Excerpts from 'Guru Bhakti - Guru Mahima' in Hindu Sampradaya Vaishnava, Saiva, Madhwa, Jaina and Sikh organised by Vigil, a public opinion forum, in Chennai on 18th May 05.

The first reference of a Guru's role in Hindu religion was made in the Mahabharata in which two stories on the role of Guru is narrated at the beginning of the epic, Jayendra Saraswathi of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham has said.

Speaking on the 'Guru Bhakti - Guru Mahima' in Hindu Sampradaya Vaishnava, Saiva, Madhwa, Jaina and Sikh organised by Vigil, a public opinion forum, here yesterday, the Kanchi pontiff said Guru plays a very central part in the Hindu religion. He said, 'Hindus believe in the Blessings and the Grace of God, and that they come through the Guru.' Stressing the importance of Guru in Hindu religion, he recited a vedic hymn where Gods are referred to as Guru, 'Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnuhu, Gururu Devoho, Maheshwaraha: Guru Sakshat Para Brahma, Tasmayee Shri Gurveh Namaha.'

The Gurus should always have tradition, he said adding that there were Gurus who rise suddenly and disappear leaving the shishyas or disciples at sea.

Sivaprakasa Swamigal of Veerasaiva Matham, Tiruvannamalai, also spoke. Padur Rangarajacharia, Krishnamurthy Sastrigal, A P Vijayendran, Jitendra Bajaj and Subhachandra also spoke on the role of guru in different religious sects.