Guru Gita

Selected Shlokas

 Suta narrating:
1. Parvati, Shiva’s royal wife, one day went to attend her Lord.
Reverently she pranamed to Him, and spoke these loving words to Him;

Parvati to Shiva:

2. I bow to Thee, O great God of gods, Only Guru of all the world!
Sadashiva, mahadeva, May I know the truth of the Guru’s role.

3. Lord, please teach me the surest way, Whereby man can be one with Thee.
At Thy feet. Lord, I pray to Thee. Let Thy grace fall on me today.

Shiva to Parvati:

4. O dear Goddess, Thou art myself!
Because I love Thee, I’ll grant this boon. Though none has asked me but thee thyself,
These words are given to everyone.

5. The mystery of the universe I will reveal, O beautious one
God and Guru are but two names, The truth is they are forever one.

8. Japa, penance and charity, ceremonies and vows and chants,
Without the knowledge of Guru’s worth, Leave a man lost in ignorance.

9. Know for certain the conscious self, And the Guru are truely one;
For this reason a man who’s wise, Will seek the Guru who’s meant for him.

10. Due to darkness within the mind, the secret knowledge of Truth’s concealed
By Her light and the Guru’s word, The Mother of all came to be revealed.

11. All man’s sins can be washed away, by serving the Guru’s feet with love.
Then a man and his God are one; Because I love thee I make this known.

13. The mire of sin will be washed away, And the knowledge of Truth will shine;
With the water of Guru’s feet, cross the ocean of ignorance.

14. Ignorance can be rooted out; Put an end to the round of births.
Non-attachment and wisdom gain; Drink the wine of the Guru’s feet.

17. The holy rivers and holy trees, the sacred places of holy lands,
Are all contained in the Guru’s feet; To the Guru’s beauteous form I bow.

18. Meditate on the Guru’s form; Always singing in thy heart His Name.
The Guru’s wishes thou must obey, think of nothing but Him all day.

19. The Guru’s knowedge awakes in him, On whom the Guru bestows His care.
Keep the Guru within thy heart, as a faithful wife keeps her husband there.

20. Let the thought of thy own life go, the thought of status, or wealth or fame.
Nothing else should be in thy mind, But the thought of Guru’s name.

21. To the man who loves Him alone, Godhood comes with the greatest ease.
Therefore this is the highest goal; Strive to be worthy of Guru’s love.

22. The Guru’s wisdom cannot be learned, From even gods of the higher worlds;
The Guru’s knowledge awakes in him, Who serves the Guru with purest love.

23. “Gu” is the symbol for darkest night; “Ru” is the symbol for radiant light.
The Guru is Brahma without a doubt; His Light of knowledge dispels the dark.

27. Devotees should delight their Lord, with the gifts which they give to Him;
More than this – for the Guru’s gifts, One should offer one’s life to Him.

28. Serve the Guru with all thy heart, Serve Him in speech and in action too.
Before Him stretch out upon the ground, Give all thy love to the Sadguru.

29. To the Guru thou must give all; Senses, body, and breath of life.
Wife or husband though must release; give up even thy soul to Him.

30. This cage of bones and blood and flesh, Will turn to ashes at last one day;
Unto the Guru this body give in full surrender without delay.

34. Ignorance blinds the eyes of man; The Guru makes him to see again.
With His wisdom He sets men free; Salutations I offer Him.

35. Thou art my Mother and Father too; Thou art my brother, Thou art my God.
Thou art my wealth in this world of change, Salutations I offer Thee.

38. By Thy wisdom the truth is known; The world and self are no longer two.
The form of Truth is itself the Truth; Salutations I offer Thee.

42. The world of many is truely one; All that is is contained in Thee.
‘Tis all Thy play which appears as change; Salutations I offer Thee.

45. My head I bow at the Guru’s feet, Untouched by thoughts and the words of men.
Mind and senses can grasp them not; Shiva and Shakti they represent.

49. Shri Gurudev has a form divine, Which only the eyes of the wise can see.
His glory is hid from the eyes of fools, as the sun is hid from a blind man’s eyes.

52. Pranayama cannot be learned by toil, Try however many times one may.
Strain and pain and surely weariness, are the most one can hope to gain.

53. Prana finds its way to steadiness alone, By the grace of Shri Gurudev;
Serve the Guru continuously, And thus remain in a state of Love.

54. Meditation on the Guru’s form, is meditation on the Lord.
Chant the name of Gurudev, If thou would chant the name of God.

55. A speck of dust from the Guru’s feet, Forms a bridge strong enough to cross.
Samsara can be overcome; Worship Him as the Lord of all.

56. The power of darkness can be destroyed, By the might of the Guru’s grace.
The Guru grants what the heart desires; Salutations I offer Him.

58. The Guru dwells in the Sahaswar, Enclosed by a figure whose sides are three.
Supreme Hansa is also there, Remember the Guru with love each day.

59. By His glance he creates the world; It is His glance which sustains it too.
Ignoring wealth, He examines hearts, and takes the sins of all men away.

60. Permeated with Consciousness, His glance gives birth to the worlds of time;
Oh, may that glance from the Guru’s eyes, Illumine me with its light divine!

65. Remember the Guru with every breath; Knowledge comes by the Guru’s Grace
Through books, or scriptures, or inference, Or through the means of experience.

68. All the scriptures are only gems, Decorating the Guru’s feet.
The lotus of knowledge He makes to bloom; Salutations I offer Him.

69. Knowledge wakes in the mind of man, When the Guru is loved with faith.
All is attained by the Guru’s Grace; Salutations I offer Him.

74. As high as the Guru there is no truth; As high as His service there is no work.
As high as His knowledge there is no jnan; Salutations I offer Him.

75. My Lord is the Lord of the universe, My Guru, the Guru of all three worlds.
My Self is the Self within all men; Salutations I offer Him.

76. The root of dhyan is the Guru’s form; The root of puja the Guru’s feet.
the root of mantra, the Guru’s word; The root of mukti, the Guru’s grace.

78. Though one travels to holy lands, And bathes in the waters of holy seas,
A greater treasure is won by him, Who sips the water of Guru’s feet.

85. Even men who are strong of mind, With all the learning the world provides,
Continue to spin on the wheel of change, Blinded victims of selfish pride.

87. Meditation, O Parvati, On the Guru brings highest joy,
Pleasure, comfort, eternal bliss, And the treasure of liberty.

89. One, eternal, forever free, The Witness of all the minds of men;
Beyond “becoming” and “qualities” – To that Guru I pranam again.

91. Meditate on the Guru’s form within the heart on a golden throne.
Like a moon He shines, granting all desires; To the Conscious state He awakes the mind.

95. The two-eyed, two-armed serene Guru, Dwells in the lotus of the Sahaswar.
He grants the power of fearlessness; Every morning remember Him.

96. There is nothing higher than the Sadguru! There is nothing higher than the Sadguru!
Shiva’s word is true! Shiva’s word is true! Shiva’s word is true, Shiva’s word is true!