You May Not Call Them Guru But They Changed Your Life
Noopur Kumari | Jul 08, 2025, 13:30 IST
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau, Timeslife )
Not every Guru stands on a stage. Some quietly enter our lives, show us the light, and leave without asking for credit. This Guru Purnima, we revisit the unsaid thank yous the teachers, strangers, parents, and even painful moments that shaped us. Through touching memories, famous movie lines, and real emotion, this article explores the truth we often forget: You found your way because someone once believed in you.
There are people who teach you ABCs, and then there are those who teach you how to live. Guru Purnima is a day to pause and say thank you to those unsung heroes. To the ones who didn’t just give answers, but changed the way you ask questions. As Amitabh Bachchan once said in Mohabbatein, Sikhana sirf kitaabon se nahi hota, jeevan jeene ka tareeka sikhana padta hai.”That’s what a true Guru does.
Think about the lowest points of your life. You felt lost, tired, maybe even broken. And then someone, perhaps not even someone “official”, gave you a direction. That’s your Guru. Guru Purnima is about them. As Krishna told Arjuna in the Gita, “Main tera saarthi hoon, par chalaana tujhe hi padega.”A Guru doesn’t live your life for you. They help you see the road.
Not every lesson is sweet. Some are bitter. Some Gurus broke our hearts. Some left us crying. But look closely, and you’ll see they left behind strength, too. Like Shah Rukh Khan said in Chak De India, Har team mein ek hi gunda ho sakta hai. is team ka gunda main hoon.”Sometimes a Guru plays tough, so you toughen up. And in hindsight, their love was in that discipline.
Not all Gurus are people. Sometimes life teaches the most brutal lessons through failures, heartbreak, rejection. Guru Purnima is also about respecting your journey. Your wrong turns. Your recoveries. Your scars. Like in Dear Zindagi,
“Kabhi kabhi sahi decision lene ke liye, galat raaste se guzarna padta hai.”You didn’t fail. You learned.
Not everyone who shaped you will be around forever. Some left. Some you never thanked. Some never knew how much they meant. This Guru Purnima, say it,even if it’s in silence. Because, as Kabir once said, Guru Gobind dono khade, kaake lagu paay? Balihari Guru aapne, Govind diyo bataye.”(If both God and Guru stood before me, I’d touch the Guru’s feet first; he showed me the path to God.)
You don’t need a podium or a title to be a Guru. Just be someone who helps, who listens, uplifts, and reminds others of their strength. Even a kind word or an example you set could change someone’s life. Like Rancho said in 3 Idiots, Kaamyab hone ke liye nahi, kaabil banne ke liye padho. kaamyabi jhak maar ke peeche aayegi.” Sometimes, you become the Guru when you stop trying to be one.
Guru Purnima isn’t just about a person. It’s a feeling. A moment of stillness where you realise,everything that ever hurt you, helped you too. And everyone who ever taught you loved you in their own way. So today, light a diya. Call that mentor. Fold your hands in prayer. Or just look up and smile at the sky. Because the journey you’re on.Tu seekh raha hai, bas itna kaafi hai.
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1. Guru Nahin Toh Raasta Nahin
Krishan Teaching Arujan
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
Think about the lowest points of your life. You felt lost, tired, maybe even broken. And then someone, perhaps not even someone “official”, gave you a direction. That’s your Guru. Guru Purnima is about them. As Krishna told Arjuna in the Gita, “Main tera saarthi hoon, par chalaana tujhe hi padega.”A Guru doesn’t live your life for you. They help you see the road.
2. Kabhi Kabhi Guru Dard Deta Hai. Par Woh Hi Healing Bhi Laata Hai
Shah Rukh Khan
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
Not every lesson is sweet. Some are bitter. Some Gurus broke our hearts. Some left us crying. But look closely, and you’ll see they left behind strength, too. Like Shah Rukh Khan said in Chak De India, Har team mein ek hi gunda ho sakta hai. is team ka gunda main hoon.”Sometimes a Guru plays tough, so you toughen up. And in hindsight, their love was in that discipline.
3. Life Bhi Guru Hai Aur Galtiyaan Uski Sabse Badi Class
life teaches
( Image credit : Freepik )
Not all Gurus are people. Sometimes life teaches the most brutal lessons through failures, heartbreak, rejection. Guru Purnima is also about respecting your journey. Your wrong turns. Your recoveries. Your scars. Like in Dear Zindagi,
“Kabhi kabhi sahi decision lene ke liye, galat raaste se guzarna padta hai.”You didn’t fail. You learned.
4. Thank You Bolna Zaroori Hai, Chahe Dil Se Ho, Ya Chup Chaap
Thankful Student Moment
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
Not everyone who shaped you will be around forever. Some left. Some you never thanked. Some never knew how much they meant. This Guru Purnima, say it,even if it’s in silence. Because, as Kabir once said, Guru Gobind dono khade, kaake lagu paay? Balihari Guru aapne, Govind diyo bataye.”(If both God and Guru stood before me, I’d touch the Guru’s feet first; he showed me the path to God.)
5. You Can Be a Guru Too—Even in Small Ways
3 Idiots
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
You don’t need a podium or a title to be a Guru. Just be someone who helps, who listens, uplifts, and reminds others of their strength. Even a kind word or an example you set could change someone’s life. Like Rancho said in 3 Idiots, Kaamyab hone ke liye nahi, kaabil banne ke liye padho. kaamyabi jhak maar ke peeche aayegi.” Sometimes, you become the Guru when you stop trying to be one.
Seekhna Band Toh Jeena Band
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