All the saints have told about the greatness of guru. Guru means complete guru. Complete guru is the reservoir of divine light-containing the light of crores of sun and moons. He is SATYASINDHU. He is AJAR, AMAR, AVINASHI. He is the owner of spirits. Guru keeps no external recognition. He can make Himself introduced to someone within body. Swami ji Agra wale states-

“Guru soi jo shabd sanehi, shabda bina dusar nahyin sai,
shabda kamave so guru pura, un charnan ki ho ja dhoora,
aur pehchan karo mat koi, laksha alaksha na dekho soi,
shabda bhed lekar tum unse , shabd kamao tum tan man se.”

All the saints have advocated that shabda swarupi guru can give naam. No other can do so. So complete guru should be worshipped. Saints who are dead now can do nothing. Only satguru waqt will serve the purpose.

Kabir sahib states :- 

“Guru gobind to eak hai, duja hai aakar,
Aapa met jeevit mare to pawe kartar.”

Guru and God are the same. When God comes in the form of a human being, He is called 
Guru. This fact can be certified from Goswami ji`s-

“Bandaun guru pad kanj, kripa sindhu nar roop hari.”

I adore the divine feet of Guru who is God in human body. Such guru is shabda swaroopi. And He tells about shabda. Kabir sahib states-

“Jhoothe guru ki tek ko tajat na keeje bar,
dwar na pawe shabda ka bhatke barambar.”

Jhoothe guru means guru without shabda. We should not make delay in giving them up because out spirit will not reach its abode without shabda.

“Guru guru me bhed hai guru guru me bhav,
soi guru nit bandiye jo shabda batawe danv.”

We should worship the guru who tell about shabda.

“Shabda guru ko kijiye bahutak guru labar.”

Shabda is guru. There are numerous false gurus in this world. 

“Shabda bina surati andhri kaho kahan ko jaye
dwar na pawe shabda ka phir phir bhatka khaye.”

The spirit without shabda is blind. Without shabda, it will not get salvation. Paltu sahib also says “Dhun ane jo gagan ki so mera gurudev.” In satyuga Meditation, in Dwapar yug worshipping gods, in Treta yug yoga were in custom but as far as kalyuga is concerned ONLY Naam will redeem jivas. This naam margh in kaliyug has been brought into light by saints. This marg is also known as Surati Shabda marg. Naam can be obtained only from complete guru. Saints who are presently not in human body cannot serve the purpose. Only satguru waqt ( saint present in human body ) should be searched for. Swami ji maharaj Agra wale states-

“Bhakti karo to guru ki karma, marag shabda guru se lena,
shabda margi guru na hove, toh jhooti guruwai leve,
guru soi jo shabda sanehi, shabda bina dusar nahin sai,
guru bin aur na pujo koi, darshan kar gurupad nit sai,
guru puja me sabki puja, jas samudra me nadi samaja.”
guru sewa mein sabki sewa,ranchak bharm na mano bhewa,
tate barba r samjhaun guru ki bhakti chhin-chhin gaun,
guru prasann aur sab ruthe, to bhi uska rom na tute.”

1-Guru Bhakti
2-Naam Kamai.

Without the completion of gurubhakti, Naam kamai is not possible. Swamiji Agra wale states-

“Prathanm seeri bhakti guru ki, dusar seeri surat naam ki.
Jab lagi guru bhakti nahi puri, man mansa yeh hoy na churi.
Man chure bin surati na nirmal, kaise chare aur lage shabda chal.
Guru bhakti as kaise awe, satsang kar guru sewa dhawe.
Guru ko pal pal mahi rijhawe, guru prasannata nitya kamawe.
Guru jab isko pyare hoi, guru ka pyara jab yeh hoi.
Puran daya guru jab karai, bhakti padarath jabhi milai.
Yeh bhi jog mehar se hoga, daya mehar bin jano dhokha.”

Without the completion of true Gurubhakti, mann and desire can not be defeated. And without defeating them, spirit can neither become purified nor can it be attatched with shabda. This all happens with Guru`s grace. By the satsang and sewa of guru, guru becomes dear to jiva and this jiva becomes dear to guru then it happens. Bhakti Padarth begins to develop in conscience. Jiva begins to love guru as son to mother, fish to water and chakor to moon.

“Tate pehle guru ko dhao, aur kaam sab peechhe jaan.
Guru ki murati hriday basao, Chandra chakor preet ghat aan.
Jab lagi aisi preet na hove, tab lagi sadhan yahi bakhan.
Guru bhakti jab puran hole, tab surati chade adhar asman.
Guru bhakti bin shabda me pachte, so bhe manush murakh jaan.
Shabda khulega guru mehar se, khenche surati guru balwan”.

“Gurumukhta hai mool saban ki, aur sadhan sab shakha jaan.
Maata ko jas putra pyara, aur kaami ko kamin jaaan.
Machhli ko jas neer adhara, chatrik ko jas swati saman,
Aisa guru pyara jab hoga, tab kuchh aage panth chalan.”

Such love should be developed to guru. Then gurubhakti will flourish. And only flourished gurubhakti can help in Naam kamai. About gurumukhta it is stated-

“Wachan pyare guru ke aise, jas maata sut totari baat.
Jas kaami ko kamin pyari, as gurumukh ko guru ka gaat.
Khate peete chalte firte, sowat jagat bisar na jaat.
Khatkat rahe bhat jyon hiyre , dardi ke jyon dard samat.
Aise lagan guru sang jaki, weh gurumukh parmarath paat.”

Such devotion to guru will make one achieve “PARMARATH”. Some of the characteristics of parmarthi are as follows-

“Vishyan se jo hoy udasa, parmarath ki ja man aasa.
dhan santan preet nahin ja ke jagt padarath chah na take.
Tan indri aasakt na hoi, neend bhookh alasya jin khoi.
birah baan jin hirday laga, khojat fire saadh guru jaaga.”

A parmarathi jiva should possess such desire for satguru. Such jiva begins to make true love to a false guru too. But true or complete guru when notices this, He Himself adopts such jiva and grant him Naam. In kalyuga, only satguru bhakti shall serve the purpose. Without the completion of Gurubhakti, No purpose will be served. 

“Bhakti mahatma sun mere bhai, sab santan ne kiya bakhan.
Yahi mata gurumat pahichano aur mate sab jhooth bhulan.
Bina bhakti thothe sab mano, chhilka hai meengi ki haan.
Tate bhakti dradhh kar pakdo, aur sayanap tajo nidan.
Bhakti ishq prem yeh teeno, Naam bhed hai roop saman.
Bhakti bhav yeh gurumat jano, aur mate sab man mat thhan.”

Sewa to guru with body, mind and money, word and spirit earns gurubhakti. 
Swamiji Agra wale states-

“Guru ki mauj me sab kuchh, Jise chahe karen guru mukh.
Gurumukh hoye tan dhan se, Kare phir preet nij man se.”

The external sewa of guru is done with body and money. External sewa removes our external bondages while internal sewa removes our internal bondages. But external bondages are to be removed first.

“Guru bhakti dradhh ke karo, peechhe aur upay.
Bin gurubhakti moh jag, kabhi na kata jaye.
Mote bandhan jagat ke, guru bhakti se kaat.
Jheene bandhan chitt ke, katen naam partap.
Mote jab lagi jayen nahin, jheene kaise jayen.
Tate sabko chahiye nit gurubhakti kamayen.”

One who has unflinching faith in guru, can not be deceived by KAAL AND MAYA.

On the greatness of guru, it is described:-

“Guru rakho hriday mahin, tere mite kal parchhahi.
Tujh se jeet sake na koi, guru ka bal jo man me hoi.
Guru pe tan man dono waro, hriday me guru roop niharo.
Guru hain data guru hain daani, guru aradho chhin-chhin prani.
Sattpurush satnaam guru hain, alakh roop aur agam guru hain.”

“Guru Gobind dou khade,kake lagun paany. Balihari guru aapne, Govind diyo milay.”

Between Guru and God, Guru is more important because God can directly not solvate spirits but the same God when comes on earth in human form as guru redeems jives and grants salvation. 

The service of guru’s sagun roop with TAN, DHAN AND WACHAN burns our external bondages related to wife, husband, son, house, shop, property etc. These external bondages concerned with living and non living elements are giving troubles to jivas. They can be burnt only by the service to guru. While internal bondages can be burnt by realization of naam. After the abolishment of both types of karmas or bondages, jiva gets salvation and reaches sattdham. 

Now it is important to note that jiva takes much time to burn external bondages while internal bondages are burnt in an instant with the grace of guru. So one should work harder for the redemption of external bondages. Jeeva has nothing to do but gurubhakti. When one keeps deep love for the body form of satguru, on leaving this mortal world, his spirit enters or assimilates in guru, thus jeeva gets salvation. In the beginning of creation when spirit came down and got trapped in this body, it forgot it’s abode. It was deceived by mann and senses. It could not come out of the net of good and bad deeds i.e. KARMJAAL.Shabda margh got clandistined. Kaal and Maya trapped jives. The end of spirit is in the hand of Kaal. Dharamraj maintains the register of jives` karmas. On leaving this mortal world, the spirit is taken away by Yamraj. Yamraj tortures jives very badly. It gives jivas several types of punishments then again jivas are sent in CHAURASI. CHAURASI has four different birth stations-

With the unlimited grace of God, jiva gets human birth. This human birth is very precious. This body is the medium of Bhakti. This body contains the entrance of salvation which is opened in an instant by satguru. The spirit gets “Naam dhun” with the help of which it can reach sattsindhu, Sattpurush`abode. Goswami ji says “Bade bhagya manush tan pawa, sur durlabh sab ganthan gava. sadhan dham moksh kar dwara, pai na jehin parlok sanwara.” Human birth is hard to get even for gods. The entrance of salvation known as naam dwar shabd dwar is within human body. But if one does not get satguru and passes away, he again falls in the trap of CHAURASI. It is only satguru who can snatch jiva from yamraj. “Sattguru bina koi nahi bache, naam bina chaurasi nache”. No jiva can get freedom from yamraj except with the help of satguru. Without Naam, CHAURASI can not be avoided. The body form of satguru i.e. HIS SAGUN ROOP is meant for salvation of jives. Shabda or naam is guru’s diffused form. Shabda swaroopi guru can give salvation to jives in an instant by starting his shabda. He gives his real introduction within body so one should constantly remain in search of satguru. Satguru has no outward recognition. One who has true desire and love gets satguru without efforts. 

Guru and Naam are one. The SAGUN FORM OF GURU is called guru and the NIRGUN FORM OF SATGURU is called naam. Without developing true love to satguru, spirit can not ascent with naamdor. So jives should keep deep love and affection to guru’s body form. One should serve guru with TAN MANN AND DHAN. Swamiji Agra wale says “Guru bhakti bin shabda me pachte, so bhi manush murakh jaan. Shabd khulega guru mehar se, khenchen surat guru balwan.” With His own unlimited grace, Satguru adopts jives. On the other hand jiva can never recognize satguru. Once jiva gets satguru, he should humbly lie in the shelter of satguru. He will definitely get salvation…