India's Glorious Teacher Tradition

There is famous shlok of Maharshi Manu—

Etaddeshaprasutasya sakashad agrajanmanah I
Svam-svam charitram shiksheran prithivyam sarvamanvah I

It means that the people of the entire world while surrendering to the feet of Indian teachers used to acquire knowledge. Our history indicates that India has been the world teacher. That’s why, in the morning, people of many countries bow down towards India which is country of teachers. India has been spreading message of non-violence, truth, love, affection, kindness, universal brotherhood, dedication, etc in the entire world through Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism.
After the god, it’s teacher or acharya who has been given prominence in ved and other Indian literatures. According to Shatapath Brahman-

Matriman pitriman acharyavan purusho ved I
Shatapath 14/06/10/02

Analysing the word acharya, Maharshi Yask writes in his famous scripture Nirukt—

Acharyah acharam grahyati, aachinoti

It means that aachinoti buddhim iti va I It means that a person who instils good manner and culture in his disciple and augments disciple’s intellect is called acharya. There are three main objectives of the education (1) instilling good manner in student (2) boosting knowledge in the mind of student and (3) honing his intellect.

Acharya has been described as such in the Manusmriti- 

‘upaniya tu yah shishyam vedamadhyapayed dvijah’ I  Sankalpam sarahasyam cha tamacharya prachakshate II

It means that acharya is the person who conducts upanayan ritual of disciple and provides his esoteric how to study ved. Upadhyaya resembles acharya. Manu has described upadhyaya as such—

Ekadesham tu vedasya vedadganyapi va punah I
Yoadhyapayati vrityarthamupadhyayah sa uchyate II Manusmriti. 2/116

It means that the person who teaches ved, vedang for his livelihood is called upadhyaya. In this episode, teacher has been depicted—

Nishekadini karmani yah karoti yathavidhi I
Sambhavayati channena sa vipro gururuchyate II  Manusmriti. 2/116

It means that the person who arranges food for his disciple apart from providing education with refinement is called teacher.
This teacher has been termed as sea of education, mountain of character, earth of disciple welfare, etc. Mahatma Vidur has described such knowledgeable teacher in these words-

Atmagyanam samarambhastitiksha dharmanityata I
Yamartha napakarshanti sav ai pandita uchyate II
Nishevate prashastani nindatani na sevate I
Anastikah shraddhadhana etatpandita lakshanam II  Udyog Parv Vidur Prajagar 33-1,2

It means that knowledgeable person must not be lazy. He should remain the same in the religion whether it is respect or disrespect, praise or criticize, happiness or grief. He must not get attracted with materialistic items. He should be religious and devotional. He must not criticize god, ved and other aesthetic behaviours. These are the characteristics of a teacher. Extolling such teacher, it has been said—

Gururbrahma gururvishnuh gururdevo maheshwarah I
Guruh sakshat param brahma tasmai shri guruvae naham II

It means that teacher is the replica of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshvara. It’s the teacher who is Brahma. We offer prayer to such teacher power.
Maharshi Patanjali also proved that the god is the teacher through following lines-
‘Sa esha purveshamapi guruh kalenanavachchhedat’ Samadhipad 26, meaning of teacher is also beautiful- ‘Guh agyanam dadrauti apakaroti iti I It means that the divine teacher eradicates darkness in the life of disciple.

We have firm determination and rishi like Manu has also declared it—

‘Agnivayuravibhyastu tryam brahma sanatanam I
Dudoh yagyasiddhayartham rigyajuh samalakshanam II’

The ultimate god had instilled knowledge in the inner soul of rishi like Agni, Vayu, Aaditya and Agdira. Since then this ved ganga blew from the god through teacher-disciple tradition. It reached to us through shruti tradition. Such teacher is extolled in the morning. Therefore, we worship him.

Such teacher provides prosperity and happiness for his disciple. Teacher looks like stone from outside, while he is as soft as flower in the inner side. Describing this form of teacher, Maharshi Patanjali says—

Samritaih panibhirdhnanti guruvo na vishokshitaih I
Lalanashrayinon doshastadnashryino gunah II
Vya. Mahabhashya 8/1/8

That teacher who helps his disciple attain the ultimate god is certainly providing him nectar. Who doesn’t know glory of knowledge—
‘Vidyayaamritamashnute’,  ‘Vidya dadati vinayam’, ‘Vidyadhanam sarvadhanapradanam’ etc describe glory of knowledge. ‘Vidyavihinah pashuh’ it means that the human being devoid of knowledge is nothing but an animal.
Great Rishi Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati in the third samullas of his immortal Satyarth Prakash has extolled knowledgeable person as such—

Vidyavilasamanaso dhritashilashikshah,
Satyavrata rahitamanamalapaharah I
Samsara dukhadalanena subhushita ye,
Dhanyah nara vihita karma paropakarah II

Those people who indulge in acquiring knowledge with good moral and eradicating darkness and grief of the world are extolled. The people engaged in the welfare work are great.
Such scholar acharya seemed to have conceived his disciple through ved rituals as the mother fosters her offspring in womb for nine months. Ved mother says—

Acharya upanayamano brahmacharinamkrinute garbhamantah I
Tam ratrististra udare bibharti tam jatam drashtumabhisanyanti devah II
-Atharva 11-5-3

On the basis of soulful relation between teacher and disciple, an educational institution was called gurukul. The disciple used to sit in the feet of teacher to acquire various knowledge. After that the ceremony used to be solemnized. On such historic and cultural occasion, acharya used to deliver his divine discourse which is competent enough to solve problems of the country. Acharya used to deliver sermons—

Satyam vada I Dharma chara I Swadhyayanma pramadah I Acharyaya priyam dhanamahritya prajatantu ma vyavachchhetsih I Satyanna pramaditavyam I Dharmanna pramaditavyam I Kushalanna pramaditavyam, Bhutyaina pramaditavyam I Swadhyayapravachanabhyam na pramaditavyam I Devipitrikaryabhyam na pramaditavyam I Matridevo bhava I Pitridevo bhava I Acharyadevo bhava I Yanyanavadyani karmani tani sevitavyani no itarani I Yanyasmakam sucharitani tani tvayopasyani I No itarani II   - Taittiriyopanishad 1/11

Speak truth always, behave with good manner, don’t become lazy in your self-study. Donate to acharya. Marry to the able partner and give birth to offspring.  Don’t deviate from the path of truth in anger. Don’t indulge in anger in the religion. Don’t renounce self-study and listening divine discourse due to anger. Don’t be lazy in performing works of mother and father. Treat mother, father, guest and teacher as deities. Believe in manasa, vacha and karmana. Follow the best religious duties of teachers. Don’t move on the condemnable path. Devotion is the best tool for getting knowledge, affection and blessings from param pujya teacher.

Sharadhavan labhate gyanam. Manu Jee says—

Yatha khanan khanitrena naro varyadhigachchati I
Tatha gurugatam vidyam shushrushuradhigachchati II

As the human being finds water by digging well, similarly disciple also acquires knowledge through providing service to his teacher. Here, attendance has dual meaning. One is shrotumichchha means assimilating every discourse of acharya and other is intension of providing service. Those disciples who provide service to their teachers attain the ultimate bliss.
Glorifying such great teachers, Maharshi Charak cites shlok of an ancient acharya—

Vidya ha vai brahmanamajagama gopaya ma shevadhishteahamasmi I
Asuyakayanrijaveayataya na ma bruya viryavati tatha syam II
Ya aatrinatyarvitathena karnavaduhkham kurvannamritam samprayachchhan I
Tam manyeta pitaram mataram cha tasmai na drudyota katamachchanaha II
Adhyapita ye gurum nadriyante vipra vacha manasa karmana va I
Yathaiva ten a gurorbhojaniyastathaiva tanna bhunakti shrutam tat II
Yameva vidyah shuchimapramatam medhavinam brahmacharyopapannam I
Yaste na drudyot kalamachchanah tasmai ma bruya nidhipaya brahman II

Knowledge visited to brahman and asked- oh brahman! Provide sheltering to me. I am the key to your prosperity. Don’t deliver my discourse to dull and jealous students. I will provide strength to you.
That teacher who brings prosperity and happiness in the life of his student through truth, ved and knowledge attains the ultimate goal. Disciple should treat such teacher as his parents.
That disciple who gives no respect to his teacher through his mind, speech and duty after attaining knowledge fails to gain his blessings. Similarly, that knowledge fails to protect him.
Therefore, oh brahman! Don’t show anger against pure, intellectual and celibate disciple. Deliver my sermons to such disciple.
When teacher used to provide knowledge and affection to his disciple on the basis of his eligibility, respect, dedication and intention of service, then disciple would get prosperity and happiness in his life.

Manu has rightly said—

Guroryatra parivado ninda vapi pravartate I
Karnau tatra pidhatavyau, gantavyam va tatoanyatah II

If a disciple is unable to oppose his teacher’s criticism, he should either close his ear or go somewhere else. A poet has rightly said—

If someone fails to do work, teacher can do it,
No person is greater than teacher on this planet.
If we write on the entire earth with pen,
Despite using sea as ink, we can’t glorify him.

Acharya and teacher have been highly respectful in India where there is a tradition of teacher-disciple.
Rishi Vishvamitra and Maryada Purushottam Shriram, Maharshi Sandipani and Yogeshwar Shrikrishna, Maharshi Valmiki and Lav-Kush, Mahamati Chanakya and Chandragupta, Samartha Ramdas and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Dronacharya and Arjuna, Eklavya, Swami Ramkrishna Paramhans and Swami Vivekanand. I would like to cite two examples here with reference to glorious teacher-disciple tradition.
In his immortal Mahakavya Raghuvansh, Kavikulguru Kalidas has described emotional episode of Acharya Varantantu and Kautsa.
After acquiring all the knowledge, disciple Kautsa requests his teacher to take dakshina. Treating service provided during his student life as preference, teacher rejected the issue of dakshina. But on repeated requests by his disciple, teacher says angrily-

Nirbandha sanjatarusharthakarshmachintayitva gurunahamuktah I
Vitasya vidyaparisankhya men kotishchatastro dasha chaharoti II   Raghuvansh 5/21

I have taught 14 knowledge to you, therefore, bring 14 crore golden coin. Abiding by teacher’s order, Kautsa visited to King Raghu as seeker. Emperor Raghu had already donated his entire assets in vishwajit yagya. He prepares to attack on Kuber who showers wealth fearfully. Therefore, disciple Kautsa offers 14 crore golden coins as dakshina to his teacher.
Great archer Eklavya had given his thumb to his teacher Dronacharya as dakshina.
Teacher Dhaumya’s lovely disciple Aaruni had lied in the farmland for entire night to block water flow. Similarly, Swami Dayanand visited his teacher Virajanand with olive while saying good bye to him. Then Maharshi says—
Dayanand! I had not showered blessings on you for merely olive. See! Ignorance and darkness are rampant in the entire world. The humanity is suffering from slavery and hypocrisy. Utilise your knowledge to eradicate darkness. Without delaying for moment, he started to dedicate his entire life as dakshina—

Samarpita shri guruve svajivanam I
Niyojyamenam viniyojayed yatha II

Surrendering his life to the feet his teacher, Dayanand visits to the Himalaya and indulges in nation service, human service, disseminating ved among the people, etc.

India’s glorious teacher-disciple tradition was great. Today, the country is waiting for such glorious tradition. I offer prayer to this great tradition of acharya.