The Guru Gita - An English Translation

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As per requested, we hereby forward to all the English translation of

the Guru Gita. Please be inform that this is a free translation,

which mean it is not a word by word translation. Our deepest

gratitude to A Nobody for this translation piece of work.

 

acintyävyaktarüpäya nirguëäya gaëätmane |

samastajagadädhäramürtaye brahmaëe namaù || 1||

 

I bow to the Guru who is the very Brahman who is at the same time

with and without attributes; whose form is beyond comprehension and

is unclear to the non-initiate.

Note : It must be noted here that "Guru" is not referred to here as a

specific individual but as the Brahman himself.

 

rsaya ücuh |

 

Almost all the Tantras are written as conversations. It is a form of

conveying ideas. So nothing much need be made of this.

 

süta süta mahäpräjïa nigamägamapäraga |

gurusvarüpamasmäkaà brühi sarvamaläpaham || 2||

 

Note : "Suta" normally refers to a Charioteer. In very many tantric

and other religious books the expounder is "Suta" it is again not a

specific individual. In the olden days the Charioteer of King used to

be well-versed in all things mundane and spiritual so that he can

advise the Master in times of need. Hence the exalted position of

Charioteer or "Suta".

 

In this sloka the Rishis are asking the Suta who is addressed as all

knowing and asks him to explain the form and attributes of Guru,

knowing which, removes all the blockages to one's spiritual and

material progress.

 

yasya çravaëamätreëa dehé duùkhädvimucyate |

yena märgeëa munayaù sarvajïatvaà prapedire || 3||

 

The listening to which alone gives freedom from all the worldly and

spiritual sorrows. This being the path that has given the ascetics

full knowledge of all things temporal and spiritual.

 

yatpräpya na punaryäti naraù saàsärabandhanam |

tathävidhaà paraà tattvaà vaktavyamadhunä tvayä ||

4||

 

Having known which, the human being is released from the cycles of

births and deaths; This is the great principle that we wish to hear

from you.

 

 

guhyädguhyatamaà säraà gurugétä viçeñataù |

tvatprasädäcca çrotavyä tatsarvaà brühi süta

naù || 5||

 

May you be pleased to tell us this secret of secrets that is Guru

Gita and we are waiting anxiously to hear from you.

 

Note : Here again it is stressed that this mention of Secrecy is just

to emphasize the importance of the matter.

 

 

iti samprärthitaù süto munisaìghairmuhurmuhuù ||

kutühalena mahatä proväca madhuraà vacaù || 6||

 

Having been so entreated again and again Suta said the following

sweet words:-

 

süta uväca |

Thus spake Suta:

 

 

çruëudhvaà munayaù sarve çraddhayä parayä

mudä |

vadämi bhavarogaghnéà gétäà mätåsvarüpiëém ||

7||

 

O Munis, Listen carefully to the Gita that which destroys sorrows of

the world and is in the form of the very Mother.

 

 

purä kailäsaçikhare siddhagandharvasevite |

tatra kalpalatäpuñpamandire'tyantasundare || 8||

 

In the days of yore, in Mount Kailasa, served by Siddhas and

Gandharvas; in the wonderful and beautiful hut made of wish

fulfilling Kalpalata flowers,

 

 

vyäghräjine samäsénaà çukädimunivanditam |

bodhayantaà paraà tattvaà madhye munigaëe kvacit || 9||

Once, Shiva, while sitting on Tiger skin and worshipped by great

Sages like Suka, and expounding the ultimate truths in the midst of

the great sages

 

 

praëamravadanä çaçvannamaskurvantamädarät |

dåñövä vismayamäpanna pärvaté paripåcchati || 10||

Suddenly prostrated to someone. Surprised at seeing him suddenly

prostrating in great respect to someone Parvathy asked:-

 

pärvatyuväca |

Parvathy said:

 

 

om namo deva deveça parätpara jagadguro |

tväà namaskurvate bhaktyä suräsuranaräù sadä || 11||

I bow to you Lord of Lords, and the teacher of the world. You are

bowed to by the whole world and the Gods.

 

vidhiviñëumahendrädyairvandyaù khalu sadä bhavän |

namaskaroñi kasmai tvaà namaskäräçrayaù kila || 12||

You are respected by Vishnu and others; Whom are you bowing to, you

who is bowed to by every one else?

 

 

dåñövaitatkarma vipulamäçcarya pratibhäti me |

kimetanna vijäne'haà kåpayä vada me prabho || 13||

Seeing your action I am surprised beyond words. Please kindly tell me

who you are bowing to.

 

 

bhagavan sarvadharmajïa vratänäà vratanäyaka |

brühi me kåpayä çambho gurumähätmyamuttamam || 14||

O Lord! Knower of all that is there to be known!! The leader of all

austerities!!

Please tell me the greatness of Guru!!

 

kena märgeëa bho svämin dehé brahmamayo bhavet |

tatkåpäà kuru me sväminnamämi caraëau tava || 15||

O Lord!! By what method will the body verily become Brahma?

I bow at your feet O Lord!! so that Thou may show me kindness!!

 

iti samprärthitaù çaçvanmahädevo maheçvaraù |

änandabharitaù svänte pärvatémidamabravét || 16||

Thus having been entreated by his consort Parvathy, The Great Lord

Maheshwara became happy on his own spoke thus to Parvathy:

 

çré mahädeva uväca |

Sri Mahadeva said:

 

 

na vaktavyamidaà devi rahasyätirahasyakam |

na kasyäpi purä proktaà tvadbhaktyarthaà vadämi tat ||

17||

O! Devi!! This is not to be spoken of lightly and it secret of the

secrets. Never spoken to before but for your information I shall tell

you!!

 

Note : (This statement is contained in almost all the great works of

Indian spirituality about the secrecy and it not having been spoken

to before and how these things should not be given out lightly. This

is a common statement just intended to stress the importance. In the

times that followed the creation of these, these injunctions were

taken LITERALLY and for the purpose of exclusivity and empowerment

resulting in a lot of distortion.)

 

mama rüpäsi devi tvamatastatkathayämi te |

lokopakärakaù praçno na kenäpi kåtaù purä || 18||

I shall tell you, who is but another form of myself!! No one had

asked me before this great question, the answer to which will be a

great boon to the world!!

 

 

yasya deve parä bhaktiryathä deve tathä gurau |

tasyaite kathitä hyarthäù prakäçante mahätmanaù || 19||

As thou respects God so shall thou respect thy Teacher (Guru). I

shall tell you the how and why, so that thou may reveal it to the

learned.

 

 

 

yo guruù sa çivaù prokto yaù çivaù sa guruù

småtaù |

vikalpaà yastu kurvéta sa naro gurutalpagaù || 20||

Understand that Guru is Shiva as Shiva is Guru. Any person who

differentiates is doing a great crime.

 

durlabhaà triñu lokeñu tacchåëuçva vadämyaham |

gurubrahma vinä nänyaù satyaà satyaà varänane ||

21||

O!! Beauteous One!! what I am going to tell you is so rare in the

three worlds!! Guru is verily Brahma itself it is the truth.

 

(please note that the Brahma being spoken of here is not Brahma the

creator in the Trinity; but the State of oneness with everything

created and yet to be created. Being one with the complete

consciousness that is the past present and future rolled into one

(the eternal present) and is ever in the present. The repetition of

Satyam twice is to stress that it IS the truth that is being spoken

of.)

 

vedaçästrapuräëäni cetihäsädikäni ca |

mantrayanträdividyänäà mohanoccäöanädikam || 22||

The Vedas Shastras and ithihasas (epics) ; the mantra shastra; yantra

shastra and the various types of acts like exorcism etc.

 

 

çaivaçäktägamädéni hyanye ca bahavo matäù |

apabhraàçäù samastänäà jévänäà bhräntacetasäm

|| 23||

There are various schools like Shaiva, Shakta and agamas; the

corruption of these cause confusion to all people.

 

 

japastapo vrataà térthaà yajïo dänaà tathaiva ca |

gurutattvamavijïäya sarvaà vyarthaà bhavetpriye || 24||

japa; austerities; penances; visiting holy rivers for bathing away

sins; sacrifices; donations; etc. without knowing the principles of

Guruhood is wasted.

 

 

gurubuddhyätmano nänyat satyaà satyaà varänane |

talläbhärthaà prayatnastu kartavyaçca manéñibhiù ||

25||

O Beauteous One!! nothing else is the truth!! It is the duty of all

human beings to strive to achieve that knowledge!!

 

 

güòhävidyä jaganmäyä dehaçcäjïänasambhavaù

|

vijïänaà yatprasädena guruçabdena kathayate || 26||

This secret doctrine destroys the all pervading delusion; arising

from bodily consciousness and from ignorance by the mere grace of Guru

 

yadaìghrikamaladvandvaà dvandvatäpanivärakam |

tärakaà bhavasindhoçca taà guruà praëamämyaham

|| 27||

I bow unto the Guru whose lotus feet will remove ignorance and

duality and suffering and help one cross the Ocean of bondage.

 

 

dehé brahma bhavedyasmät tvatkåpärthaà vadämi tat |

sarvapäpaviçuddhätmä çréguroù pädasevanät

|| 28||

I tell you out of kindness that His form shall be of Brahma and all

karma bondages shall be destroyed by Guru's grace alone and without

any further spiritual practice.

 

sarvatérthävagähasya sampräpnoti phalaà naraù |

guroù pädodakaà pétvä çeñaà çirasi

dhärayan || 29||

You shall achieve the same results as bathing in all holy waters as

by drinking water that was used to wash the feet of Guru and placing

the rest on the top of your head.

 

 

çoñaëaà päpapaìkasya dépanaà

jïänatejasaù |

guroù pädodakaà samyak saàsärärëavatärakam ||

30||

Depletion of negative karmas and brightening of the lamp of knowledge;

The padodakam (water used for washing the feet of Guru) is the

ultimate source to escape from the worldly trials and tribulations

and ultimately attain liberation.

 

ajïänamülaharaëaà janmakarmanivärakam |

jïänavijïänasiddhyarthaà gurupädodakaà pibet || 31||

For destruction of the root cause of ignorance removal of Karma

blocks; and for attaining knowledge and enlightenment drink Guru

Padodakam.

 

 

gurupädodakaà pänaà gurorucchiñöabhojanam |

gurumürteù sadä dhyänaà gurornämnaù sadä

japaù || 32||

drinking of Guru Padodaka; eating the leftovers of guru's food;

visualising Guru's form and recitation of his name always

 

 

svadeçikasyaiva ca nämakértanam bhavedanantasya çivasya

kértanam |

svadeçikasyaiva ca nämacintanam bhavedanantasya çivasya

cintanam ||

33||

the recitation of one's Guru's name amounts to infinite recitation of

stotras of Shiva;

the recitation of one's Guru's name amounts to infinite meditation on

Shiva

 

yatpädareëurvai nityaà ko'pi saàsäraväridhau |

setubandhäyate näthaà deçikaà tamupäsmahe || 34||

I meditate upon the guru, dust from whose feet will be like a bridge

to cross the ocean of earthly bondage.

 

 

yadanugrahamätreëa çokamohau vinaçyataù |

tasmai çrédeçikendräya namo'stu paramätmane || 35||

I bow to the Guru who is the very embodiment of the supreme spirit by

whose blessings one is released from sadness and desires

 

 

yasmädanugrahaà labdhvä mahadajïänmutsåjet |

tasmai çré deçikendräya namaçcäbhéñöasiddhaye ||

36||

I bow to the Guru by just bowing to whom and by getting whose

blessings great ignorance is lifted.

 

 

käçékñetraà niväsaçca jänhavé caraëodakam |

guruviçveçvaraù säkñät tärakaà

brahmaniçcayaù || 37||

One who is blessed by Guru has the same effect of evading fate as

staying in Kashi and drinking the Ganga waters; Guru is the ultimate

God so has Brahma the creator ordained!!

 

 

gurusevä gayä proktä dehaù syädakñayo vaöaù |

tatpädaà viñëupädaà syät tatra dattamanantakam ||

38||

Understand that the service at the holy feet of Guru is like the

service at the imprint of Vishnupaada at Gaya and that the feet of

Guru is Vishnu's feet and worship there is equal to infinite worship

of Vishnupaada.

 

 

gurumürti smarennityaà gururnäma sadä japet |

guroräjïäà prakurvéta guroranyaà na bhävayet || 39||

One should meditate on Guru daily and recite his name always; and

should carry out his orders in letter and spirit and shall not think

that you are separate from Guru.

 

guruvaktre sthitaà brahma präpyate tatprasädataù |

gurordhyänaà sadä kuryät kulastré svapatià yathä

|| 40||

Brahma is situate on the face of Guru and is pleased by Guru's

pleasure; Thou shalt meditate upon Guru as a chaste woman meditates

on her husband.

 

sväçramaà ca svajätià ca svakértià

puñöivardhanam |

etatsarvaà parityajya gurumeva samäçrayet || 41||

You shall take refuge in Guru alone in Guru abandoning your status;

your life and your ever-increasing fame.

 

 

 

 

To see the Sanskrit version, please refer to the homepage and look

for the page on THE GURU

 

To be Continued ..........

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