Guru Paduka Stotram by Sri Shankaracharya

गुरुपादुकास्तोत्रम्

Guru Paduka Stotram
as taught by Swamini Brahmaleenanandaji - disciple of Pujya Swami Dayanandaji

( composed by Sankaracharya)

Guru Paduka Stotram is a well known and famous Stotra glorifying the Padukas of Guru. The word padukaabhyaam is in the fourth case ( vibhakti in sanskrit), dual.These verses describe the glory of the two padukas and what they can do.Most of the adjectives qualifying the padukas are compounds in sanskrit The devotees study it daily and when the meaning is also brought to mind then alone there is real joy. Here the meaning of the individual sanskrit words as well as the meaning of verses are given.

Verse 1. अनन्त-संसार-समुद्र-तार नौकायिताभ्याम् गुरुभक्तिदाभ्याम् ।

                 वैराग्य-साम्राज्यद-पूजनाभ्याम् नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् ।।

   

      अनन्त-संसार-समुद्र-तार – (The gurupadukas ), which help cross over the ocean of samsara,                                                                      

     नौकायिताभ्याम् – (The gurupadukas ), by being like a boat

     गुरुभक्तिदाभ्याम् – (The gurupadukas )Which endow me with devotion to Guru,

     वैराग्य-साम्राज्यद-पूजनाभ्याम् – The worship of which  blesses us with the wealth of vairagya.

     नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - My namaskaaras  to those holy sandals of my Guru.

   I again and again do namaskaar to the holy padukas of my Guru , which serve as a boat to cross this ( seeming) shoreless ocean of samsara (भवसागर, bhavasaagara) and which grant us the devotion and fullness ( aaptakama vairagya) to those who worship them.

Verse 2. कवित्ववाराशि-निशाकराभ्याम् दौर्भाग्य-दावाम्बुद-मालिकाभ्याम् ।

                 दूरीक्रिता-नम्र-विपत्ततिभ्याम्  नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् ।।

कवित्ववाराशि – Ocean of poetry, knowledge and literary splendour.

निशाकराभ्याम् - (The gurupadukas ), which are like the full moon,

दौर्भाग्य -Misfortunes, दाव -fire, अम्बुद - water, मालिकाभ्याम् – garlands of rain bearing clouds, दूरीक्रिता - remove, नम्र - who prostrate, विपत्ततिभ्याम् – stream of adversities,

 नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - My namaskaaras to holy sandals of my guru.

 I again and again do namaskaar to the holy padukas of my Guru , which are like the full moon for the surging ocean of poetry and knowledge, which are the garland of rain bearing clouds that put out the scorching fire of samsara and which remove the distress of those that worship them.

Verse 3.  नता ययोः श्रीपतिताम् समीयुः कदाचिदप्याशु दरिद्रवर्याः

                मूकाश्च वाचस्पतिताम् हि ताभ्याम् नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् ।।

नता – who prostrate, ययोः – to the gurupadukas , श्रीपतिताम् – for the  affluent समीयुः – have turned out, कदाचिदप्याशु – even, दरिद्रवर्याः- those afflicted by poverty, मूकाश्च- the mute, वाचस्पतिताम् – for the eloquent speakers, हि- indeed, ताभ्याम्

नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - My namaskaaras to holy sandals of my guru.

I again and again do namaskaar to the holy padukas of my Guru the worship of which transforms quickly even the worst of the poverty stricken to gain nature of Lord of Sri , becoming possessors of great wealth and which transform the mute ones to eloquent speakers ( vaachaspati, brihaspati, devaguru) endowed with vaak shakti.

Verse 4 नालीकनीकाश पदाहृताभ्याम् नाना विमोहादिनिवारिकाभ्याम् ।

                नमज्जनाभीष्ट ततिप्रदाभ्याम् नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् ।।

 नालीक - A bunch of lotus, नीकाश- similar to, पद -legs

आहृताभ्याम् - attractive, नाना विमोहादि- all kinds of desires born of ignorance,  

निवारिकाभ्याम् – ( the gurupadukas) which remove, नमज्जन - who bow their heads,

अभीष्ट- desires, तति - plenty,

प्रदाभ्याम् – ( the gurupadukas), those which fulfil.

नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - My namaskaaras to holy sandals of my guru.

I again and again do namaskaar to the holy padukas of my Guru, which are the beautiful lotus Feet capable of removing delusion , sorrow etc born of ignorance, and which grant countless blessings to those who bow down to them.

Verse 5  नृपालिमौलि व्रजरत्न कान्ति सरिद्विराजज्झषकन्यकाभ्याम् ।

                नृपत्वदाभ्याम् नतलोक-पङक्तेः नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् ।।

 नृपालि- of the king, मौलि - the crown, व्रजरत्न – precious stone, कान्ति - shine like,

सरिद् - A big river, विराज – infested, झषकन्यकाभ्याम् – water mermaids, नृपत्वदाभ्याम् -lifted up to the great rank of sovereignty,

नतलोक-पङक्तेः - to whom a queue of people bowed at,

नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - My namaskaaras to holy sandals of my guru.

My namaskars to those holy padukas of my Guru, which shine like the precious gem adorning the crown of a king which are lustrous like the river in which the mermaids are dancing and which ( holy padukas) elevate the rows of people bowing to them to the status of kings.Such is the glory of the padukas that even the impossible becomes possible.

Verse 6 पापान्धकारार्कपरम्पराभ्याम् तापत्रयाहीन्द्रखगेश्वराभ्याम् ।

                जाड्याब्धिसंशोषणवाडवाभ्याम् नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् ।।

  

पापान्धकार- Darkness of ignorance, परम्परा- a chain of, अर्क- Sun, तापत्रय - threefold afflictions of Samsara, अहीन्द्र - like the king of serpents, खगेश्वराभ्याम् – The eagle garuda , who is king of birds, जाड्य– insentience, अब्धि - an ocean, संशोषण- that dries away, वाडवाभ्याम् - a terrific fire

नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - My namaskaaras to holy sandals of my guru.

I again and again prostrate to those holy Sandals of my Guru, which are like the great fire which dries up the ocean of ignorance, which are like an eagle for the serpentlike afflictions samsara.

Verse 7  शमादिषट्कप्रदवैभवाभ्याम् समाधिदानव्रतदीक्षिदाभ्याम्।

                 रमाधवाङिघ्र- स्थिरभक्तिदाभ्याम् नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् ।।

शमादिषट्क-  the sixfold qualifications beginning with शम, प्रद - endows,

वैभवाभ्याम्– wealth, glory, समाधिदानव्रतदीक्षिदाभ्याम्- initiated with the vow of charity & samadhi ( absorption, concentration), रमाधव- Lord of Sri, i.e. Vishnu,

अङिघ्र- feet, स्थिरभक्तिदाभ्याम् – that bless with steadfast devotion.

नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - My namaskaaras to holy sandals of my guru.

My prostrations to those Padukas of my guru which grant us the wealth of six qualities beginning with Shama, which have as though taken a vow to bless with the wealth of samadhi and which bless the devotees with steadfast devotion to the feet of Lord Vishnu.

Verse 8  स्वार्चापराणामखिलेष्टदाभ्याम् स्वाहासहायाक्षधुरन्धराभ्याम्

                स्वान्ताच्छभावप्रदपूजनाभ्याम् नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम्

स्वार्चापराणाम- who are parayan for sewa, अखिलेष्टदाभ्याम् - bestows all the wishes of them, स्वाहासहायाक्षधुरन्धराभ्याम् –

स्वान्ताच्छभावप्रदपूजनाभ्याम् - which grace ones’ own hidden real nature,

नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - My namaskaaras to holy sandals of my guru.

I again and again prostrate to those Padukas of my Guru, which grants all the wishes of those devoted disciples and which grants chittashuddhi ( purity of antahkarana) to those who do puja.

Verse 9 कामादिसर्पव्रजगारुडाभ्याम् विवेकवैराग्यनिधिप्रदाभ्याम् ।

         बोधप्रदाभ्याम् द्रुतमोक्षदाभ्याम् नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् ।।

कामादिसर्प - the serpant of desires, व्रजगारुडाभ्याम् - like an eagle,

विवेकवैराग्यनिधिप्रदाभ्याम् - bless with the treasure of discrimination & dispassion,

बोधप्रदाभ्याम् – which grant knowledge, द्रुतमोक्षदाभ्याम् – which bless with moksha quickly,

नमो नमः श्री गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - My namaskaaras to holy sandals of my guru.

I again and again prostrate to those Padukas of my Guru which are like the eagle Garuda for the serpent like desires, ( padukas) which bless us with the treasure of discrimination, dispassion and knowledge, and which bless us quickly with moksha.