This is the concluding part and we present this on July 24th 2002 this day being guru PurNima .

Guru in Dikshitar kritis - Part II 

The guru-Shishya relationship

The Guru-Shishya relationship is an indispensable part of Vedic and Tantrik Practice.The Diksha rite, in which the Guru transmits something of himself to the Shishya, often increases or manifests his awareness. This Guru-Shishya relationship is a very intimate one and needs to be so for the Shishya's success. Actually it is a two-way process, for the Guru, in turn, is enabled to have a more intimate and deeper understanding of the disciple, and thereby is better able to guide and direct the course of progress.When a Guru accepts a disciple, he also accepts a serious responsibility. In the  kriti,shrI guruguha mUrte, Dikshitar defines and deifies this relationship.

Dharma is two-fold, one is nivrtti (inward contemplation) and the other is pravrtti( social action).The guru is already in the nivrtti marga.He stands as it were, upon the threshold of immortality; and, bending down he raises the struggling individuals with his one hand, and with the other lifts them up into the empyrean of everlasting joy and infinite Truth-Consciousness.This is what Dikshitar means by the lines "Atmeshvara jIvabhEdAvaraNa nivRttE " ie The guru who has attained the pinnacle of advaita siddhi by tearing the veil of the bheda between jIvAtma and paramAtma returns to the pravrtti mArga for the sake of gracing his disciples who seek him.ie "Ashrita ShishyAnugraha kAraNapravRttE".For this kind of responsibility the guru has to be a treasure (sAdhana sampat) that dispels  any doubt that may arise in the mind of the Shishya in his quest ie AtmatatvAdi shodhana.

A jIivanmukta or liberated sage is the real Guru or spiritual preceptor.He is a Knower of Brahman rather He is identical with Brahman or the Supreme Self.Dikshitar also mentions the carana tatva of tantra.The Godhead is characterised as  a mixture of nishkala shiva(white hued) and shakti(red hued).Hence the guru is of the nature (pravrtti) of this "Arakta shveta mishra caraNa".Hence like the supreme he grants bhoga and moksha.This is also a unique feature of the shakta tradition - the simultaneous attaining of bhoga and moksha.

Another phrase that is replete with bhava is 'Atmodaya ravicandrikA sandIpte'.Not only does this stand out in terms of the aptness of the raga but also in terms of the artha bhAva.Atmodaya is the luminence or the rise of the soul.The jIva is the lunar luminence which but reflects the luminosity of the sun or the paramAtman.Atmodaya or the rise and glory of the Atman occurs only when the sun and the moon rise together.And when they rise together ,only one is left.This is the symbolism of advaita.