Q: What are angels and spirit guides called in Sanatana Dharma?
In the Vedic tradition, angles are called demigods, and spirit guides are called gurus. The only one who can guide your spirit, meaning you, the soul, is an authorized guru or spiritual master. A spirit-guide is a teacher in spiritual knowledge.
It’s like anything else we encounter in life and want to understand - we get a teacher.
Whether you want to learn plumbing, or whether you want to learn about God and the soul, the process is the same - get a teacher.
Krishna says:
Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.
Having obtained real knowledge from a self-realized soul, you will never fall again into such illusion, for by this knowledge you will see that all living beings are but part of the Supreme, or, in other words, that they are Mine.
Even if you are considered to be the most sinful of all sinners, when you are situated in the boat of transcendental knowledge you will be able to cross over the ocean of miseries.
As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.
In this world, there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. Such knowledge is the mature fruit of all mysticism. And one who has become accomplished in the practice of devotional service enjoys this knowledge within himself in due course of time.
A faithful man who is dedicated to transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses is eligible to achieve such knowledge, and having achieved it he quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace.
But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness; they fall down. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.
—Bhagavad-gita, 4.34-40
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