Sat July 12th, 2014 9:50pm Manhattan, NYC

On the occasion of Gurupūrṇimā

ETYMOLOGY:

The syllable “gu” should signify darkness;
the syllable “ru” should signify the interrupter of it.
Because he is the interrupter of darkness,
he is considered “guru”.
-Advayataraka Upanishad  verse 16

 

To my Dearest Beloved,

SALUTATION:

GURU STOTRAM
(A Hymn To The Spiritual Teacher)

Akhaṇḍamaṇḍalākāraṃ vyāptaṃ yena carācaraṃ |
Tatpadaṃ darśitaṃ yena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ||1||

  Salutations to the holy Guru,
who pervades the movable and immovable (animals and plants) with flawless perfection,
and who reveals the truth of the word “Tat (That, Truth)”.

Ajñānatimirāndhasya jñānāñjanaśalākayā |
Cakṣurunmīlitaṃ yena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ||2||

  Salutations to the holy Guru,
who opens the eyes of those blinded in the darkness of ignorance,
applying with a stick the eyewash of true knowledge.

 

Gurur brahmā gurur viṣṇur gurur devo maheśvaraḥ |
Gurussākṣāt param brahma tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ||3||

 The Guru is Brahmā (the creator), the Guru is Viṣṇu (the sustainer),
and the Guru is divine Maheśvara (Śiva, the destroyer).
The Guru is verily Para Brahman (the supreme principle of the universe).
Salutations to that holy Guru.

 

Sthāvaraṃ jaṅgamaṃ vyāptaṃ yatkiñcit sacarācaram |
Tatpadaṃ darśitaṃ yena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ||4||

 Salutations to the holy Guru,
who pervades all animate and inanimate beings,
including the movable and immovable (animals and plants),
and who reveals the truth of the word “Tat (That, Truth)”.

 

Cinmayaṃ vyāpi yatsarvaṃ trailokyaṃ sacarācaram |
Tatpadaṃ darśitaṃ yena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ||5||

  Salutations to the holy Guru,
who pervades everything in the three worlds (heaven, earth, and hell),
including the movable and immovable (animals and plants),
 as the Pure Consciousness,
and who reveals the truth of the word “Tat (That, Truth)”.

 

Sarva-śrutiśiroratna-virājita-padāmbujaḥ |
Vedāntāmbujasūryo yaḥ tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ||6||

  Salutations to the holy Guru,
whose lotus feet are adorned with the crown jewel of all Veda,
and who is the sun which nourishes the lotus of Vedānta.

 

Caitanyaḥ śāśvataḥ śānto vyomātīto nirañjanaḥ |
Bindunādakalātītaḥ tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ||7||

  Salutations to the holy Guru,
who is the Pure Consciousness, everlasting, tranquil, beyond space, completely pure,
and who transcends the bindu (the origin of creation),
nāda (the subtle vibration at the beginning of creation)
and kalā (the parts manifested in gross forms out of creation).

 

Jñāna-śakti-samārūḍhaḥ tattva-mālā-vibhūṣitaḥ |
Bhukti-mukti-pradātā ca tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ ||8||

 Salutations to the holy Guru,
who is equipped with true knowledge and power,
who is adorned with the garland of True Existence, and who bestows joy and liberation.

 

Anekajanma-samprāpta-karmabandha-vidāhine |
Ātmajñāna-pradānena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ||9||

 Salutations to the holy Guru,
who burns away the bondage of karma, which have accumulated over countless lives,
by bestowing the true knowledge of the Self (Ātman).

 

Śoṣaṇaṃ bhavasindhośca jñāpanaṃ sārasampadaḥ |
Guroḥ pādodakaṃ samyak tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ||10||

  The water with which the feet of the Guru are washed truly dries up the ocean of worldly existence and makes known the true essence of prosperity.
Salutations to that holy Guru.

 

Na guroradhikaṃ tattvaṃ na guroradhikaṃ tapaḥ |
Tattvajñānāt paraṃ nāsti tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ||11||

  There is no truth higher than the Guru, no tapas (purifying heat) higher than the Guru.
Nothing is higher than the knowledge of True Existence.
Salutations to that holy Guru.

 

Mannāthaḥ śrījagannāthaḥ madguru śrījagadguruḥ |
Madātmā sarvabhūtātmā tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ||12||

  My Lord is the holy Lord of the universe, Jagannātha;
my Guru is the holy Master of the universe, Jagadguru;
and my Self (Ātman) is the Self of all beings.
Salutations to that holy Guru.

 

Gururādiranādiśca guruḥ paramadaivatam |
Guroḥ parataraṃ nāsti tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ||13||

  The Guru is both the beginning and without beginning,
the Guru is the highest deity, and nothing is higher than the Guru.
Salutations to that holy Guru.

 


Tvameva mātā ca pitā tvameva
tvameva bandhuśca sakhā tvameva |
Tvameva vidyā draviṇaṃ tvameva
tvameva sarvaṃ mama deva deva  ||14||

  You alone are my mother, you alone are my father;
you alone are my family, you alone are my friend;
you alone are true knowledge, you alone are wealth;
you alone are everything to me, oh, God.