Guru (Sanskrit: गुरु; IAST: guru) is a Sanskrit term denoting a mentor, guide, expert, or master of a particular field of knowledge. In pan-Indian traditions, the guru is regarded as more than a teacher: he or she is a reverential figure to the disciple, known in Sanskrit as shishya (literally, a seeker of knowledge or truth). The guru is traditionally seen as a counsellor who helps mould values, shares experiential as well as literal knowledge, serves as an exemplar in life, and assists in the spiritual evolution of the student.
Many spiritual texts are composed in a language not easily accessible to the general public, and scriptures sometimes present apparently contradictory concepts. A qualified teacher or guru is therefore considered essential to interpret these texts in the appropriate context and to prevent misunderstandings. The guru is also viewed as a spiritual guide who helps the disciple discover the same potentialities that the guru has already realised.
The earliest references to the concept of the guru appear in the Vedic texts of Hinduism. By the 1st millennium BCE, the guru and the gurukula—a school run by a guru—were an established tradition in India. These institutions contributed to the composition and transmission of the Vedas, the Upanishads, the texts of various schools of Hindu philosophy, and post-Vedic Shastras, covering fields ranging from spiritual knowledge to the arts, sciences and technology. By about the middle of the 1st millennium CE, archaeological and epigraphical evidence indicates the presence of numerous larger institutions led by gurus, some located near Hindu temples, where the guru–shishya tradition helped preserve, create and transmit knowledge across many disciplines, including Hindu scriptures, Buddhist texts, grammar, philosophy, martial arts, music and painting.
The tradition of the guru is also present in Jainism, where the term refers to a spiritual preceptor, a role typically performed by a Jain ascetic. In Sikhism, the guru tradition has played a central role since the religion's founding, shaping its doct