The first three lines from Gurustotram are commonly chanted to pray gratitude to that universal guru—’Sadguru’. It is said that Adi Shankaracharya wrote this text to praise the importance of the Guru in one’s life. The 14th hymn has also been added as it is the last hymn and is more commonly sung in schools. It is known to many as describing the ultimate surrender to a guru.
अखण्डमण्डलाकारं व्याप्तं येन चराचरम् ।
तत्पदं दर्शितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥ 1॥
Akhand-Mandalakaram vyaptam yena characharam.
Tatpadam darshitam yena tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.
Akhand – unfragmented; Mandalakaram – one infinite whole; vyaptam – pervades; yena – by which; characharam – movable & immovable; Tadpadam – That state; darshitam – has shown; yena – by whom; tasmai – to that; Shri – glorious;Guruve – guru, teacher; Namah – my salutations.
My Salutations to that Guru who revealed to me that Truth, which is unfragmented, infinite, timeless divinity, and which pervades the entire universe – movable or unmovable.
अज्ञानतिमिरान्धस्य ज्ञानाञ्जनशलाकया ।
चक्षुरुन्मीलितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥ 2॥
Agyan timir-andhasya Gyananjan Shalakaya.
Chakshur-oonmeelitam yena tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.
Agyan – Ignorance; timir – cataract; andhasya – blinded; Gyananjan – medicinal collyrium; Shalakaya – collyrium stick; Chakshur – my eyes; oonmilitam – opened; yena – by whom; tasmai – to that; Shri – glorious; Guruve – Guru; Namah – my salutations.
My Salutations to that reverential teacher, who opened my eyes, by applying the divine collyrium of self-knowledge in my eyes, which had got blinded by the cataract of ignorance.
गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः ।
गुरुरेव परं ब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥ 3॥
Gurur-Brahma Gurur-Vishnu Gurur-Devo Maheshwarah.
Guru-sakshat Para-Brahma tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.
Gurur – Guru; Brahma – Creator; Gurur – Guru; Vishnu – Sustainer; Gurur – Guru; Devo – the divine; Maheshwarah – the Destroyer; Guru Sakshat – the Guru is very; Para-Brahma – the transcendental divinity (which is the very basis of all the three); tasmai – to that; Shri – glorious; Guruve – Guru; Namah – my salutations.
Guru himself is the creator, sustainer and the destroyer. He is verily the very transcendental divinity, (the timeless life principle, which is the very essence of the creator etc.) My reverential salutations to that glorious teacher.
त्वमेव माता च पिता त्वमेव त्वमेव बन्धुश्च सखा त्वमेव।
त्वमेव विद्या द्रविणं त्वमेव त्वमेव सर्वं मम देव देव॥14॥
Tvameva mata cha pita tvameva tvameva bandhushcha sakha tvameva.
Tvameva vidya dravinam tvameva tvameva sarvam mama-dev-deva.
Tvameva – You alone; Mata – the mother; cha – and; pita-tvameva – you alone are the father; tvameva – You alone; bandushcha – are the brother, and; sakha tvameva – you alone are my friend; Tvameva-vidya – You alone are the knowledge; dravinam tvameva – you are the wealth; tvameva sarvam – you are everything for me; mama-dev-deva – O My ultimate God
O God! You alone are my mother, my father, my brother, and my friend. You alone are the knowledge, my real wealth. You are everything to me. You are verily my God alone.
