Guro Ka Ba?

Do you know that the very Filipino word GURO is not originally Tagalog at all? As a matter of fact, it came a long, long way - geographically and historically. Thus, to describe the origin of this term is a long path to traverse.

The common term guro is used in Filipino as a noun to mean a teacher, who celebrate their special month this moment. For example, a punong guro of a school is a head teacher.

This may have origin form the word "guru" that means a teacher, master or mentor in Sanskrit and other borrowing languages like Tamil, Hindi, Bengali and Nepali. 

Greza (2004) elaborates that the word has roots in the term gri that denotes action of invoking or to praising, and may have a relation to the word gur, that refers to the act of  raising up or lifting up.

The Indian and Filipino connection is not surprising though. The Indians traded with the Filipinos through some indirect proximal empires and consequently influenced the local culture. Its influence to the Filipino language found its way to terms in folk heroes, social strata, religious faith, moral operations, and even traditional attire.

I found this fitting explanation of our term GURO from a collection of philosophical text of Hindu religion:

The syllable gu means shadows
The syllable ru, he who disperses them.
Because of the power to disperse darkness
The guru is thus named.

So, I am saying that we must live to the very mold of the word we are called and may we continue to be instrument of enlightenment to the lives of the young ones. Guro, we are.