Guru Stotram of Shivanand Ashram

Sri Guru Stotram

Translated by
P.R.Ramachander

(This is a prayer to the Guru sung every day in the Shivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, India. It is more a collection of prayers addressed to Guru collected from different sources. The major part of the stotra is available in http://www.eaisai.com/baba/docs/slguru.html. A translation of this stotra is also available in http://forum.spiritualindia.org/guru-stotram-with-meaning-t25135.0.html )

Brahmanandam , parama sukhadham , kevalam Jnana moorthim,
Dwandwatheetham gagana sadrusam thathva masyadhi lakshyam,
Yekam nithyam vimala machalam sarvadhee sakshi bhootham,
Bhavaatheetham tri guna rahitham sad gurum tham namami. 1

I salute my great Guru, who is immersed in divine bliss, who is divinely happy,
Who is unalloyed wisdom , who is beyond anything that is two,
Who is like a sky , whose aim is “I am that”, who is one, who is forever ,
Who is pure, who is immobile , who is witness for everything,
Who is beyond emotions and who is beyond the three fold qualities.

Yasyantham nadhi Madhyam na hi kara charanam nama gothram na suthram,
No jathir naiva varno na bhavathi purusho no napumsam na cha sthree
Naakaaram no vikaram na hi jani maranam nasthi punyam cha papam,
No athathvam thathwamekam sahaja samaras am sadgurum tham namami. 2-3
.
I salute my great Guru,
Who does not have end, beginning or middle ,
Who does not have hand or feet ,
Who does not have name or clan or school of thought,
Who does not have caste , colour ,
Who is not either man or woman or eunuch.
Who does not have form or emotions,
Who does not have either birth or death,
Who does not have sin or good deeds,
Who is beyond principles and is one principle,
And who is friendly and tolerant.

Gurur Brahma , gurur Vishnu , gurur devo maheswara,
Guru sakshath param brahma thasmai Sri guruave nama. 4

Guru is Brahma, Vishnu and the great Maheswara,
Guru is the real Brahman and so I salute the Guru.

Chaithanyam saswatham santham vyomatheetham niranjanam,
Nada bindu kalatheetham thasmai sri guruave nama. 5

I salute that Guru, who is activity, permanence , peace and beyond sky,
Who is unstained and beyond the knowledge of ultimate sound of Om.

Ajnana thimirandhasya Jnana Ajnana salakaya ,
Chakshur unmeelitham yena thasmai sri Gurave nama. 6

I salute that Guru who opens my eyes ,
Which are closed by the cataract of ignorance,
And are not able to differentiate between,
Ignorance and knowledge , with his teachings.

Akhanda mandalakaram vyaptham yena characharam,
Thath padam darshitham yena thasmai Sri Gurave nama. 7

I salute that Guru , who helps me in seeing the feet,
Of him who is spread all over the world among all beings.

Sthavaram jangamam vyaptham yath kinchid characharam,
Thwam padam darshitham yena , thasmai sri gurave nama. 8

I salute that guru who shows us the God
Spread all over moving and non moving,
And also in all things of the universe.

Chinmayam vyapthim sarva trilokyam sa characharam,
Thwat padam darshidham yena , thasmai sri guruve nama. 9

I salute that Guru who shows us the God,
Who is micro and spread all over the three worlds,
In things that move and those who do not move.

Yath sathwena jagat sathyam , yath prakasena bhathi yath,
Yad aanandena nandathi thasmai Sri Gurave nama. 10

I salute that guru whose truth makes the world true,
Whose light makes things bright and,
Whose happiness makes every one happy.

Na guror adhikam thathwam , na guror adhikam thapa,
Na guror adhikam jnanam , thasmai sri gurave nama. 11

I salute that guru since no principle is greater than guru,
No penance is greater than Guru,
And no wisdom is greater than Guru.

Guru eko jagat sarva , brahma Vishnu shivathmakam,
Gurur para tharam nasthi thasmad sampoojaye gurum. 12

Guru is the whole universe,
Guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva,
There is no truth beyond Guru,
And so I worship Guru.

Yasya deva para , bhakthitr yadha deve thadha gurou,
Thasyaithe kadhitha hyardha, prakasanthe mahathmana. 13

All the words that are told by him,
Who has great devotion to God,
And considers his Guru as his God,
Would shine as that of a great being.

Mannadha sri jagan nadho, madh guru sri jagat guru,
Mamathma sarva bhoothathma , thasmai sri gurave nama. 14

My lord is the lord of universe,
My teacher is the teacher of universe
My soul is the soul of all beings,
And so I salute my guru.

Dhyana moolam guror moorthi, pooja moolam guror padam,
Manthra moolam guror vakhyam, moksha moolam guror krupa. 15

The root of my meditation is the form of my Guru,
The root of my worship is the feet of my Guru,
The root of my chants is the words of the Guru,
The root of my salvation is the blessing of my Guru.

Nama shivaya guruave , sachid Ananda moorthaye,
Nishprapanchaya shanthaya , niralambaya thejase. 16

Salutations to the Guru who is Lord Shiva,
Who has the form of divine ever lasting joy,
Who is above this world and peaceful,
And who is the shining brilliance without any support.

Ajnana moola haranam , janma karma nivaranam,
Jnana vairagya sidhyartham , guror padhodhakam pibeth. 17

Drinking of the water washing the feet of Guru,
Would destroy all sort of ignorance,
Would cure the problems due to birth and Karma,
And would lead to detachment in our birth.

Nithya shudham nirabhaasam , niraakaarm niranjanam,
Nithya bodham chidanandam gurur brahma namamyaham. 18

I salute my teacher who is the Brahma,
Who is forever clean, forever shining,
Who does not have any form and is fearless,
And who teaches daily and is divinely happy.

Nidhaye sarva vidhyaanaam , bhishaje bhava roginaam,
Gurave sarva lokaanaam , dakshinamurthaye nama. 19

I salute Lord Dakshinamurthy,
Who is the treasure of all knowledge,
Who is the doctor curing the disease of fate,
And who is teacher of all the worlds.

Om namo brahmadhibhyo brahma vidhya sampradhaya
Karthubhyo vamsarishibhyo mahadbhyo,
Namo gurubhya sarvopaplava rahitha,
Prajnana Ghana prathyagardho brahmaivaha masmi. 20

Om my salutations to Brahma and others,
To those who steered the knowledge of Brahmam,
And to those who are great people.
My salutations to my Guru and I am,
That Brahmam which is heavy with knowledge,
Which is without any sins and assumes all forms.

Om Narayanam padmabhavam Vasishtam,
Shakthim , cha thath puthra parasaram cha.
Vyasam shukam gowdapatham mahantham,
Govinda yogeendra madhasya sishyam. 21

Sri Shankaracharya madhasya padma padam cha,
Hasthamalakam cha sishyam,
Tham thotakam varthika kara manyan,
Asmad guroon santhatham manathosmi. 22

Om my salutations to Lord Narayana,
His disciple Padhma bhava, His disciple Vasishta,
His disciple Shakthi , his son sage Parasara,
His son Vyasa, his son Shukha, his disciple the great Padmapada,
His disciple the great Yogi Govinda, His disciple Shankara,
His disciples Padma pada, Hasthamalaka , Thodagascharya,
And Sureswaracharya who wrote commentaries.

Sruthi smruthi puranaanamalayam Karunalayam,
Namami Bhagwatpadam Shankaram Loka Sankaram. 23

I salute Shankara who is known as Bhagawat pada,
Who is the store house of Sruthi, Smrithi and Puranas,
And is the one who does good to all people.

Shankaram Shankaracharya Kesavam Badharayanam,
Suthra bhashya kruthou , vade bhagawanthou puna puna. 24

I salute again and again Shankara ,
Who is the form of Lord Shiva,
And Badarayana who is the form of Vishnu,
Who wrote commentaries on Suthras.

Ishwaro gurur athmethi, moorthi bheda vibhagine,
Vyomavad vyaptha dehaya , dakshinamurthaye nama. 25

I salute lord Dakshinamurthy,
Who exhibits himself differently,
As God, Guru and the soul,
And who is spread like the sky every where.