~~OM~~
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Message of the Guru Gita
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The repetitive message in the Bhagavad Gita is "Serve God, Serve God, Serve God!" In the Chandi Path the repetitive message is "Take one asan and chant the Chandi, Take one asan and chant the Chandi, Take one asan and chant the Chandi. The question: What is the repetitive message in the Guru Gita?
na guroradhikam | na guroradhikam | na guroradhikam ||
There is nothing greater than the Guru! There is nothing greater than the Guru! There is nothing greater than the Guru!
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Is the Dhyanam referring to the guru tattwa when it says, ".. perceives all existence and resides in infinite bodies?" Or does that refer to Shiva, and the latter part refer to the guru tattwa, as a manifestation, or perhaps an activity of Shiva,when it says, "Meditate upon the syllables Gu Ru .."
Shiva is the Guru of all Gurus, and therefore they are one and the same. He is the Guru, and all other gurus are links in a chain which bring devotees to the Guru of all Gurus.
The Guru Tattva is Shiva.
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I understand that Puranas are the expansion of hymns from the Vedas. Can you please let me know the Vedic hymn that the Guru Gita is expanding on?
The one word mantra - Guru.
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In the viniyoga of the Guru Gita KROM is the pin. What does krom mean?
‘Ka’ is the Cause, ‘Ra’ is the mind, ‘O’ is the energy of the subtle sound,’M’ is perfection.
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In the Guru Gita, verse 1, it says Parvati asked of the Cause of Peace (Shiva). Does the name Shiva mean Cause of Peace or is 'Cause of Peace' one of the names of Lord Shiva?
Shankara has been translated as Cause of Peace: Shan - peace, kara cause. It is a name of Shiva.
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Goddess Parvati asks for initiation of the Guru ? Does this line mean "Who is a Guru" or "Can you initiate me?"
Actually it is: "Guru diksham pradehi me." Please bestow upon me initiation of the Guru. The means teaching, bhava, energy, the mantras, mudras, kriyas, intellectual understanding along with intuitive feeling. Who is the Guru? What is the Guru? Where? How? Why? When?
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Verse 4 says, "never before anyone has asked of it." Does this mean that Goddess Parvati is the first disciple of Lord Shiva?
Yes. Here Shiva is Nirakara and Parvati is Sakara.
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In Verse 5 of the Guru Gita, refer to three worlds. Are they 1) deva 2) human 3) asura or 1)gross 2) subtle 3) causal or something else entirely?
1) gross 2) subtle 3) causal
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This verse says, "Those people who perform sacrifices, yagyas, sacred vows, purifying austerities, tapasya, offering gifts, recitation of mantras (japa), sacred pilgrimages, in the absence of understanding the principle of Guru, perform like fools." What is it about guru tattwa that must be known in order not to perform like a fool?
That all of these acts are undertaken as a privilege to demonstrate devotion to the Supreme Divinity, to the Supreme One who Illuminates the Darkness through the various forms of His and Her Light.
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Verse 11 states "From the selfless loving service at the feet of the respected Guru, the soul is purified from all sin. I am telling you of that objective of grace by which one is merged in Brahma (SupremeDivinity)." I understand "From .... all sin." But the line, "I am telling.... Divinity" is not clear to me. Can you please clarify what is meant by "objective of grace"?
What kind of Grace are we seeking? The objective of grace (kripa) do and get, is what we hope to get from our doing, namely, to become merged in Brahma (Supreme Divinity).
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Verse 14 says "Whoever drinks the water from the Guru's feet removes the root of ignorance and purifies the karma (activities) from birth, obtains perfection, wisdom, and renunciation". The word "purifies the karma" brought this question to my mind. I have read elsewhere that the Guru actually takes on the karma of a disciple. Is this true? Can you please shed some light on this subject. Thank you for your time
Does not a wife share the karma of her husband? And vice versa? When we are in a relationship, we cannot help but sharing our karmas together. In the same way, in relationship with a Guru, we give our karma to the Guru. Often this karma has effect upon the guru instead of upon us.
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Please help us understand the phrase, "the attitude of none other than the Guru." Do you see the Guru as providing everything in your life - the circumstances, the provisions, the challenges, the victories, the relationships, the motivation, etc?
Absolutely. The Guru is not only a physical being. The Guru is the reflection of divinity through a human body, the example we want to follow, and the inspiration which gives us the energy to proceed.
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Verse 19 of the Guru Gita says "The Supreme Divinity resides in the mouth of the Guru, which is obtained as prasad." Can you please help me understand this line better? This line seems to say that following the instruction of a Guru which is obtained only with grace, leads one to Supreme Divinity. Please let me know your thoughts.
That is one interpretation. Another is that the wisdom spoken by the Guru actually emanates from the Supreme Divinity, and when the guru speaks, God speaks, and that wisdom should be regarded as prasad.
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Can you tell us a bit more about "Ha Ha" and "Hu Hu" - the two famous celestial beings that appear in verse 25 of the Guru Gita?
They are Gandarvas. Just say their names and you can't help from smiling!
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It says, in verse 26 to offer to the Guru "a seat, a bed, cloth, ornaments, conveyance" Is there is any special significance to these items?
As much as we take over the responsibilities of worldly life from the Guru, so much are we permitted to witness the example of someone moving forward on the spiritual path.
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Verse 32 of the Guru Gita states "Gurubrahma guruvisnurgururdevo mahesvarah Gurureva parabrahma tasmai srigurave namah" Guru is Brahma, the Guru is Visnu, the Guru is Lord Maheswara. The Guru is actually the Supreme Divinity and therefore we bow down to the respected Guru. Therefore what does this mantra mean then: "gurubrahma guruvisnur gururdevo mahesvarah gurursakshat parabrahma tasmai srigurave namah"
The Guru is actually the Supreme Divinity...
- Guru Gita Verse 45
Verse 45 reads "...various colors, white and red..." What is the significance of these two colors in this verse?
White is consciousness and red is nature.
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Verse 52 of the Guru Gita states, "We bow to the circle which surrounds the Guru, to the Supreme Lord, our Guru and the three other Gurus (Param, Parapara, Paramesthi), to Ganapati, to the three places of worship of bhairava (the gross body, subtle body and causal bodies), to the number of attained beings, to the three children, to the two feet, to the order of ambassadors to the circle, to the heroes sixteen, sixty four and nine, to the five heroes that sacrificed, to the respected makers of garlands, by means of the king of mantras, the Guru Gita. Who are the three children?
The three children represent all the threes (kamakala) who have just been born into the harmony of our devotion because of our bowing.
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Who are the heroes 16, 64, and 9?
The heroes are all those who help in our search for purity, clarity and perfection. 16 is Shorasi - the 16 lettered mantra. 64 are the yoginis. 9 refers to the Durgas.
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Who is refered to by Param, Parapara and Paramesthi?
Param is the Guru's Guru.
Parapara is the lineage of Gurus.
Paramesthi is the supreme Guru or the first Guru.
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Why are the 5 heroes sacrificed?
The 5 heroes that sacrificed are the senses which stopped looking outward.
Guru Gita Verse 63-64
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As I read the Guru Gita, I perceive that Shiva is speaking in third person about the Guru through much of the text. Then in verses 63–64 there is a change to first person. How am I to understand these verses, as Shiva blissfully expressing attributes of the universal Guru? As my own soul singing out in reflection of the Guru?
As both. I am Shiva. I am the Guru. The Guru is both outside and inside.
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Verse 92 talks about meditation of guru at lotus of the heart whereas verse 95 talks about meditating on the guru in the lotus of the head. Which is the ideal place (head or heart) and time to meditate on Guru (verse 95 seems to say in the morning) I was under the impression heart for ishta devata and Gurudeva in the lotus of the sahasra on the crown of the head?
Meditate on either place. There is no difference between Guru Deva and Ishta Deva.
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Can you please direct us what is the "divine name" referred to in verse 95 of the Guru Gita? We are thinking GuRu or Om Namah Shivaya.
Both are correct. It also refers to the Guru's name and the mantra that you took from the Guru as well.
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Verse 99 says "By means of the path of the intuitive vision of the Guru, the mind should be made pure. The impermanent and other divisions should not be a bondage to the soul." What does the "path of the intuitive vision of the Guru" mean? Does it mean, by following the Guru's words, since he has the path of intuitive vision, we become pure? Or is there a different interpretation? Also can we say that everything except sadhana comes under "impermanent and other divisions"?
Certainly when the Guru gives instructions he or she is exercising the path of intuitive vision. This is true by words and example. When we follow that example or instruction, we become pure.
Definitely everything except sadhana is impermanent or divisive. But then again, when we are truly devotees, there is nothing but sadhana.
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Verse 100 says, "Let the mind be filled with the intrinsic nature of all that is knowable. Realize wisdom is one with that which is knowable. Other than this there is not a second path." How does one fill one's mind with the intrinsic nature of all that is knowable? And what does "realize wisdom is one with that which is knowable" mean? Surely it should be "realize wisdom is one with the INTRINSIC nature of all that is knowable"? Can you please help me to understand?
All that is knowable is the reflection of divinity. That understanding is wisdom. The intrinsic nature of all that is knowable is Love.
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Is there any special interpretation of the sun and the moon in Guru Gita verse 101?
In this verse it means for an eternity. Why? Because when we cast aspersions upon our example of perfection, it is no longer perfect. If we have no ideal of perfection, how can we strive to improve? Of course, without striving to improve, there is no dharma, etc., and the ignorance and attachment persists.
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Verse 102 of Guru Gita says, "So long as the body may remain, remember your Guru as a worshipful God. Do not give up on the Guru, even if he moves according to his own rhythm." I am curious about the reference to "the body" in this verse. In this case there are two people involved, the reader and the guru. So whose body is being referred to here (perhaps both)? How does the relationship change when one of them drops the body(especially the Guru).
I use this verse to apply to both. When the Guru leaves his or her body, we no longer have an external example to follow. We are required to rely on memory. That can be very difficult because of the tendency to remember things as we want to, and not necessarily as they were.
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Verse 106 says, "Without energy are the Gods and others, without energy are the munis as well. Because of a curse by the Guru, they may quickly become exhausted. Of this there is not a doubt." I am unable to understand how the Gods and Munis are without energy. Also I would like to know how this helps a human sadhak to understand the value of a Guru. Can you please throw some light on this verse?
It says that if the Guru were to curse them, even the Gods and munis are powerless. The Guru has greater influence than even the Gods or munis.
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In the context of verses 110-115, who is the "full, complete and perfect conscious being (Purusa)", who we are to meditate upon as the size of a thumb within the heart? I ask because in verse 91 we are told that in the lotus of the heart situated at its very center upon a throne, the divine murti or image is established.
That is It is with form and It is beyond form. It is great and It is small.
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Verse 58 of the Guru Gita says, "Ham and Sah are side by side ... in the middle of which the Guru is remembered." From verse 114, one can infer that there is no remembering after the ajna because one becomes mindless. Can Ham and Sah be the feet of Guru and the middle that point in the crown where the heart's vibrations are felt?
If you look at the tilak for Ram, there are two marks, in the middle of which is red: the two feet of Ram are Consciousness, while in the center the red mark of Nature. Here they are saying the Guru is Consciousness and Nature, and also beyond all manifestation.
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Verse 115 says, "Listen as I speak of that full, complete, and perfect conscious being (Purusa), which is meditated upon as the size of a thumb within the heart, where he gives rise to an attitude of awareness (Bhava)." Why is the subject of this verse purusha, rather than atman (how is purusha full, complete and perfect)?
‘Puru’ means full, complete, and perfect and ‘isha’ means consciousness. Purusha means full, complete, perfect consciousness or conscious being. Purusha is the atma of the universe.
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There are four successive verses mentioning pinda, pada, and rupa (119-122). This is a lot of reinforcement of this idea. Pinda, pada, and rupa are gross, outward actions that the author is using to describe a very subtle, or inward, process. Why? My thought is that these are meant to bring to mind all of the outward activities we perform that are our gurupuja, of which, this awakening is the "prasad of grace." But then he goes on to say very clearly that we are "liberated in" each of these three, seperately. I do not understand this. Why not 'liberated through,' or 'liberated by'? What does this mean?
Liberation occurs when our consciousness dwells in all action as a consecrated offering.
Liberation occurs when our consciousness dwells in the sacred syllables.
Liberation occurs when our consciousness dwells in the form of one-pointed awareness.
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34. Verse 128 says, “Oh Goddess, also instructions about the path of the Guru to liberation, devotion to the Guru, as well as meditation, all have been explained." Can you please explain why the path of the guru, devotion to the Guru and meditation are mentioned separately?
They are three aspects which unite: the path, devotion, and meditation. We want to make sure we have all three ingredients.
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I think most of the questions around this verse have to do with the path of the Guru. Devotion and meditation are both mentioned frequently, but the path of the Guru is never explicitly defined, yet this verse says, "... instructions ... have been explained." So what is the author referring to as the path of the Guru?
The path of the Guru is the path that the Guru is showing through example, as well as the path of devotion to the Guru by following that example. The very asking of these questions is part of the path of the Guru.
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In verse 129, what is meant by "for the benefit of the inhabitants of all the worlds do not accept an attitude of worldliness?
It is in everyone's best interests not to become bound by worldly attachments.
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Can you please explain why sitting on a cloth will produce affliction, and sitting on wood produces no fruit?
If the asana is too flimsy or too hard we will contemplate the pain in our backside rather than the love of the Guru.
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I am eager to learn what merit there is in sitting on a dead animal's skin. Is the animal symbolic of certain attributes like swiftness or courage?
It symbolizes sacrifice, giving up our animalism, our animalistic tendencies. Also the skin will provide optimum insulation between us and the earth.
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The verses from 138 onwards of the Guru Gita are related and deal with color and directions to face when practicing. I have a lingering question regarding the qualities that may be enhanced by the various colors and directions faced. If one has a real need for support in more than one area, can the disciple rotate through colors of asan and directions faced?
If there is a specific type of support that one needs, that subject should be consulted with the Guru, rather than randomly changing colors and directions.
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Verse 139 of the Guru Gita states that kusha (or durva too) mat should covered by a white blanket. Is it ok to just sit on kusha grass mat or do we need to put white blanket on it? What is relevance of sheepskin used in Devi Mandir tradition?
It is ok to sit on the kusha asana, but it will quickly become uncomfortable. You can put a blanket under it or a different asana on top.
The sheepskin is white wool.
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Why it is that facing in different directions during our sadhana produces these various results?
It is because we tune into the energies which are prevailing in each direction.
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This verse appears to be speaking of one who is finally letting go of the container of individuality and merging into the undifferentiated. This verse suggests the process of doing so involves letting go of doubts. I have no point of reference for this. It seems odd to me that there would be doubts of any kind left at that stage. Is this the major obstacle at this stage? Could you explain a little bit?
Not only has the Guru removed all of his or her own doubts, but wherever the Guru moves, all doubts are removed. Just seeing or being in contact with that divine inspiration is sufficient to inspire devotees to dedicate themselves to the sadhana of serving the Guru.
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In studying the Guru Gita and also in the Chandi, there is much reference to water. With the thought that whatever is happening in the external is happening internally, I wonder what does this flooding mean from a spiritual standpoint to a disciple? "Gu" is the darkness, the muddy waters, the maya and "ru" is the light. When all of the debris and sohas settled, all that can remain is light. Water is the mirror of the world - what is causing this degree of cloudiness?
The waters are the ocean of existence, flooding us with worldliness.
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I would like to do a Guru Gita homa. How would I change the recitation of a sankalpa to accomplish this?
In the sankalpa use “Shree Guru preetyartham, Shree Guru Gita iti mantrena ahuti homamaham karishye.â€
Guru Gita Dhyanam
Guru Gita and Skanda Purana
Krom Kilakam
Guru Gita Verse 1
Guru Gita Verse 2
Guru Gita Verse 4
Guru Gita Verse 5
Guru Gita Verse 7
Guru Gita Verse 11
Guru Gita Verse 14
Guru Gita Verse 18
Guru Gita Verse 19
Guru Gita Verse 25
Guru Gita Verse 26
Guru Gita Verse 32
Guru Gita Verse 52
Guru Gita Verse 92
Guru Gita Verse 95
Guru Gita Verse 99
Guru Gita Verse 100
Guru Gita Verse 101
Guru Gita Verse 102
Guru Gita Verse 106
Guru Gita Verse 110-115
Guru Gita Verse 58 and 114
Guru Gita Verse 115
Guru Gita Verse 119-122
Guru Gita Verse 128
Guru Gita Verse 129
Guru Gita Verse 137
Guru Gita Verse 138
Guru Gita Verse 139
Guru Gita Verse 141
Guru Gita Verse 165
Guru Gita and reference to water
Guru Gita Homa
