WHO IS A GURU

९१) ॐ गुरवे नमः
I bow to shrI shankara who is our teacher. guru means one who
dispels ignorance. "gu" means darkness or ignorance and "ru" is one
who dispels it.

Some scriptures and gurus have warned against false teachers, and have recommended that the spiritual seeker test the guru before accepting him. Some have given criteria on how to distinguish false from genuine ones:
• The Maitrayaniya Upanishad warns against false teachers who may deceive the naive.[23]
• The Kula-Arnava-Tantra states that there are many gurus who may rob the disciple's wealth but few who can remove the disciple's afflictions.[23]
• Swami Vivekananda said that there are many incompetent gurus, and that a true guru should understand the spirit of the scriptures, have a pure character and be free from sin, and should be selfless, without desire for money and fame.[24]
• Mirinalini Mata, a direct disciple of Yogananda, said that a true guru should be humble (Self-Realization Fellowship 1978, Cassette No 2402)