A Question on Can Guru be considered God?

Received a question in comments that I thought would be better to reply in main blog rather than in comments.

Question:

Do you mean these are different Gods? or different forms of one & the same God?
If these are different forms of the same God then how and why he takes these different forms? Please explain.
Narendra  on: Can Guru be considered God?

First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Narendra ji for this question.

Secondly, I do not claim to know everything. I study books and scriptures for my own understanding and improvement, and write this blog thinking that perhaps others can also benefit from it.

Now, to answer this question, I would like to refer Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the first Vice-President and then President of Independent India, who was a great scholar of Indian Philosophies.

While talking about Impersonal and Personal God In the introductory essay of his commentary on Bhagavad Gita, he says: "impersonality and personality are not arbitrary constructions or fictions of the mind. They are two ways of looking at the Eternal. The supreme in its absolute self-existence is Brahman, the Absolute. And as the Lord and creator, containing and controlling all, is Ishvara, the God."

"The Bhaagavata makes out that the one Reality which is of the nature of undivided consciousness is called Brahman, the Supreme Self.............

The Supreme is at once the transcendental, the Cosmic and the individual reality."

"Vadanti Tat Tattavavidah Tattavam yaj jnaanam Advayam
 Brahameti, Parmaatmaeti, Bhagvaan iti Sabdyate"
                                                              "Bhagavata"*

(Though the knowers of the Truth know that He is Advayam, without a second, yet describe Him in different ways with words such as Braham, Paramaatma and Bhagvaan etc.)

"These different representations do not tell us about what God is in Himself, but only what He is to us. The anthropomorphic conception of the divine is relative to our own needs."
                                                       (S. Radhakrishnan)

Therefore it depends upon individual's level of understanding. Everyone cannot concentrate upon Nirakaar and Nirgun Brahm. It is difficult to pray to a God who is impersonal, inaccessible and unapproachable, inattentive, detached and unconcerned.
Bhakti, devotion can only be rendered towards the 'Sagun", the Lord with attributes, who is kind, generous and forgiving, who would be attentive and sensitive to our needs.

That is why Bhagavad Gita, Bhaagavata and most Upanishads including Ramayana, Gurubani and Avtar bani, emphasize on worshiping and meditating upon Nirakaar-Sagun Brahm. Since Saakaar Prabhu is easier to comprehend with five senses, they even guide us to take this route to eventually reach to Nirakaar Brahm.

So it is not what God is, or what His forms are, rather what He is to us and how we approach Him.

Bhagvaan Krishna says:
"Ye yathaa maam Prapdyantay, TaansTathaiva Bhajaamyaham"

(However people approach me (God) so I approach them.)
                          Bhagavad Gita 4:11

"Jaaki rahi Bhaavna jaisi, Prabhu Moorti dekhi tin Taisi"
                                                                          ‘Tulsi Das’

Just like a man is seen as a son by his parents but at the same time, as a parent by his children; as a student by his teacher and a teacher by his students. Yet the same person may be seen as a friend by some and foe by others. They are neither different people nor he is changing forms. It is how others see and approach him.
                                                  'Rajan Sachdeva'

Note: *Bhaagavata or Bhaagavatam is most popular of the 18 Puraans and it’s different from Bhagavad Gita.