Our Acharyas and Gurus

महाजनस्यसंसर्गः,कस्यनोन्नतिकारकः। पद्मपत्रस्थितं तोयम्,धत्ते मुक्ताफलश्रियम् ॥ Meaning: For whom is the company of great people not beneficial? Even a water droplet when on a lotus petal, shines like a pearl.

In our nation guided by its rich Vedic literature, since time immemorial, great souls have been born by God’s grace to propagate Sanatana Dharma. They were the Acharyas and Gurus, the enlightened souls who had realized their true self. In Indian tradition, a very high position has been accorded to the Guru. Without the grace of the Guru, there is no fulfillment of life’s purpose. To attain something what is it that is needed first? It is knowledge about a thing or object. Once the knowledge of an object is present, from it is born the desire to attain the object. All atmas desire Moksha and the means to attain it is Knowledge about it. How can that knowledge be attained? Can we get it by just reading the texts? The answer is NO !! It can only be given by a Guru. In Puranas and Ithihasas we see great holy men have also had their Gurus. Rama and Krishna who were Purna avatars of Bhagavan also went to gurukul, with acharyas like Vasistha, Viswamitra, and Sandipani. The knowledge of those Rishis and munis is also dependent in turn on their seeking it from their Gurus. Only that knowledge which is obtained from a Guru is potent.

Numerous such Acharyas have been born on this land who had dedicated their entire lives for the upliftment of our society. They have since time immemorial, guided our ancestors with the light of their knowledge.

We have a very vague idea about a few of them, thanks to our school curriculum which made us mug up some of this glorious history. But that was just the tip of the iceberg compared to the number of scholars and Gurus we have had and needless to say the amount of their contribution in various fields from spiritual to Science to astrology and what not.

Now take time to slowly read and learn about these great teachers, and their teachings, and narrate them to your kids. Fill their minds with the richness of our country and culture through Katha. (The stories are NOT in any particular choice of order…)