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The spiritual significance of Sanatan Sanstha’s Guru-Disciple Logo

Three aspects are essential for attaining Moksha (Final Liberation) – Getting a human birth, having an intense yearning for God-realisation and obtaining the Guru’s grace.

Owing to God’s grace on the seeker and the merits of his previous actions, he obtains a human birth. Through the study of Spirituality, man realises that the purpose of his life is God-realisation through sadhana (Spiritual practice). Thereafter, when the seeker’s sadhana progresses well, he becomes an ideal disciple. At this stage, by Shri Guru’s grace, he attains self-realisation. Shri Guru becomes everything for the disciple. Owing to the disciple’s firm faith and boundless spiritual emotion unto Shri Guru, He showers abundant grace on him. Hence, it is said (Please read the Shloka below) …

Description of the subtle picture of Sanatan Sanstha’s ‘Guru-Disciple’ Logo

1. Shloka and its meaning

Shloka : ‘Gurukrupa hi kevalam Shishya-param-mangalam’ I

Meaning : ‘Only by the grace of the Guru can the disciple attain Final Liberation’.

2. The spiritual significance of the Logo

The ‘Guru-Disciple’ image is the logo of Sanatan Sanstha. It symbolises the inseparable spiritual relationship between the Guru and the disciple. In this logo, the disciple is shown offering obeisance to Shri Guru and Shri Guru is shown blessing the disciple.

Guru Principle

The Principle of Shri Dattaguru (Deity Dattatreya), which embodies the combined Principle of the three Deities – Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh – functions at the nirgun (Non-materialised) level in the Universe as the Guru Principle.

1.  Activation of a bluish ring of devotion in the heart of the Guru owing to His devotion unto His Guru.

2.  Attraction of a flow of Guru Principle towards the physical body of the Guru.

Since the embodied Guru is the sagun (Materialised) form of the nirgun God, He is the very embodiment of the Guru Principle. Owing to His devotion unto His Guru, the flow of the Guru Principle in the Universe is attracted to Him.

3. Generation of a ring of Divine knowledge-form Chaitanya (Divine consciousness) in the Guru.

The Guru Principle attracted to the embodied Guru transforms into Chaitanya, thereby creating in Him a Chaitanya-enriched ring of Divine knowledge that is at the nirgun-sagun level.

3A. Activation of the ring of Chaitanya in the Guru : When the Guru guides disciples on sadhana, the ring of Chaitanya of Divine knowledge generated in Him becomes active.

3B. Emission of rays of knowledge-enriched Chaitanya into the environment : From the activated ring of Chaitanya of Divine knowledge, rays of knowledge-enriched Chaitanya are emitted into the environment, thereby purifying it.

3C. Emission of particles of knowledge-enriched Chaitanya into the environment : From the activated ring of Chaitanya of Divine knowledge, particles of knowledge-enriched Chaitanya are emitted into the environment, making it sattvik (Spiritually pure).

3D. Emission of a flow of knowledge-enriched Chaitanya from the Guru’s Holy feet towards the disciple offering obeisance : Due to the disciple’s unexpressed bhav (Spiritual emotion) unto the nirgun form of Shri Guru, when the embodied Guru blesses the disciple, a flow of knowledge-enriched Chaitanya at the nirgun-sagun level is emitted by His Holy feet towards the disciple.

3E. Emission of rays of knowledge-enriched Chaitanya from the Guru’s hand towards the disciple : Due to the disciple’s expressed bhav unto the sagun form of Shri Guru, when the embodied Guru blesses the disciple, rays of knowledge-enriched Chaitanya at the sagun-nirgun level are emitted from His hand towards the disciple, and the disciple obtains Chaitanya.

3F. Formation of a Chaitanya-enriched ring of self-realisation within the disciple’s body : When the disciple completely surrenders unto Shri Guru and offers bhav-enriched obeisance, the flow of knowledge-enriched Chaitanya from Shri Guru enters his body through the Ajna-chakra (The sixth centre in the spiritual energy flow system, located in the mid-brow region in the subtle body). Owing to the disciple’s emotion of surrender unto Shri Guru, the Guru’s grace descends upon him, his ego is removed and he attains self-realisation.

4. Activation of a ring of Priti in the heart of Shri Guru :

Seeing the bhav in the mind of the disciple who offers obeisance, the embodied Guru is pleased. The disciple has expressed bhav unto Him and unexpressed bhav unto God, that is, to the nirgun form of Shri Guru. Seeing the disciple’s bhav, awakens Shri Guru’s Priti (Spiritual love devoid of expectations) for the disciple and a ring of Priti becomes active in His heart.

5. Activation of an impenetrable protective sheath of Shri Guru’s grace around the disciple’s body :

Owing to the disciple’s bhav, Shri Guru bestows His grace on him and a ring of Divine knowledge-form Chaitanya becomes active around the disciple’s body. This is called the activation of an impenetrable protective sheath of Shri Guru’s grace.

6. Awakening of boundless emotion of gratitude and emotion of surrender unto Shri Guru in the disciple’s mind :

Shri Guru, who is compassionate towards those who surrender unto Him, showers His grace on the disciple who has surrendered. The flame of self-realisation is kindled within the disciple and he attains self-knowledge. Through the Guru’s grace, the disciple attains Sainthood and progresses further spiritually to attain the position of a Guru Himself.

Ms Madhura Bhosale

Thus, through the Guru’s grace, the human birth of the disciple is redeemed and his journey proceeds towards Moksha. Therefore, for the disciple, Shri Guru’s grace is truly the elixir of life. This Guru-Disciple tradition, which uplifts the soul, has continued in Bharat since Vedic times. We offer salutations a million times to this liberating Guru-Disciple tradition.

Gratitude : By the grace of Shri Guru, I was able to understand the meaning of the Guru-Disciple logo. For this, I offer salutations a million times unto the Holy feet of Shri Guru and offer flowers of gratitude at His Holy feet countless times.

– Ms Madhura Bhosale (Spiritual level 65% in 2024), Sanatan Ashram, Ramnathi, Goa. (30.6.2025)

  • Subtle : The gross (physical) aspects of an individual are the five sense organs - the nose, ears, eyes, tongue and skin. These five senses, beyond the mind and intellect, are ‘subtle’. These ‘subtle’ sensations are felt by some people who have advanced in their spiritual practice. Various Scriptures contain references to subtle knowledge.
  • Seeing, hearing in the subtle, etc. (Receiving knowledge through the five subtle sense organs) : The subtle vision of some seekers is awakened; meaning, they can perceive what the physical eyes cannot see; some seekers can hear sounds or words in the subtle.
  • Individual spiritual experiences of seekers published in Sanatan Prabhat are according to the Principle - ‘Where there is bhav (Spiritual emotion), there is God’. It is not that every individual will have similar experiences.
  • Experiments on subtle knowledge : Some seekers study their ability to understand the subtle dimension through experiments on what they perceive about an object, which is beyond the comprehension of the mind and intellect. These are called ‘Experiments on subtle knowledge’.

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