Gurv-aṣṭakam
Eight verses in praise of śrī guru
By Śrīpād Śaṅkarācārya
शरीरं सुरूपं तथा वा कलत्रं
यशश्चारुचित्रं धनं मेरुतुल्यम् ।
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरङ्घ्रिपद्मे
ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम् ॥१॥
śarīraṁ surūpaṁ tathā vā kalatraṁ
yaśaś-cāru-citram dhanam meru-tulyam |
manaś cen na lagnaṁ guror aṅghri-padme
tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kim ||1||
My body may be beautiful, and my wife [may be] as well;
My reputation may be brilliant and exalted,
And my wealth may be comparable to Mount Meru,
But if my mind is not fixed
On the lotus feet of guru
(Whose grace is the only real wealth),
Then what of it? Then what of it?
Then what of it? Then what of it?
कलत्रं धनं पुत्रपौत्रादि सर्वं
गृहं बान्धवाः सर्वमेतद्धि जातम् ।
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरङ्घ्रिपद्मे
ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम् ॥२॥
kalatraṁ dhanaṁ putra-pautrādi-sarvaṁ
gṛhaṁ bāndhavāḥ sarvam etad dhi jātam |
manaś cen na lagnaṁ guror aṅghri-padme
tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kim ||2||
Wife, wealth, sons, grandsons, and all the like,
Home, friends—indeed everything—I may have,
But if my mind is not fixed
On the lotus feet of guru
(My eternal guardian and friend),
Then what of it? Then what of it?
Then what of it? Then what of it?
षडङ्गादिवेदो मुखे शास्त्रविद्या
कवित्वादिगद्यं सुपद्यं करोति ।
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरङ्घ्रिपद्मे
ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम् ॥३॥
ṣaḍ-aṅgādi-vedo mukhe śāstra-vidyā
kavitvādi-gadyaṁ supadyaṁ karoti |
manaś cen na lagnaṁ guror aṅghri-padme
tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kim ||3||
The Vedas, with their six limbs and so on,
And knowledge of other śāstras,
May be present on my lips,
And I may compose insightful prose and fine poetry,
But if my mind is not fixed
On the lotus feet of guru
(By whose grace alone the truth is realized),
Then what of it? Then what of it?
Then what of it? Then what of it?
विदेशेषु मान्यः स्वदेशेषु धन्यः
सदाचारवृत्तेषु मत्तो न चान्यः ।
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरङ्घ्रिपद्मे
ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम् ॥४॥
videśeṣu mānyaḥ svadeśeṣu dhanyaḥ
sadācāra-vṛtteṣu matto na cānyaḥ |
manaś cen na lagnaṁ guror aṅghri-padme
tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kim ||4||
I may be honorable in foreign countries,
And be prosperous in my homeland,
And in proper conduct and occupation,
There may be no one equal to me,
But if my mind is not fixed
On the lotus feet of guru
(Whose example is perfection),
Then what of it? Then what of it?
Then what of it? Then what of it?
क्षमामण्डले भूपभूपालवृन्दैः
सदा सेवितं यस्य पादारविन्दम् ।
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरङ्घ्रिपद्मे
ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम् ॥५॥
kṣamā-maṇḍale bhūpa-bhūpāla-vṛndaiḥ
sadā sevitaṁ yasya pādāravindam |
manaś cen na lagnaṁ guror aṅghri-padme
tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kim ||5||
My lotus feet may be continuously worshipped
By kings and emperors across the earth,
But if my mind is not fixed
on the lotus feet of guru
(To whom all honour is due),
Then what of it? Then what of it?
Then what of it? Then what of it?
यशो मे गतं दिक्षु दानप्रतापा-
ज्जगद्वस्तु सर्वं करे यत्प्रसादात् ।
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरङ्घ्रिपद्मे
ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम् ॥६॥
yaśo me gataṁ dikṣu dāna-pratāpāj
jagad-vastu-sarvaṁ kare yat prasādāt |
manaś cen na lagnaṁ guror aṅghri-padme
tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kim ||6||
By virtue of my generosity and prowess,
My fame may have travelled in all directions,
And all things of this world
May be in the palm of my hand,
But if my mind is not fixed
On the lotus feet of guru
(To whom all my efforts should be dedicated),
Then what of it? Then what of it?
Then what of it? Then what of it?
न भोगे न योगे न वा वाजिराजौ
न कान्तामुखे नैव वित्तेषु चित्तम् ।
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरङ्घ्रिपद्मे
ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम् ॥७॥
na bhoge na yoge na vā vājirājau
na kāntā-mukhe naiva vitteṣu cittam |
manaś cen na lagnaṁ guror aṅghri-padme
tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kim ||7||
Neither in enjoyment nor in yoga,
Nor in horses and other possessions,
Nor in the face of a beautiful woman,
Nor indeed in any wealth,
May my mind be found,
But if my mind is not fixed
On the lotus feet of guru
(Who is the most fundamental object of meditation),
Then what of it? Then what of it?
Then what of it? Then what of it?
अरण्ये न वा स्वस्य गेहे न कार्ये
न देहे मनो वर्तते मे त्वनर्घ्ये ।
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरङ्घ्रिपद्मे
ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम् ॥८॥
araṇye na vā svasya gehe na kārye
na dehe mano vartate me tvan arghye |
manaś cen na lagnaṁ guror aṅghri-padme
tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kim ||8||
Neither in the forest nor in my own home,
Nor in my duties, nor in my body,
Nor in anything of [worldly] value
Does my mind dwell,
But if my mind is not fixed
On the lotus feet of guru
(Who is the most fundamental object of meditation),
Then what of it? Then what of it?
Then what of it? Then what of it?
गुरोरष्टकं यः पठेत्पुण्यदेही
यतिर्भूपतिर्ब्रह्मचारी च गेही ।
लभेद्वाञ्छितार्थं पदं ब्रह्मसञ्ज्ञं
गुरोरुक्तवाक्ये मनो यस्य लग्नम् ॥९॥
guror aṣṭakaṁ yaḥ paṭhet puṇya-dehī
yatir bhūpatir brahmacārī ca gehī |
labhed vāñchitārthaṁ padaṁ brahma-sañjñaṁ
guror ukta-vākye mano yasya lagnam ||9||
A person of virtue
Who recites this poem of eight verses about guru,
Be he a sannyāsī, a king, a brahmacārī, or a householder,
With his mind fixed on the spoken words of guru,
Shall attain the desired end,
The plane known as Brahman.
Meter
Bhujaṅga-prayātam
Source
Edition published on Sringeri.net.