Justice G.R. Swaminathan of the Madras High Court made remarks at a public event in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, stating that self-described rationalists who ridicule those who revere spiritual gurus deserve the same labels they use against devotees.
The judge was speaking in Tamil at the “Guru Vandana Utsava”, organised by the Hosur Sathsangh at a private school in Hosur. Referring to critics who call devotees “scoundrels”, “fools” or “barbarians” for treating a guru as an embodiment of God, Justice Swaminathan said those who use such terms are “the real scoundrels, fools and barbarians.”
During his address, Justice Swaminathan underlined the spiritual role of a guru, describing God as an abstract concept and the guru as a living presence of God. The event was attended by several spiritual leaders, including Sri Sri Vishwaprasanna Tirtha Swamy of the Pejawara Mutt.
He also narrated a personal incident from a late-night road journey from Chandigarh to Delhi after attending his daughter’s law convocation in Patiala, describing heavy mist, low visibility, and a puncture to the car’s right rear wheel around 1:00 AM. He said he felt scared and helpless while his wife and driver changed the tyre, and that repeatedly calling out “Gurunatha” during that period had a lasting impact on him.
Justice Swaminathan further referred to the idea of a spiritual “aura”, recounting that a yogi near Tenkasi had spoken to him about it, and suggesting that the aura of “Guru Maharajas” is especially strong and influences those around them.
Concluding his remarks, he said he has four-and-a-half years of service left as a judge and expressed that seeing those honoured at the event for service had inspired him to work more courageously
