Guru Gita Slokas - 7 and 8

Hare Krishna,

We have seen the all pervading nature and the all knowing nature of brahman till the earlier slokas. The nature or qualities of a Guru or brahman is explained in the 7th sloka.

Sloka -7
Chaitanya shaashvathah shaantho vyomaateetho niranjanah
bindunaada kalaatheethah tasmai sree gurave namaha

Words Meaning
Chaitanya -- existense
shaashvathah --eternal
shaantho -- peace
vyomaateetho -- beyond space
niranjanah --- pure
bindunaada kalaatheethah --- words representing the taantric system

Explanation
Guru is a person who is a jeevan muktha, who is ever established in brahman.Such a jeevan muktha nature is explained in this sloka.He is an embodiment of existence, peace and eternality. People experience bliss around a person who is a jeevan muktha. We are influenced by the surrounding environment.So we feel peaceful and calm when we meet mahatma's.That is the reason why many people go to mahatma's, to get peace.

Brahman is eternal, it has no limitations .He is beyond time and space or aakasham.Aatma can be compared with Akaasha .The taitreya upanishad says that "atamanah aaksha sambhootam". From the aatman came the aakasham. Hence both have similarities.Askham is pure,all pervading,without parts, like brahman.Guru or brahman is without any impurities.

Bindu naada and kala refer to the terms in taantric system.It is followed by people who do the shakthi poojas.Guru is above all this .

To such a guru who is the chit, who is eternal, of nature of bliss,beyond imitations and pure ,I offer my prostrations.

This sloka explains the importance of a guru. This answers our questions like Who is a guru? and Why do we need a guru?.

Sloka -8
Jnaanashakthi samaaroodah tattvamaala vibhooshithah
bhukthi mukthi pradaathaa cha tasmai sree gurave namaha

Words Meaning
Jnaanashakthi samaaroodah -- with power of knowledge
tattvamaala --- necklace of the ultimate reality of brahman
vibhooshitah --- being decorated with or wearing
bhukthi -- wordly needs
mukthi -- moksha
pradaathaa -- who gives

Explanation
A guru is a person who is powered by knowledge and who is an emodiment of ultimate reality of brahman.He helps us in the achieveing both our wordly and spiritual pursuits.

We have seen in earlier slokas that Guru is all knowledgeable,what ever he says has the support of scriptures.So he wears the tattvamaala i.e, he is the person who is ever established in the ultimate reality of brahman.Being enpowered with knowledge of the reality of brahman, he imparts us the knowledge.Anything that we possess can be given to others,what we do not have we cannot give others.So only a Guru who has realized brahman can impart us the knowledge of brahman. Guru who is brahman himself has control over even emperical things.So such a guru even takes care of wordly needs of the person as well as his spiritual needs.So if a person ,surrenders himself to the guru, takes refuge in the guru ,the guru takes care of his wordly needs, so that they do not create any obstruction to his spiritual path for him to realize.

To such a guru who is brahman himself and who takes care of all my needs , I offer my prostrations.

Hare Krishna,
Aparna