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 ācāryas 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 Sūtras (the original scripture of Vedānta), the Bhagavad Gītā (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".
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 Tulasidāsa uses the same word for Rāma.
