Diksha Mahatmya | Importance of Guru Diksha

What is Diksha?

Guru Diksha is the formal initiation process into a specific field of spirituality (Adhyatma). Whether it is vaidika or tantrik, this initiation gives the Disciple who undergoes the ritual of diksha the right to learn the shastras according to the rights of the Disciple. Diksha is of several types and levels, each having their own differences. Today in this article I shall discuss the importance of diksha as per vaidik and tantrik marga.

Guru Diksha in Vedic Marg

In Veda Marga, the importance is placed on developing a correct understanding of shastras; this is where Guru Diksha comes in. Shruti Vakyas states that the meaning of shastras can never be understood without learning from a guru.

Shlok 1

Katha Upanishad Adhyaya 1 Vali 2 mantra 9:

नैषा तर्केण मतिरापनेया प्रोक्तान्येनैव सुज्ञानाय प्रेष्ठ
यान्त्वमापः सत्यधृतिर्बतासि त्वादृङ्नो भूयान्नचिकेतः प्रष्टा

Meaning: One can’t develop understanding of shastras based on their own limited intellect or by means of mere logic. Only when taught by a guru who has realized the meaning himself can the true meaning of shastras be truly understood.

Shlok 2

Mundak Upanishad Mundak 1 Khanda 2 mantra 12:

परीक्ष्य लोकान्कर्मचितान्ब्राह्मणो निर्वेदमायान्नास्त्यकृतः कृतेन ।
तद्विज्ञानार्थं स गुरुमेवाभिगच्छेत्समित्पाणिः श्रोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठम्॥

Meaning: A Brahman who has scrutinized the world produced by karma and is becoming free from it understands that it is not eternal and desires to know the eternal should approach a guru who has a sound understanding of the concept, is well versed with the meaning of the Vedas, and has the bodha of Brahm.

Shlok 3

Chandogya Upanishad Prapatakha 6 Khanda 14 mantra 2:

तस्य यथाभिनहनं प्रमुच्य प्रब्रूयादेतां दिशं गन्धारा एतां दिशं व्रजेति स ग्रामाद्ग्रामं पृच्छन्पण्डितो मेधावी गन्धारानेवोपसम्पद्येतैवमेवेहाचार्यवान्पुरुषो वेद तस्य तावदेव चिरं यावन्न विमोक्ष्येऽथ सम्पत्स्य इति ॥ २ ॥

Meaning: Just like a man would need to seek directions to get to a place whose route he doesn’t know, similarly, one needs a guru to obtain the right direction and knowledge of shastras and oneself.
Smriti Shastras also has a similar explanation.

Shlok 4

Vyasa Smriti Adhyaya 1 shloka 25:

शौचाचारविचारार्थं धर्मशास्त्रमपि द्विजः। पठेत गुरुतः सम्यक् कर्म तद्दिष्टमाचरेत्।।

Manusmriti Adhyaya 1 shloka 103:

विदुषा ब्राह्मणेनैदमध्येतव्यं प्रयत्नतः। शिश्येभ्यश्च प्रवक्तव्यं सम्यङ्नान्येन केन चित्॥

Bhagvad Gita Adhyaya 4 shloka 34:

तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेनसेवया । उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः।।

The above 2 shlokas state that a dvija who wishes to study shastras must do so exclusively under a guru and not by resorting to any other means. The shloka of the Bhagavad Gita also states that one who intends to learn shastras must do so only under a guru.

All the 6 bhasyakaras who did bhasya on the quoted shloka of Manusmriti stated that a dvija who intends to learn shastras must do so only under the guidance of a qualified guru; any other means, such as self-study, etc., are invalid.
Despite all these proofs, one may still wonder if the Mahatmya of diksha is simply because Shastras say so and has no actual logical backing, but that’s not the case. Purva Mimamsa gives the soundest explanation behind the mandate.

Mimansa

Sutra Adhyaya 1 Pada 3 Sutra 9 states:

“शास्त्रास्था वा तन्निमित्तत्वात्” which means that which is sanctioned by the scriptures or accepted by men learned in the scriptures is more authoritative than the meaning presented by the untrained and mlecchas. 

Kumarila Bhatta, in his philosophy of the Sutra, states that on account of the context of usage of words, along with which of the numerous meanings and pronunciations of the word are to be used in a specific condition, can only be known to one who has been handed this knowledge by tradition. Thus, only one trained in these fields can give the correct interpretation of shastras, as they know the proper context as was revealed to the people to whom the scriptures were first revealed.
From those people, they passed it to their disciples, who passed this knowledge through disciplic succession, retaining the original teachings. An untrained person, on account of not knowing the valid means of interpretation and context of various scriptural passages, is bound to make mistakes in interpretation. This view is accepted by all Vaidik Acharyas and is echoed in all shastras.

Explanation of the Importance of Guru Diksha

Without knowing the context, one can’t give a proper interpretation. My personal favorite example in explaining this phenomenon is the instance of the occurrence of the term goghna in the Atharva Veda, which is heavily misinterpreted by certain elements to state that Hindus used to eat cows and that cow was killed and offered to guests.
While the term goghna indeed occurs and it does so with respect to cows and guests, the meaning of the term isn’t what is majorly interpreted. While the term ghna indeed denotes “to kill” in a general context, it also means “to gift” and “to move from one place to another.” The term ghna occurring with respect to gau actually denotes the act of gifting cows.

We infer this meaning on account of two reasons, firstly on account of the prohibition both general and absolute on harming cows in any way whatsoever, and secondly on account of no evidence in support of cow killing and evidence being found against cow killing.

Yet another major factor here is that the explanation of the term ghna I provided is found in Nirukta of Yakshacharya in Adhyaya 4 Sutra 14. While analyzing the term ghna, I used the very mantra of the Atharva Veda where we come across the term goghna and reduced that the term here denotes the act of gifting and not killing the cow and uses reasons similar to what I’ve provided.

Why Guru Diksha is Important?

It’s well evident that not even a simple term such as goghna can be interpreted in its true sense without having learned the meaning from a parampara prapt guru. Then how can someone understand or comprehend the entire corpus of shastras without the aid of a guru? Without a guru, it’s impossible to gain a proper understanding of shastras, and without a diksha, it’s impossible to obtain the very right to study shastras. Without a diksha, it’s impossible to have a guru either.
While similar logic applies even in understanding of tantra shastras, as there’s the existence of several words and declerations that have an entirely different meaning from what’s commonly inferred from them, there’s more to the reason behind the emphasis on diksha in tantramarg. In tantra, one uses tantrokt mantras and tries to please the deities by different means. However, that’s not possible without having a proper guru.

Role of Guru in Our Life

In several places in Kularnava, Mahanirvan, and even the Uddisha tantra, and in samhitas such as Ravana, it is stated that without a guru, all mantras are fruitless, like plant seeds sown on barren rocks; they yield no results and only cause a loss of energy and wasted efforts. Tantras also state that such transgressions can be dangerous for the offenders who dare to try mantras without proper diksha and permission of the guru, to the extent that they can cost their lives at most and get them into the bad books of the deities in the least.
The reason behind this is simple. Mantras have flaws (doshas), which amount to a total of 60 flaws (doshas) or defects; only the mantra obtained from the guru is rid of doshas, and mantras obtained by other means always contain flaws (dosha). There are a series of ten samskaras that are required to remove the doshas of mantras; these are known only to the guru.

Who can remove the flaws of Mantras?

Only a guru is capable of removing the flaws (doshas) using the ten samskaras, which he performs by his own tapobal. Like a medicine with impurities will only worsen the illness, like a machine with defects will only cause harm and the downfall of the user, a mantra having dosha gets the user dosha.

On account of these flaws (doshas), the practitioner can get a number of results ranging from repeated minor sickness to major mishaps, including issues in the family or even the death of close ones. Under extreme circumstances, he can earn the wrath of the deity and even risk getting killed by some shakti.

The deities especially get angry as mantras are essentially the body of the deity itself but in the form of sound. If someone does anadhikrit jaap, they try to cause defects in the shabda sarira of the shakti, which in turn causes displeasure to the shakti and earns the sadhak the curses of the deities. But the mantra obtained from Guru Mukha is ever pure, and the person who obtains diksha and undergoes the samskaras according to his sampraday gets rid of the impurities within, and by obtaining mantras from Guru, he is spared from the consequences one would face by doing a mantra having doshas.

What Guru Diksha means

While diksha doesn’t mean one is completely safe as there are several sadhanas that can even cause death, it surely saves one from the impending dangers to an extent and ensures that provided they follow the rules, their jaap will cause pleasure and not displeasure to the deities.