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Guru Purnima Special: Who is Greater – Guru or God?

Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat
24 July 2026
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Guru Purnima Special- Guru Purnima Special: Who is Greater - Guru or God? by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj by Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj by Jagadguru Kripal

(Excerpt of a speech delivered by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj)

Shri Krishna says:

“Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt” 

( Know the Guru to be My very own form.)

He instructs us never to disrespect or judge a true saint with our material intellect, for the Guru is endowed with divine powers.

The greatness of the Guru is one of the most profound teachings of the scriptures. Yet the scriptures make three seemingly contradictory statements about the Guru and God. They declare that God is greater than the Guru, that the Guru is greater than God, and that God and the Guru are equal. At first glance these statements may seem impossible to reconcile. Yet, when understood correctly, all three are perfectly true.

The first statement – that God is greater – is simple to understand. Even a child, if asked who is the greatest, would answer, “God.” Everyone instinctively knows that God is supreme, even if they cannot explain why.

Then why do the scriptures sometimes declare that the Guru is greater than God? Lord Ram Himself says:

“Prabhu asa vishvasa, Ram se adhik Ram kar dasa.”

(“The servant of Lord Ram is greater than Lord Ram Himself.”)

This does not mean that the Guru possesses greater powers or virtues than God. God alone is the Supreme Lord. However, after God-realisation, God bestows all His divine powers upon His perfected Saints, just as a king entrusts his kingdom to the prince who is his rightful heir. The realised Guru experiences the same divine knowledge, the same bliss, and the same spiritual powers bestowed by God.

Then in what sense is the Guru greater?

The answer is simple – from the viewpoint of our own spiritual welfare. Our goal is attained through the Guru, not directly through God.

God resides in every heart. He hears every prayer because He is omnipresent. Although we accept this truth, we do not experience His presence. The Guru, however, stands before us in a visible form. We can see Him, hear Him, ask Him questions and receive His guidance. Therefore, our relationship with the Guru becomes personal and practical.

Our greatest ignorance is that we identify ourselves with the body. The Guru teaches us that we are not the body but the eternal soul. The scriptures declare:

“Jīvera svarūpa haya – Kṛṣṇera nitya dāsa.”

(“The soul’s true identity is that it is the eternal servant of Shri Krishna.”)

Who teaches us this? God does not personally descend to explain these truths to every individual soul. It is the Guru who patiently teaches us the realities of spiritual life.

He explains:

  • Who we truly are.
  • Who God is.
  • What maya is.
  • The difference between the body, mind and intellect.
  • What true devotion is.
  • Our eternal relationship with God (sambandha), the path to attain Him (abhidheya), and the supreme goal of divine love (prayojana).

Human beings are naturally self-centred. Wherever our self-interest is fulfilled, there our affection lies. As the saying goes:

“Jake tak nij swārth hoi, mamatā kare sab koi.”

(“People become attached wherever they perceive their own self-interest.”)

Our real self-interest, however, lies not in worldly pleasures but in offering ourselves completely in loving devotion to God. Who teaches us this? Once again, it is the Guru.

Even when someone approaches the Guru with doubt, criticism or misunderstanding, the Guru never rejects that person. Instead, he thinks, “He is still new. Slowly he will understand.” Such is the Guru’s boundless patience and compassion.

There is a humorous story that illustrates this beautifully.

A Guru had two simple-minded disciples who both wished to massage His feet. To prevent them from arguing, the Guru asked one to massage His right foot and the other His left.

One day, while pressing the left foot, one disciple accidentally struck the Guru’s right foot. The other disciple became angry and shouted, “Why did you hit my foot?” Instead of serving the Guru, the two disciples began striking each other’s assigned foot! Finally, the Guru cried out, “Stop! What are you two doing?”

Such is the foolishness of the ignorant mind.

Teaching spiritually ignorant souls requires immense patience. It is far easier to lecture university students than to teach little children their alphabet. A primary school teacher patiently says, “Repeat after me – “ka… ma… la…” until the child finally learns to say “kamala.”

The Guru teaches in exactly the same way. If one explanation does not help, He explains differently. If the disciple still does not understand, He tries yet another approach. He never grows impatient because His only desire is to awaken the soul. His purpose is never to display His scholarship but to ensure that every disciple understands according to his or her capacity.

Some disciples listen with full attention. Others become distracted. Some listen for a while and then allow their minds to wander. There are even those who sleep through the discourse and wake only when it has ended. Yet the Guru patiently continues guiding everyone without discrimination.

The Guru’s work does not end with imparting theoretical knowledge. He personally guides the disciple in the practice of devotion. Whenever doubts arise, He removes them. Whenever confusion appears, He patiently clarifies it. He also helps weaken the deep-rooted sanskars that prevent complete surrender to God.

Yet despite doing so much, the Guru never says, “I did this for you.” He silently showers His grace without seeking recognition or praise.

As the disciple’s mind gradually becomes purified through sincere devotion, the Guru bestows divine love. He divinises the devotee’s senses, mind and intellect. Only then does God reveal Himself.

It is as though the devotee says, “Lord, why have You come now? My Guru has already done everything for me.”

God Himself acknowledges the Guru’s immeasurable contribution. This is why Kabir says:

“Guru Govind dou khade, kake lāgū̃ pāy? Balihārī Gurudev ki jino, Govind diyo batāy.”

(“If both Guru and God stand before me, whose feet should I touch first? I first bow to the Guru, for it was he who showed me God.”)

The scriptures further declare that no disciple can ever repay the debt owed to the Guru, even after countless lifetimes. Whatever we possess is material – our body, mind and worldly possessions. But what the Guru gives us is divine. He bestows the grace by which we cross maya (material energy) and attain God. Such a priceless gift can never be repaid.

Finally, the scriptures declare that God and the realised Guru are equal. There is no contradiction here. After God-realisation, God bestows all His divine qualities upon His perfected Saint.

If someone asks God, “Are You blissful?” God replies, “Yes, since eternity.”

If the same question is asked of a realised Saint, he also replies, “Yes, I am blissful.” The only difference is that the Saint will say, “I have experienced that bliss from the moment I attained God-realisation.” Before that, he was under the influence of maya. Now he is immersed in the very same infinite bliss as God.

The knowledge of God and the realised Saint is one. Their bliss is one. Their Divine consciousness is one. The realised Saint has become established in the same eternal Sat (Existence), Chit (Consciousness) and Anand (Bliss) that are God’s own nature.

Thus, all three scriptural statements are true. God is supreme. The Guru is greater than God from the disciple’s point of view because it is through the Guru that we attain God. And the realised Guru is equal to God because God has bestowed upon Him His own divine knowledge, bliss and powers.

By Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj

A brief introduction of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj*

(Known by His devotees as Shri Maharaj Ji)

The original title of Jagadguruttam (Greatest Spiritual Teacher of the World) was bestowed upon Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj on January 14, 1957, by Kashi Vidvat Parishad (a council of 500 greatest scholars saints of India). He composed divine texts like Prem Ras Madira, Prem Ras Siddhant, and Radha Govind Geet to lead us on the right path of devotion. He also gave priceless monuments as gifts to the world which include Bhakti Mandir located in Bhakti Dham, Mangarh, Prem Mandir located in Vrindavan Dham, and Kirti Mandir located in Barsana Dham. Shri Maharaj Ji also built hospitals for the impoverished, the Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitsalaya in Vrindavan, Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitsalaya in Barsana, and another one in Pratapgarh. All three help millions of underprivileged to gain free access to medical care. His Kindergarten, School, and College for impoverished girls Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat Education is located in Kunda and provides completely free education. To stay updated with all the news and events of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, visit www.jkp.org.in/jkpwhatsapp.