Jagadguru

Jagadguru (Sanskrit जगद्गुरु), literally meaning the Guru of the world, is a title used in Sanatana Dharma. Traditionally, it has been bestowed upon or used for acharyas belonging to the Vedānta school (among the six traditional schools of thought in Hinduism) who have written Sanskrit commentaries on the Prasthānatrayī (literally the three sources) - the Brahma Sutra (the original scripture of Vedānta), the Bhagavad Gita (part of the Mahābhārata) and the principal Upanishads. Historically, Jagadgurus have established a lineage (Paramparā), established an institution to spread Dharma, who have been based in Varanasi, famous for being the centre of Sanskrit study and the "Capital Of all Knowledge". Now it is the authority of Kashi Vidvat Parishad to confer the title of Original Jagadguru.

Origin and history of the term

जगद्गुरु is of Sanskrit origin where जगत् (jagat) means 'the entire world' and गुरु (guru) means 'spiritual master'. In the classics and scriptures, the word has been used for several Devas. In the Mahābhārata, Arjuna addresses Shree Krishna as the 'Supreme Master of the entire world'. The Sanskrit poet Kālidāsa uses the word जगद्गुरु for Shiva in his great poem (Mahākāvya) titled Kumārasambhava. In the Rāmacaritamānasa, the poet-saint Tulasidas uses the same word for Rāma.

Notable Jagadgurus

• Adi Shankara (789-821) (also known as "Shankaracharya"), or Shankara Bhagavatpaada: Founder of Advaita school of vedanta.
• Shrimad Ramanujacharya: Wrote Sribhashya, commentary on Brahma Sutras. He also established Vishistadvaita Siddhanta.^{[citation needed]}
• Shrimad Madhvacharya: Founder of the Dvaita school of vedanta.^{[citation needed]}
• Shrimad Nimbarkacharya: Founder of Dvaitadvaita school of vedanta.^{[citation needed]}
• Shrimad Vallbhacharya: Founder of Shuddhadvaita school of vedanta and established the Pushtimarg sect of bhaktivad^{[citation needed]}
• Shree Kripaluji Maharaj (1922 - Present): After giving seven days of speeches before 500 Hindu scholars, Jagadguru Kripalu Maharaj was named fifth Jagadguru (world teacher) on Makar Sankranti Day, January 14th, 1957. He reconciled the theories of the previous Jagadgurus, thus the Kashi Vidvat Parishad conferred upon him the title of Nikhil Darshan Samanvayacharya (the spiritual preceptor who reconciled the theories of all the Darshan Shastras and Jagadgurus). In addition to this, they gave him the title of Jagadguruttam (the supreme Jagadguru) because he removed the confusion which had existed for centuries due to the apparent contradictions in the theories of the other Jagadgurus.