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Guru Purnima Special: Why does God send Gurus to this World?

Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat
14 August 2026
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(Excerpt of a speech delivered by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj)

“Everyone in this world is mad.

Some are madly searching for happiness, while others are mad and consumed with the joy of divine happiness.

The first category includes every soul – from the tiniest living being to Brahma – that remains under the influence of Maya (material energy). Restlessly seeking lasting happiness, they wander through the material world, never finding the fulfilment they truly long for. The second category are the Saints (Guru).

But who can truly be called mad?

A mad person is one who does not know who he really is. Such a person is often admitted to a mental asylum. Spiritually speaking, we are no different. We do not know who our true Father is, who our real relatives are, or where our eternal home is. Our intellect has been clouded by maya (material energy).

That is why I say that this entire world is God’s mental asylum.

This vast asylum consists of 8.4 million species of life, because countless souls remain under the influence of maya. Every one of them is searching for happiness.

According to the Vedas, the soul is eternal. It has always existed, and therefore it has been searching for happiness since the beginning of time.

Nor can the soul ever remain inactive. Every moment it is thinking, planning, striving, and acting in the hope of attaining happiness. This search has continued since eternity.

Earlier I said that God and the Saints are also ‘mad.’ That is true, but there is a world of difference. The souls under maya are mad in search of happiness, whereas God and the Saints are mad only to give happiness. 

Souls under the influence of maya (material energy) are madly searching for happiness. Whereas, God and the Saints are mad to give happiness to us, the souls.

Their only concern is how they can bring every soul to true and lasting happiness, for every soul is a cherished member of their Divine family. The Saints are our true brothers and sisters, for we are all children of God. Having already attained divine bliss themselves, they yearn to see every soul experience that same eternal happiness.

They have nothing left to attain for themselves. They are perfect, complete, and immersed in Divine bliss. Having transcended all selfish desires, they have no personal motive in this world. Their sole purpose is to uplift souls, guide them to God, and help them attain the eternal happiness they themselves have realized. 

When an empty pot is immersed in a lake, it makes a bubbling sound as it fills with water. But once it is completely full, the sound ceases.

Similarly, one who has attained complete fulfilment has nothing more to achieve.

Yet look at God and the Saints. They work even more than ordinary people. Day and night they think only about the welfare of souls.

They write books and deliver discourses. Reading and writing books are activities for beginners who are acquiring knowledge. Why, then, should those who have already attained the highest spiritual perfection concern themselves with such things?

Only for our sake.

Otherwise, how would we understand the philosophy of Divine love?

The Saints even take birth in this world and live among us. They leave the Divine abode of Lord Krishna and willingly come to live amidst human bodies and minds, solely to give spiritual knowledge and lead souls back to God.

Having attained Divine happiness themselves, they return only to help others attain the same goal.

Yet do people always welcome them? No!

In fact, they often do just the opposite. People criticise them, oppose them, and sometimes even persecute them. Still, the Saints never stop working for the welfare of others.

Once, a disciple of Gautama Buddha approached him and said, “Guruji, I wish to go out and spread your philosophy.”

Buddha replied, “That is a noble desire. Those who dedicate themselves to bringing souls closer to God are the greatest benefactors of humanity. Who could be more generous than one who helps another soul progress towards God?”

Then he added, “But remember, it is not an easy path. The world will not readily accept your message. People lack true knowledge. Even if they listen to you, they will argue with you. They will criticise your words, insult you, and abuse you.”

The disciple replied, “Guruji, if they merely insult me, I shall consider them kind. At least they did not strike me. I will regard them as my well-wishers.”

Buddha then asked, “And what if they beat you?”

The disciple answered, “Then I shall think, ‘I am enduring this in the service of my Guru. This body is made of the five material elements of maya (material energy). If someone strikes it, what does it matter? The pain will pass, and the wounds will heal.'”

Buddha asked one final question, “And what if someone kills you?”

The disciple replied, “Then I shall consider myself most fortunate. This body had to perish one day in any case. If it is sacrificed while serving my Guru, what greater blessing could there be?”

Buddha smiled and said, “Now you are ready. Go and spread this philosophy.”

Remember this well. Anyone who works for the spiritual welfare of others should expect such difficulties. Some Saints face less opposition, while others face much more. But none of them abandon their mission.

Take the example of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

When He performed sankirtan publicly, people mocked Him. They said, “Look at him. He is only pretending to be a Saint.”

So Mahaprabhu began holding kirtan privately indoors. Did people stop criticising Him? No! They now began saying, “Why are they meeting secretly? There must be something suspicious going on.”

No matter what a Saint does, people find fault.

If a Saint does something beyond ordinary human understanding, people immediately begin discussing it everywhere, interpreting it according to their own limited intellect.

Mahaprabhu instructed His dear disciple, Nityananda Prabhu, to marry – not once, but twice. Mahaprabhu Himself also married twice. After the passing of His first wife, He married again, and later accepted the renounced order.

Suppose we had been living at that time. What would we have said? We would probably have reacted just as people did then:

“If he is truly a Saint, why is he getting married? We were told he is an incarnation of Shri Krishna, yet look at what he is doing now.” People repeated such criticisms everywhere.

The fact is that we do not understand how God and the Saints work.

Just as a young child cannot comprehend how they can be the child of both their mother and father because their understanding is still immature, we too cannot fully comprehend the actions of God and the saints while we remain under the influence of Maya. The limitation lies not in their wisdom, but in our own limited understanding. Therefore, we should not judge the Divine by the standards of our worldly experience. 

Consider anger. An ordinary person’s anger arises from ego and selfishness, leading to harsh words and even violence. Yet the scriptures describe Arjuna fighting a war, Hanuman destroying armies, Shri Ram slaying Ravana, and Shri Krishna urging Arjuna to fight, while also teaching that Saints are free from anger. This is not a contradiction in the scriptures but a limitation of our own understanding. 

As long as we remain under the influence of Maya, we judge God and the Saints by our own experience. Having transcended Maya, they act solely for the welfare of all, never out of selfish desire or anger. That is why people so often misunderstand and criticise them. 

We imagine that nothing can exist beyond the limits of our own experience and understanding. We judge the Divine by human standards and then wonder why their actions appear different from our own.

That is precisely where our mistake lies.

Because we are covered by maya (material energy), we cannot reliably judge who is truly Divine or who is a genuine Saint. Just as a patient in a mental asylum cannot diagnose himself, the soul bewildered by maya cannot independently find the path back to God.

That is why we need a Guru.

Only when a soul comes into the association of a true Saint does this ignorance begin to disappear.

The Guru gradually reveals the truths of the divine world – truths that can never be understood through logic or intellectual speculation alone. Without the guidance and Grace of a true Guru, these divine mysteries remain beyond our grasp. Only then does the soul begin to progress steadily on the path of bhakti. 

A true Guru is one who has already crossed beyond maya and attained God. Such a Saint asks for nothing from the world. Out of pure compassion, he descends into this world, endures criticism and misunderstanding, and works tirelessly to awaken souls to their true identity.

He comes not to take happiness from us, but to give us the eternal happiness that he has already attained.

To recognize such a Guru, to surrender to his guidance, and to follow the path he reveals – this is the beginning of real spiritual life, the surest way back to our eternal home, where we attain eternal happiness in the loving service of God.”

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.