Derivation: The word Guru is a Sanskrit word. A number of Derivations are found in Guru Gita. Guru Gita is a part of the Skanta Purana. ‘Gu’ generally means ‘Guna’ and therefore means ‘darkness’. ‘Ru’ denotes light overlapping the darkness like fire. So Guru means the dispeller of darkness or ignorance.

Another derivation says that Guru is one who takes you to Brahman by removing the Gunas.

Sai Baba’s teachings are unique and cosmopolitan. In Arabic and Persian, Guru is called MURSHAD. Hence, Sufis used the word Murshad for Guru. Baba himself used the same word. For example Baba said. ‘My Murshad has taken me away from this body which is but my house’. This means his Guru had destroyed his indentification of self with the body (Dehatma buddhi). His Guru made him realize that He the Atma is not the body just like the fire which burns the fuel is different from the fuel, and the seer is not the seen. The Sufi equivalent for Sishya is Talib and Shakir.

we find everywhere in the world, the usual practice is to have Gurus.

Purpose for a Guru: Guru is a teacher. The essential question is, what he teaches or what help he gives or is expected to give.

Classes of Gurus: There are various classes of Gurus depending upon what is or given by Him to the deciples. For example Siksha or Diksha, secular or religious subject, sex of Guru, methods adopted, whether Guru is visible or invisible.

Guru Gita classifies Gurus under seven heads such as:

Suchaka is the ordinary school-master who gives secular teachings – the three ‘R’s and arts.

Vachaka is one who imparts ethical teachings, that is Dharma Sastra.

Bhodaka is one who teaches mantras for various purposes – secular or other, and stops with that.

Nishiddha is one who teaches mantras and other methods for achieving lower purposes just as marana, vasikarana, sthambana and akarshana. These are almost invariably used to achieve low earthly objects and are hindrances to one’s achievements of the spiritual goal. It is a danger for one to get under a Nishiddha Guru.

Vihita is one who teaches Virakti or detachment, that is frees one from all attachment to earthly things and prepares one for achieving one’s spiritual welfare. Vairagya or dispassion is the sine qua non for progress just as its opposite, namely, extreme attachment to kamini and kanchana, is a powerful barrier to all progress.

Karana instructs the sishya as to the import of the Mahavakyas the axioms or axles of the Upanishads. After securing thorough vairagya one is ready to get at least an intellectual grasp and then a realization of the grand basis of all mukti. Mukti is the realization of the real nature of oneself and of Atma, that is Paramatma; and the mahavakyas embody that truth. Thus the teacher of this basis of salvation is the cause, Karana for salvation and therefore the Karana Guru.

Parama Guru: The last and the greatest of all, who enables the sishya to thoroughly absorb the truth of the Mahavakyas and to realize for himself the Mahavakyas and thus escape samsara or rebirth, is the Parama Guru. He is also called the Moksha Guru. Others are mere Gurus.