Every disciple must be familiar with the Guru Maha Mantra, an essential aspect of your spiritual journey. Your Guru’s presence has the power to transform your life. Hence, we need to understand how to revere them.
You may have heard this mantra, but I’m reiterating it for its profound importance. This chant is said to have originated from an ancient text called Vishva Sara Tantra, a discussion between Rudra Shiva and Parvati.
Chant & Meaning
गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुर्गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः ।
गुरुरेव परं ब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥gurur-brahmā gurur-viṣṇur
gurur-devo maheśvaraḥ ।
gurur-eva paraṃ-brahma
tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ ॥
Guru is Brahma; Guru is Vishnu;
Guru is Devas; Guru is Mahesh (Shiva).
Guru, indeed, is Param Brahma.
To that Sri, remover of darkness, I bow.
Word Meanings
| Phrase | Phrase Meaning | Words | Word Meanings |
|---|---|---|---|
| gurur | is darkness remover | gu + ru + r | darkness + remover + (is) |
| brahmā | the creator | ||
| viṣṇur | is also the creator | viṣṇu + r | vishnu + (also) |
| devo | the gods | deva | |
| maheśvaraḥ | is also the dissolver | maheśvara + ḥ | shiva + (also) |
| gurureva | guru is indeed | guru + r + eva | guru + (is) + indeed |
| paraṃ brahma | supreme divine revered as masculine | paraṃ + brahma | supreme + divine masculine |
| tasmai | to that | tasmai | to that / to such / to her / to him |
| śrī | divine revered as feminine | ||
| gurave | remover of darkness | gu + r + ave | darkness +(to) + go away |
| namaḥ | I bow | namas + aḥ | bow + I |
My Thoughts
The last line is usually interpreted as: To such a respected guru, I bow. However, this meaning appears inadequate because the Guru Maha Mantra is from the Tantra world, which has been very liberal in its views. So, they wouldn’t endorse just the masculine view of Divine Energy.
Your external guru, who represents Divine Energy in human form, may be male or female. Furthermore, the presence of your human guru triggers your inner Guru, the Divine Energy within you, which you may perceive as Masculine or Feminine.
Consequently, this chant invokes Divine Energy both as Para Brahma and Sri. Para Brahma is the Divine revered as masculine, and Sri is the Divine worshipped as feminine. It is two perspectives on the same Supreme Divine.
The presence of an external guru awakens your inner Guru, the true dispeller of your darkness. This chant, therefore, is a tribute to Divine Energy, both as your human guru and your inner Guru.
This post would be incomplete if I did not dedicate this chant at the feet of my friend, mentor, and guru, revered Om Swami. I also use this opportunity to express gratitude to my husband and son, who have played a significant role in refining this soul over lifetimes. The featured image shows all of them I consider my family, albeit maintaining privacy.
Today is my deceased paternal grandfather’s birthday. He is the one who facilitated my presence on this planet. His pure, ardent bhakti helped me develop an affinity for Sri—Divine Energy as Feminine. Hence, it is befitting that I also offer my gratitude to him.
Love,
Sri Devi Om
