ABSTRACT
In India, the institution of the master –disciple has survived from times immemorial. Scriptures, mythology, folklores, and numerous narratives have shaped and sustained this much revered relationship between guru and disciple. In many Asian countries, this relationship is evident in various fields of learning like dance, music, crafts, and martial arts; in India it acquires special significance in the field of yoga and spiritual attainment. The aim of this study was to examine how the guru-disciple institution acquired this ‘special significance’ in the spiritual growth of a disciple within the Indian cultural context. The Indian term for master is ‘guru’. Although in common parlance it stands for a teacher, guide, master, etc., the original meaning of this term corresponds to ‘the one who dispels the darkness of ignorance by the light of knowledge’. In other words, a guru helps the disciple to grow from a narrow, limited and individual consciousness to a vast, transcendental and spiritual one.
