Disciple:
Pranam, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Pranam, pranam, my child.
Disciple:
Today, we want to learn about the Guru from you. Many people ask how to find a Guru.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
That's true. But first, one must understand what a Guru is. What does a Guru look like? What will the color of his skin be? How will his fingers and feet be? These things need to be known; it's necessary to understand them. It doesn't just happen—you must learn. There is a song you might have heard: "Hridi-kandara-tamas-bhaskara hey / Tumi Vishnu Prajapati Shankara hey." In other words, whatever power Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwar possess, the Guru possesses that same power.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Now, one must search for a Guru. Do you know why? A person finds a Guru based on the Prarabdha (consequences) of their previous lives. If someone had a Guru in a past life, they will find that Guru in this life too; they just have to look for him. Just as you have to search the Gandaki River to find which stone is Narayana—searching through the stones requires time and patience—similarly, the Guru will manifest before you if your Prarabdha is right and everything from your past life is in order. The one who initiated you in your previous life will initiate you in this one as well. Do you understand? It's your Prarabdha at work.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
If I was your Guru in a past life, I am your Guru in this life as well. But you might exhaust yourself searching for him, wondering what the Guru will be like. A Guru should be detached and egoless. You must test him thoroughly. You must examine the Guru in many ways.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
When a Guru accepts a disciple, he tests that disciple extensively. Often, it turns out the disciple isn't quite ready. Without readiness, initiation cannot be given. Yet, everyone seeks liberation (Mukti). But humans have no liberation as such. You are worrying about death even though you were just born! You have neither birth nor death; you are eternal and indestructible. So why this obsession with liberation? What is the path to it?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, the Guru will give you liberation, but not that kind. He can perhaps cut through the Prarabdha results of your current life. You may have done good or bad; the Guru will understand that himself. When a Guru gives initiation, he does so in various ways, after much testing and storytelling. Only when he deems someone worthy does he initiate them. It's not just a matter of someone coming and saying, "Initiate me," and I do it. The Guru must vet the disciple thoroughly.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
There is a saying: "Guru mele lakhe lakhe, shishya mela bhaar" (Gurus are found in the hundreds of thousands, but a true disciple is rare). Sometimes, after initiation, the Guru might say, "Don't come to me anymore. Whatever was due to you, I have given. Don't return." That is a very difficult place to be, where there is no further meeting between Guru and disciple. If the Guru feels the disciple is ready—and "ready" doesn't just mean they are constantly chanting God's name—they could be a great football player, a scientist, or a PhD holder. It's not just about shouting "God, God!" Gurus aren't satisfied just by that. A Guru initiates everyone; it's just a matter of timing. As Sachal-Shiva—our Tailang Swami—used to say: "When the time is right, it comes without being told." He repeated this often.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
So, when your time is right, you will receive initiation, not before. There are many aspects to being a Guru, and there's much testing after initiation. Among a thousand people, many might fail the Guru's test. However, because the Guru realizes, "I was his Guru in a previous life," he might say, "Alright, come, I will initiate you." In that case, there's no need for further scrutiny or testing. He just gives it and says, "Don't come back; you've received what was yours."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
As I mentioned before: "Hridi-kandara-tamas-bhaskara hey." There is darkness in our hearts, and it must be lit; it must be illuminated. "Tumi Vishnu Prajapati Shankara hey." You are Vishnu, you are Brahma (Prajapati), and you are Shankara. Thus, the Guru is the triple power. The Guru exists within the Akhanda (the Whole). "Akhanda-mandalakaram vyaptam yena characharam." He is the Guru who is whole, not fragmented. Sitting here in this cremation ground, he can see the whole world. From the earth to the sky, he can assume any form. These are matters of Anima, Laghima, and Garima (yogic siddhis).
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
He will be your Guru. Test him; don't just take initiation on a whim. Observe him well. See if he is worthy. Does he have a spiritual radiance (Jyoti)? Has he truly performed Sadhana? Look at his fingers, look at his toes, look at his feet. The Guru should have a serene and beautiful appearance (Saumya Darshan). Only then should you accept him as your Guru.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Some people say Ramakrishna is greater than Bama Khepa. They are living in a world of fools. Only the ignorant talk like that. No wise person would say such things. Everyone who has practiced Sadhana is great. One is not inferior to the other. I won't see Vivekananda one way, Ramakrishna another, Bama Khepa another, and Tailang Swami yet another. That is the work of ignorant and foolish people. These questions are asked by fools. You don't have to measure anyone. Everyone has practiced Sadhana, and everyone is great in our eyes. I respect and revere them all—Ramakrishna, Bama Khepa, Tailang Swami. To me, they are all equal. Those who speak otherwise are like frogs in a well; they don't understand anything else. Who are you to measure them? Who is greater—Ramakrishna or Bama Khepa? Who are you to judge? You have no knowledge; you are ignorant. Don't ever say such things to me.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Someone else mentioned Rohini Vidya to me. Rohini Vidya refers to the worship of Krishna. Krishna was born under the Rohini Nakshatra (star). Rohini is a star, and because Krishna was born under it, we give it special importance. Worshiping Krishna is particularly auspicious during the Rohini Nakshatra. When Krishna was born in Kansa's prison, it was the Rohini Nakshatra. Furthermore, even now, when Krishna's birth anniversary is celebrated in the month of Bhadra, if the Rohini Nakshatra isn't present, the Tithi (lunar day) isn't observed. Rohini is essential. The star is what matters. Rohini is a powerful and very auspicious star, the one under which Krishna himself was born. So, Rohini Sadhana is nothing but the worship of Krishna.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
As I said, Gurus are found in the hundreds of thousands, but disciples are not. That's why I say, vet the Guru thoroughly. If you can't vet him, don't take initiation. You must argue, debate, and even have a "clash" of sorts with the Guru; only then will he accept you.
Disciple:
One more question, Gurudev. Which path should a common person take to achieve liberation?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The path of truth. Truth is God; God is truth. And again, there is no liberation. You are worrying about death when you were just born! You have neither birth nor death; it's only a transformation of the body. So why talk about liberation? Who will give it to you? How much have you worshiped God? How many nights have you spent seeking Him? How much blood have you shed for Him? Liberation isn't that cheap.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The one who creates is not liberated. A person who creates cannot be called a liberated soul. The one who does not create is the liberated one. Therefore, liberation as you speak of it has no real meaning. Living truthfully, not bowing down to others, treating humans as humans, doing good deeds, having a pure disposition, attaining right Samadhi, and having the right vision—these are the things one must maintain. If someone follows these—right vision, right speech, and being truthful in everything—then while they might not achieve "liberation," they will find a path. They will find a place at God's feet.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
That is why we say: "Be honest." In Sanskrit, it is said: "Om Tat Sat." Be honest—that is the final word. That is the full stop. Nothing more needs to be said. Be honest. When we finish reading the Gita, we say, "Om Tat Sat," meaning that being honest is the ultimate truth. That's all there is to it. What else?
Disciple:
Gurudev, we have learned many valuable things from your lips. Hundreds of millions of pranams to you.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Hundreds of millions of pranams to you too, my child. Pranam, pranam, pranam. (End of audio)
Spiritual Insight
This profound teaching on Gurukaran (the nature of the Guru) reveals that finding a Guru is not a matter of shopping or preference, but of Prarabdha—the karmic consequences from previous lives. Guru Shyama Khyapa emphasizes that a true Guru possesses the combined powers of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwar, and must be tested thoroughly by the seeker. The Guru-disciple relationship is a sacred contract where both parties test each other—the Guru evaluates the disciple's readiness, and the disciple must examine the Guru's spiritual radiance and Sadhana. The Guru debunks the common obsession with "liberation" as a cheap commodity, instead pointing to the simple, uncompromising path of truth and honesty ("Om Tat Sat") as the ultimate goal. His fierce defense of all great saints—Ramakrishna, Bama Khepa, Tailang Swami—as equally great reminds us that spiritual comparison is the mark of ignorance, not wisdom.