Guru Vandana

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गुरु-वन्दनम्
Guru Vandana
English translation by A.K. Aruna

Prayer vs. 1 vs. 2 vs. 3 ‘Guru’ explained

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Guru-Vandanam is a praise to the Advaita-Vedānta teaching lineage.

by A.K. Aruna
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sadā-śiva-samārambhā, śaṅkara-ācārya-madhyamā;
asmad-ācārya-paryantā, √vand, guru-param-parā.
सदा-शिव-समारम्भां शङ्कर-आचार्य-मध्यमां अस्मद्-आचार्य-पर्यन्तां – गुरु-परम्-परां वन्दे॥

Salutation to the lineage of Gurus, starting with the ever-present Lord Śiva to my ācārya (teacher), with Śaṅkara-ācārya (Śaṅkara Bhagavat-pāda) in between.

śruti-smṛti-purāṇa, ālaya, karuṇa-ālaya;
√nam, bhavat-pāda, śaṅkara, loka-śaṅkara.
श्रुति-स्मृति-पुराणानाम् आलयं करुण-आलयं, भगवत्-पादं शङ्करं लोक-शङ्करं नमामि॥

I offer salutation to Śaṅkara Bhagavat-pāda, the blessing to the people, the vast abode of the śrutis, smṛtis and purāṇas, and an abode of compassion.

śaṅkara, śaṅkara-ācārya, keśava, bādara-āyaṇa;
sūtra-bhāṣya-kṛta, √vand, bhagavat, punar, punar.
शङ्करं शङ्कर-आचार्यं केशवं बादर-आयणं च भगवन्तौ सूत्र-भाष्य-कृतौ पुनर् पुनर् वन्दे॥

I offer salutation again and again both to Bādarāyaṇa (Veda Vyāsa, the author of the Brahma-Sūtras) and who is an embodiment of Keśava (Lord Viṣṇu) and to Śaṅkara-ācarya the author of the commentary on those sūtras and who is an embodiment of Śaṅkara (Lord Śiva).

īśvara, guru, ātmā, iti, mūrti-bheda-vibhāgin;
vyomavat, vyāpta-deha, dakṣiṇā-mūrti, namas.
‘ईश्वरः गुरुः आत्मा’ इति मूर्ति-भेद-विभागिने व्योमवत् व्याप्त-देहाय – दक्षिणा-मूर्तये नमस्॥

(DaksSto Dhyāna.6:) Salutation to Lord Dakṣiṇā-mūrti – Having a body like space, yet (as though) separated into the division of Lord-Teacher-Self.

gu-kāra, tu, andakāra, vai, ru-kāra, tad-nivarttaka;
andhakāra-nirodhitva, guru, iti, abhi-√dhā.
गु-कारः तु अन्धकारः वै, रु-कारः तद्-निवर्त्तकः। अन्धकार-निरोधित्वात् ‘गुरुः’ इति अभिधीयते॥

Whereas ‘gu’ means darkness (i.e., ignorance), ‘ru’ means the remover of that. Because of being able to remove ignorance, one is called a ‘Guru’.

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॥इति गुरु-वन्दनं समाप्तं॥