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 Gurugītā (Gurugita) - Short version: Śrīgurupādukāpañcakam (Srigurupadukapancakam)

Five (stanzas singing the praises of) the venerable Guru's shoes


 Important

All that is in brackets and italicized within the translation has been added by me in order to complete the sense of a particular phrase or sentence. In turn, all that is between double hyphen (--...--) constitutes clarifying further information also added by me. I will add concise explanatory notes only if indispensable because in the commentary on Gurugītā you will find a detailed explanation of this text.

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 Stanza 1

श्रीगुरुपादुकापञ्चकम्

ॐ नमो गुरुभ्यो गुरुपादुकाभ्यो नमः परेभ्यः परपादुकाभ्यः।
आचार्यसिद्धेश्वरपादुकाभ्यो नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्यः॥१॥

Śrīgurupādukāpañcakam

Om̐ namo gurubhyo gurupādukābhyo namaḥ parebhyaḥ parapādukābhyaḥ|
Ācāryasiddheśvarapādukābhyo namo namaḥ śrīgurupādukābhyaḥ||1||

Five (stanzas singing the praises of) the venerable Guru's shoes

Om̐ (Om̐) - Salutation (namaḥ) to the Guru-s (gurubhyaḥ), (salutation to) the Guru-s' (guru) shoes (pādukābhyaḥ); salutation (namaḥ) to the highest (Guru-s) (parebhyaḥ) (as well as their) supreme (para) shoes (pādukābhyaḥ). Salutation (namaḥ) to the shoes (pādukābhyaḥ) of the Lord (īśvara), Siddha-s --perfected beings-- (siddha) (and) Ācārya-s --spiritual guides-- (ācārya)1 ; salutation (namaḥ) to the venerable (śrī) Guru-s' (guru) shoes (pādukābhyaḥ)||1||

1  There are other possible translations by playing with the compound "ācāryasiddheśvarapādukābhyaḥ". See the commentary on Gurugītā for more information.Return 

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 Stanza 2

ऐँकारह्रीँकाररहस्ययुक्तश्रीँकारगूढार्थमहाविभूत्या।
ॐकारमर्मप्रतिपादिनीभ्यां नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम्॥२॥

Aim̐kārahrīm̐kārarahasyayuktaśrīm̐kāragūḍhārthamahāvibhūtyā|
Om̐kāramarmapratipādinībhyāṁ namo namaḥ śrīgurupādukābhyām||2||

Salutation (namaḥ) to the (two shoes) that communicate (pratipādinībhyām) the secret quality or core (marma) of the sound (kāra) Om̐ (Om̐) (and which are) endowed with the great (mahā) power (vibhūtyā) of the hidden (gūḍha) meaning (artha) of the sound (kāra) Śrīm̐ (śrīm̐) accompanied (yukta) by the mystery (rahasya) of the sounds (kāra... kāra) Aim̐ (aim̐) (and) Hrīm̐ (hrīm̐). Salutation (namaḥ) to the venerable (śrī) Guru's (guru) shoes (pādukābhyām)||2||

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 Stanza 3

होत्राग्निहौत्राग्निहविष्यहोतृहोमादिसर्वाकृतिभासमानम्।
यद्ब्रह्म तद्बोधवितारिणीभ्यां नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम्॥३॥

Hotrāgnihautrāgnihaviṣyahotṛhomādisarvākṛtibhāsamānam|
Yadbrahma tadbodhavitāriṇībhyāṁ namo namaḥ śrīgurupādukābhyām||3||

Salutation (namaḥ) to the (two shoes) which grant (vitāriṇībhyām) knowledge (bodha) of that (tad) Brahma --the Absolute-- (brahma) who (yad) shines forth (bhāsamānam) (as) all (sarva) forms (ākṛti) (such as) the fire (agni) of the sacrifice (hotra), the fire (agni) of the Hotā priest2  (hautra), the oblation being offered (haviṣya), the (very) Hotā priest (hotṛ), the Homa or act of making an oblation in honor of the gods (homa), etc. (ādi). Salutation (namaḥ) to the venerable (śrī) Guru's (guru) shoes (pādukābhyām)||3||

2  The Hotā priest is the one who offers oblations to the fire, invokes the gods and recites sacred Ṛgveda during a sacrifice or ritual of worship.Return 

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 Stanza 4

कामादिसर्पव्रजगारुडाभ्यां विवेकवैराग्यनिधिप्रदाभ्याम्।
बोधप्रदाभ्यां द्रुतमोक्षदाभ्यां नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम्॥४॥

Kāmādisarpavrajagāruḍābhyāṁ vivekavairāgyanidhipradābhyām|
Bodhapradābhyāṁ drutamokṣadābhyāṁ namo namaḥ śrīgurupādukābhyām||4||

Salutation (namaḥ) to the (two shoes) whose form is like that of Garuḍa (gāruḍa)3  to the hosts (vraja) of serpents (sarpa) of desires (kāma), etc. (ādi), which bestow (pradābhyām... pradābhyām) the treasure (nidhi) of discernment or discrimination (viveka) (and) renunciation (vairāgya) (as well as) knowledge (bodha), (and) which grant (dābhyām) quick (druta) Liberation (mokṣa). Salutation (namaḥ) to the venerable (śrī) Guru's (guru) shoes (pādukābhyām)||4||

3  The word "gāruḍa" means "one whose form is like that of Garuḍa". Garuḍa is the mythical eagle who is the well-known archenemy of the serpents. He is also the vehicle of Lord Viṣṇu. Besides, the term "gāruḍa" also means "Mantra against poison", as there is a special Mantra to extract the venom from a person who has been bitten by a snake. Thus, both interpretations of "gāruḍa" are possible here.Return 

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 Stanza 5

अनन्तसंसारसमुद्रतारनौकायिताभ्यां स्थिरभक्तिदाभ्याम्।
जाड्याब्धिसंशोषणवाडवाभ्यां नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम्॥५॥

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥

Anantasaṁsārasamudratāranaukāyitābhyāṁ sthirabhaktidābhyām|
Jāḍyābdhisaṁśoṣaṇavāḍavābhyāṁ namo namaḥ śrīgurupādukābhyām||5||

Om̐ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ||

Salutation (namaḥ) to the (two shoes) that are a ship (naukāyitābhyām) to cross (tāra) the infinite (ananta) ocean (samudra) of Transmigration (saṁsāra), that confer (dābhyām) firm (sthira) devotion (bhakti) (and) that are a submarine fire (vāḍavābhyām) drying up (saṁśoṣaṇa) the ocean (abdhi) of insensibility and dullness (jāḍya). Salutation (namaḥ) to the venerable (śrī) Guru's (guru) shoes (pādukābhyām)||5||

Om̐ (Om̐), peace (śāntiḥ), peace (śāntiḥ), peace (śāntiḥ)||

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 Further Information

Gabriel Pradīpaka

This document was conceived by Gabriel Pradīpaka, one of the two founders of this site, and spiritual guru conversant with Sanskrit language and Trika philosophy.

For further information about Sanskrit, Yoga and Indian Philosophy; or if you simply want to comment, ask a question or correct a mistake, feel free to contact us: This is our e-mail address.



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