Why Guru is Important and how to do Guru Vandana?
In the first three shlokas of the 16th chapter of Bhagavat Gita Sri Krishna has described the positive qualities which enable a person to achieve salvation. Such qualities are 26 in number which are called Daiva Sampada (divine properties). The Shlokas under reference are given below with their transliteration and meanings.
श्रीभगवानुवाच |
अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थिति: |
दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम् || 1 ||
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
abhayaṁ sattva-sanśhuddhir jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ
dānaṁ damaśh cha yajñaśh cha svādhyāyas tapa ārjavam
Meaning:
The Blessed Lord said:
Fearlessness, purity of mind, wise apportionment of knowledge and concentration, charity, self-control and sacrifice, study of the scriptures, austerity and uprightness.
अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्याग: शान्तिरपैशुनम् |
दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् || 2 ||
ahinsā satyam akrodhas tyāgaḥ śhāntir apaiśhunam
dayā bhūteṣhv aloluptvaṁ mārdavaṁ hrīr achāpalam
Meaning:
Non-violence, truth, freedom from anger, renunciation, tranquility, aversion to fault finding, compassion to living beings, freedom from covetousness, gentleness, modesty and steadiness (absence of fickleness).
तेज: क्षमा धृति: शौचमद्रोहोनातिमानिता |
भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत || 3 ||
tejaḥ kṣhamā dhṛitiḥ śhaucham adroho nāti-mānitā
bhavanti sampadaṁ daivīm abhijātasya bhārata
Meaning:
Vigour, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, freedom from malice and excessive pride – these, O Bharata (Arjuna), are the endowments of him who is born with the divine nature.
On the contrary there are a number of negative qualities described in the same chapter from shlokas 04 to shlokas 21. These have been designated as Asuri Sampada.
दम्भो दर्पोऽभिमानश्च क्रोध: पारुष्यमेव च |
अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ सम्पदमासुरीम् || 4 ||
dambho darpo ’bhimānaśh cha krodhaḥ pāruṣhyam eva cha
ajñānaṁ chābhijātasya pārtha sampadam āsurīm
Meaning:
Ostentation, arrogance, excessive pride, anger, as also harshness and ignorance, these, O Partha (Arjuna) are the endowments of him who is born with the demoniac nature.
काममाश्रित्य दुष्पूरं दम्भमानमदान्विता: |
मोहाद्गृहीत्वासद्ग्राहान्प्रवर्तन्तेऽशुचिव्रता: || 10 ||
kāmam āśhritya duṣhpūraṁ dambha-māna-madānvitāḥ
mohād gṛihītvāsad-grāhān pravartante ’śhuchi-vratāḥ
Meaning:
Giving themselves up to insatiable desire, full of hypocrisy, excessive pride and arrogance, holding wrong views through delusion, they act with impure resolves.
अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ता मोहजालसमावृता: |
प्रसक्ता: कामभोगेषु पतन्ति नरकेऽशुचौ || 16 ||
aneka-chitta-vibhrāntā moha-jāla-samāvṛitāḥ
prasaktāḥ kāma-bhogeṣhu patanti narake ’śhuchau
Meaning:
Bewildered by many thoughts, entangled in the meshes of delusion and addicted to the gratification of desires, they fall into a foul hell.
त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मन: |
काम: क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् || 21 ||
tri-vidhaṁ narakasyedaṁ dvāraṁ nāśhanam ātmanaḥ
kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas tasmād etat trayaṁ tyajet
Meaning:
The gateway of this hell leading to the ruin of the soul is threefold, lust, anger and greed. Therefore, these three, one should abandon.
However, the human life is full of cobwebs and complexities. Positive qualities and negative qualities keep striking him one by one in the same manner as a batter in a cricket match has to face deliveries of cricket balls one after another which may yield him runs as well as dismissal. An individual loses control in such situations.
A Guru / Sadguru, thus, becomes the prime necessity for him to guide him through the forest of delusion and steer him towards salvation such distinguished Gurus are known as Sai Baba, Guru Nanak, Swami Narayan etc. Sri Krishna asks Arjuna to go to the same class of Guru for enlightenment. The following Shlokas of the Bhagavad Gita are very clear.
तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया |
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिन: || 34 ||
tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśhnena sevayā
upadekṣhyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśhinaḥ
Meaning:
Learn that by humble reverence, by inquiry and by service. The men of wisdom who have seen the truth will instruct thee in knowledge.
यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव |
येन भूतान्यशेषेण द्रक्ष्यस्यात्मन्यथो मयि || 35 ||
yaj jñātvā na punar moham evaṁ yāsyasi pāṇḍava
yena bhūtānyaśheṣheṇa drakṣhyasyātmanyatho mayi
Meaning:
Having realized that knowledge, never again will you be subjected to delusion in this manner, O Paandava. By that (knowledge), you will view all beings completely in you, and likewise, in me.
Guru is the prime necessity for all conceivable sports and athletes nowadays. The modern Guru is known as a coach who carefully prepares his disciple like Guru Dronacharya who worked in the same way as a modern coach.
Selected Shlokas for revering the Guru:
अखण्डमण्डलाकारं व्याप्तं येन चराचरम् ।
तत्पदं दर्शितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥
akhaNDamaNDalaakaara.n vyaapta.n yena charaacharam
tatpada.n darshita.n yena tasmai shriigurave namaH
Meaning:
Salutation to the noble Guru, who has made it possible to realize the state which pervades the entire cosmos, everything animate and inanimate.
अज्ञानतिमिरान्धस्य ज्ञानाञ्जनशलाकया ।
चक्षुरुन्मीलितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥
adnyaanatimiraandhasya dnyaanaaJNjanashalaakayaa
chakshurunmiilita.n yena tasmai shriigurave namaH
Meaning:
Salutation to the noble Guru, who has opened the eyes blinded by darkness of ignorance with the collyrium-stick of knowledge.
अखण्डमण्डलाकारं व्याप्तं येन चराचरम् ।
तत्पदं दर्शितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥
Akhanndda-Mannddala-Akaaram Vyaaptam Yena Cara-Acaram
Tat-Padam Darshitam Yena Tasmai Shrii-Gurave Namah
Meaning:
(Salutations to the Guru) Whose Form is an Indivisible Whole of Presence, and By Whom is Pervaded the Moving and the Non-Moving Beings, By Whom is Revealed (out of Grace) That Feet (of Indivisible Presence); Salutations to that Guru.
गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णु र्गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः
गुरु साक्षात परब्रह्मा तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः
GururBrahma GururVishnu GururDevo Maheshwaraha
Guru Saakshaat ParaBrahma Tasmai Sri Gurave Namaha
Meaning:
Guru is the Creator (Brahma), Guru is the Preserver (Vishnu), GuruDeva is Destroyer (Maheshwara), Guru is the absolute (singular) Lord himself, Salutations to that Sri Guru.
ध्यानमूलं गुरुर्मूर्तिः पूजामूलं गुरुर्पदम् ।
मन्त्रमूलं गुरुर्वाक्यं मोक्षमूलं गुरूर्कृपा ॥
Dhyaana-Muulam Gurur-Muurtih Puujaa-Muulam Gurur-Padam
Mantra-Muulam Gurur-Vaakyam Mokssa-Muulam Guruur-Krpaa
Meaning:
The Root of Meditation is the Form of the Guru, The Root of Worship is the Feet of the Guru, The Root of Mantra is the Word of the Guru, The Root of Liberation is the Grace of the Guru.
ब्रह्मानन्दं परमसुखदं केवलं ज्ञानमूर्तिं
द्वन्द्वातीतं गगनसदृशं तत्त्वमस्यादिलक्ष्यम् ॥
Brahmanandam parama sukhadam kevalam jnaanamurtim
Dvandvaateetam gaganasadrusham tatvamasyadi lakshyam
Meaning:
He who has attained the Bliss of Brahman, the Supreme Joy, He who is pure (free from delusion), the embodiment of Wisdom beyond the duality of the world, sky-high in spirituality, He whose attention is on “I am that”
एकं नित्यं विमलमचलं सर्वधीसाक्षिभूतं
भावातीतं त्रिगुणरहितं सद्गुरुं तं नमामि ॥
Ekam nityam vimalamachalam sarvadheesaakshibhuutam
Bhaavaateetam triguna rahitam sadgurum tam namaami
Meaning:
One with divinity, Eternal, without impurities, immovably established in truth, He who is witness to everything (from his omniscience). Beyond the mind(emotions), without the three Gunas (of Sattva, Rajas, Tamas), Salutations to that Holy Guru.
I am a Vedic astrologer by profession. I have done Jyotish Acharya from Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan. I am devoted to my Sadguru Shri Sai Nath of Shirdi. I am also interested in spirituality. I love to guide people.
I am a Vedic astrologer by profession. I have done Jyotish Acharya from Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan. I am devoted to my Sadguru Shri Sai Nath of Shirdi. I am also interested in spirituality. I love to guide people.