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1. On the summit of Mount Kailash, the crest jewel of all mountains, the axis of devotion and abode of oneness, the Goddess Parvati, Siva’s royal wife, reverently bowed to Him and said . . . 2. Salutations to You, O Lord, God of gods, who is higher than the Highest. O Guru of the universe, eternally Auspicious One! Great Lord, initiate me in the knowledge of the Guru. 3. Please teach me the surest way for the embodied soul to become one with the Absolute. At Your feet I pray: show your compassionate grace to me. 4. Lord Siva replied: O dear Goddess, You are my very Self! Because I love You, I will speak. Your question, which has never been asked before, will be helpful to all creation. 5. In the entire universe there is no knowledge more subtle and elusive. . . Listen as I reveal this Truth to you: Apart from the Guru, there is no other Brahman. O Beautiful One, what I say is true, it is the truth. 6-7. The wisdom of the highest scriptures, the doctrines of all sacred texts, the epics of the gods and wise sagas of life, the science of mantras, yantras, and so on, powerful incantations, the wisdom passed to each generation, the sacred teachings of those who worship the Absolute as Divine Father or Mother, and other revered works – all these doctrines and creeds only bring the downfall of those whose minds are restless and deluded. 8. Those who offer sacrificial rites, make vows, repeat mantras, or engage in penance, pilgrimages, or charity, still go adrift without knowing the nature of the Guru. 9. The Guru is not different from pure, unbounded consciousness, the Self. This is the truth. Without a doubt, this is the truth. Knowing this, the wise ceaselessly strive to realize the true nature of the Guru. 10. For the embodied soul, knowledge of the Self is veiled by a false perception of the world born of ignorance. The one by whose light Self-realization arises is known by the name, Guru. 11. All harmful desires and past deeds will be completely washed away by service at the feet of the Guru. Thus, the embodied soul becomes one with the Supreme. Have no doubt - the words I speak to you are true and carry the grace that liberates one from ignorance and suffering. 19. The Supreme Knowledge that resides in the mouth of the Guru can be attained by the Guru's grace alone. Keep your Guru ever present in your heart, just as a devoted wife keeps her husband there. 21. It is true that those who direct all thoughts to Me alone achieve the highest state. This supreme state can also be attained by whole-hearted worship of the Guru - who is Siva manifest in human form. 22. From every corner of the universe, declarations of knowledge burst forth from gods, their rivals, or from departed souls, but Supreme Knowledge resides on the tongue of the Guru, and through devotion to the Guru it is obtained. 23. Gu is the symbol for darkness; Ru, the remover of darkness. The Guru is Supreme Knowledge indeed, the swallower of darkness. 24. Gu is the symbol for ignorance born of misperception; Ru is the Supreme Knowledge that destroys ignorance. 25. Thus, the feet of the Guru are the highest goal, even difficult for the gods to attain. Indeed, even celestial musicians and their followers worship the Guru's feet. 32. The Guru is Brahma, the Guru is Vishnu, the Guru is Siva. Indeed, the Guru is the Supreme Absolute. To that Guru I offer my reverent salutations. 33. The Guru is the cause of the universe, the bridge to cross over the ocean of change, and the source of all knowledge. Salutations to the Guru who is Siva. 34. Salutations to the Guru, who with the poultice of knowledge opens the eyes of one who is blinded by the darkness of ignorance. ? 35. The Guru, who is the father, mother, family and Divine Light of devotees, bestows realization of the limitations of worldly existence. Salutations to the Guru. 36. My reverent salutations to the Guru who is the embodiment of the Absolute Truth, the Light by which that Truth is perceived, and whose Bliss reveals joy to all. 37. Salutations to the Guru, whose existence brings truth to all beings, through whose form the Divine light - like the light of the sun - shines on everyone, and in whose unconditional love, we come to love our family and all beings more and more. 38. Salutations to the Guru, by whom this world is illumined, who perceives all states of consciousness - waking, dreaming and dreamless sleep - but who cannot be perceived by the mind. 39. Salutations to the Guru who is Truth, whose knowledge of the universe sees through the illusory divisions that split it into fragments, and who perceives no distinction between the universe and the Self. 40. Those who say they don't know the Absolute, know it. Those who say they know the Absolute, know it not. Salutations to the Guru whose mind is ever absorbed in the Absolute. 41. Salutations to the Guru, who is the cause of the universe although appearing as an effect. In truth, the Guru is both the cause and effect. 42. Salutations to the Guru who reveals that this universe of countless forms is in fact, one undifferentiated whole - a play of cause and effect in which cause and effect are one. 43. Salutations to the Guru whose lotus feet eradicate the suffering brought by duality and who always protects seekers from all misfortunes and calamities. 46. The syllable 'gu' is that which is beyond the gunas – the subtle forces of Creation. ‘Ru' is that which is beyond rupa – all forms in Creation. The One who bestows the state beyond all forces and forms is said to be the Guru. 48. I make these salutations with folded palms, to immerse myself in the ocean of mercy that is the Guru, because it is by the Guru's grace that a being is liberated from this universe of ceaseless change and the ever turning wheel of birth and death. 53. What is the use of undeveloped seekers spending so much time practicing hundreds of rounds of long deep breaths in order to regulate the life force? These exercises can be uncomfortable and are difficult to master. Indeed, such unguided practice can disperse the life force, causing disorders. Instead, just serve your Guru constantly and you will attain mastery over the life force naturally and spontaneously. It will become regulated of its own accord. 54. To contemplate the form of your Guru is to contemplate infinite Siva. Truly, whenever you utter your Guru's name, it is the same as chanting the name of Lord Siva. 59. The Guru's glance creates all the worlds, makes everything flourish completely, and perceives the essence of all Holy Scriptures. It perceives that wealth does not lead to liberation, and it purifies devotees of all deficiencies. The Guru’s vision beholds the Self in the midst of ever-changing Nature and illumines the path to liberation. 60. The Guru's glance is the pillar that supports the stage where all worlds are exhibited; it showers the nectar of compassion. It is the sum total of creation, evolution, and dissolution. The Guru's glance creates past, present, and future, and bestows the vision of sat - chit - ananda: truth, knowledge, bliss absolute. May the Guru's Divine grace always be on me! 61. O dear Parvati, I consider the word "Guru" to be the king of all mantras. Pure as gold refined in fire, it has been thoroughly confirmed by reason, meditation, prayer, and intellect. It protects one from death day and night. 62. The Guru moves, but is ever still; is far away, yet near; both inside as well as outside of all things. 63. Know that this is the consciousness the Guru experiences: “I have no birth, I am ageless, without beginning or end. I am endless Consciousness and Bliss. I am smaller than the smallest, larger than the largest." 64. “I am the supreme unseen primal cause, eternal, self-luminous, without taint and craving. I exist beyond the limitations of space: immovable, blissful, imperishable." 69. By even a moment of loving remembrance of the Guru, wisdom arises spontaneously. Without doubt, loving recollection of the Guru fulfills all goals. Salutations to the Guru. 70. Salutations to the Guru, who is pure eternal consciousness and peace, who is without flaw, beyond the limitations of space and time, who is the primordial sound and the source of creation. 71. Truly, the Guru pervades all that changes and all that does not; all that is animate and all that is not. Salutations to that Guru. 72. Salutations to the Guru, who, adorned with the garland of the Highest Truth, rides the power of knowledge, and brings enjoyment in this life as well as liberation. 73. Salutations to the Guru who incinerates the karma of countless lives through the power of Self-realization. 74. Salutations to the Guru. There is no truth greater than the Guru. There is no path of self-discipline greater than service to the Guru; no knowledge higher than knowledge of the Guru. 75. Cherish these thoughts while offering salutations to the Guru: My Guru is the support and protector of the universe and master of every plane of existence; my Self is the Self of all beings. 76. The root of meditation is the Guru’s form; the root of worship, the Guru’s feet; the root of mantra, the Guru’s word; the root of freedom, the Guru’s grace. 77. Salutations to the Guru who has no beginning but is the origin of all - the supreme transcendent deity. There is nothing higher than the Guru. 82. Nothing exists which is higher than the Guru. Indeed, the scriptures proclaim that if the mind meticulously analyzes every particle of Creation, it can never fathom the fullness of the Guru. Truly, one should always venerate the Guru with thought and speech. 86. Departed spirits of ancestors, great heroes, seers, adepts who possess supernatural powers or who have achieved mastery over the senses and their objects - even gods, demigods and the celestial musicians who attend them, cannot be free from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth if they turn their faces from serving the Guru. 89. I bow to the Truth-bearing Guru, who is the bliss of Brahman; who bestows the highest joy; who is one without a second; the embodiment of wisdom, beyond duality; who is infinite like the sky; who exemplifies the great Vedantic proclamations, such as 'Thou art That;' who is One, Eternal, Pure, Unshakable; the witness of all minds, beyond all changes; and who is free from the bonds of nature. 90. I bow to the Guru who is Brahman, eternal and pure, who is beyond perception and form and without taint, who is infinite knowledge, consciousness, and bliss. 93. I always bow to the Guru, who exudes bliss, who is pure and bright, whose nature is knowledge, and who is awake to the true Self. Lord of Yogis, adorable and worthy of worship, the Guru is the physician who cures the disease of the countless cycles of birth, death, and rebirth. 94. I bow to the Guru in whom the eternal cosmic processes of creation, sustenance, dissolution, regulation, and grace are present. 95. As you arise each morning, repeat the Guru's mantra with your mind fixed at the crown of your head. There, the Guru, the two-eyed, two-armed god of peace abides, seated on a white lotus, granting the boon of fearlessness. 96. There is nothing greater than the Guru, nothing greater than the Guru, nothing greater than the Guru. There is nothing greater than the Guru. This is the doctrine of Siva, the teaching of Siva, the declaration of Siva. This is the solemn word of Siva. 97. The Guru is Siva. Without a doubt, the Guru is Siva. The Guru truly is Siva. Be assured, the Guru is Siva. By my authority I proclaim this. This is my teaching. This is my doctrine. This is my creed. 98. By meditating on the Guru in this manner, supreme knowledge bursts forth spontaneously. Therefore, one should cultivate this understanding, "I am liberated by the grace of the Guru." 99. One should purify the mind by following the path shown by the Guru. Do not cling to things that are transient, which you have imagined to be qualities of the Self. 100. The essential nature of objects, and the knower of objects - the mind - are worthy of being known. One should reflect on the truth that objects of awareness and awareness are identical. There is no other way to liberation. 105. O Parvati! The Guru protects one from malicious interference from envious ascetics, heretics, and even gods. The Guru also safeguards one from fear at the time of death. 106. Even the gods, ascetics, and other beings that have the power to curse are powerless in the presence of the Guru. There is no doubt that their malicious interference ends and they soon perish by the intervention of the Guru. 107. O Goddess! The two-syllable word, 'Guru' is the king of all mantras. It is the essence of the highest scriptures and sacred wisdom, and leads to the highest state. 108. Indeed, those who are devoted servants of the Guru can be regarded as true renunciates even if they are ignorant of the scriptures. All others are merely wearing renunciates' robes. 109. Just as one lamp lights another lamp, (the Guru) imparts knowledge that everything is Brahman; the Brahman that is imperceptible, eternal, highest, without form, and without attributes. 110. Perceive the joyous Self through the gift of the Guru's grace. Knowledge of the Self arises through this path. 111. I bow to (the Guru who is) the highest being and who is of the form of this world, from Brahma to a blade of grass, (everything) movable and immovable. 112. I always bow to the Guru who is Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss, who is beyond all multiplicity, eternal, complete, without form, without attributes, and who abides in the Self. 113. Meditate on the Guru, who is beyond all beyonds and the bestower of bliss, as residing in the center of your heart, pure and bright as crystal. 114. Have no doubt that as the image of a crystal is reflected in a mirror, so also, reflected in a tranquil, clear, and one-pointed mind is the bliss of the Self. Experience this as, "That Supreme Bliss I am.' 115. Listen as I describe the state that arises when meditating on the Self. Reflect on it as all pervading knowledge and light, the size of a thumb, residing in the heart. 116. 'I am beyond any efforts at conceptualization, I am not attainable by the mind, I am without name, form, and sound.' O Parvati, know this as Brahman, one's true nature. 117. As fragrance is natural in flowers, camphor and other things and as cold and heat are natural (in water and fire), so is Brahman eternal. 118. Having become one with Brahman, one may abide anywhere, firm in that realization. Just as larvae unfold their true nature as bees by incessantly meditating on the nature of a bee, one who meditates on the Guru as Brahman becomes Brahman. 123. Becoming one with everything, a person should perceive the highest truth. There is nothing higher than the highest. All this is without (any particular) abode (because it is all-pervasive). 125. Whether you attain it or you do not attain it, whether it is great or small, it should always be enjoyed without desire and with a contented mind. 124. On having caught sight of the Highest Truth by the Guru's grace, one should resolutely continue, maintain a tranquil, balanced mind, and completely let go of all cravings and attachments. 126. The wise say, that the all-knowing state is that in which the embodied soul becomes one with everything. (Then) being ever blissful and ever tranquil, he rejoices wherever he may be. 127. Moreover, wherever the knower of Brahman lives, that place becomes a vessel for all that is auspicious, good, and holy. O Goddess! Thus I have described to you the characteristics of a liberated being. 128. I have also explained to you the proper course for knowing the true nature of the Guru. And I have fully explained how devotion to, and meditation on, the Guru bestows liberation. 142. It attracts all beings and brings release from bondage. It gains the affection of Indra (the Lord of heaven) and brings control over all the worlds. 144. It accomplishes unfinished tasks, delivers one from fear of (harm from the) nine planets, puts an end to bad dreams, and makes good dreams come true. 149. It is the wish-fulfilling cow for one who has desires. It is the wish-fulfilling tree that makes fantasies come true. It is the wish-fulfilling gem for one’s thoughts. It brings good luck in every way. 148. It removes all hurdles and grants (the four goals of life): righteousness, wealth, pleasure, and liberation. One definitely obtains whatever desire one may entertain. 156. As children are cherished by their parents, so too are disciples loved and cared for by the Guru. Even those who are ignorant or dull reach perfection in all righteous actions, initiations, vows, and challenging disciplines. Others cannot. 158. The one whose knowledge of the Absolute Truth is constant and complete is truly the Guru. There is no doubt that wherever the Guru dwells becomes a holy place. 159. The Guru remains pure, holy, and immersed in Self-realization in every place. Without a doubt, wherever the Guru stays, the multitude of gods also dwell. 162. Just as the water of a river merges with the water of the ocean, as milk perfectly merges with milk, clarified butter with clarified butter, the space within a pot with the space outside it, so too, the individual self merges with the Supreme Self. 163. In this manner, the individual self of the wise one merges with the Supreme Self. Day and night, and in every location, the wise one delights in Oneness. 164. Thus, the Awakened One always dwells in Supreme Freedom, existing as the embodiment of devotion, and serving all. 165. O Parvati, all doubts are left behind. Such a one, truly free, experiences both liberation and delight in this world. The Goddess of Speech and Learning resides on the tip of the tongue of the realized soul. 168. In all sacred traditions, God, the Absolute Reality, is One. And to be steadfast in living a righteous life is one. To faithfully live by these truths is the highest self-discipline. But there is nothing higher than the Guru – no reality, no teaching, higher than the Guru. 170. The body, senses, vital life force, wealth, close and distant relatives, mother, father, family - O Goddess, have no doubt, the Guru is all these. 171. O Goddess! Mantra repetition, vows, and rigorous disciplines practiced through millions of births since the beginning of creation, only bear fruit the moment the Guru is satisfied. 173. Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, divine seers, ancestors, and celestial musicians, singers of praise, and protectors of wealth . . . even realized beings and great sages - none can succeed without the grace attained by serving the Guru.