On the sacred occasion of Guru Purnima, Raag Delhi is pleased to present this reflective essay by Tish Malhotra, one of our regular contributors on spiritual themes. Guru Purnima is a day of gratitude, when seekers acknowledge the guiding presence of teachers who illuminate the path of knowledge and self‑realisation. In this piece, Tish revisits the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, reminding us of the Guru’s role as mediator between the human and the divine.
The Guru as Mediator: Remembering Sri Ramakrishna on Guru Purnima
Tish Malhotra
Guru Purnima, observed on the full moon day of Ashadha, is a festival dedicated to honoring teachers and spiritual guides. Rooted in the tradition of paying homage to Maharishi Ved Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata, it has come to symbolize gratitude to all Gurus who illuminate the path of knowledge and self-realization. On this day, disciples reflect on the role of the Guru as a mediator between the seeker and the divine, reaffirming the timeless relevance of guidance in both spiritual and worldly life.
On this auspicious Guru Purnima, we take refuge at the lotus feet of Sri Ramakrishna. He stands as a testimony not only to Sanatana Dharma—the Eternal Religion of the Hindus—but also to the universality of faith. His compassion transcended barriers of race, color, and creed, and he gave freely to all who sought his counsel and blessing.
Sri Ramakrishna underlined that the Guru is the mediator: he takes man to God. If one is earnest in the pursuit of purity and goodness, God will send the Satguru, the true teacher. Earnestness, he emphasized, is the essential requirement. He further taught that the highest teachers affirm both aspects of the divine—that God is with form and also formless, manifesting Himself to devotees in ways they can comprehend.
For disciples, his instruction was clear: one who regards the Guru as merely human cannot progress far in spiritual life. The disciple must not carp at his Guru but obey implicitly, focusing on the essence of the teaching rather than its outer shell. Take the pearl and throw the oyster-shell sway. Follow the teaching given by your Guru.
The simple and straightforward message of Sri Ramakrishna is that in living the life truly, one must put faith in the words of those who meditate upon God, who have seen God. Just as one seeks legal advice from a trained lawyer rather than a passerby, so too must seekers rely on realized souls for spiritual counsel.
Sri Ramakrishna clearly pointed out that people do not see that science deals with conditional knowledge. It brings no message from the Land of Unconditioned. Such message has been brought by holy men who have seen and realised God, like the Rishis of old. It is they alone that are competent to say "God is of this nature." This day of Gurupurnima reminds us to keep contemplating on these important teaching and imbibe the true spirit of the divine light inherent in them both for our worldly and spiritual good.
We must also keep in mind that Sri Ramakrishna preached that "it is God alone who has become everything. But in man He manifests Himself the most. God is directly present in the man who has the true heart of a child and who laughs and cried and dances and sings in divine ecstasy." We can easily make out that Guru alone is such a man.
On this sacred occasion we also need to recall what the Guru Geeta teaches: " I bow to the Guru, Who is Brahmaa, Vishnu and Mahaadev (Shiv) incarnate; it is indeed the Guru Who is Parambrahma or God Himself....
On this sacred occasion, we also recall the Guru Geeta, which teaches:
These verses remind us that the Guru is not merely a teacher but the living channel of divine wisdom.
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Tish Malhotra is a Delhi-based freelancer.
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