The Latest

prathamaṁ tu guruḥ pūjyaḥ tataś caiva mamārcanam |
kurvan siddhim avāpnoti hy anyathā niṣphalaṁ bhavet ||
(Unknown source; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 4.344; Bhakti Sandarbha: 238)
[Bhagavān:] “By first worshipping guru and then worshipping me, one attains perfection, and otherwise, one’s worship becomes fruitless.”
Read on →: prathamaṁ tu guruḥ pūjyaḥ tataś caiva mamārcanam
gu-śabdas tv andhakārasya ru-śabdas tan-nivārakaḥ |
andhakāra-nirodhitvād gurur ity abhidhīyate ||
(Skanda Purāṇa)
“The syllable gu means darkness, and the syllable ru means its remover. A guru is so called because of his being a dispeller of darkness.”
Read on →: gu-śabdas tv andhakārasya ru-śabdas tan-nivārakaḥ
nāma-śreṣṭhaṁ manum api śacī-putram atra svarūpaṁ
rūpaṁ tasyāgrajam uru-purīṁ māthurīṁ goṣṭha-vāṭīm |
rādhā-kuṇḍaṁ giri-varam aho rādhikā-mādhavāśāṁ
prāpto yasya prathita-kṛpayā śrī-guruṁ taṁ nato’smi ||
(Muktā-caritam)
“I offer obeisance unto śrī-guru, he by whose celebrated grace I have received the supreme name, the mantra, the Son of Śacī, Svarūpa, Rūpa, his elder brother [i.e., Sanātana], the great abode of Mathurā, Vṛndāvana, Rādhā Kuṇḍa, the best of mountains [i.e., Govardhana], and aho!, hope of [personally serving] Rādhikā and Mādhava.”
Read on →: nāma-śreṣṭhaṁ manum api śacī-putram atra svarūpaṁ
nāhi kā̐hāso virodha, nāhi kā̐hā anurodha,
sahaja vastu kari vivecana |
yadi haya rāga-dveśa, tāhā̐ haya āveśa,
sahaja vastu nā yāya likhana ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.2.86)
“Neither out of opposition to anyone, nor in compliance to anyone, I discuss the fundamental subject-matter. If partiality or enmity arise and absorption in them occurs, then description of the fundamental subject is not possible.”
Read on →: nāhi kā̐hāso virodha
ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā |
cakṣur unmilitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ ||
(Cited in Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā to Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.1.1; Prema-bhakti-candrikā: 1)
“Obeisance unto śrī-guru, he by whom my eyes, which were blinded by the cataract of ignorance, have been opened with the collyrium-wand of knowledge.”
Read on →: ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
aho he putrakā yūyam asmad-arthe’tiduḥkhitāḥ |
ātmā vai prāṇināṁ preṣṭhas tam anādṛtya mat-parāḥ ||
etad eva hi sac-chiṣyaiḥ kartavyaṁ guru-niṣkṛtam |
yad vai viśuddha-bhāvena sarvārthātmārpaṇaṁ gurau ||
tuṣṭo’haṁ bho dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ satyāḥ santu manorathāḥ |
chandāṁsy ayāta-yāmāni bhavantv iha paratra ca ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.80.40–42; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 2.112)
“[Sāndīpani Muni to Kṛṣṇa and Sudāmā after finding that they have endured a night trapped in the forest by a storm after going out to collect firewood for his service]: Aho! O sons! The body is certainly most dear to living beings, but you two, being devoted to me, have disregarded it and been greatly troubled for my sake. Purely offering the entirety of one’s wealth and self to guru—this is indeed the requital of guru to be performed by sincere disciples. Bho! Best of the twice-born! I am satisfied [with you both because of your ideal attitude and conduct as disciples]. In this world and the next may your desires be fulfilled, and may the mantras [i.e., the mantras in the Vedas that I have taught you] be undiminished [i.e., remain ever-fresh and imbued with their essence—may they manifest themselves in your mind and bestow their wisdom and benefit upon you in this life and the next].”
Read on →: aho he putrakā yūyam asmad-arthe’tiduḥkhitāḥ