A guru is a person who removes the darkness of
ignorance and spreads the light of knowledge.
According to Yagnavalkya Smriti, a guru cultivates
virtue in his disciples and make them study the
Vedas. The knowledge acquired from guru provides
joy and peace of mind. That is why a guru is called
the incarnation of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. Their
conduct, thinking and sacredness invoke the mental,
physical and intellectual strength of disciple to help
him to achieve the excellent position. A guru is always
acceptable and his preachings provide strength and
inspiration to disciple. Therefore, a guru being the
source of acquiring knowledge is called 'आचार्य देवो भव'
in the Indian culture. Dattatreya acquired knowledge
from 24 gurus, both living beings and the non-living
objects.