Jagadguru
Jagadguru (Sanskrit जगद्गुरु), literally meaning the Guru of the world, is a title used in Sanatana Dharma. Traditionally, it has been bestowed upon or used for ācāryas belonging to the Vedānta school (among the six traditional schools of thought in Hinduism) who have written Sanskrit commentaries on the Prasthānatrayī (literally the three sources) - the Brahma Sūtras (the original scripture of Vedānta), the Bhagavad Gītā (part of the Mahābhārata) and the principal Upanishads. Historically, Jagadgurus have established a lineage (Paramparā), established an institution to spread Dharma, who have been based in Varanasi, famous for being the centre of Sanskrit study and the "Capital Of all Knowledge".
Origin and history of the term
जगद्गुरु is of Sanskrit origin where जगत् (jagat) means 'the entire world' and गुरु (guru) means 'spiritual master'. In the classics and scriptures, the word has been used for several Devas. In the Mahābhārata, Arjuna addresses Shree Krishna as the 'Supreme Master of the entire world'. The Sanskrit poet Kālidāsa uses the word जगद्गुरु for Shiva in his great poem (Mahākāvya) titled Kumārasambhava.[1] In the Rāmacaritamānasa, the poet-saint Tulasidāsa uses the same word for Rāma.[2]
Notable Jagadgurus
- Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya (A.D. 788-820) (also known as "Adi Shankara"), or Shankara Bhagavatpaada: Founder of Advaita school of vedanta.[3][4]
- Śrīpāda Rāmānujācārya (1017-1137): Wrote Sribhashya, commentary on Brahma Sutras. He also established Vishistadvaita Siddhanta.[4]
- Śrī Nimbārkācārya: Founder of Dvaitadvaita school of vedanta.[4]
- Śrīpāda Madhvācārya (1239-1319): Founder of the Dvaita school of vedanta.[4]
- Śrī Kṛpālu Ji Mahārāja (Sanskrit: श्री कृपालु जी महाराज) (5 October 1922 – 15 November 2013):[5] He received the title of Jagadguru at the age of 34 by Kashi Vidvat Parishad (the oldest and most recognised body of Varanasi's intellectuals) on Makar Sankranti day, 14 January 1957.[4][6][7] He was awarded the title Samanvaya-Acharya, i.e., He analyses and reconciles meaning of all the scriptures, the six philosophies and the (seemingly contradictory) teachings of the other four previous Jagadgurus.
References
- ↑ Kumārasambhava, Canto 6, Verse 15 and also Canto 8, verse 24.
- ↑ Rāmacaritamānasa, Araṇya Kāṇḍa, verse 3.9.
- ↑ jagadguru shankaracharya&f=false Jesus in Kashmir The Lost Tomb By Suzanne Olsson
- 1 2 3 4 5 Saraswati, S.P. 2007. The True History and The Religion of India. New Delhi: Macmillan Publishers.
- ↑ "Spiritual Guru Jagadguru Kripalu Maharaj passes away". Zee News. 15 November 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- ↑ Melton, G. 2003. The Encyclopedia of American Religions. Gale
- ↑ Singh, Khushwant (28 January 2007). "Varanasi seer’s memory is phenomenal". The Tribune. Tribune India. Retrieved 12 June 2015.