StreeGuru Kavacha and Gurupaduka Mantra Vivarana

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Vishnuh Guru -devo Maheswarah Gurur - sakshat Param Brahma Tasmai Sri Gurave

namah The guru is Brahma, the guru is Vishnu, the guru is deva Maheshvara.

Clearly the guru is the supreme Brahman, to that Shri Guru hail - Traditional

Guru-vandana couplet In Srividya tradition, Guru who gives a mantra

initiation to

a disciple is the epitome of the 'prana' and 'jeeva' of the mantra and the very

upasana.This mantra which is being given in the Rishi paaramparya in an

unbroken cadance is held by the disciple with great sphurita bhava. But he also

holds his Guru as the 'Pradhana kartha and deva' for everything.Guru is given

paramount importance above everything. According to Sutaka Mahaupanishad

vaakya 'Darpane Guru mukhe,Darpanohi gurutatwa asi!'

roman"> In the mirror of your mind see the Guru and the very mirror is Guru.

Guru is thus a mirror of the disciple where he sees the spirit of

Rajarajeshwari devi.The Master is verily the mirror! According to the 13th

chapter of the influential Kularnava Tantra, there is no difference between

devata, mantra and guru. "Devata in truth is the same as mantra; mantra in

truth is the same as the guru. The fruit of the worship of the devata, mantra

and guru is the same." Liberation cannot be obtained by reading the Vedas

or studying the shastras (sacred texts), the same Kaula tantra says. Only

knowledge (jnana) gives liberation and that depends on the grace of the guru,

who is one with Shiva and Shakth. "If the guru first mentally awakens the pupil

and then reveals to him this high knowledge of Kula, then both enjoy direct

companionship of Yogini and Vira and even cross this worldly ocean

effortlessly." (Kularnava Tantra, II. 39-40). While orthodoxy appeared to

regard women as inferior to men, the Kaulas took a different approach.

Initiation from a female guru is held in the highest esteem, as she is Shakti

on earth. The female guru is Ananda Bhairavi and the male guru Ananda Bhairava,

together in sexual union, drinking the intoxicating wine of consciousness which

is bliss (ananda) itself Below find a meditation (dhyana) and an armour

(kavacha) devoted to the Stri or female guru, ascribed to the Brahmayamala. The

armour in the first translation is made up from the vidya (mantra) of the female

guru. After this is a short hymn (stotra) to the male guru from the

Matrikabhedatantra, in which his identification with Shiva is plain. The bija

or root mantra of the guru, illustrated top, is Hskphrem. This is the

meditation image (dhyana) of the young female guru. Om. With eyes like fully

blossoming lotus petals, firm swelling breasts, a sweetly smiling face, and a

slender waist, one should meditate on the auspicious female guru, shining like

the red

lotus, wearing beautiful red clothes, wearing a red ring on her hand, and

beautiful jewelled anklets, resembling the effulgence of a hibiscus, her feet

like like a lotus, her face like the brightness of the autumn Moon, her body

resplendent, with her own Natha sitting on her left, her hands [showing the

mudras] granting boons and dispelling fear. Having meditated in this way, one

should do puja.Striguru Kavacha. Of this Striguru Kavacha, the Female Guru is

the devata and attaining the four aims of mankind is the application Obeisance

to Sadashiva on the head. Obeisance to the Female Guru in the heart. Ishvara

said: Sadashiva is the rishi of this Female Guru kavacha. It is said that this

devata is the fruit-giver of the four aims. [1]Om Klim bija protect my head,

the same protect my forehead. Klim bija protect my eyes and Sadashiva all my

limbs. [2]Aim bija protect my face and Hrim encompass my tongue. Shrim bija

protect the region of the shoulders and Hskphrem my two arms. [3]The letter Ha

protect the area of my throat and the letter Sa the sixteen petals. Ksha must

protect me below and the letter Ka my heart. [4]The letter Va (protect my) back

and the letter Ra my right side. The syllable Hum my left side and the letter Sa

my spine. [5]The letter Ha my right hand and the letter Ksha my left. The letter

Ma must protect my fingers and the letter Ma must protect my nails. [6]The

letter Va protect my rear and the letter Ra my belly. The syllable Yim my feet

and Hsauh protect all of my limbs. [7]Hsauh shield

the linga and the hair of the body and the head. Aim bija protect me in the East

and Hrim bija shield me in the South. [8]Shrim bija protect me in the West and

Bhutasambhava in the North. Aim must protect me in the South East and Om

(vedadya) in the South West. [9] Devyamba must protect me in the North West

and Shri Paduka in the North East. Pujayami must protect me above and Namah

below. [10]Om thus to you, Charming One, is declared the supremely marvellous

armour. After reciting the guru mantra if one should then read the armour, one

becomes a siddha, with ganas (hosts) like Shiva, clearly, there is no doubt.

[11] At puja time one should recite the armour, the very body of the mantra.

It gives the fruit of puja, Sureshvari, this is true, true. Whoever recites it

at the three twilights become successful, there is no doubt about this. [12]If

one should write it on bhurja (birch bark), wrapped up in a golden ball, and by

showing it, for him the disputatious becomes humiliated (lit. deprived of

radiance - nishprabha), [13]in knowledge he is victorious and in war he is like

Nirriti, the goddess of death, in assemblies he gains victory and is my equal,

no doubt. [14]Whosoever should recite it

at the three twilights in the 1,000 petalled lotus, becomes like Siddhalokesha

and attains to Nirvana. [15]The kavacha (armour) is called the accumulation of

good fortune and is supremely marvellous. To whom should it never be given nor

revealed? [16]One should give it to a peaceful pupil, otherwise it is without

fruit. Never show it, Deveshi, to the undevoted or to (their?) sons.

[17]Whoever recites this kavacha without knowing the vidya, gains no fruit and

afterwards goes to the Naraka (underworld). [18]So in the Brahmayamala, in the

conversation with Parvati, the Shrimad Stri Guru Kavacha is completed

------------------------------- Regarding

Gurupaduka mantra vivarana asked by Vikramji, I would first dwell a bit on

Shiva's composition in Shreemaatrukaabheda Tantram. But before

that, "Durlabham trayameva etat devanugraha - hetukam manushyatvam

mudmukshutvam-purusha-samsargah" This is Aadi Shankara Bhagawathpada vaak

Acharya Sankara has

stated in the beginning of the Vivekacudamani that three things are hard to

obtain without God's Grace. They are(1) birth as a human being(manushyathwa),

(2) desire to know the truth and to get liberated and(Mumukshatwa) (3) the

attainment of holy Preceptor(Mahapurusha Ashraya) I would add that the fourth

Ma to this "Mahagurupaduka mantra"!! This is the hardest to get. One who obtains

this is said to have poorna deeksha(Ofcourse along with other initiations like

ShodasiPoorna deeksha(nyaasa etal)) This is a

small extract from saubhagya bhAskara: loke hi duHkha dashAyAm mAtuH smaraNaM

prasiddham.h | anubhUtAstu mataro na tApatraya haraNa samarthAH |taduktaM abhi

yuktaiH "nAnA yoni sahasra sambhava vashAt.h jAtA jananyaH kati prakhyAta

janaka kiyanta iti me setsya.nti chAgre kati | eteShAM gaNanaiva nAsti mahataH

sa.nsAra sindhoH vidheH bhItaM mAM nitarAM ananya sharaNaM raxa

anukampAnidhe||" iti | ato duranta duHkha haraNa xamAsu sarvottama jaganmAta

eva

svasmindayAvatvApadanAya mAtR^itvenaiva stotavyA stotra sandarpa prayojana

moxaadirUpaphalatvenApi stotavyetyAshayenAha - shrIti | ... The quote here is

from shakti mahimna stotram (verse Approximate Translation:It is well known

that people think of their mother (for solace) at the times of distress. This

highlights the compassionate aspect of mother. But the mothers who have given

birth to the bodies are incapable of curing the three-fold misery. That is why

jnAni-s say, "Because of thousands of births in different wombs in this world,

it is not possible to say how many mothers one has had and how many fathers.

Considering the number of births one will have in future, it is impossible to

say how many more one will have. O divine mother I am distressed and

overcome by fear of this terrible ocean of saMsara. O treasure house of

compassion, I have no other refuge but thee, please protect and save me". Only

the Supreme Mother of Universe is capable of saving us from this misery, hence,

we pray and worship HER in form of Mother (appealing to HER motherly nature

which is automatically the most compassionate form) so that she will save us

out of mercy bestow all good things and the ultimate moksha.--God is beyond the

classification such as Man, Woman or Eunuch, etc. Such categories exist only in

our limited mind. Among of all forms, the form of Mother is the most

compassionate and easier to approach by a human mind. In the above paragraph,

shrI bhAskararAya, gives a beautiful explanation even before he starts

commenting on the word shrImAtA.And Bhaskararaya emphasises the importance of

Guru immidieately to realise this omnipotent source. "Sa purvesham api

guruh Kaalena-anavacchedaat." How could true knowledge have been transmitted

to one Preceptor except through Preceptor of that Preceptor except through

Preceptor of that Preceptor and so on? If we thus trace the line or Preceptor

backwards, God Himself ultimately will become the First preceptor to his first

disciple. That is why we are told not to forget God. Sometimes this matter is

stated in a different way. If instead of speaking of God and Preceptor as two

different persons, if we treat them as one and the same and assume that God has

appeared in the form of a Preceptor, we need not practice two-fold devotion

separately as devotion to the

Preceptor. we can consider God Himself as the preceptor and surrender to Him

totally. He will save us by His grace through the preceptor in human form who

after all is only His manifestation. hence we are taught even at the very

outset that the preceptor is the basis of trinity of God viz. Brahma, Vishnu

and Siva. Further Gurugeetha exhorts "Gurur-pitaa, gurur-maataa,

guru-daivam, guru-gatih, Sive-rusthre' gurustraataat, gurour rushtre na

kascana. " The Preceptor can intercede on behalf of the disciple and

recommend to God to pardon the sinner. God will never disregard this

recommendation. If,

on the contrary, the preceptor is sinned against there could be none to protect

the sinner. In the Chandogya Upanishad itself it is declared that only by the

grace of the Guru true knowledge is possible. It says "aacaaryavaan purusho

veda" (only one who has a Preceptor, gains true knowledge). "Sad-vidvan

upasrpyatam pratidinam tatpadukaa sevyatam brahmaika akasaram arthyatam

srutisriri-vaakyam samaakarnyataam." Adi Shankara exhorted thus also in the

teaching just on the eve of his casting off the mortal coils he commands:

"Take to a Preceptor who is a savant and is pure. Then do service at his holy

feet every day. Seek the instruction on Brahman, symbolised in the single

syllable Om! Listen to the Mahavaakyas of Upanishads!" Shrimad Guru Paduka

Stotra(16th file from the top in our group's files section for sanskrit version

and script.) Meaning: I worship the 12 lettered lotus adorned with the

Kundali nadi in the womb of the marvellous and eternally white and pure 1,000

petal lotus. (1rst verse) I worship that auspicious white seat in the cavity

of the flowering pericarp, where exist the lines of A- Ka-Tha and so forth,

forming a circle marked with angles. [2] I meditate in my heart on that

beautiful jewel throne of bindu and nada, the circle of consciousness, in that

cavity where a bright lightning-like colour competes with the effulgence of a

pale red gem. [3]I envelop myself in those two primordial swans above me,

flaming consumers of fire, devouring the cosmos, abounding in great

manifestation, those flowering feet. [4] I remember those wonderful feet, the

pair which are the root of cooling moon rays, the two feet of Natha,

sun and moon, like saffron wine, a river of flower-juice. [5] The nails of

which are radiant like the moon, those gold-bejewelled, glittering, purifying,

red padukas, which restrain the clamour of evil. I worship the two feet of the

guru, sun and moon, supreme essence of nectar, pure quintessence, brilliant,

the very core of power, placed on my head. [6] This five-fold paduka hymn has

come from the five faces of Shiva. [7] So ends the Shrimad Guru Paduka Stotra,

uttered by Shiva in the Shri Matrikabheda Tantra. Bharata went to the

forest in search of Rama, hoping to perform the coronation ceremony for him

there and afterward to bring him home to the palace. But Rama, faithful to the

laws of Dharma, would not break his promise to go into exile and declined to

accompany Bharata back to Ayodhya. Bharata hunted out a pair of costly sandals

and said, "Here are sandals inlaid with gold. I beg you to stand on them for a

moment. Blessed by the touch of your holy feet, these sandals will become

sanctified, and they will bear the burden of ruling the kingdom." Rama

smiled at Bharata and stood for a moment wearing the golden sandals. Then he

gave them back to his brother. Bharata prostrated before the sandals and said,

"My beloved brother, I will dress like a renunciant in coarse tree bark and

deer skin, and will wear matted locks until your term of exile is over in

fourteen years. I will wait for you to come back, and I will live outside the

city of Ayodhya, in Nandigrama. I will place these sandals on the throne, and

they will rule the kingdom as your symbols. I will merely serve as your

representative." Bharata took the sandals in his hands, placed them with

reverence on his head, and did pradakshina, walking clockwise around Rama three

times. Still carrying the padukas on his head, Bharata ascended his chariot.

Eventually he reached Nandigrama, where the coronation of the padukas would

take place. Bharata addressed the elders and said, "I have been appointed

guardian of the country by my revered brother. His sandals will rule the

kingdom." He bowed to the sandals and spoke again: "To me, these are the

blessed feet of my brother. The white umbrella indicating royalty will be held

above them, and they will inspire me to walk on the right path and never to

swerve from it. I will guard them with my life. One day, I will see them

adorning my brother’s feet, and I will find peace of mind." Dressed in tree

bark and deer skin, Bharata lived outside of Ayodhya. He would speak to the

sandals and report to them about the various happenings in the kingdom as

though they were human. He did nothing without consulting them. And they, in

turn, granted him the insight and wisdom he needed to resolve every

situation in a just and righteous manner. Dedicating everything to the padukas,

Bharata ruled the kingdom for fourteen years, until Rama returned victorious

from the forest, having defeated the mighty demon Ravana. "The Guru’s feet

are worshipped or revered because all the Guru’s shakti dwells in the feet. If

you did research into this, you would find that the vibrations of the inner

self constantly flow out through the feet. The nerves that come from the

Sahasrara reach right down to the feet. The feet serve as the support for the

whole body. This is the reason the feet are given so much importance. More

shakti flows form the feet than any other part of the body, the glory of the

Guru’s feet for the Guru’s sandals is great. Kularnava Tantra

says: "Remember the Guru’s sandals … They provide protection against great

diseases, great disturbances, great evils, great fears, great calamities, and

great sins". According to Chinese medicine, the body contains many

acupuncture meridian or channels which will congregate around the feet. By

treating the feet, the Chinese physicians

adjust the flow of energy to different parts and organs of the body.

Additionally, there is a particular acupuncture point in the sole of the foot

called yongquuan, which means gushing/bubbling spring. When a person needs

energy, he is taught to focus his mind on this point. Sooner or later there is

energy charge that goes from the mind to this point in the sole of the foot,

and from there energy shoots up to the crown of the head. It is the major point

for meditation and acupuncture. The foot of Guru is no ordinary foot.

Gurupaddangre paadodakam ganga. All holy waters, including Mother Ganga, live

in the Guru’s feet. This is what you should think in your heart when

worshipping the Guru. All holy waters, all Devatas, or angels, and all sacred

hills abide in the Guru’s feet. One should have firm sankalpa (intention,

determination) to behold all gods in guru’s feet. The trimurthis – Brahma,

Vishnu, Siva – live in Guru’s feet. These three Divine Forms symbolize the

removal of the three qualities of nature that keeps the soul in bondage. The

three qualities are tamas (sense of ego), rajas (passion,

desire) and sattva (goodness and purity) when these three qualities are removed,

then the soul becomes free or sanyaasi. In this state, one renounces desire and

becomes like a stone – not senseless, but chinmaya (full of light). So, after

Guru Pada Puja, it is to surrender the three qualities to the Divine Trinity.

This is the significance of self surrender to the Guru’s feet. For the sake

of His disciples, the formless Guru takes the form in Padukas. Guru lives in

Padukas. A devotee should pray "O my Guru, wherever my mind goes, may your form

be there. Wherever my head bows in salutation, may your feet be there." The Guru

continuously tests the devotees. It is very dangerous for the devotees to look

on the Guru as an ordinary man. The devotee

must think that the Guru is higher than Shiva, Vishnu or Brahma. If one thinks

that the Guru is the physical form and activities, then it becomes very easy

for doubts to infiltrate the citadel of devotion, and after a while, to

completely overcome it. Nothing the Guru says or does is ordinary, there is

always a higher reason.

0px; TEXT-INDENT: 0px; LINE-HEIGHT: 100%" align="justify">Mandukya Upanishad

says: "The Guru’s feet are like the foundation on which a building stands…. The

Guru’s feet are the two elements in the mantra So’Ham which means `I am that’.

The statement `I am that’ (SoHam) is packed with richness and significant

meaning. The two syllables, Ham and Sa, have a number of esoteric meanings. Ham

is Shiva, the all pervading supreme reality, the absolute Being. He is the Lord

or God, the support and the foundation of all things, sentient and insentient.

In the form of pure concisiousness, He permeates all creatures and dwells in

them as their own innermost self. The Scriptures call this experience Purusha,

the eternal witness. So is shakti, the energy of Shiva. She is the divine

Cosmic power that creates and maintains the countless galaxies and worlds. She

is the consort of Shiva, the active aspect of the formless, the attributeless

Absolute. She is the joyous divine energy that unfolds the universe, assuming

the billions of shapes and forms that we see around. Shiva is the experiencer

and Shakti is the experienced – objective universe. She is referred also as

Prakriti or the force of nature. She is the energy that powers our mind and

that enables us to walk, talk, eat meals, and perform our work. While

experiencing the primordial sound SoHam in meditation, a seeker can also

experience the sound or vibrations of the different seed letters and their

surrounding mantras. The sounds of these Bija mantras lead us to the Bindu, on

Blue Pearl, which is the ultimate goal. Sound is the path that takes us to the

final destination. Just as a bee gathers honey from blossoming flowers, in the

same way, the seeker savors the honey of various lotuses, or chakras. The

ultimate goal of every sadhaka is to attain the liberation in the thousand –

petaled lotus of the Sahasrara at the crown of the head.

(Padapuja being done to Sri Ganapathy Satchidananda swami by his disciple)

The Guru Geeta also says that the Guru’s feet have two different lusters – one

is white and

other is red – representing Shiva and Shakti. Shiva is associated with the white

color, and Shakti, the divine energy with the red color. In these feet of

Guru, Shiva and Shakti live as one and through them the disciple realizes the

unity. He sees Shiva and Shakti as red and white lights shining through the

Guru’s feet. The Guru’s feet should be worshipped everyday, for by their means

one easily realizes the immanent and transcendent aspect of Shiva (form and

formlessness aspects). Their luster radiates in the upper spaces of Sahasrara

Chakra. The Paduka Panchaka speaks of two lotuses or spiritual centers:

1. Sahasrara, the brilliant white lotus of a thousand petals that is

located at the crown of the head. 2. A smaller twelve petaled lotus that is

situated within the center of the Sahasrara. The Sahasrara is the larger

upper lotus which is downward – turned, and the smaller twelve petaled lotus is

beneath it and upward – turned. In the center where these two lotuses meet,

there is a triangle with its apex pointing downward. The lines of

this triangle are actually composed of all the letters of the Sanskrit

alphabets; so it might be said that the Guru’s feet which are located within

this triangle, sit inside the source of all language and sounds. This triangle

is called a-ka-tha, after the letters that stand at the beginning of its three

lines. A and the thirteen Sanskrit vowels that follow it start at the

downward-point apex of this triangle and extend up the right side. The first

sixteen consonants starting with ka form the second line, extending across the

top of the triangle from right to left. Each letter has its own place on a

certain petal in certain chakras in our system. The second sixteen consonants

beginning with that form the third line, extending down the left side of the

triangle back to the apex. The remaining three letters, Ha, La and Ksha are

located inside the triangle. It is said that A is the father of all

letters. Ka is the seed of the Shakti principle, which has the quality of a

mother. Tha refers to the element of ether (sky) which enables a seeker to soar

like a bird in the inner space of Consciousness. A seeker attains this triangle

of letters when he reaches the sahasrara. At the very center of the a-ka-tha

triangle is the supreme Bindu Pearl. It is small, brilliant blue dot the size of

sesame seed, yet it is the source of everything. Bindu is the first form to

emerge out of mahasunya (great void). Bindu is the state of the gathered – up

power of Consciousness that is about to create the universe. Therefore it is

called "primordial seed of the universe" or "cosmic creative drop." In fact,

the bindu germinates and sprouts into three other pearls or bindus which mark

the angles of the a-ka-tha triangle. This primordial triangle is also known as

the COSMIC WOMB that gives birth to all the sounds represented by the letters

of alphabet. The Paduka Panchaka speaks of this triangle, saying "In the round

space of the thousand petaled lotus, there is a triangular lotus, which is

formed by the three

lines beginning with a, ka, tha, and which has Ham and Sa on two sides. One

should remember the Guru, who is seated in its center." In fact the a-ka-tha

triangle has the character of a mandala (a diagram ritualistically created as

an act of worship of a particular deity) which is naturally formed – that is

self created – and in it are set the feet of the Guru. When we meditate on the

Guru’s feet, it is here that they are envisioned. The Paduka Panchaka tells

us that as we visualize the place of Guru within the triangle at the crown of

the head, we are to meditate on the primordial hamsa, the all – powerful great

light in which the universe is absorbed. So when we meditate on hamsa here, it

is with the awareness, ‘I am that’, the awareness of

merging into the great light that is the Supreme Guru. The Paduka Panchaka

continues: "The mind there contemplates the two lotuses which are the feet of

the Guru, and of which the ruby colored like nectar of the moon, and are the

place of all auspiciousness. We have seen that the a-ka-tha triangle is

situated in the center where two lotuses meet – the sahasrara and the smaller

twelve petaled lotus. Now, this image is enriched by an additional image –

another natural self formed mandala, The FULL MOON, inside which the a-ka-tha

triangle and the feet of the Guru reside. Within this mandala of moon in the

sahasrara, we find ‘pots of nectar’ also referred to as ‘nectar of the Moon.’

This pot of the nectar has the shape of a delicate crescent moon

and is downward turned. From here the nectar flows down through the sushumna

nadi. This nectar is more intoxicating than honey could ever be. The sound

(inner nada heard in meditation) will make you taste a divine elixir. It is

sweeter than the sweetest. Every drop is worth millions. By taking it you get

rid of all sickness. There will be no more suffering, no more want, no more

feeling of ‘I and mine.’ The Lalita Sahasranama says: "Salutations to Her

(Shakti) who sends stream of nectar from the transcendent moon in the

Sahasrara." The Shiva Samhita says: `The Sahasrara is the thousand petaled

lotus in the Brahmananda. In its center is the region of the moon and a

triangle which continuously showers nectar. This moon nectar, which grants

immortality, flows in continuous stream…" The Paduka Panchaka also mentions

that the Guru’s feet are cool like the nectar of the moon. In other words, just

as the moonbeams cool us of after the heat of the day, in the same way devotion

to the feet of the Guru extinguishes the fire of sorrow and suffering and gives

us peace. Verse 6 of the Paduka Panchaka says: "I adore the two lotus feet of

the Guru in my head. The jeweled foot stool on which they rest removes all sin.

The Guru’s feet are pinkishred like

young leaves. The roe nails resemble the full moon shining in all its glory. The

Guru’s feet are radiant with the beautiful luster of lotuses in a lake of

nectar." When the Guru Gita speaks of the water of the guru’s feet, it is

referring to this lake of nectar. There are number of verses that explore this

image. For example, verse 13 of the Guru Gita says: "the water of the Guru’s

feet has the power to dry up the mire of one’s sins, to ignite the light of

knowledge, and to take one smoothly across the ocean of this world." Verse

14: "To obtain knowledge and detachment, sip the water of Guru’s feet, which

destroys ignorance and ends karmas, the cause of rebirth. Muktananda says it is

not the water of Guru’s physical feet that will make you

immortal; it is only the nectar flowing in the Guru’s abode situated in the

Sahasrara that will make you immortal, and that nectar can be received by the

grace of the Guru. In the course of meditation, when the mind becomes

stabilized in the Sahasrara, this nectar begins to flow. Only after drinking

this nectar can you be said to have drunk the water of the Guru’s feet. It is

not the water of the Guru’s physical feet that matters. The true feet of the

Guru lie in the sahasrara; it is the nectar flowing from them that gives

immortality. In the words of the Maharashtrian poet-saint, Eknath. "By the dust

of my Guru’s feet all the work was accomplished. Eknath has emerged his mind in

Sri Guru’s feet…. By holding the feet of the Guru, all ignorance disappeared.

I have not performed cruel austerities, offered sacrifices, or wandered to

sacred places. The means of all means is the feet of the Sadguru." Lord

Shiva told Parvati devi trenchantly thus, “There is no mantra greater than the

Guru’s padukaThere is no deity greater than the Sadguru and there is no Diksha

better than Shaktipata, through which the Guru transfers His spiritual energy

to the

disciple. If an ordinary person utters a mantra, it is merely a group of words.

The Agni Purana calls it a dormant mantra. But the same mantra, when given by

an enlightened Sadguru, is imbued with His Atma Shakti. The Agni Purana calls

it a conscious mantra. There is no other initiation as powerful as that given

by the Sadguru. There is no merit higher than what is obtained by worshipping

one’s lineage. [The literal meaning is the worshipping one’s parents but the

real meaning is worshipping Guru, the Supreme father . The Sadguru is

essentially the embodiment of the Supreme Brahman. And therefore the merits

acquired through the worship of the Guru is of the highest order. The holy

image of the

Sadguru is the key to meditation. Devotional love for His pious feet is the key

to worship. The Sadguru’s ambrosial words constitute the key Mantra. And His

benign grace is the key to final salvation. Parvati! The root of all that

happens in the universe is the Guru. Therefore, for success in all endeavours,

one should always serve the Guru with devotion. Fear, sorrow, avarice, delusion

and confusion haunt men only so long as they don’t seek refuge in the Gurudev

who is ever so loving to His devotees.

TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px; TEXT-INDENT: 25px;

TEXT-ALIGN: justify"> So long as true devotion to the Sadguru is not kindled

in one’s heart, one is bound to wander in this world, tormented by all sorts of

sorrows and impurities. Guru Paduka Mantra, once perfected through its

systematic japa,nyasa,tarpana and mudra, endows one with all sorts of

supernatural and divine powers. And then with the benign grace of the Sadguru,

one finally attains the Supreme Being and becomes a Mahatma, a great Soul. The

Guru, when satisfied with his disciple’s seva, awards boons to the latter.

Similarly the disciple should endeavour to please the Guru by serving Him with

all his wealth and Prana. Here, serving the Guru with Prana implies the

complete surrender of the disciple when he is devoid of all resolves and

counter-resolves; Since one’s identification with the body is primarily

generated by Prana itself, which is actually the last and final attachment.

Thus we can conclude that for

serving the Guru with prana, the disciple should surrender his identification

with the body at the holy feet of his Guru. When the Sadguru enlightens the

disciple with the essence of his True Self, which transcends time and space the

disciple gets liberated and transcends the cycle of birth and death. The

disciple should strive to propitiate the Guru in order to win His favour. Once

the Guru is pleased, then and there the disciple is absolved of all his sins.

The disciples who do not desire anything from the Guru, find all their needs

fulfilled by the sheer grace of the Sadguru (Supreme Master). There is no

doubt that once the Sadguru is pleased, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and other gods,

munis and yogis automatically

become pleased and shower their grace on the devotee. The disciple, who attains

blessings of the compassionate Guru by pleasing Him with his devotion, is freed

from Karmabandhana and becomes a deserving candidate for both Bhakti and Mukti.

The disciple should follow the precepts of the pleased Guru. While discharging

his daily duties, the disciple, with all his body, mind and speech, should

strive to do good to others. GuruPaduka mantra is

considered very sacred in Srividya because it transmits the power of the

tradition from the inchoatory point in an unbroken lineage of power nodes to

the srividya aspirant.This transmission of power is very puissant and carries

the power for 'kundalini prerana'.That is why many Gurus even warn the

disciples not to over-do the Gurupaduka mantra and sometimes refrain from

giving it and just blissfully dole out the Gurumantra. In

Lalithakramam there is what is known as GuruMandala puja.I hope all Srividya

upasakas of this forum know this.In that there is mention of of the Gurupaduka.

There we come to know the triumvariate distinction of three

gurus-Divya,siddha and Manava(I will dwell upon this in a later elaborate

posting).Some kramas do not use pujayami and tarpayami together and refrain

from using both hands together and term such usance as left-handed(vaamam),yet

others(like my own guru sampradaya use both hands sometimes to place flowers

and this is termed as 'dwihastha prakarana' by some learned Srividya

practitoners and I follow it because this is what my Guru has exhorted me to

do(simple!). GURUMANDALA Pūjâ(I refrain from giving out the actual

mantra...please get the initiation) aim hrīm śrīm ka .........

la hrīm divyaugha guru Śrī pàdukàm pūjayàmi tarpayàmi

namaha aim hrīm śrīm ka ................ la hrīm siddhauga

guru Śrī pàdukàm pūjayàmi tarpayàmi namaha aim hrīm

śrīm ka ...................... la hrīm mana vaugha guru

Śrī pàdukàm pūjayàmi tarpayàmi namaha Gurumandala puja and

Gurupaduka mantra is the embodiment of vedic wisdom enshrined in Tantra

not bear any responsibility if anyone tries to do it replacing any Guru's name

in it. He/She does it at his/her own peril.Also the webpage says "In the old

system Guru was considered essential, and even now IF possible a Guru would be

the ideal choice as you will have some one who has traveled the path to guide

you. However in a situation where you cannot have a Guru (for whatever reason,

following Sri Vidyarnnava tantra you can take a book as Guru or following

Lakshmidhara, accept him as Guru and proceed) " I would not recommend such a

course myself. To follow a book for Srividya or to consider Lakshmidhara as a

Guru and proceed is not a right course(this is not an Ekalavya story!). Because

Firstly Lakshmidhara has to accept you as his disciple(You must get

confirmation from Him from Chintamani griha(another realm)). It is like the

cliched joke "I know the president of USA ...but he does not know me!"

Secondly ,if anything happens to you by way of kundalini Arohanam you will be

done for.(I suffered almost lunatic fits for 1 year with my kundalini

experience doing mantras out of books!..please not with Srividya mantras,I warn

you.I just did some other mantras(not even srividya) but i suffered even more

than Pandit Gopikrishna with Kundalini burn-pangs(it was a nightmare I should

say for everyone around me!..if you alone suffer

that is ok but the people and loved ones around you will suffer for your

negligence.So,please....I entreat you with folded hands not to indulge in such

bravados. in the name of spirituality.) Thirdly, a

Guru,Parampara,Sampradaya(I always say that sampradhahana is important just

like Vimalananda Aghori but still...) and a living Guru who is there to guide

you is necessary. --------------^^^^^^^^^^^^^^----------------------- Thus I

would say, This

is the essence of Guru Paduka Mantra.It is the last culminatory process in the

journey toward Moksham and Ateethanirvanam Also the Gurupadukas must be

carefully preserved. Normally srividya tradition has prescribed that the

Gurupadukas be made of Devadaaru tree bark and then carefully preserved in

either gold or silver covering.(Atleast this is what my traditon

prescribes.Though we follow a particular Mandali's book for some rituals we

follow to the dot what Swami Rajagopala says.His words are my Aiyndree vidya!)

Some saints do not even show their feet as it is an energy channel to send

their power out. Padanamaskara is thus considered a powerful way to know and

recieve a great spiritualist's spirituality.One great yogi and a dear friend of

mine I know used to touch the feet of people who claimed to have great

spirtuality and make mock displays with all 'trappings' of spiritual

power(Organisations,people,concepts,mantras etal) and suck their power off

their feet whatever little they possessed.He would act humble and fall on their

feet and touch their feet and gauge their power. If they were truly something

then he would not mind learning from them else he would simply suck their vital

energies. I would not however recommend such intrepid moves(it would be

better to concentrate our energies on the 'Highest' once one obtains a Srividya

Guru). Hope this helps you Vikramji... Tvayyeva sakaa thas

tavamantraraajam Japasthavaaraadhana Tatparosou

COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Papyrus; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> Shree

Rajagopalabhakathavaryaha aasthe Adhunaatvaam sharanam prapadhye’! Saa

Sarvamangalaa nityaa sarvamanagala rupinee karothu jagathaam mathaa mangalam

mama sarvada!!

Arial"> 'Spoken with forehead on floor' Mama Prerakaa ,

Soochaka, Vaachaka, Darshakaa, Sikshakaa! Yours

yogically, Shreeram Balijepalli ---------------------------In reply

to:----------------- namaste shreeramji can you please let me more about the

importance of guru paduka mantra for a sri vidya practitioner regards vikram

 

Purity, Powers, Parabrahmam...

 

 

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