Guru

A spiritual teacher who guides disciples in religious knowledge and practice. In Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and other traditions, the role ranges from instructor to a source of spiritual authority.

Guru–shishya tradition: A tradition of spiritual learning based on a close relationship between a teacher and disciple. It describes the central relationship through which a guru transmits knowledge and practice.
Bhakti yoga: A Hindu path of devotion to a personal deity, expressed through practices such as prayer and song. Gurus often guide devotees in forms of disciplined worship and devotion.
Adi Shankara: An eighth-century Indian philosopher who systematized Advaita Vedanta and established monastic institutions. His teaching and institutions shaped later models of Hindu spiritual authority.
Purohit: A Hindu priest who performs rituals and ceremonies, often for individuals or families. A purohit’s ritual service differs from a guru’s broader guidance of disciples.
Shishya: A disciple or student who receives instruction from a spiritual teacher. The shishya is the counterpart through whom the guru’s teaching relationship takes shape.
Mantra: A sacred word, phrase, or sound repeated in prayer, meditation, or ritual. A guru may teach a disciple a mantra and how to use it in practice.
Ramakrishna: A nineteenth-century Bengali Hindu mystic whose teachings inspired the Ramakrishna movement. His life became a model of devotional realization transmitted through disciples.
Acharya: A learned religious teacher who instructs students and may embody or interpret a tradition. Acharya overlaps with guru but emphasizes teaching and doctrinal authority.
Parampara: A lineage or succession through which teachings and authority are transmitted. A guru’s legitimacy may rest on a recognized lineage of teachers.
Yoga: A family of Indian spiritual disciplines involving ethical, physical, mental, and meditative practices. The guru’s teaching role extends across the diverse disciplines grouped as yoga.

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