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New Delhi: The whole world celebrated Teacher’s Day to pay tribute to their mentors. In India, Teacher’s Day is celebrated on the 5^th of September every year. On this day, while we are thankful for our college and school teachers who have shaped our futures, we should also look back to our ancient Indian gurus who have profoundly impacted many lives. Ancient Indian gurus were the greatest teachers the world has ever seen, who laid the foundations of philosophy, science, politics, spirituality, and literature.

These great teachers of ancient India were not merely instructors; they were visionaries whose knowledge transformed society. From Chanakya to Swami Vivekananda, here’s a list of the top ancient gurus whose teachings continue to influence how we think, live, and learn in today’s modern education.

Top Famous Teachers of India

1. Valmiki

Sage Valmiki is famous for writing the epic Ramayana. He is considered to be the first poet and was also the teacher of Lord Rama’s twin sons, Luv and Kush. He passed on invaluable teachings of love and respect for family, differentiating between right and wrong, and the important lesson of the victory of good over evil.

2. Guru dronacharya

When talking of famous teachers of India, Guru Dronacharya is regarded as the most celebrated guru from Ancient India, Guru Dronacharya. He was the guru of the Kauravas and the Pandavas, and it has been said that Arjun was his favourite pupil. He was a master of military arts, archery, weaponry and the art of warfare.

3. Chanakya

Among the best teachers of India, Chanakya is a well-known figure. Also known as Kautilya and Vishnugupta, Chanakya is the greatest philosopher and strategist from the 4^th century. His two books, Arthashastra and Nitishastra (known as Chanayka Niti), are highly regarded in the field of Economics and Politics even today.

4. Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda was not only one of the great Indian reformers but also a famed intellect was obviously one of the best teachers in India. He was a great spiritual leader, philosopher, and teacher who took India’s knowledge to the global stage.

5. Patanjali

On the occasion of Teacher’s Day 2025, we should definitely pay tribute to Patanjali, the father of Yoga. He was a renowned sage who compiled the Yoga Sutras, whose teachings go beyond physical postures, but the book outlines the eightfold path of yoga (Ashtanga Yoga). His work outlined the foundation for mindfulness, discipline, meditation, self-awareness, and ethical living.

6. Panini

Among the most popular teachers from ancient India, Panini is known as the Father of Linguistics. He wrote the groundbreaking text, Ashtadhyayi, which consists of Sanskrit grammar and 4,000 sutras (rules). His work has gained fame because of its mathematical precision and structural logic in treating language.

7. Gautama Buddha

One of the esteemed former teachers of India, Gautama Buddha, is considered one of the greatest spiritual teachers of India. Born as Siddhartha, he is the founder of Buddhism, which is centred on the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Gautama Buddha renounced his royal comforts at a very early age in search of truth and ultimately attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya.

8. Aryabhata

One of the best teachers in Indian history, Aryabhata, was a well-known mathematician and astronomer whose contributions set India’s future in the right direction. He wrote a book, ‘Aryabhatiya’, he introduced the concept of zero as a number, explained the place-value system, and made groundbreaking contributions to algebra and trigonometry. His methods of calculating π (pi) and planetary positions were centuries ahead of their time.

The most noble profession is considered to be the teaching profession. All these distinguished ancient teachers of India contributed to the development of the Indian education system. They imparted their knowledge and wisdom to students to make them better human beings. So we should respect every teacher we come across in our lives.