’s why Saint Kabirdas Ji says,
गुरू गोविंद दोऊ खड़े, काके लागू पाँय ।
बलिहारी गुरू आपकी गोविंद दियो मिलाय ॥
gurū goviṁda doū khaṛe, kāke lāgū pām̐ya ।
balihārī gurū āpakī goviṁda diyo milāya ॥
"If Guru and God both are present at the same time, to whom should I bow down first? I sacrifice myself on the Guru, by whose grace I could see my Lord Govind".
Shri Krishna has proclaimed,
ये मे भक्ता हि हे पार्थ न मे भक्तास्तु ते मतम् ।
मद्भस्य ये भक्ता ते मे भक्ततमा मताः ॥
ye me bhaktā hi he pārtha na me bhaktāstu te matam ।
madbhasya ye bhaktā te me bhaktatamā matāḥ ॥
"O Arjun! Those who directly worship Me are not My true devotees. I favor those who love My beloved devotees (real saints aka Guru) more than Me".
Conclusion
So, all three statements are correct.
In addition, Jagadguruttam Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj adds his own perspective to this philosophy:
Shri Maharaj Ji says, God and Guru are not different from each other. A jeev surrenders oneself completely to God to become a saint. From that time on, the jeev ceases to perform all actions and remains forever engrossed in enjoying the divine nectar of God.
In this situation, God Himself directs all the actions of the saint. That is why Shri Krishna in Bhagawat said
आचार्यं मां विजानीयान्नावमन्येत कर्हिचित् । भागवत
ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyānnāvamanyeta karhicit । bhāgavata
"Consider your Guru to be My visible form. There is not even an iota bit of difference between us".
When God and Guru are one and the same, then what is the point of reflecting on who is the greatest personality?
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