You know, in our tradition, the Guru is not just someone who teaches the Guru is the one who removes the veil. The Sanskrit verse says:
“ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ”
It means: To the Guru, I offer my salutations the one who, hold the stick of knowledge, opens the eyes of the one blinded by the darkness of ignorance. That’s what a Guru does removes ajñāna, the blindness of the inner eye. Not just by speaking, but by being. By living it. By making you see who you really are.
And when we talk about Guru Parampara, we’re speaking of something eternal a chain of awakened beings, who pass on not just techniques, but consciousness. A living wisdom that flows from heart to heart, soul to soul.
In Kalaripayattu, this is everything. You don’t just learn how to move or strike you learn how to be still, how to listen, how to become aware of every breath, every step, every intention. You learn how to become a vessel of silence and power at once. The Guru doesn’t fill you with information. The Guru empties you — of ego, of doubt, of fear. So what remains is clarity, presence, and truth.
And that is why we revere the Guru. Because without the Guru, we are just stumbling in the dark. With the Guru’s grace, the inner eye opens, and you start seeing the world and yourself in a completely different light. So I bow down… not just to my Guru, but to the entire Guru Parampara the stream of light that flows through generations, keeping this sacred fire alive.You know, there’s this beautiful line we chant:
“Akhanda mandalakaram vyaptam yena characharam…”
It means the one who made me see that this entire universe, this whole mandala the moving and the unmoving, everything is filled with one undivided,infinite presence…That’s what a real Guru does.
Not just teaching techniques or giving philosophy the Guru shows you that everything you
see, touch, feel… it’s all Brahman, all one.We forget. We get stuck in duality me and you, this and that, good and bad. But the Guru comes and reminds us “Look deeper. Everything is connected. Everything is part of the same divine presence.”So when I say :
“tasmai shri gurave namah”
I’m not just saying thanks to a teacher. I’m bowing down to that force…that light…that truthinside the Guru, which opened my eyes.The Guru doesn’t give you something new the Guru helps you see what was always there. This is what Guru Parampara is that ancient river of wisdom that’s been flowing from soul to soul, generation after generation, keeping this fire of awareness alive. So when I chant that verse… I feel it. I’m not just repeating Sanskrit. I’m honoring the one who woke me up.
Let me tell you something beautiful about the word Guru. In our tradition, “Guruisn’t just a title. It’s a vibration, a truth.There’s a deeper meaning behind the word itself. The syllable “Gu” stands for “Andhakāra” darkness, ignorance. And“Ru” stands for “Nirodhaka” the remover, the one who destroys.So,
Gu-śabdāt andhakārasya,Ru-śabdāt nirodhakaḥ, andhakāra-nirodhitvāt Gurur ityabhidhīyate.
Meaning — The Guru is called so because he or she removes the darkness of ignorance.
Isn’t that powerful?The Guru is not just someone who teaches you martial techniques, philosophy, or mantras.The real Guru is the one who removes the veil who helps you see clearly. Who helps you unlearn, drop your ego, and return to what’s real. In our spiritual journey, we’re all walking with some blindness conditioned by thoughts, fears, illusions. The Guru comes not with a torch but with clarity, and by their mere presence, the inner eye opens.