Guru shabd roop (गुरु शब्द रूप) is the declension (vibhakti table) of the Sanskrit word 'Guru' (गुरु), meaning teacher or preceptor. Guru is a masculine noun ending in -u (उकारान्त, पुल्लिंग). It is one of the most commonly tested shabd roop patterns in Sanskrit exams from class 6 to class 10. The declension pattern of Guru is the model for all masculine nouns ending in -u (such as भानु, साधु, शत्रु, विधु).
Guru (गुरु) meaning: teacher, preceptor, remover of darkness
Linga (gender): Pullinga (पुल्लिंग — Masculine)
Antya swar (ending): U-kaaranta (उकारान्त — ending in -u)
Prathamā Ekavachana: गुरुः
Prathamā Dvivachana: गुरू
Prathamā Bahuvachana: गुरवः
Pattern applies to: भानु, साधु, शत्रु, विधु, रिपु
Guru shabd roop is one of the most frequently tested patterns in class 6–10 Sanskrit exams
विभक्ति | एकवचन | द्विवचन | बहुवचन प्रथमा (कर्ता — Subject) | गुरुः | गुरू | गुरवः द्वितीया (कर्म — Object) | गुरुम् | गुरू | गुरून् तृतीया (करण — By/With) | गुरुणा | गुरुभ्याम् | गुरुभिः चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान — For/To) | गुरवे | गुरुभ्याम् | गुरुभ्यः पञ्चमी (अपादान — From) | गुरोः | गुरुभ्याम् | गुरुभ्यः षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध — Of/Possession) | गुरोः | गुर्वोः | गुरूणाम् सप्तमी (अधिकरण — In/On/At) | गुरौ | गुर्वोः | गुरुषु सम्बोधन (Vocative) | हे गुरो! | हे गुरू! | हे गुरवः!
प्रथमा विभक्ति — Nominative Case — Subject of the sentence. 'गुरुः पाठयति' — The teacher teaches. द्वितीया विभक्ति — Accusative Case — Direct Object. 'गुरुम् नमामि' — I bow to the teacher. तृतीया विभक्ति — Instrumental Case — By/With. 'गुरुणा उपदिष्टम्' — Taught by the teacher. चतुर्थी विभक्ति — Dative Case — For/To. 'गुरवे नमः' — Salutation to the teacher. पञ्चमी विभक्ति — Ablative Case — From. 'गुरोः शिक्षां लभे' — I receive learning from the teacher. षष्ठी विभक्ति — Genitive Case — Of/Possession. 'गुरोः पुत्रः' — The teacher's son. सप्तमी विभक्ति — Locative Case — In/On/At. 'गुरौ भक्तिः' — Devotion in the teacher. सम्बोधन — Vocative — Addressing. 'हे गुरो!' — O Teacher!
गुरु shab droop is the model for all masculine Sanskrit nouns ending in -u (उकारान्त पुल्लिंग). Other words with the same pattern: भानु (sun) — भानुः, भानू, भानवः; साधु (saint) — साधुः, साधू, साधवः; शत्रु (enemy) — शत्रुः, शत्रू, शत्रवः; विधु (moon) — विधुः, विधू, विधवः; रिपु (enemy) — रिपुः, रिपू, रिपवः. Notice that in Prathamā Bahuvachana, -u becomes -avah (उ → अवः).
Important patterns in guru shabd roop to memorise: (1) Prathamā Ekavachana: गुरुः (add visarga). (2) Prathamā/Dvitīyā Dvivachana: गुरू (long ū). (3) Prathamā Bahuvachana: गुरवः (u → av + aḥ). (4) Tṛtīyā Ekavachana: गुरुणा (u + ṇā). (5) Chaturthi/Pañchamī/Saptami Dvivachana: same — गुरुभ्याम्. (6) Ṣaṣṭhī/Saptami Dvivachana: गुर्वोः (note the vowel sandhi: गुरु + ओः → गुर्वोः). (7) Saptami Bahuvachana: गुरुषु.
गुरु का अर्थ है — जो अज्ञान के अंधकार को दूर करे। 'गु' = अंधकार, 'रु' = दूर करने वाला। In Indian tradition, the guru is the teacher who removes the darkness of ignorance. The Sanskrit sloka is famous: 'गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः | गुरुः साक्षात् परब्रह्म तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः ||' — The guru is Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva; the guru is the supreme truth — salutations to that guru.
Sentence practice: 1. गुरुः विद्यालयम् आगच्छति — The teacher comes to school. (Prathamā) 2. छात्रः गुरुम् नमति — The student bows to the teacher. (Dvitīyā) 3. छात्रः गुरुणा पाठितः — The student is taught by the teacher. (Tṛtīyā) 4. मया गुरवे फलम् दत्तम् — I gave fruit to the teacher. (Chaturthi) 5. छात्रः गुरोः आज्ञाम् पालयति — The student obeys the teacher's command. (Pañchamī/Ṣaṣṭhī) 6. गुरौ भक्तिः शोभते — Devotion to the teacher is beautiful. (Saptami)
Guru shabd roop (गुरु शब्द रूप) is the declension (vibhakti table) of the Sanskrit word 'guru' (गुरु), meaning teacher. It is a masculine noun ending in -u (उकारान्त पुल्लिंग). The table shows how 'guru' changes in all 7 vibhaktis (grammatical cases) and 3 vachans (singular, dual, plural). It is the model pattern for all masculine -u ending nouns in Sanskrit.
Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative Case — Subject): Ekavachana (singular) — गुरुः; Dvivachana (dual) — गुरू; Bahuvachana (plural) — गुरवः. Example sentences: गुरुः पाठयति (The teacher teaches); गुरू पाठयतः (Two teachers teach); गुरवः पाठयन्ति (Teachers teach).
Guru shabd roop in Ekavachana (singular) across all 7 vibhaktis: Prathamā — गुरुः; Dvitīyā — गुरुम्; Tṛtīyā — गुरुणा; Chaturthi — गुरवे; Pañchamī — गुरोः; Ṣaṣṭhī — गुरोः; Saptami — गुरौ; Sambodhan — हे गुरो!
All masculine Sanskrit nouns ending in -u follow the guru shabd roop pattern. Examples: भानु (sun) — भानुः, भानवः; साधु (saint) — साधुः, साधवः; शत्रु (enemy) — शत्रुः, शत्रवः; विधु (moon) — विधुः, विधवः; रिपु (enemy) — रिपुः, रिपवः; वायु (wind) — वायुः, वायवः; भिक्षु (monk) — भिक्षुः, भिक्षवः. The pattern U→AV in plural nominative is the key marker.
Guru (गुरु) has two layers of meaning in Sanskrit: (1) Literal — teacher, preceptor, one who imparts knowledge. (2) Etymological — 'gu' (गु) means darkness, 'ru' (रु) means one who removes. So guru literally means 'one who removes darkness (of ignorance).' In Indian philosophical tradition, the guru is considered as significant as God: 'गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः...' The word is also used as an adjective meaning 'heavy' or 'weighty.'
Chaturthi vibhakti (Dative Case — For/To) of guru: Ekavachana — गुरवे; Dvivachana — गुरुभ्याम्; Bahuvachana — गुरुभ्यः. Usage: Chaturthi is used for the indirect object — the one for whom something is done. 'गुरवे नमः' means 'Salutation to the teacher.' The famous phrase 'नमः' (salutation) is always followed by chaturthi vibhakti.
Prathamā vibhakti is the nominative case — it marks the subject of the sentence: गुरुः, गुरू, गुरवः. Dvitīyā vibhakti is the accusative case — it marks the direct object: गुरुम्, गुरू, गुरून्. The key difference is in Ekavachana (गुरुः vs. गुरुम्) and Bahuvachana (गुरवः vs. गुरून्). Dvivachana is the same for both (गुरू).
To identify the vibhakti: (1) If it ends in -ुः (गुरुः) → Prathamā (subject). (2) If it ends in -ुम् (गुरुम्) → Dvitīyā (object). (3) If it ends in -ुणा (गुरुणा) → Tṛtīyā (by/with). (4) If it ends in -वे (गुरवे) → Chaturthi (for/to). (5) If it ends in -ोः (गुरोः) → Pañchamī or Ṣaṣṭhī (from/of). (6) If it ends in -ौ (गुरौ) → Saptami (in/at). Context determines which case applies when forms are identical.
Saptami vibhakti (Locative Case — In/On/At) of guru: Ekavachana — गुरौ; Dvivachana — गुर्वोः; Bahuvachana — गुरुषु. Usage: 'गुरौ भक्तिः' means 'Devotion in/toward the teacher.' 'गुरुषु आदरः अस्ति' means 'There is respect in/among the teachers.' Note the vowel sandhi in Dvivachana: गुरु + ओः → गुर्वोः.
Guru shabd roop in Bahuvachana (plural): Prathamā — गुरवः; Dvitīyā — गुरून्; Tṛtīyā — गुरुभिः; Chaturthi — गुरुभ्यः; Pañchamī — गुरुभ्यः; Ṣaṣṭhī — गुरूणाम्; Saptami — गुरुषु; Sambodhan — हे गुरवः! Note: Chaturthi and Pañchamī plural forms are identical (गुरुभ्यः). Ṣaṣṭhī plural (गुरूणाम्) has a long ū.
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