Verse 1
ॐ अस्य श्रीगुरुगीता स्तोत्र-मन्त्रस्य भगवान् सदाशिव ऋषिः । छन्दो नानाविधानि । श्रीगुरुपरमात्मा देवता । हं बीजं, सः शक्तिः, क्रों कीलकम् । श्रीगुरुप्रसादसिद्ध्यर्थे जपे विनियोगः । अथ ध्यानम् ।
oṃ asya śrī-guru-gītā stotra-mantrasya bhagavān sadāśiva ṛṣiḥ; chando nānā-vidhāni; śrī-guru-paramātmā devatā; haṃ bījaṃ, saḥ śaktiḥ, kroṃ kīlakam; śrī-guru-prasāda-siddhy-arthe jape viniyogaḥ. atha dhyānam.
Om. For this Śrī Guru Gītā stotra‑mantra, the seer is Bhagavān Sadāśiva; the metres are various; the deity is Śrī Guru, the Supreme Self; the seed is ‘haṃ’, the power is ‘saḥ’, and the pin is ‘kroṃ’. The application is for japa aimed at attaining Śrī Guru’s grace. Now, the meditation.
Verse 2
ऋषय ऊचुः— गुह्याद् गुह्यतरं विद्या गुरुगीता विशेषतः । ब्रूहि नः सूत कृपया शृणुमस्त्वत्प्रसादतः ॥१॥
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ— guhyād guhyataraṃ vidyā guru‑gītā viśeṣataḥ; brūhi naḥ sūta kṛpayā śṛṇumas tvat‑prasādataḥ ..1..
The sages said: “O Sūta, by your grace teach us the most secret wisdom—the Guru Gītā—so that we may hear it through your favor.”
Verse 3
सूतर् उवाच— कैलासशिखरे रम्ये भक्तिसन्धाननायकम् । प्रणम्य पार्वती भक्त्या शङ्करं पर्यपृच्छत ॥२॥
sūta uvāca— kailāsa‑śikhare ramye bhakti‑sandhāna‑nāyakam; praṇamya pārvatī bhaktyā śaṅkaraṃ paryapṛcchata ..2..
Sūta said: On fair Mount Kailāsa, Pārvatī bowed with devotion to Śaṅkara—the leader of the path of devotion—and questioned him.
Verse 4
देव्युवाच— ॐ नमो देवदेवेश परात्पर जगद्गुरो । सदाशिव महादेव गुरुदीक्षां प्रदेहि मे ॥३॥
devy uvāca— oṃ namo deva‑deveśa parāt‑para jagad‑guro; sadāśiva mahādeva guru‑dīkṣāṃ pradehi me ..3..
The Goddess said: “Obeisance to the Lord of lords, Supreme beyond the supreme, World‑Teacher—O Mahādeva Sadāśiva, grant me initiation into the Guru’s path.”
Verse 5
केन मार्गेण भोः स्वामिन् देही ब्रह्ममयो भवेत् । त्वं कृपां कुरु मे स्वामिन् नमामि चरणौ तव ॥४॥
kena mārgeṇa bhoḥ svāmin dehī brahma‑mayo bhavet; tvaṃ kṛpāṃ kuru me svāmin namāmi caraṇau tava ..4..
“By which path, O Lord, does a person become Brahman‑like? Show me your grace—Lord, I bow to your feet.”
Verse 6
ईश्वर उवाच— मम रूपासि देवि त्वं त्वत्प्रीत्यर्थं वदाम्यहम् । लोकोपकारकः प्रश्नो न केनापि कृतः पुरा ॥५॥
īśvara uvāca— mama rūpāsi devi tvaṃ, tvat‑prīty‑arthaṃ vadāmy aham; lokopakārakaḥ praśno na kenāpi kṛtaḥ purā ..5..
Śiva said: “Devi, you are my very form. Out of love I will speak. This question benefits the world and has scarcely been asked before.”
Verse 7
दुर्लभं त्रिषु लोकेषु तच्छृणुष्व वदाम्यहम् । गुरुं विना ब्रह्म नान्यत् सत्यं सत्यं वरानने ॥६॥
durlabhaṃ triṣu lokeṣu tac chṛṇuṣva vadāmy aham; guruṃ vinā brahma nānyat satyaṃ satyaṃ varānane ..6..
“Hear this rare truth of the three worlds: without the Guru there is no realization of Brahman—this is the truth indeed, O fair‑faced one.”
Verse 8
वेदशास्त्रपुराणानि इतिहासादिकानि च । मन्त्रयन्त्रादिविद्याश्च स्मृतिरुच्चाटनादिकम् ॥७॥
veda‑śāstra‑purāṇāni itihāsādikāni ca; mantra‑yantrādi‑vidyāś ca smṛtir uccāṭanādikam ..7..
“Vedas, śāstras, Purāṇas, epics; the sciences of mantra and yantra, mnemonic rites and rites of expulsion—
Verse 9
शैवशाक्तागमादीन्यन्यानि विविधानि च । अपभ्रंशकराण्येव जीवानां भ्रान्तचेतसाम् ॥८॥
śaiva‑śāktāgamādīny anyāni vividhāni ca; apabhraṃśa‑karāṇy eva jīvānāṃ bhrānta‑cetasām ..8..
“Even diverse Śaiva and Śākta Āgamas, for minds already confused, can further lead to decline—
Verse 10
यज्ञव्रतं तपो दानं जपस्तीरं तथा एव च । गुरुतत्त्वमविज्ञाय मूढास्ते चरते जनाः ॥९॥
yajña‑vrataṃ tapo dānaṃ japas tīrthaṃ tathaiva ca; guru‑tattvam avijñāya mūḍhās te carate janāḥ ..9..
“Sacrifice, vows, austerity, charity, japa and pilgrimages—without grasping the principle of the Guru, fools wander in vain.”
Verse 11
गुरुबुद्ध्यात्मनो नान्यत् सत्यं सत्यं न संशयः । तल्लाभार्थं प्रयासः स्याद् कर्तव्यो हि मनीषिभिः ॥१०॥
guru‑buddhy ātmano nānyat satyaṃ satyaṃ na saṃśayaḥ; tallābhārthaṃ prayāsaḥ syād kartavyo hi manīṣibhiḥ ..10..
“There is nothing other than one’s own innermost intelligence as the Guru—truth without doubt. The wise must strive to gain this realization.”
Verse 12
गूढा विद्या जगन्माया देहे चाज्ञानसंभवा । उदयो स्वप्रकाशेन गुरुशब्देन कथ्यते ॥११॥
gūḍhā vidyā jagan‑māyā dehe cājñāna‑saṃbhavā; udayaḥ sva‑prakāśena guru‑śabdena kathyate ..11..
“Hidden knowledge, world‑māyā and bodily ignorance—when self‑light dawns, that arising is spoken of as ‘guru’.”
Verse 13
सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा श्रीगुरोः पादसेवनात् । देही ब्रह्म भवेद्यस्मात् तत्कृपार्थं वदामि ते ॥१२॥
sarva‑pāpa‑viśuddhātmā śrī‑guroḥ pāda‑sevanāt; dehī brahma bhaved yasmāt tat‑kṛpārthaṃ vadāmi te ..12..
“By serving the Guru’s feet, the self is purified of all sin; through that grace, the embodied becomes Brahman—therefore I speak this to you.”