05 Vande Gurunam Stotras

वन्दे गुरूणां चरणारविन्दे
सन्दर्शितस्वात्मसुखावबोधे ।
जनस्य ये जांगुलिकायमाने
संसारहालाहलमोहशान्त्यै ॥

vande gurūṇāṃ caraṇāravinde
sandarśita-svātma-sukhāvabodhe ।
janasya ye jāṅgulikāyamāne
saṃsāra-hālāhala mohaśāntyai ।।
Śrī Śaṅkarāchārya’s Yogatārāvalī 1

I prostrate at the lotus feet of all my Gurus, which reveal the bliss of the Self within, which are like the expert physician who alleviates the delusion caused by the severe poison of worldliness.

मदीय हृदयाकाशे चिदानन्दमयो गुरु: ।
उदेतु सततं सम्यक् अज्ञानतिमिरारुण: ॥

madīya hṛdayākāśe cid-ānandamayo guru: ।
udetu satataṃ samyak ajñāna-timirāruṇa: ।।

May the chidanandamaya (conscious being full of bliss) Guru arise wholesomely in the sky of my heart, as the sun destroying the darkness of ignorance.

स्वाराज्य साम्राज्य विभूतिरेषा
भवत्कृपा श्रीमहिमप्रसादात् ।
प्राप्ता मया श्रीगुरवे महात्मने
नमो नमस्तेऽस्तु पुनर्नमोऽस्तु ॥

svārājya sāmrājya vibhūtireṣā
bhavat-kṛpā śrīmahima-prasādāt ।
prāptā mayā śrīgurave mahātmane
namo namaste’stu punarnamo’stu ।।
Vivekachūḍāmaṇi 517

This splendour of the sovereignty of Self-effulgence I have received by virtue of the supreme majesty of thy grace. Prostrations to thee, O glorious, noble-minded Teacher, prostrations again and again!

नमस्तस्मै सदैकस्मै कस्मैचिन्महसे नम: ।
यदेतद्विश्वरूपेण राजते गुरुराज ते ॥

namastasmai sadaikasmai kasmaicin-mahase nama: ।
yadetad-viśvarūpeṇa rājate gururāja te ।।
Vivekachūḍāmaṇi 519

O great Teacher, it is you the singular Presence, the indescribable great Sentience, that ever shines as the extensive Universe. Prostration to you, the king of all Gurus.

योऽन्त:प्रविश्य मम वाचमिमां प्रसुप्तां
संजीवयत्यखिलशक्तिधर: स्वधाम्ना ।
अन्यांश्च हस्तचरणश्रवणत्वगादीन्
प्राणान् नमो भगवते पुरुषाय तुभ्यम् ॥

yo’nta:praviśya mama vācamimāṃ prasuptāṃ
sañjīvayaty-akhilaśaktidhara: svadhāmnā ।
anyāṃśca hasta-caraṇa-śravaṇa-tvagādīn
prāṇān namo bhagavate puruṣāya tubhyam ।।
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.9.6

Prostration to you O Bhagavān, the Supreme Purusha, who entering within me, activates the dormant speech as well as the other organs like hands, feet, ear, skin etc, and also the life forces, merely by virtue of His presence, holding as He does infinite powers.

नमो नमो वाङ्मनसातिभूमये
नमो नमो वाङ्मनसैकभूमये ।
नमो नमोऽनन्तमहाविभूतये
नमो नमोऽनन्तदयैकसिन्धवे ॥

namo namo vāṅmanasātibhūmaye
namo namo vāṅmanasaikabhūmaye ।
namo namo’nanta-mahāvibhūtaye
namo namo’nanta-dayaikasindhave ।। (Twice)
Śrī Yamunāchārya’s Stotraratna 21

Prostration to Him who transcends the sphere of speech and mind; Prostration to Him who alone manifests as speech and mind. Prostration to Him who is the source of the infinite magnificent creation. Prostration to Him, the ocean of endless mercy.

नास्था धर्मे न वसुनिचये नैव कामोपभोगे
यद्भव्यं तद्भवतु भगवन् पूर्वकर्मानुरूपम् ।
ह्येतत् प्रार्थ्यं मम बहुमतं जन्मजन्मान्तरेऽपि
त्वत्पादाम्भोरुहयुगगता निश्चला भक्तिरस्तु ॥

nāsthā dharme na vasunicaye naiva kāmopabhoge
yad-bhavyaṃ tadbhavatu bhagavan pūrva-karmānurūpam ।
hyetat prārthyaṃ mama bahumataṃ janmajanmāntare’pi
tvat-pādāmbho-ruhayugagatā niścalā bhaktirastu ।।
Rāja Kulaśekhara’s Mukundamālā Stotram 7

I have no confidence in dharma (moral codes); neither in property nor in enjoying the objects of desires. Let whatever is destined, O Lord, take its course according to the previous karma. However, I have this supremely cherished prayer: in all my lives let there be unflinching devotion to Thy lotus feet.

हर त्वं संसारं द्रुततरमसारं सुरपते
हर त्वं पापानां विततिमपरां यादवपते ।
अहो दीनानाथं निहितमचलं निश्चितपदं
जगन्नाथस्वामी नयनपथगामी भवतु मे ॥

hara tvaṃ saṃsāraṃ drutataram-asāraṃ surapate
hara tvaṃ pāpānāṃ vitatim-aparāṃ yādavapate ।
aho dīnānāthaṃ nihitam-acalaṃ niścita-padaṃ
jagannāthasvāmī nayana-pathagāmī bhavatu me ।।
Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu’s Jagannāthāṣṭakam 8

O supreme Lord, take away from me as fast as possible this worthless world. O the Lord of Yadus, take away my sins spread far and wide. O the unfailing abode of the poor and tormented, O the supreme Lord of the Universe, be always before my eyes, wherever my vision goes.

भोगे रोगभयं कुले च्युतिभयं वित्ते नृपालाद्भयं
माने दैन्यभयं बले रिपुभयं रूपे जराया भयम् ।
शास्त्रे वादिभयं गुणे खलभयं काये कृतान्ताद्भयं
सर्वं वस्तु भयान्वितं भुवि नृणां वैराग्यमेवाभयम् ॥

bhoge rogabhayaṃ kule cyutibhayaṃ
vitte nṛpālādbhayaṃ
māne dainyabhayaṃ bale ripubhayaṃ
rūpe jarāyā bhayam ।
śāstre vādibhayaṃ guṇe khalabhayaṃ
kāye kṛtāntādbhayaṃ
sarvaṃ vastu bhayānvitaṃ bhuvi nṛṇāṃ
vairāgyam-evābhayam ।।
Vairāgya-śatakam 31

In enjoyment, there is fear of disease; in family reputation, there is fear of decline; in wealth, there is fear of kings; in honour there is fear of dishonour; in strength there is fear of enemy or adversary; in beauty there is fear of old age; in scriptural erudition there is fear of learned opponents; in virtue there is fear of slanderer; in body, there is fear of death. For human beings, everything in this world is coupled with fear. Vairāgya (non-possessiveness and not clinging to worldly enjoyments) alone is the abode of fearlessness.

नान्या स्पृहा रघुपते हृदयेऽस्मदीये
सत्यं वदामि च भवानखिलान्तरात्मा ।
भक्तिं प्रयच्छ रघुपुंगव निर्भरां मे
कामादिदोषरहितं कुरु मानसं च ॥

nānyā spṛhā raghupate hṛdaye’smadīye
satyaṃ vadāmi ca bhavān-akhilāntarātmā ।
bhaktiṃ prayaccha raghupuṅgava nirbharāṃ me
kāmādidoṣa-rahitaṃ kuru mānasaṃ ca ।।
Tulasi Rāmāyaṇa 5.2

O Raghupate, there is no other desire in my heart. I am speaking the truth, of course, you, being the Inner Self of all, will also know it well. Grant me, O best of Raghus, unflinching devotion that unburdens me; makes my mind free of the taint of desires.

सत्येन लभ्यस्तपसा ह्येष आत्मा
सम्यक् ज्ञानेन ब्रह्मचर्येण नित्यम् ।
अन्त:शरीरे ज्योतिर्मयो हि शुभ्रो
यं पश्यन्ति यतय: क्षीणदोषा: ॥

satyena labhyas-tapasā hyeṣa ātmā
samyak jñānena brahmacaryeṇa nityam ।
anta:śarīre jyotirmayo hi śubhro
yaṃ paśyanti yataya: kṣīṇa-doṣā: ।।
Muṇḍakopaniṣad 3.1.5

This Self whom ascetics freed from stains experience ceaselessly within their body as brilliant and pure, is attainable through truthfulness, austerity, well-refined wisdom and celibacy.

विशुद्धसत्त्वस्य गुणा: प्रसाद:
स्वात्मानुभूति: परमा प्रशान्ति: ।
तृप्ति: प्रहर्ष: परमात्मनिष्ठा
यया सदानन्दरसं समृच्छति ॥

viśuddha-sattvasya guṇā: prasāda:
svātmānubhūti: paramā praśānti: ।
tṛpti: praharṣa: paramātma-niṣṭhā
yayā sadānanda-rasaṃ samṛcchati ।।
Vivekachūdāmaṇi 119

The qualities of a pure being are: placidity of mind, Self-experience, supreme peacefulness, contentment, delight and Self-abidance, by virtue of which the constant bliss emerging from the supreme Reality is attained.

नित्योत्सवो भवेत्तेषां नित्यश्रीर्नित्यमंगलम् ।
येषां हृदिस्थो भगवान् मङ्गलायतनं हरि: ॥

nityotsavo bhavet-teṣāṃ nitya-śrīr-nityamaṅgalam ।
yeṣāṃ hṛdi-stho bhagavān maṅgalāyatanaṃ hari: ।।
Pāṇḍava Gītā 45

In whose heart Lord Hari – the embodiment of auspiciousness – abides, for them there is continuous festivity (elevation), constant prosperity and eternal felicity.

न धर्मनिष्ठोऽस्मि न चात्मवेदी
न भक्तिमांस्त्वच्चरणारविन्दे ।
अकिंचनोऽनन्यगति: शरण्यं
त्वत्पादमूलं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥

na dharma-niṣṭho’smi na cātmavedī
na bhaktimāṃ-stvac-caraṇāravinde ।
akiñcano’nanyagati: śaraṇyaṃ
tvat-pāda-mūlaṃ śaraṇaṃ prapadye ।।
Śrī Yamunāchārya’s Stotraratna 22

I am not dedicated to righteousness; neither am I a Knower of Truth. I am not devoted to your Lotus feet. Having nothing, with no other refuge, I seek refuge under your lotus feet where one should seek refuge.
Concluding Ślokas

सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिन: सर्वे सन्तु निरामया: ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चित् दु:खभाक् भवेत् ॥

sarve bhavantu sukhina:
sarve santu nirāmayā: ।
sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu
mā kaścit du:khabhāk bhavet ।।
Jagat-kalyāṇa sūktam

May all be happy; may all be free from disease; may all see auspiciousness; let not anyone be a victim of affliction.

दुर्जन: सज्जनो भूयात् सज्जन: शान्तिमाप्नुयात् ।
शान्तो मुच्येत बन्धेभ्यो मुक्तश्चान्यान् विमोचयेत् ॥

durjana: sajjano bhūyāt
sajjana: śāntim-āpnuyāt ।
śānto mucyeta bandhebhyo
muktaścānyān vimocayet ।।
Jagat-kalyāṇa sūktam

May the vicious become good, the good attain peace and the peaceful be redeemed from all bondages. May the liberated ones redeem others.

काले वर्षतु पर्जन्य: पृथिवी सस्यशालिनी ।
देशोऽयं क्षोभरहित: सज्जना: सन्तु निर्भया: ॥

kāle varṣatu parjanya:
pṛthivī sasyaśālinī ।
deśo’yaṃ kṣobharahita:
sajjanā: santu nirbhayā: ।।
Jagat-kalyāṇa sūktam

May the clouds shed at the proper time and the earth become fertile. May the country remain free of agitations and the noble souls be free from fear.

स्वस्ति प्रजाभ्य: परिपालयन्तां
न्याय्येन मार्गेण महीं महीशा: ।
गोब्राह्मणेभ्य: शुभमस्तु नित्यं
लोका: समस्ता: सुखिनो भवन्तु ॥

svasti prajābhya: paripālayantāṃ
nyāyyena mārgeṇa mahīṃ mahīśā: ।
gobrāhmaṇebhya: śubham-astu nityaṃ
lokā: samastā: sukhino bhavantu ।।
Jagat-kalyāṇa sūktam

Let there be well-being for the people; may the rulers rule the earth adhering to the righteous path; may there always be well-being for the learned and the cattle; may all the worlds be happy.

असतो मा सद्गमय। तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।
मृत्योर्माऽमृतं गमय॥
हरि: ओं शान्ति: शान्ति: शान्ति: ॥

asato mā sad-gamaya । tamaso mā jyotirgamaya ।
mṛtyormā’mṛtaṃ gamaya ।।
Hari: Oṃ śānti: śānti: śānti: ।।
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upanishad 1.3.28

From the unreal lead me to the Real; from darkness lead me to Light; from death lead me to Immortality. Om śanti: śanti: śanti: