Talk:Guru

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Guru was a good articles nominee, but did not meet the good article criteria at the time. There may be suggestions below for improving the article. Once these issues have been addressed, the article can be renominated. Editors may also seek a reassessment of the decision if they believe there was a mistake.

Article milestones
Date	Process	Result
February 21, 2004	Peer review	Reviewed
June 1, 2006	Good article nominee	Not listed
June 13, 2006	WikiProject peer review	Reviewed

Current status: Former good article nominee

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Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 16:23, 2 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Psychotics

At [2] I wrote "Gurus are psychotics or schizoids." That was deleted. Someone else may suggest an alternative wording, based on that WP:RS. tgeorgescu (talk) 04:35, 26 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

GURU: Tamil Origin & Meaning

the word "Guru" has deep roots in Tamil, and its meaning, usage, and context in Tamil predates its appearance in formalized Sanskrit texts.

🔍 GURU: Tamil Origin & Meaning

Tamil Root Word: "Kuravan" (குரவன்)
- Meaning: An elder, guide, or one with wisdom and experience.
- Also related: Kurathi/Kuravan — traditionally wise, nomadic people with deep spiritual and healing knowledge.
Verb Form: "Kuraithal" (குறைதல்)
- Meaning: To reduce, lessen, or remove darkness/ignorance.
- So "Kuravan" = one who removes ignorance = Guru.

🧠 How It Becomes Sanskrit "Guru"

Sanskrit Meaning: Guru = "heavy", "serious", "one who dispels darkness".
This is a semantic backfit — a meaning retrofit that aligns too closely with Tamil roots:
- Gu (darkness) + Ru (dispeller) → common Sanskrit folk etymology.
But this construct doesn’t appear organically in earlier Indo-European roots — instead, it aligns better with Tamil semantic logic.

💡 Tamil Usage Before Sanskrit Codification

Tamil Siddhars and early poets used Kuravan or spiritual equivalents in Sangam literature (before 500 BCE).
In Tamil: Guru is also tied with "Gnana Thagaval" (ஞானத் தகவல்) – bearer of wisdom.
Tamil word "Arivurai" (அறிவுரை) = divine instruction, similar to what a Guru gives.

✅ Conclusion

"Guru" is not a native Sanskrit invention. It’s a polished word shaped from Tamil origins like “Kuravan” and “Kuraithal,” which mean to guide and remove ignorance. Tamil, being far older and organically rooted, provided not just the concept but the etymological foundation for what later became "Guru" in Sanskrit.

Ppk22772 (talk) 14:14, 27 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]