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Hinduism and Tribal Religions pp 1–8Cite as

Guru, Hinduism

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Indian Religions ((EIR))

Synonyms

ācārya; deśika; upādhyāya; svāmin/swami

Definition

In the absence of a centralized institution such as the Church in the West, the person of the guru, i.e., of the spiritual master, has emerged from Vedic times as one of the most prestigious protagonists of Indian society. Indeed, it is the guru who authenticates, fosters, and transmits the numerous religious traditions (sampradāya) of the subcontinent. The “way of the guru” (guru-vāda) is the special characteristic not of a particular sect or line of succession but of all Indian religions. From time immemorial the guru is thought to be indispensable, the necessary guide in order to achieve the highest goal of liberation (mokṣa) from the painful round of rebirths (saṃsāra). Only one who is liberated (mukta) can lead others along the path: the guru is thought to be free from bondage and to know by experience the way towards mokṣa. The master’s words and teachings (upadeśa), his/her whole persona, are therefore efficacious and...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ca’ Foscari University, Venice, Italy

    Antonio Rigopoulos

Authors
  1. Antonio Rigopoulos
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Correspondence to Antonio Rigopoulos .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Anthropology, The University of North Texas Dept of Anthropology, Denton, Texas, USA

    Pankaj Jain

  2. The Graduate Theological Union , Berkeley, California, USA

    Rita Sherma

  3. Jamia Millia Islamia, Centre for the Study of Comparative Reli Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India

    Madhu Khanna

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Rigopoulos, A. (2018). Guru, Hinduism. In: Jain, P., Sherma, R., Khanna, M. (eds) Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_569-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_569-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Religion and PhilosophyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Humanities

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Guru (Hinduism)
    Published:
    12 October 2021

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_569-2

  2. Original

    Guru, Hinduism
    Published:
    21 March 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_569-1

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