Acharya Vandana Puja
- Guru Dev - Shankaracharya Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (painting by M T V Acharya)
*
recording of Guru Dev reciting 'Guru Pranam', a verse of the puja, 1952
audio file of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi reciting puja in Rishikesh, India 1969
audio file of brahmachari reciting puja, Rishikesh, India 1969
'Introduction to the Holy Tradition' - a booklet - pdf
आत्म शुद्धि - aatma shuddhi - PURIFICATION
अपवित्रः पवित्रो वा सर्वावस्थां गतोऽपि वा। यः स्मरेत्पुंडरीकाक्षं स बाह्याभ्यंतरः शुचिः॥ हरिभक्तिविलस ३।३७, गरुड़ पुराण apavitraH pavitro vaa sarvaavasthaa.n gato.api vaa . yaH smaretpu.nDariikaakShaM sa baahyaabhya.ntaraH shuchiH .. haribhaktivilasa ch3 v37, garu.Da puraaNa / 1st line in siva samhita 4:33
Whether all places are permeated with purity or with impurity, whosoever remembers the lotus-eyed Lord (Vishnu, Rama, Krishna) gains inner and outer purity.
आवाहनं - aavaahanaM - INVOCATION
नारायणं पद्मभवं वसिष्ठं शक्तिं च तत्पुत्रपराशरं च। व्यासं शुकं गौडपदं महान्तं गोविन्दयोगीन्द्रमथास्य शिष्यम्॥ गुरुवन्दनम् १ naaraayaNaM padmabhavaM vasishhThaM shaktiM cha tatputraparaasharaM cha . vyaasaM shukaM gauDapadaM mahaantaM govindayogiindramathaasya shishhyam .. guruvandanam v1 / gurustotram v20
To Narayana, to lotus-born Brahma, to Vasishtha, to Shakti and his son, Parashara, to Vyasa, to Shukadeva, to the great Gaudapada, to Govinda, to Yogindra his disciple.
श्री शंकराचार्यमथास्य पद्मपादं च हस्तामलकं च शिष्यम्। तं त्रोटकं वार्त्तिककारमन्यान् अस्मतगुरून् सन्ततमानतोस्मि॥ गुरुवन्दनम् २ shrii shaMkaraachaaryamathaasya padmapaadaM cha hastaamalakaM cha shishhyam . taM troTakaM vaarttikakaaramanyaan asmataguruun santatamaanatosmi .. guruvandanam v2 / gurustotram v21
To his disciple Shri Shankaracharya, to his disciples Padmapada, Hastamalaka, to him Trotakacharya, to Sureshwara (the writer of famous vaarttika's), to others, to our tradition of gurus, I bow down.
श्रुतिस्मृतिपुराणानां आलयं करुणालयं। नमामि भगवत्पादं शङ्करं लोकशङ्करम्॥ गुरुवन्दनम् ३ shrutismR^itipuraaNaanaaM aalayaM karuNaalayaM . namaami bhagavatpaadaM sha~NkaraM lokasha~Nkaram .. guruvandanam v3 / gurustotram v22
To the shruti ('that which is heard'), smR^iti ('that which is remembered) and puraaNaanaM ('ancients' [stories]) - the abode of kindness, I bow down to the feet of the Lord Shankar, emancipator of the world.
शङ्करं शङ्कराचार्य केशवं बादरायणम्। सूत्रभाष्यकृतौ वन्दे भगवन्तौ पुनः पुनः॥ गुरुवन्दनम् ४ sha~NkaraM sha~Nkaraachaarya keshavaM baadaraayaNam . suutrabhaashhyakR^itau vande bhagavantau punaH punaH .. guruvandanam v4 / gurustotram v23
To Shankar Shankaracharya (Shiva), Keshava (Vishnu, Krishna), Badarayana (Veda Vyasa), to the commentator of the suutrabhaashya (Brahma Sutras), at the feet of the lord I bow down again and again.
यद्द्वारे निखिला निलिम्पपरिषत्सिद्धिं विधत्तेऽनिशंश्रीमच्छ्रीलसितं जगद्गुरुपदं नत्वात्मतृप्तिं गताः। लोकाज्ञानपयोदपाटनधुरं श्रीशंकरं शर्मदंब्रह्मानन्दसरस्वतीं गुरुवरं ध्यायामि ज्योतिर्मयं॥५॥ प्रार्थना ५ yad.hdvaare nikhilaa nilimpaparishhatsiddhiM vidhatte.anishaM , shriimachchhriilasitaM jagad.hgurupadaM natvaatmatR^iptiM gataaH . lokaaGYaanapayodapaaTanadhuraM shriishaMkaraM sharmadaM , brahmaanandasarasvatiiM guruvaraM dhyaayaami jyotirmayaM ..5.. praarthanaa v5
At whose door the whole galaxy of gods pray for perfection day and night. Adorned by immeasurable glory, preceptor of the whole world, having bowed down at His feet, we gain fulfilment. Skilled in dispelling the cloud of ignorance of the people, the gentle emancipator, Brahmananda Saraswati, the supreme teacher, full of brilliance, on Him we meditate. (from a five-verse prayer attributed to a Sanskrit Poet of Benares, an "Ashu Kavi" (spontaneous poet), Pt. Veni Madava Sastri 'Shashtrartha Maharathi')
षोडशोपचार पूजन - shhoDashopachaara puujana - puuja of 16 OFFERINGS
आवाहनं समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः aavaahanaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH Offering invocation to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. आसनं समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः aasanaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH Offering a seat to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. स्नानं समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः snaanaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH Offering a bath to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. वस्त्रं समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः vastraM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH Offering a cloth to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. चंदनं समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः cha.ndanaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH Offering sandal paste to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. अक्शतान् समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः akshataan samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH Offering full unbroken rice to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. पुष्पं समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः pushhpaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH Offering a flower to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. धूपं समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः dhuupaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH Offering incense to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. दीपं समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः diipaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH Offering light to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. अच्मनियम् समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः achmaniyam samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH Offering water to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. नैवेद्यं समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः naivedyaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH Offering fruit to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. अच्मनीयं समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः achmaniiyaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH Offering water to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. ताम्बूलं समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः taambuulaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH Offering betel leaf to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. श्री फलं समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः shrii phalaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH Offering coconut to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. उपचारस् - upachaaras
आरात्रिक्यं - aaraatrikyaM - ARATI - OFFERING CAMPHOR FLAME
कर्पूरगौरम् करुणावतारम् संसारसारं भुजगेन्द्रहारम्। सदावसन्तं हृदयारविन्दे भवं भवानी सहितं नमामि॥ प्रार्थना- उपचारस् karpuuragauram karuNaavataaram saMsaarasaaraM bhujagendrahaaram . sadaavasantaM hR^idayaaravinde bhavaM bhavaanii sahitaM namaami .. praarthanaa - upachaaras / shiva shloka
White as camphor, the incarnation of kindness, the essence of the world, the one who is garlanded by the Serpent King, ever dwelling in the lotus of my heart, bhavaM (Shiva) together with bhavaanii (Parvati), I bow down.
आरात्रिक्यं समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः आच्मनीयं समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः aaraatrikyaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH aachmaniiyaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH उपचारस् - upachaaras
Offering light to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down.
Offering water to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down.
पुष्पाञ्जलिं - pushhpaaJNjaliM - 'OFFERING FLOWERS WITH FOLDED HANDS'
गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुर् गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः। गुरुःसाक्षात् परम्ब्रह्म तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः॥ गुरुदेवस्तुति ६ / गुरु मंत्र gururbrahmaa gururvishhNur gururdevo maheshvaraH . guruHsaakShaat parambrahma tasmai shrii gurave namaH .. gurudevastuti v6 / guru maMtra
guru is Brahma, guru is Vishnu, guru is the god Maheshwara (Shiva), in the presence of the guru, the transcendental brahman, to him the blessed guru, I bow down.
अखन्दमन्दलकरम् व्याप्तम् येन चरचरम्। तत्पदम् दर्शितम् येन तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः॥ गुरुदेवस्तुति ४ / गुरु स्तोत्रम् akhandamandalakaram vyaaptam yena characharam . tatpadam darshitam yena tasmai shrii gurave namaH .. gurudevastuti v4 / guru stotram / guru pranam
The one who has made it possible to realise Him who pervades this entire infinite universe of animate and inanimate existence, I bow to the blessed guru. audio file of Guru Dev reciting this verse
श्री+ ब्रह्मनन्दम् परम सुखदम् केवलम् ज्ञान्मुर्तिम्। विश्वातीतं* गगन सद्रिशम् तत्त्वमस्यादि लक्श्यम्॥ गुरुदेवस्तुति २ / गुरु गीत shrii+ brahmanandam parama sukhadam kevalam GYaanmurtim . vishvaatiitaM* gagana sadrisham tattvamasyaadi lakshyam .. gurudevastuti v2 / guru giita + the श्री shrii is not found in other versions *note: in other versions the word विश्वातीतं vishvaatiitaM appears as वद्वन्द्वातीतम् vadvandvaatiitam
Blessed brahmanandam (Absolute Bliss), the giver of greatest (transcendental) happiness, who is only knowledge personified, beyond the universe [of opposites], one who is like the sky, the goal of 'That Thou art' etc.
एकम् नित्यम् विमलम् अचलम् सर्वधीसाक्षिभुतम्। भावातीतम् त्रिगुनसहितम्** सद्गुरुम् त्वम् नमामि॥ गुरुदेवस्तुति ३ ekam nityam vimalam achalam sarvadhiisaakShibhutam . bhaavaatiitam trigunasahitam** sadgurum tvam namaami .. gurudevastuti v3 **note: in other versions the word त्रिगुनसहितम् trigunasahitam appears as त्रिगुनरहितम् trigunarahitam
The one, the eternal, steady without impurity, the one who exists as the witness of all intellect, the transcendent without the three gunas, the true guru, to him I bow down.
आज्ञान तिमिरान्धस्य ज्ञानाजन शलकया। चक्षुरून्मीलितम् येन तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः॥ गुरुदेवस्तुति ५ / गुरु गीत ३४ aaGYaana timiraandhasya GYaanaajana shalakayaa . chakShuruunmiilitam yena tasmai shrii gurave namaH .. gurudevastuti v5 / guru giita v34
The blinding darkness of ignorance has been probed with the ointment of knowledge, the eyes [of knowledge] have been opened by Him, [therefore] to the blessed guru, I bow down.
पुष्पाञ्जलिं समर्पयामि श्री गुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः pushhpaaJNjaliM samarpayaami shrii guru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH उपचारस् - upachaaras
Offering a handful of flowers to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down.
Translation
PURIFICATION
INVOCATION
To Narayana, to lotus-born Brahma, to Vashistha, to Shakti and his son, Parashara, to Vyasa, to Shukadeva, to the great Gaudapada, to Govinda, to Yogindra his disciple.
At whose door the whole galaxy of gods pray for perfection day and night. Adorned by immeasurable glory, preceptor of the whole world, having bowed down at His feet, we gain fulfilment. Skilled in dispelling the cloud of ignorance of the people, the gentle emancipator, Brahmananda Saraswati, the supreme teacher, full of brilliance, on Him we meditate.
puuja of 16 OFFERINGS Offering invocation to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. Offering a seat to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. Offering a bath to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. Offering a cloth to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. Offering sandal paste to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. Offering full unbroken rice to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. Offering a flower to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. Offering incense to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. Offering light to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. Offering water to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. Offering fruit to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. Offering water to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. Offering betel leaf to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. Offering coconut to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down.
ARATI - OFFERING CAMPHOR FLAME
'OFFERING FLOWERS WITH FOLDED HANDS'
guru is Brahma, guru is Vishnu, guru is the god Maheshwara (Shiva), in the presence of the guru, the transcendental brahman (eternal), to him the blessed guru, I bow down.
The one who pervades the universe, by whom the animate and inanimate are manifested, by whom his position is shown, to him the blessed guru I bow.
Blessed brahmanandam (Absolute Bliss), the giver of transcendental happiness, who is only knowledge personified, beyond the universe [of opposites], one who is like the sky, the goal of 'That Thou art' etc.
With the application of the ointment of knowledge, by whom the eyes are opened, to him I bow down to the blessed guru.
Home page