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When Should You Not Obey Your Guru? The Surprising Truth
Published On: April 9, 2026
, Updated on : April 10, 2026
When should you not obey your guru? This is a question many people hesitate to ask, as we are often taught to follow our Guru without question. However, is blind obedience always correct? In this blog, we will explore the truth based on the teachings of Bhagwan Swaminarayan in the Shikshapatri and understand when obedience must be guided by dharma and wisdom.
Understanding when should you not obey your guru is essential for maintaining true dharma and spiritual discipline.
When your guru says anything that intends to break your Brahmacharya, then you should immediately stop listening to him. This is written in the 180th Shloka of Shikshapatri.
Once Bhagwan Swaminarayan was sitting in an assembly in a village of Gujarat, the seating arrangement of the first line was for saints, the second was for devotees, and the third line was for women devotees. Bhagwan Swaminarayan wanted to take the test of the saints, and so he told them to sit beside Bhagwan Swaminarayan and face the assembly. The saints were unwavering in following the commands of the scriptures, and so they did not stand up and come to God. This is because this change of position would cause a natural inclination for the sight of a woman, which would break the brahmacharya of the saints.
There is also another shloka which states something similar to the above:
One should not listen to religious discourses given by a person whose teachings weaken devotion to Bhagwan Krishna. Such teachings can slowly divert the mind from true bhakti and spiritual discipline. Even if the words sound wise or religious, they should be avoided if they lead one away from righteous duty. True spiritual guidance always strengthens devotion, purity, and faith in Bhagwan.
Many people perform a lot of satsangs, but after a few days, they end up in jail. Why? Because they indulged in bad activities under the pretext of devotion or knowledge, which means they took devotion and knowledge as their “REASONS” for performing crimes. So Bhagwan Swaminarayan has commanded us not to have any association with these people.
The Shikshapatri clearly teaches when should you not obey your guru in difficult situations.
Whenever a guru or a person whom you follow very unwaveringly, tells anything favouring ADHARMA, then you should not follow him or his commands. This is how fake Gurus start attracting the negative side of your life. Something similar happened with Arjuna in Mahabharath.
Arjuna asked Bhagwan Krishna before the war, “How can I start a war with my own guru Dronacharya, who himself has taught me archery?”
For this, Bhagwa Krishna gave a wonderful reply. He said, “Though Dronacharya is your Guru, it does not matter. What matters is what he is in favour of. Is it Dharma or Adharma?”
Arjuna replied, “Dronacharya is currently favouring Adharma.”
Bhagwan Krishna replied, “Then you are perfectly on the path of Dharma in fighting with your own Guru as well.”
This is a very wonderful lesson we can learn from the Mahabharath, but since many people cannot understand the small details in the Mahabharath, Bhagwan Swaminarayan made it easy by writing the same rules with the same extracts, but in a very easy way.
Many people fail to realize when should you not obey your guru, leading to confusion and adharma.
If any Guru tells you that God is formless or God does not exist or anything refuting the existence of God, then it is guaranteed that he is a fake guru and we should not be his victim in acquiring false information. There is also a famous story in the Hindu mythology. It shows the endurance that the devotees are ready for devotion. It is the story of Prahaladji.
When Hiranyakashyap declared himself a god, he ordered all gurukuls to teach that he was the Supreme God. Though the teachers obeyed out of fear, Prahaladji knew the true reality — that Bhagwan Narayan alone is the real God. Therefore, he refused to follow those teachings and remained firm in his devotion to Bhagwan Narayan, showing true faith and courage.
In conclusion, when should you not obey your guru is not a question of disrespect, but of understanding true dharma. The teachings of the Shikshapatri clearly guide us that obedience must never come at the cost of brahmacharya, devotion, or righteousness. A true guru always leads towards God, purity, and dharma — never away from it. Therefore, using vivek (discernment) along with faith is essential. Choosing dharma over blind obedience is not disloyalty, but the highest form of spiritual integrity.
True discipleship requires vivek along with faith. Loyalty is not to individuals, but to Bhagwan and Dharma. Stepping away from false guidance is not disobedience—it is obedience to Dharma itself.
You should not obey your guru when their teachings go against dharma, violate brahmacharya, weaken devotion to God, or promote adharma. True guidance always aligns with righteousness.
No, it is not wrong. Hindu scriptures encourage vivek (discernment). Questioning helps ensure that teachings align with dharma and true spiritual principles.
The Shikshapatri teaches that a guru should be followed only when their instructions support dharma, devotion, and moral discipline. Instructions that lead away from these should not be followed.
Yes, a guru can be wrong if they promote adharma, deny God, or encourage immoral behavior. Such guidance should be avoided according to scriptural teachings.
A false guru may:
Blind obedience can lead to following wrong teachings, resulting in loss of dharma, spiritual downfall, and confusion. True faith must be balanced with wisdom.
A true guru:
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