साक्षाद्धरित्वेन समस्तशास्त्रै-
रुक्तस्तथा भाव्यत एव सद्भिः ।
किन्तु प्रभोर्यः प्रिय एव तस्य
वन्दे गुरोः श्रीचरणारविन्दम् ॥
sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstrair
uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ |
kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya
vande guroḥ śrī-charaṇāravindam ||
(Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda’s Gurudevāṣṭakam: 7)
“I offer obeisance unto the beautiful lotus feet of guru, who is described by all the śāstras as being Hari himself and is indeed considered so by the sādhus [on account of his being most dear to Hari], yet [by nature] is really a dear one of Prabhu [i.e., a bhakta dear to Hari and not a manifestation of Hari who is equal to Hari in all respects].”