YOGA SUTRAS OF PATANJALI | CHAPTER 1 - SAMADHI PADA | VERSE 26 | COMMENTARY
Purvesham api guruh kalenanvchedat.
स पूर्वेषाम् अपि गुरुः कालेनानवच्छेदात् ॥१.२६॥
Pu̅rveṣa̅m api guruḥ ka̅lena̅navaccheda̅t ||1.26||
God is timeless and is the Guru of the earliest Gurus.
The importance of the Master is finally mentioned by Maharishi Patanjali in this sutra. After giving us the aim of Yoga, he finally tells the aspirant that each Saint and Yogi who achieved success on this path had a Master, a guide. The earliest of the Masters, who are said to have been revealed this knowledge in deep states of meditation, their Guru was the Divine Consciousness, God. In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna:
श्री भगवानुवाच ।
इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् ।
विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत् ॥(४.१)
Lord Krishna said: I taught this eternal science of Yoga to the Sun God Vivasvan, who imparted it to Manu; Manu in-turn taught it to Ikshvaku. (Chapter 4, Verse 1)
Lord Krishna is telling Arjuna that He is eternal, and the Guru of all Gurus. Similarly, Maharishi Patanjali is telling God is timeless, omnipresent and the Master of all the masters. A Guru understands the need of the student and all he wants is for the student to succeed. The Guru Element is necessary to achieve success. The aspirant here must understand the need of a Guru, and must place his complete faith in him, for the last step can be climbed only by the Grace of the Master.