StreeGuru Kavacha and Gurupaduka Mantra Vivarana

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Posting made by Shreeram Balijepalli in the following groups: Smarthrugaami-Dattavibhavam (Avadhutha Dattatreya Group) Rajarajeshwari_Kalpataru (Rajarajeshwari Devi Group) Navagraha_Gnaana_Jyotisha_Vignaana (Navagraha and Astrology Group) Sadashiva Samaarambhya! Dattatreya Madhyamam! Rajagopala Paryantham! Vande' Mama Guru paramparaam! Om Ayeeim Hreem Shreem Shree Rajagopala Anandanathaya Gurupadukaam Pujayaami Tarpayaami Namaha Swaha!! Dhyana mulam guru murti,Puja mulam guru padukaMantra mulam guru vakyam,Moksha mulam guru kripa. Dear Vikram Vanamji and other followers of Srividya marga, Om Swasthi Shivaadi Gurubhyon Namaha!! Iam answering two queries posed to me in one go. One by shree Suprajesh(regarding Streegurukavacha and regarding my gurumantra/gurupaduka mantra) and the other by Vikram(who has given a posting too to that effect) -------H'skhaphre'm--the traditional srividya taantreeka Guru Beeja(Veejaakshara). According to my Mandali and guru tradition I should not reveal to anyone my Guru paduka mantra even if I have to lose my head(I think it is the same for many Srividya Dakshinaacharis).Such is the sacredness of Guru Paduka mantra! So dear Suprajeshji, I cannot give you my Gurupaduka mantra(Guru mantra etal).Please ask Swami Rajagopala to initiate you to Srividya and bless you with it. It will be a more puissant and dharmic course to adopt. Srividya path is solely a 'Guru-based' tradition.Some these days think they can deviate from this route and create their own ashram and concepts. Of course the greatest guru is the self or atman but it needs an externality. Internality cannot stand apart from externality. This is the first law of divine dialectics. One needs an external medium to approach the internal medium. Guru Dattatreya emphasises this point by first stating the first axiomatic truth in a deductive way of knowing things by direct soul-perception and then makes an inductive statement about His 24 Gurus. These days however people adopt abductive reasoning for Guru Marga. This is not appropriate in keeping with the spiritual laws neither is it in keeping up with the innerlight. Gurur - Brahma Gurur -

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!' 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. 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. 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 The above is an example of a Gurupaduka mantra 'amuka' must be replaced by your guru's name. However each tradition will have a different mantra.The above mantra text has been picked up from shakthi sadhana site.I do

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 Shree Rajagopalabhakathavaryaha aasthe Adhunaatvaam sharanam prapadhye’! Saa Sarvamangalaa nityaa sarvamanagala rupinee karothu jagathaam mathaa mangalam mama sarvada!! '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

 

 

 

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