Jagat

These two anucchedas are the conclusion of the guru-tattva-prakaraṇa, continuing the emphasis on the non-difference of the guru with Bhagavan raised in the previous anucchedas . Again by the a fortiori argument, if the vyavah ā rika guru is to be accepted as a manifestation of the Divine, then how much more it is true for the  paramārthika   guru. If one does not recognize the divine purpose of the teachings one has received or the guru's being the divine manifestation of God's grace, then whatever he has learned from him loses its potency. This will be further explained in Anuccheda 286. Anuccheda 212 The Spiritual Guru is the Manifestation of Bhagavān ततः सुतरामेव परमार्थिभिस्तादृशे गुरावित्याह (भा. ७.१५.२६-२७)— This being the case, it is all the more incumbent on those pursuing the path of spiritual realization to have such feelings toward their guru, as Śrī Nārada told Yudhiṣṭhira: यस्य साक्षाद्भगवति ज्ञानदीपप्रदे गुरौ। मर्त्यासद्धीः श्रुत...

This anuccheda is the source of the expressions vyavahārika  ("a teacher who guides one in the course of ordinary affairs") and pāramārthika-guru (" an authentic teacher in the matter of spiritual realization "). The distinction here should not be thought of as simply that of a family guru and a spiritual one. As I stated earlier ( Anuccheda 207 ), the path of devotion has an exoteric and esoteric aspect, and  dīkṣā  should be seen as primarily connected with the esoteric aspect, which is defined by the  dīkṣā-guru . As the Yoga-sūtra (3.7-8) makes clear, as one progresses in spiritual absorption to the transcendental state, those stages that were previously internal become external. This is the challenge that lies behind Kṛṣṇa's instruction to give up lower dharmas for higher ones.   This is what is behind the constant clarification of higher and lower levels throughout all the Sandarbhas. The s ādhaka is always urged to go further and to do...