Resources

गुर्वष्टकम्

शरीरं सुरूपं तथा वा कलत्रं
यशश्चारु चित्रं धनं मेरुतुल्यम् ।
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे
तत: किं तत: किं तत: कि तत: किम् ॥

śarīraṃ surūpaṃ tathā vā kalatraṃ
yaśaścāru citraṃ dhanaṃ merutulyam ।
manaścenna lagnaṃ guroraṃghripadme
tata: kiṃ tata: kiṃ tata: ki tata: kim ॥

The body may be beautiful, so also the wife; there might be attractive and diverse fame along with riches as huge as the mount Meru; yet, if the mind is not focussed on the lotus feet of the Guru, what is the use, what is the use, what is the use, what is the use?

कलत्रं धनं पुत्रपौत्रादि सर्वं
गृहं बान्धवाः सर्वमेतद्धि जातम् ।
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे
तत: किं तत: किं तत: किं तत: किम् ॥

kalatraṃ dhanaṃ putrapautrādi sarvaṃ
gṛhaṃ bāndhavāḥ sarvametaddhi jātam ।
manaścenna lagnaṃ guroraṃghripadme
tata: kiṃ tata: kiṃ tata: kiṃ tata: kim ॥

Be there the wife, wealth, children, grandchildren and the like; be there home, relatives and everything born out of these; yet, if the mind does not get fixed to the lotus feet of the Guru, what is the use, what is the use, what is the use, what is the use?

षडङ्‌गादिवेदो मुखे शास्त्रविद्या
कवित्वादि गद्यं सुपद्यं करोति ।
मनश्चेन लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे
तत: किं तत: किं तत: किं तत: किम् ॥

ṣaḍaṅ‌gādivedo mukhe śāstravidyā
kavitvādi gadyaṃ supadyaṃ karoti ।
manaścena lagnaṃ guroraṃghripadme
tata: kiṃ tata: kiṃ tata: kiṃ tata: kim ॥

Even if all the scriptural knowledge, the Vedas along with the six vēdāngas, are right on the lips; the ability to compose prose as well as good poetry is also there; yet if the mind is not fixed to the lotus feet of the Guru, what is the use, what is the use, what is the use, what is the use?

विदेशेषु मान्य: स्वदेशेषु धन्य:
सदाचारवृत्तेषु मत्तो न चान्य: ।
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे
तत: किं तत: किं तत: किं तत: किम् ॥

videśeṣu mānya: svadeśeṣu dhanya:
sadācāravṛtteṣu matto na cānya: ।
manaścenna lagnaṃ guroraṃghripadme
tata: kiṃ tata: kiṃ tata: kiṃ tata: kim ॥

Honoured abroad, and famous in the homeland; in good conduct too there is no one excelling; even then if the mind is not focussed on the lotus feet of the Guru, what is the use, what is the use, what is the use, what is the use?

क्षमामण्डले भूपभूपालवृन्दैः
सदासेवितं यस्य पादारविन्दम् ।
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे
तत: किं तत: किं तत: किं ततः किम् ॥

kṣamāmaṇḍale bhūpabhūpālavṛndaiḥ
sadāsevitaṃ yasya pādāravindam ।
manaścenna lagnaṃ guroraṃghripadme
tata: kiṃ tata: kiṃ tata: kiṃ tataḥ kim ॥

Maybe his holy feet are worshipped by the kings of the earth, if the mind is not fixed to the lotus feet of the Guru, what is the use, what is the use, what is the use, what is the use?

यशो मे गतं दिक्षु दानप्रतापात्
जगद्वस्तु सर्वं करे यत्प्रसादात् ।
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे
तत: किं तत: किं तत: किं तत: किम् ॥

yaśo me gataṃ dikṣu dānapratāpāt
jagadvastu sarvaṃ kare yatprasādāt ।
manaścenna lagnaṃ guroraṃghripadme
tata: kiṃ tata: kiṃ tata: kiṃ tata: kim ॥

Fame might have spread in all directions because of boundless charity; also any worldly attainment can come within reach by His grace; even then, if the mind is not fixed to the lotus feet of the Guru, what is the use, what is the use, what is the use, what is the use?

न भोगे न योगे न वा वाजिराजौ
न कान्तामुखे नैव वित्तेषु चित्तम् ।
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे
तत: किं तत: किं तत: किं ततः किम् ॥

na bhoge na yoge na vā vājirājau
na kāntāmukhe naiva vitteṣu cittam ।
manaścenna lagnaṃ guroraṃghripadme
tata: kiṃ tata: kiṃ tata: kiṃ tataḥ kim ॥

The mind might have turned away in dispassion from worldly pleasures, hard austerities, the best of horses, wealth and the face of the beloved; even then, if the mind is not fixed to the lotus feet of the Guru, what is the use, what is the use, what is the use, what is the use?

अरण्ये न वा स्वस्य गेहे न कार्ये
न देहे मनो वर्तते मे त्वर्नघ्ये ।
मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे
तत: किं ततः किं ततः किं तत: किम् ॥

araṇye na vā svasya gehe na kārye
na dehe mano vartate me tvarnaghye ।
manaścenna lagnaṃ guroraṃghripadme
tata: kiṃ tataḥ kiṃ tataḥ kiṃ tata: kim ॥

The mind might not be drawn to the forest, to one’s own home, to any activity, to the body or to anything invaluable; even then, if the mind is not fixed to the lotus feet of the Guru, what is the use, what is the use, what is the use, what is the use?

गुरोरष्टकं य: पठेत्पुण्यदेही
यतिर्भूपतिब्र्रह्मचारी च गेही ।
लभेद्वाञ्छितार्थं पदं ब्रह्मसंज्ञं
गुरोरुक्तवाक्ये मनो यस्य लग्नम् ॥

guroraṣṭakaṃ ya: paṭhetpuṇyadehī
yatirbhūpatibrrahmacārī ca gehī ।
labhedvāñchitārthaṃ padaṃ brahmasaṃjñaṃ
guroruktavākye mano yasya lagnam ॥

The noble Soul who regularly reads these eight verses on the Guru, be he an ascetic or a king, a celibate or a householder, will attain his object of desire as well as the abode of Brahman, provided his mind clings to the words of the Guru.