Saturday 5 April 2014

Guru Paduka Stotram

Meaning:

Ananta-saṁsāra-samudra-tāra-naukāyitābhyāṁ gurubhaktidābhyām .
Vairāgya-sāṁrājyada-pūjanābhyāṁ  namo namaḥ śrī-gurupādukābhyām ..1..

Salutations to the sandals of the Guru, which have become the boat for crossing the ocean of samsara, which give devotion to the Guru, and whose worship gives one the kingdom of dispassion.

Kavitvavārāśi-niśākarābhyāṁ daurbhāgya-dāvāmbuda-mālikābhyām .
Dūrīkṛtānamra-vipattitābhyāṁ namo namaḥ śrī-gurupādukābhyām ..2..

Salutations to the sandals of the Guru, which are like the full moon to the ocean of knowledge, which are like a line of clouds to the forest fire of misfortune, and which remove the sorrows of the devotees. 

Natā yayoḥ śrīpatitāṁ samīyuḥ kadācidapyāśu daridravaryāḥ .
Mūkāśca vācaspatitāṁ hi tābhyāṁ namo namaḥ śrī-gurupādukābhyām ..3..

Salutations to the sandals of the Guru, by whose grace even the worst of the poor quickly become possessors of wealth, and the dumb become masters of speech.  

Nālīkanīkāśa-padāhṛtābhyāṁ nānāvimohādi nivārikābhyam .
Namajjanābhīṣṭa-tatipradābhyāṁ namo namaḥ śrī-gurupādukābhyām ..4..

Salutations to the sandals of the Guru, which attract one to the ( Guru's) lotus feet, which remove the delusions of the devotees, and which fulfill the series of desires of the devotees.  

Nṛpālimaulivraja-ratnakānti-saridvirājaj-jhaṣakanyakābhyām .
Nṛpatvadābhyāṁ natalokapankteḥ namo namaḥ śrī-gurupādukābhyām ..5..

Salutations to the sandals of the Guru, which shine like a pair of mermaids in a river with the lustre of a group of gems on a king's crown, and who give kingship to the line of devotees.  

Pāpāndhakārārka-paramparābhyāṁ tāpatrayāhīndra-khageśvarābhyām .
Jāḍyābdhi-samsoṣaṇa-vāḍavābhyāṁ namo namaḥ śrī-gurupādukābhyām ..6..

Salutations to the sandals of the Guru, which are like a chain of suns to the darkness of sin, which are like a pair of eagles to the snakes of the three sorrows, and which are a pair of fires that dry up the ocean of dullness.

Śamādiṣaṭka-prada-vaibhavābhyāṁ samādhidāna-vratadikṣitābhyām .
Ramādhavāṅghri-sthirabhaktidābhyāṁ namo namaḥ śrī-gurupādukābhyām ..7..

Salutations to the sandals of the Guru, which are the treasures giving the six qualities like restraint, which are initiated into the vow of giving samadhi, and which give firm devotion to the lotus feet of lord Vishnu.

Svārcāparāṇāṁ akhileṣṭadābhyāṁ svāhāsahāyākṣa-durandharābhyām .
Svāntācchabhāvā-prada-pūjanābhyāṁ namo namaḥ śrī-gurupādukābhyām ..8..

Salutations to the sandals of the Guru, which bestow all desires of those who serve them, which carry the load of service to all, and whose worship reveals ones inner nature.

Kāmādi-sarpavraja-gāruḍābhyāṁ vivekavairāgya-nidhi-pradābhyām .
Bodha-pradābhyāṁ drutamokṣadābhyāṁ namo namaḥ śrī-gurupādukābhyām ..9..

Salutations to the sandals of the Guru,  which are like eagles to the serpents of desire, which give one the valuable treasures of discrimination and dispassion, which give enlightenment and quick liberation.

 This hymn was composed by Sri Nrisimha Bharati, 33rd Shankaracharya of Shringeri Math.

Notes:

In this hymn, the Shankaracharya salutes the sandals of the feet of the Guru. He says that the sandals of the guru offer one with wealth, prosperity, and knowledge. The comparison in verse 2, line 1 implies that like the full moon causes a high tide in the ocean, the sandals of the guru cause an increase in the level of the ocean of knowledge.