निर्गुणं च निरीहं च स्वतन्त्रं प्रकृतेः परम् । स्वेच्छामयं परं ब्रह्म भक्तानुग्रहविग्रहम्
He was without qualities, without desire, independent, beyond nature; his form was of his own will, the supreme Brahman, the embodiment of grace to devotees.
तमानन्दाश्रुनेत्रं च ननाम शिनका भुवि । रुदती साश्रुनेत्रा का मज्जन्ती भक्तिसागरे
She, her eyes filled with tears of joy, bowed to him and fell to the ground; weeping, her eyes streaming, she was immersed in the ocean of devotion.
शोकार्णवे निमज्जन्ती हृदयेन विदूयता । तुष्टाव भीता स्वगुरुं ब्रह्मिष्ठं च कृपानिधिम्
Sinking in the ocean of sorrow, her heart torn, she praised her guru, the most Brahman-like, the treasure-house of compassion, in fear.
शच्युवाच रक्ष रक्ष महाभाग मां भीतां शरणागताम् । त्वमीश्वरः स्वदासीं च निमग्नां शोकसागरे
Śacī said: Protect me, protect me, O greatly fortunate one! I am afraid and have come for refuge; you are the Lord, and I, your servant, am sinking in the ocean of sorrow.
अनीश्वरश्चेश्वरो वा बरवान्वा सुदुर्बलः । स्वशिष्यभार्यां पुत्रांश्च शासितुं च सदा क्षमः
Whether one is powerless or powerful, strong or weak, he must always be able to discipline his own disciples, wife, and sons.
दूरीभूतः स्वराज्याच्च स्वशिष्यश्च कृतस्त्वया । शान्तिर्बभूव दोषस्य चाधुनाऽनुग्रहं कुरु
You have removed both my sovereignty and my disciple from me; now that the fault has been appeased, show your favor.
अनाथां सर्वशून्यां मां शुन्यां ताममरावतीम् । संपच्छून्यमाश्रमं मे पश्य रक्ष कृणानिधे
See me, abandoned and bereft of everything, and this Amaravati, now empty; see my hermitage devoid of prosperity—O ocean of compassion, protect me.
दस्युग्रस्तां च मां रक्ष देशं किंकरमानय । दत्तवा चरणरेणूंस्तं शुभाशीर्वचनं कुरु
Protect me, who am afflicted by robbers; bring a servant to this land; having received the dust of your feet, speak auspicious words of blessing.
सर्वेषां च सुरुणां च जन्मदाता परो गुरुः । पितुः शतगुणा माता पूज्या वन्द्या गरीयसी
Among all the gods, the supreme teacher is the giver of birth; the mother is a hundred times more worthy of honor, worship, and reverence than the father.
विद्यादाता मन्त्रदाता ज्ञानदो हरिभक्तिदः । पूज्यो वन्द्यश्च सेव्यश्च मातुः शतगुणो गुरुः
The giver of knowledge, the giver of mantras, the bestower of wisdom and devotion to Hari—the teacher is to be honored, worshipped, and served a hundred times more than the mother.
मन्त्राद्युद्गिरणेनैव गुरुरित्युच्यते बुधैः । अन्यो वन्द्यो गुरुरयमन्यश्चारोपितो गुरुः
By the very utterance of mantras and other teachings, one is called 'guru' by the wise; one is to be revered as guru, another is merely appointed as guru.
अज्ञानतिमिरान्धस्य ज्ञानाञ्जनशलाकया । चक्षुरुन्मीलितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः
Salutation to that revered guru who, with the collyrium stick of knowledge, has opened the eyes of one blinded by the darkness of ignorance.
अदीक्षितस्य मूर्खस्य निष्कृतिर्नास्ति नि श्चितम् । सर्वकर्मस्वनर्हस्य नरके तत्पशोः स्थितिः
It is certain that for one who is uninitiated and ignorant, there is no atonement; such a person, unfit for all rites, remains in hell like an animal.
जन्मदाताऽन्नदाता च माताऽन्ये गुरवास्तथा । पारं कर्तुं न शक्तास्ते घोरसंसारसागरे
Mothers, fathers, and other teachers who give birth and food are not able to carry one across the dreadful ocean of worldly existence.
विद्यामन्त्रज्ञानदाता निपुणः पारकर्मणि । स शक्तः शिष्यमुद्धर्तुमीश्वरश्चेश्वरात्परः
He who is skilled in imparting knowledge, mantras, and wisdom, and is adept in the supreme action, is able to uplift the disciple—he is the Lord, higher than the gods.
गुरुर्विष्णुर्गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः । गुरुर्धर्मो गुरुः शेषः सर्वात्मा निर्गुणो गुरुः
The guru is Viṣṇu, the guru is Brahmā, the guru is the god Maheśvara; the guru is Dharma, the guru is Śeṣa, the guru is the all-pervading, attribute-less one.
सर्वतीर्थाश्रयश्चैव कर्वदेवाश्रयो गुरुः । सर्ववेदस्वरुपश्च गुरुरूपी हरिः स्वयम्
The guru is the refuge of all sacred fords and of all the gods; the guru is the embodiment of all the Vedas—Hari himself appears as the guru.
अभीष्टदेवे रुष्टे च गुरुःशक्तो हि रक्षितुम् । गुरौ रुष्टेऽभीष्टदेवो न हि शक्तश्च रक्षितुम्
If the desired deity is angry, the guru is able to protect; but if the guru is angry, the desired deity is not able to protect.
सर्वे ग्रहाश्च यं रुष्टा यं रुष्टा देवब्राह्मणाः । त्वमेव रुष्टो भवसि गुरुरेव हि देवताः
If all the planets, gods, and brahmins are angry with someone, it is only you, the guru, who becomes angry—indeed, the guru alone is the deity.
न गुरोश्च प्रियश्चाऽऽत्मा न गुरोश्च प्रियः सुतः । धनं प्रियं च न गुरोर्न च भार्या प्रिया तथा
The self is not dearer than the guru, nor is the son dearer than the guru; neither wealth nor wife is dearer than the guru.
न गुरोश्च प्रियो धर्मो न गुरोश्च प्रियं तपः । न गुरोश्च प्रियं सत्यं न पुण्यं च गुरोः परम्
Neither righteousness nor austerity is dearer than the guru; neither truth nor merit is greater than the guru.
गुरोः परो न शास्ता च न हि बन्धुर्गुरोः परः । देवो राजा च शास्ता च शिष्याणां च सदा गुरुः
There is no teacher higher than the guru, nor is there any relative greater than the guru; for disciples, the guru is always the deity, king, and teacher.
यावच्छक्तो दातुमन्नं तावच्छास्ता तदन्नदः । गुरुः शास्ता च शिष्याणां प्रतिजन्मनि जन्मनि
As long as one is able to give food, so long should one give; the giver of such food is the true teacher. The teacher is the guide of disciples in every single birth.
मन्त्रो विद्या गुरुर्देवः पूर्वलब्धो यथा पतिः । प्रतिजन्मनि बन्धेन सर्वेषामुपरि स्थितः
The mantra, knowledge, the teacher, and the deity—these, once obtained, are like a husband; by the bond of previous births, all of these remain supreme over all.
पिता गुरुश्च वन्द्यश्च यत्र जन्मनि जन्मदः । गुरवोऽन्ये तथा माता गुरुश्च प्रतिजन्मनि
The father and the teacher, who are to be revered as the givers of birth in each life; other teachers and the mother, too, are teachers in every birth.
विप्राणां त्वं वरिष्ठश्च गरिष्ठश्च तपस्तिनाम् । ब्रह्मिष्ठौ ब्रह्मविद्ब्रह्मविद्ब्रह्मन् धर्मिष्ठः सर्वधर्मिणाम्
Among the Brahmins, you are the most excellent and the greatest among ascetics; you are most devoted to Brahman, a knower of Brahman, O Brahmin, and the most righteous among all the righteous.
तुष्टो भव मुनिश्रेष्ठ मां च शक्रं च संप्रतम् । त्वयि तुष्टे सदा तुष्टा भवन्ति ग्रहदेवताः
Be pleased, O best of sages, with me and with Indra as well; when you are pleased, the planetary deities are always pleased.
इत्युक्त्वा का शची ब्रह्मन्पुनरुच्चौ रुरोद ह । दृष्ट्वा तद्रोदनं तारा रुरोदोच्चैर्मुहुर्मुहुः
Having spoken thus, O Brahmin, Śacī again cried aloud; seeing her weeping, Tārā too wept loudly again and again.
पपात चरणे तारा रुरोद च पुनः पुनः । अपराधं क्षमेत्युक्त्वा गुरुस्तुष्टोऽप्युवाच ताम्
Tārā fell at his feet and wept repeatedly; saying, 'Forgive my offense,' though the teacher was pleased, he spoke to her.
गुरुरुवाच उत्तिष्ठ तारे शच्याश्च सर्व भद्रं भविष्यति । सद्यः प्राप्स्यति भर्तारं महेन्द्रं च मदाशिषा
The teacher said: 'Rise, O Tārā, all will be well for Śacī; she will immediately regain her husband, Mahendra, by my blessing.'