Humility

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||

Humility, absence of pretense, non-violence, patience, uprightness, service to a teacher, purity, steadfastness, self-control;

अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम् | आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रहः ||१३-८||

Then Dhananjaya, filled with wonder, his hair standing on end, bowed his head to the God and, with hands joined, spoke:

ततः स विस्मयाविष्टो हृष्टरोमा धनञ्जयः | प्रणम्य शिरसा देवं कृताञ्जलिरभाषत ||११-१४||

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

It placed a blade of grass before him: "Take this up." He rushed at it with all his speed, but he could not take it up. He turned back from there: "I could not find out what this spirit is."

तस्मै तृणं निदधावेतदादत्स्वेतितदुपप्रेयाय सर्वजवेन तन्न शशाकादातुं स तत एवनिववृते नैतदशकं विज्ञातुं यदेतद्यक्षमिति ॥ १०॥

It placed a blade of grass before him: "Burn this." He rushed at it with all his speed, but he could not burn it. He turned back from there: "I could not find out what this spirit is."

तस्मै तृणं निदधावेतद्दहेति ।तदुपप्रेयाय सर्वजवेन तन्न शशाक दग्धुं स तत एवनिववृते नैतदशकं विज्ञातुं यदेतद्यक्षमिति ॥ ६॥

and in whatever way I slighted you in jest, at play, resting, sitting, or dining, whether alone or in company, O changeless one — for that I beg your forgiveness, immeasurable one.

यच्चावहासार्थमसत्कृतोऽसि विहारशय्यासनभोजनेषु | एकोऽथवाप्यच्युत तत्समक्षं तत्क्षामये त्वामहमप्रमेयम् ||११-४२||

I bow to the Guru who is Brahman — eternal, pure, beyond all appearance and form, unstained, ever-aware, the very embodiment of consciousness and bliss.

नित्यं शुद्धं निराभासं निराकारं निरञ्जनम् । नित्यबोधं चिदानन्दं गुरुं ब्रह्म नमाम्यहम्

I bow to that true Guru who is the bliss of Brahman, the bestower of supreme joy, the pure embodiment of wisdom alone, beyond all duality, vast as the sky, the intended meaning of the great Vedāntic proclamations such as 'Thou art That' — one, eternal, unstained, unshakeable, the witness of all minds, beyond all mental states, and free from the three qualities of nature.

ब्रह्मानन्दं परमसुखदं केवलं ज्ञानमूर्तिं द्वन्द्वातीतं गगनसदृशं तत्त्वमस्यादिलक्ष्यम् । एकं नित्यं विमलमचलं सर्वधीसाक्षिभूतं भावातीतं त्रिगुणरहितं सद्गुरुं तं नमामि

'Surely those revered teachers did not know this; for had they known it, why would they not have told me? So let my honoured father explain it to me.' 'So be it, my dear,' he said.

न वै नूनं भगवन्तस्त एतदवेदिषुर्यद्ध्येतदवेदिष्यन्कथं मे नावक्ष्यन्निति भगवाꣳस्त्वेव मे तद्ब्रवीत्विति तथा सोम्येति होवाच

I bow to the Guru, who is ever Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, beyond all duality, eternal, complete, formless, without attributes, and established in the Self.

वन्देऽहं सच्चिदानन्दं भेदातीतं सदा गुरुम् । नित्यं पूर्णं निराकारं निर्गुणं स्वात्मसंस्थितम्

Then the ear said to it: "What makes me attainment, that you are." Then the mind said to it: "What makes me the abode, that you are."

अथ हैनꣳश्रोत्रमुवाच यदहं सम्पदस्मि त्वं तत्सम्पदसीत्यथ हैनं मन उवाच यदहमायतनमस्मि त्वं तदायतनमसीति

Then speech said to it: "What makes me the most excellent, that you are; and by that you are the most excellent." Then the eye said to it: "What makes me the firm foundation, that you are."

अथ हैनं वागुवाच यदहं वसिष्ठोऽस्मि त्वं तद्वसिष्ठोऽसीत्यथ हैनं चक्षुरुवाच यदहं प्रतिष्ठास्मि त्वं तत्प्रतिष्ठासीति

Then, as the breath (prana) was about to depart, it tore up the other vital powers just as a fine horse tears up the pegs to which it is tethered. They gathered around it and said: "Sir, stay! You are the best of us. Do not depart."

अथ ह प्राण उच्चिक्रमिषन्स यथा सुहयः पड्वीशशङ्कून्संखिदेदेवमितरान्प्राणान्समखिदत्तꣳ हाभिसमेत्योचुर्भगवन्नेधि त्वं नः श्रेष्ठोऽसि मोत्क्रमीरिति

Whatever I said rashly, thinking of you merely as a friend — 'O Krishna, O Yadava, O friend' — out of carelessness or affection, not knowing this greatness of yours;

सखेति मत्वा प्रसभं यदुक्तं हे कृष्ण हे यादव हे सखेति | अजानता महिमानं तवेदं मया प्रमादात्प्रणयेन वापि ||११-४१||

I bow to that which pervades the entire universe as the Supreme Self — from the highest Brahman down to a blade of grass — all that is fixed and all that moves.

आब्रह्म स्तंबपर्यन्तं परमात्मस्वरूपकम् । स्थावरं जङ्गमं चैव प्रणमामि जगन्मयम्

I bow always to the glorious Guru — who is bliss itself and the bestower of bliss, who is serene and radiant, whose very nature is knowledge, and who abides in pure self-awareness. He is the lord of yogis, worthy of all adoration, and the physician who heals the disease of worldly existence.

आनन्दमानन्दकरं प्रसन्नं ज्ञानस्वरूपं निजबोधयुक्तम् । योगीन्द्रमीड्यं भवरोगवैद्यं श्रीमद्गुरुं नित्यमहं नमामि