GURU PRAYER
Verses 1 and 2 are from the Guru Gītā in the Skanda-Purāṇa and verse 3 was composed by Swami Veda Bharati for the frontispiece to his Yoga¬sῡtras. (Volume I: Samādhi-pāda)
ॐ ॐ ॐ गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुर्गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः।
गुरुः साक्षात्परं ब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः॥१॥
Om Om Om gurur brahmā gurur viṣṇur gurur devo maheśvaraḥ,
guruḥ sākṣāt paraṁ brahma tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ. (1)
Om, Om, Om. To that beautiful and benevolent Guru who is Brahmā, the Creator, Viṣṇu, the Maintainer, and Śiva, the Great Lord through whom all things return to their origin. To that Guru who is the direct experience of Brahman, salutations.
अखण्डमण्डलाकारं व्याप्तं येन चराचरम्।
तत्पदं दर्शितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः॥२॥
akhaṇḍa-maṇḍalākāraṁ vyāptaṁ yena carācaram,
tat-padaṁ darśitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ. (2)
(Which) pervades the entire unbroken form of the circle (of creation), moving and unmoving. To that beautiful and benevolent Guru through whom that state was revealed (to me), salutations.
हिरण्यगर्भादारब्धां शेषव्यासादिमध्यमाम्।
स्वामिश्रीरामपादान्तां वन्दे गुरुपरम्पराम्॥३॥
hiraṇya-garbhād ārabdhāṁ śeṣa-vyāsādi-madhyamām,
svāmi-śrī-rāma-pādāntāṁ vande guru-paramparām. (3)
Originating from the Golden Womb (of light, the guru-spirit), and (flowing) down through the medium of gurus like Śeṣa (Patañjali), Vyāsa and the rest, ending at the feet of Śrī Swāmī Rāma, that (unbroken stream of) succession, I worship.
PEACE PRAYER
This Śānti Pāṭha is a traditional introduction to several of the Upaniṣads.
ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय। तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय।
मृत्योर्मामृतं गमय॥
Om asato mā sad gamaya,
tamaso mā jyotir gamaya,
mṛtyor mā amṛtaṁ gamaya.
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ.
Om. Lead me from the unreal and the untrue to the Real and True. Lead me from darkness (of ignorance) unto light (of consciousness). Lead me from mortality to immortality. Om, Peace, Peace, Peace.
Prayer at dawn by Śankarācārya
(Prātaḥ-smaraṇa-stotram)
प्रातःस्मरामि हृदि संस्फुरदात्मतत्त्वं सच्चित्सुखं परमहंसगतिं तुरीयम्।
यत् स्वप्नजागरसुषुप्तिमवैति नित्यं तद् ब्रह्म निष्कलमहं न च भूतसङ्घः॥१॥
prātaḥ smarāmi hṛdi saṁsphurad-ātma-tattvaṁ
sac-cit-sukhaṁ parama-haṁsa-gatiṁ turīyam,
yat svapna-jāgara-suṣuptim avaiti nityaṁ
tad brahma niṣkalam ahaṁ na ca bhῡta-saṅghaḥ. (1)
At dawn I remember the true Self, shining in the heart, the fourth state, Turéya, existence – consciousness – supreme joy, the goal of the supreme sages, That which eternally pervades the three (other states), waking, dream and deep sleep. I am That eternal Brahman, not this aggregate of elements.
प्रातर्भजामि मनसां वचसामगम्यं वाचो विभान्ति निखिला यदनुग्रहेण।
यन्नेति नेति वचनैर्निगमा अवोचंस्तं देवदेवमजमच्युतमाहुरग्र्यम्॥२॥
prātar bhajāmi manasāṁ vacasām agamyaṁ
vāco vibhānti nikhilā yadanu graheṇa,
yan neti neti vacanair nigamā avocaṁs
taṁ deva-devam ajam acyutam āhur agryam. (2)
At dawn I sing the praise of that which is unreachable for the mind and words, That by whose grace all words shine, That which the scriptures describe with the words, "neither this nor that," That unborn, eternal foremost Divinity of divinities.
प्रातर्नमामि तमसः परमर्कवर्णं पूर्णं सनातनपदं पुरुषोत्तमाख्यम्।
यस्मिन्निदं जगदशेषमशेषमूर्तौ रज्ज्वां भुजङ्गम इव प्रतिभासितं वै॥३॥
prātar namāmi tamasaḥ param arka-varṇaṁ
pῡrṇaṁ sanātana-padaṁ puruṣottamākhyam,
yasminn idaṁ jagad aśeṣam aśeṣa-mῡrtau
rajjvāṁ bhujaṅgama iva prati-bhāsitaṁ vai. (3)
At dawn, I bow to That whose color is a flash beyond darkness (of the void, śῡnya, or of ignorance), the Plenum, the ancient goal (or eternal state), which is called the ultimate person(hood), That in which the remainderless (whole of the) Universe is revealed as the rope instead of the serpent.
श्लोकत्रयमिदं पुण्यं लोकत्रयविभूषणम्।
प्रातःकाले पठेद्यस्तु स गच्छेत् परमं पदम्॥४॥
śloka-trayam idaṁ puṇyaṁ loka-traya-vibhῡṣaṇam,
prātaḥ-kāle paṭhed yas tu sa gacchet paramaṁ padam. (4)
Who so ever at the dawning hour recites this auspicious triad of verses, an ornament to the three worlds, goes to the supreme station, mokṣa, liberation.
PRAYER FOR HARMONY BETWEEN TEACHER AND STUDENT
This Śanti-Pāṭha is a traditional introduction to several of the Upaniṣads.
ॐ सह नाववतु। सह नौ भुनक्तु। सह वीर्यं करवावहै।
तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु। मा विद्विषावहै॥
Om saha nāv avatu, saha nau bhunaktu, saha vīryaṁ karavāvahai,
tejasvi nāv adhītam astu, mā vidviṣāvahai.
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
O