Guruvashtakam ( गुरुवाष्टकं ) of Our Immortal Sage Shree Adi Shankara

Guruvashtakam ( गुरुवाष्टकं ) of Our Immortal Sage Shree Adi Shankara, one of the many unforgettable Brahma Vidya Gurus, who came in my struggling life : One of the greatest sages of India, after the dawn of the Christian Era. 

 

Adi Shankara, The Composer Of Guruvashtakam

Christ too was an equally great Immortal Yogee, and some of the beautiful quotations of the New Testament, I keep Reading & ReReading, and ReReRereading, time and again. Some of the spiritual quotes from the great sacred Bible, on the stupendous powers of unflinching Faith & heartfelt Prayers, are my all time favourites. And I even had them, displayed on my dressing table mirror, when we were in Chandigarh, sometime in the past.

Prayer is an important part of Christian Spiritual Sadhana. But even great Sages of modern India, like Swami Sivananda, Swami Chidananda & Mahatma Gandhi, were great votaries of PRAYERs, to effortlessly raise man to the most sublime spiritual heights.

It's pleasant morning hour right now, and the geyser in our bathroom is on, to heat water for my fresh morning Snaanam, to get me ready, for my morning Chants of Durga Stotras & Stutis, from the greatest Shakta Scripture ' The Great Durga Sapthashathi', also known as 'Devi Mahatmyam', by many.

Or perhaps, Durga Sapthashati is the term used by North Indians, and Devi Mahatmyam is the term used by the South Indians, and Chandee Paath is the term used by the Bongs, for the same sacred scripture of Hinduism, I have a feeling.

Am back just now from Amma's place, after brewing a cup of piping hot Tea for her. And also a Milton Flask, full of equally piping hot water for her whole day's consumption. Even in these summers, she wants to keep away from cold water, however tempting be the idea. Then I made Navadanya Kanjee for her breakfast and kept it aside carefully, preserving the heat for her 8 o'clock consumption,  followed by filling up a few kitchen containers, with fresh water from the Water Purifier. This was followed by boiling of milk, and other tit bits of miscelleneous jobs.

Not that I do all these chores everyday for my mother dear. I keep doing all these chores, every now & then, to show dear Bangaaramma ( her caretaker at night), that she shouldn't be disulliosed, that she can take any harsh liberties with the old lady, thinking her to be all alone, which the old lady definitely is not, with four hulky, bulky kids, to take care of her multidisciplinary requirements. 🤣.

Bangaramma is a sweet thing, with utmost dedication, but a total NUT, who goes raving bonker, every now & then as her most favourite pastime, as staying with old people, any day, anytime, will drive anyone half mad. And dear Bangaaramma is no exception to this rule.

Bangaaramma was extremely fond of my father, during his earthly existence, and she's been an employee of our Terrace Garden, since the past 25 years of its existence. She couldn't bear to see my extremely old father, carrying vegetables, fruits, and provision, from the shops near Terrace Garden Gate, and would immediately snatch the bags from his old hands, to deliver the bags at his residence. Sometime, she even used to hold dear Appa's hand, to give him some support, whenever she found him weak, on his way back home, from the nearby HDFC bnak, Big Bazaar, Food World, and the rest.

This is the reason, why dear Bangaaramma has become an important part of our household, with all her NUTTY behaviour, and dear Viji is reluctant most of the time to throw her out.

Well then, what happened to our Brahma Vidya Guru Adi Shankara's Guruvaashtakam?? This is a lovely sublime stotra in sacred Samskritham of the Sage. The great Hinduisma has given a Sthaanam, a Pedestal, for the great Brahma Vidya Gurus, even far far far above the Sthaanam, the Sacred Seat, of the Great God Almighty Himself.

I am yet to learn the meaning of this sublime Stotra, praising the Greatest Sadgurus, with all soul sturring, rhthmic melody, in the Language of the Gods, the great Sanskrit language, of this sacred soil of Bharathavarsha ; the ageless, timeless India.

Yesterday, after my simple, though not so very simple, lunch of fresh Rasam & stuffed Kathrikkai curry (tender Desi brinjals ), I wanted to utilize my Post Lunch Time, productively. I thought, I should learn the great Guruvaashtakam, of Achaaryaal, the grreat Shankara Bhagavadpada, by heart, as a Stuti for my very own Guru, Gurudev Swami Sivananda Saraswathi, and also to sharpen my unusually dull memory these days, the अति मन्द स्मरण शक्ति of this वृद्ध महिला, who is on her path to deterioration gradually.

Social Media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Blooging Site etc, do keep my dull mind & brain, in a remarkably good working condition, inspite of all the abuses and melodious GAALEES, and வேஷவு திட்டுs, I get showered with, every now & then, by dearest Shekhar & Pappu. My mother too gets bugged many a times, by this occassional addictive pastime of mine.

But since a great mental tonic, for my deteriorating mental health, I dont want to detach myself permanently from this rejuvenating hobby, however troublesome are the abuses. 🤣

Attached down below, is the great Guruvashtakam, I am trying to by heart these days. Its being chanted by someone from The vedantha Bharathi of Karnataka. A lady from this organisation,
started teaching me & my co-born Vijayalakshmi Radhakrishnan , how to chant Adi Shankara's ever popular Soundarya Lahari, with picture perfect Sanskrit diction.

Vijee mastered the Stotra, and has even perhaps become a guru herself today, due to her dedication, and love for the sacred Samskritham , But I left it half way, as usual, due to my recent trips, to the sacred towns of Kumbakonam & Thanjvur, to personally witness the most beautiful temples, and some of the finest UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Region.

Anyway, I can always learn it from Vijee anytime, now that she is a Brahma Vidya Guru Apprentice. 🤣🤣

Well then, here is the Audio recording of  Guruvaashtakam. Whether the voice of the Chanter is soul stirring or not, the language & wordings chosen by Shri Adi Shankara, are unusually Soul Stirring. I am immersed, in waves & waves of joy, right now, in the melody of this Stotra, echoing all around, in the background, while I am writing this Post.