Guru

To the great soul who has the highest devotion to God, and as much to his teacher as to God, these truths that have been declared shine forth.

यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः ॥ २३॥

By the grace of Vyasa I have heard this supreme secret, this yoga, directly from Krishna, the Lord of yoga, as he himself declared it.

व्यासप्रसादाच्छ्रुतवानेतद्गुह्यमहं परम् | योगं योगेश्वरात्कृष्णात्साक्षात्कथयतः स्वयम् ||१८-७५||

Arise! Awake! Having attained your boons, understand them. Sharp as a razor's edge, hard to cross, difficult is that path—so the wise declare.

उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत । क्षुरस्य धारा निशिता दुरत्यया दुर्गं पथस्तत्कवयो वदन्ति ॥ १४॥

Having examined the worlds won by works, a Brahmin should reach detachment: the uncreated is not gained by what is created. To know that, he should approach a teacher, fuel in hand, one learned in scripture and established in Brahman.

परीक्ष्य लोकान् कर्मचितान् ब्राह्मणो निर्वेदमायान्नास्त्यकृतः कृतेन । तद्विज्ञानार्थं स गुरुमेवाभिगच्छेत् समित्पाणिः श्रोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठम् ॥ १२॥

The Guru is Brahma, the Guru is Vishnu, the Guru is the great Lord Shiva. The Guru alone is the supreme Absolute — to that Guru I offer my reverent salutations.

गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुर्गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः । गुरुरेव परब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः

This supreme secret, set forth in the Vedānta in a former age, should not be given to one who is not tranquil, nor again to one who is not a son or a pupil.

वेदान्ते परमं गुह्यं पुराकल्पे प्रचोदितम् । नाप्रशान्ताय दातव्यं नापुत्रायाशिष्याय वा पुनः ॥ २२॥

By the power of austerity and by the grace of God, Śvetāśvatara, having known Brahman, declared it — the supremely holy, cherished by the company of seers — to those who had passed beyond the stages of life.

तपःप्रभावाद् देवप्रसादाच्च ब्रह्म ह श्वेताश्वतरोऽथ विद्वान् । अत्याश्रमिभ्यः परमं पवित्रं प्रोवाच सम्यगृषिसङ्घजुष्टम् ॥ २१॥

To him who has approached duly, whose mind is calm, who has attained peace, that wise one should truthfully teach that knowledge of Brahman by which one knows the imperishable Person, the truth.

तस्मै स विद्वानुपसन्नाय सम्यक् प्रशान्तचित्ताय शमान्विताय । येनाक्षरं पुरुषं वेद सत्यं प्रोवाच तां तत्त्वतो ब्रह्मविद्याम् ॥ १३॥

Om. Brahma arose first among the gods, maker of the universe, protector of the world. To Atharva, his eldest son, he told the knowledge of Brahman, the foundation of all knowledge.

ॐ ब्रह्मा देवानां प्रथमः संबभूव विश्वस्य कर्ता भुवनस्य गोप्ता । स ब्रह्मविद्यां सर्वविद्याप्रतिष्ठामथर्वाय ज्येष्ठपुत्राय प्राह ॥ १॥

Learn this through reverent submission, through inquiry, and through service. Those who know, who see the truth, will impart that knowledge to you.

तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया | उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः ||४-३४||

If Shiva is displeased, the Guru can save you; but if the Guru is displeased, not even Shiva can save you. Therefore seek refuge in the Guru with every means at your disposal.

शिवे क्रुद्धे गुरुस्त्राता गुरौ क्रुद्धे शिवो न हि । तस्मात् सर्वप्रयत्नेन श्रीगुरुं शरणं व्रजेत्

You are my father, you are my mother, you are my kinsman, and you are my divinity. Salutations to the Guru who awakens the soul to the true nature of this world.

त्वं पिता त्वं च मे माता त्वं बन्धुस्त्वं च देवता । संसारप्रतिबोधार्थं तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः

Salutations to the Guru who, with the salve of wisdom applied like a fine brush, opens the eyes of one left sightless by the darkness of ignorance.

अज्ञानतिमिरान्धस्य ज्ञानाञ्जनशलाकया । चक्षुरुन्मीलितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः

One that many are not even able to hear of; that many, though hearing, do not know. Wonderful is its teacher, skillful its receiver; wonderful is the one who knows it, taught by the skillful.

श्रवणायापि बहुभिर्यो न लभ्यः श‍ृण्वन्तोऽपि बहवो यं न विद्युः । आश्चर्यो वक्ता कुशलोऽस्य लब्धा आश्चर्यो ज्ञाता कुशलानुशिष्टः ॥ ७॥

You alone can dispel this doubt of mine completely, Krishna, for there is no one but you who can remove this doubt.

एतन्मे संशयं कृष्ण छेत्तुमर्हस्यशेषतः | त्वदन्यः संशयस्यास्य छेत्ता न ह्युपपद्यते ||६-३९||

I remember the glorious Guru who is the Supreme Brahman. I speak of the glorious Guru who is the Supreme Brahman. I bow to the glorious Guru who is the Supreme Brahman. I worship the glorious Guru who is the Supreme Brahman.

श्रीमत्परब्रह्म गुरुं स्मरामि श्रीमत्परब्रह्म गुरुं वदामि । श्रीमत्परब्रह्म गुरुं नमामि श्रीमत्परब्रह्म गुरुं भजामि

The root of meditation is the Guru's form; the root of worship is the Guru's feet; the root of all mantra is the Guru's word; and the root of liberation is the Guru's grace.

ध्यानमूलं गुरोर्मूर्तिः पूजामूलं गुरोः पदम् । मन्त्रमूलं गुरोर्वाक्यं मोक्षमूलं गुरोः कृपा

Then Sankriti asked the Sun: Lord, teach me the knowledge of Brahman. To him the Sun said: Sankriti, listen; I shall declare the knowledge of Reality, most hard to attain, by merely knowing which you will become liberated-in-life.

अथ ह सांकृतिरादित्यं पप्रच्छ भगवन् ब्रह्मविद्यां मे ब्रूहीति । तमादित्यो होवाच । सांकृते शृणु वक्ष्यामि तत्त्वज्ञानं सुदुर्लभम् । येन विज्ञातमात्रेण जीवन्मुक्तो भविष्यसि

'That is indeed how it is, Maghavan,' he said. 'But I will explain this to you further. Stay another thirty-two years.' So he stayed another thirty-two years, and then Prajapati said to him:

एवमेवैष मघवन्निति होवाचैतं त्वेव ते भूयोऽनुव्याख्यास्यामि वसापराणि द्वात्रिꣳशतं वर्षाणीति स हापराणि द्वात्रिꣳशतं वर्षाण्युवास तस्मै होवाच