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Gurunath is a family name and also a given name for males in India and Bangladesh. Some notable persons named Gurunath include:

• Gurunath Aabaji Kulkarni (1923–1987) - One of the most reputed short story writers in Marathi.
• Gurunath Sengupta (1848–1914) - a Sanskrit scholar and writer from Bangladesh
• Gurunath Vidyanidhi (1862–1931) - a Sanskrit scholar, writer and poet from Bangladesh
• Gurunath Siddhanath (b. 1944) - a spiritual name adopted by Himalayan yogi Sidhoji Rao Shitole, which is commonly preceded by his title, Yogiraj

Other meanings

Gurunath is also a commonly used term when praising what is considered by devotees the ultimate source of compassion, love and truth - irrespective of sectarian divides whether they may be devotees of Shiva, the Lord of Transformation in the Hindu pantheon (Shaivaite) or of Vishnu, the Lord of Preservation and Sustenance in the Hindu pantheon (Vaishnav) or any other devotee bhakta of a Hindu God or Goddess.

The the first part of the refrain "Bolo Sri Sat Gurunath Maharaj ki" is chanted by the leader of the kirtan or bhajan, devotion chanting of religious scriptures or highly devotional compositions made by individuals respectively, or devotional discourse. Then the congregation then responds in unison "Jai!". This refrain may be translated from Sankrit as "'Say'/'Chant'/'Proclaim' (Bolo) the name of the Spiritual Mentor who is the essence of Truth (Sri Sat Guru) who is Lord (Nath) and King (Maharaj)...'Yes'!"

Gurunath is also a title given to a householder Nath Guru by Shri Gurudev Mahendranath, who wrote that he had coined the term in 1986: "So I have coined a word—Gurunath ... This word can be the Western term for the same thing as Gurudev and it circumvents any religious or Eastern connections."

Shri Gurudev Mahendranath believed that the word Gurunath was not previously attested as a title in India, though it has been used as a proper name (see above). The usual title for a Guru is Gurudev, which is typically applied to a sannyasin or renunciate. In creating a sect of lay or householder Naths, Shri Gurudev Mahendranath felt that he needed some title other than Gurudev to designate the Guru-status of his sishyas or students when they had attained it. The use of the word Gurunath was his solution.

Shri Gurudev Mahendranath bestowed this title on at least two members of his lineage, Shri Gurunath Lokanath (1986) and Shri Gurunath Kapilnath (1989).

Notes

1. Swami Tejomayanda. Shreemad Bhagawatam (Audio Discourse on the Srimad Bhagavatam), Hanuman Chalisa (Audio Discourse), , A Seeker's Journey (Audio Discourse and Bhajan/Kirtan), The Glory of Krishna (Audio Discourse and Kirtan/Bhajan), Naam and Ram (Audio Discourse), Geetavali Ramayan (Audio Discourse and Kirtan/Bhajan)
2. Mahendranath, Shri Gurudev. Personal correspondence, 1 Jan 1987
3. Mahendranath, Shri Gurudev. Personal correspondence, 1987–1989

References

• Mahendranath, Shri Gurudev in The Open Door. Retrieved March 8, 2006.

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