Gurvashtakam
ಶ್ರೀ ಗುರ್ವಷ್ಟಕಮ್ (ಗುರು ಅಷ್ಟಕಮ್)
Gurvashtakam
ಶ್ರೀ ಗುರ್ವಷ್ಟಕಮ್ (ಗುರು ಅಷ್ಟಕಮ್)
ಶರೀರಂ ಸುರೂಪಂ ತಥಾ ವಾ ಕಲತ್ರಂ
ಯಶಶ್ಚಾರು ಚಿತ್ರಂ ಧನಂ ಮೇರು ತುಲ್ಯಮ್ ।
ಮನಶ್ಚೇನ ಲಗ್ನಂ ಗುರೋರಙ್ಘ್ರಿಪದ್ಮೇ
ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಮ್ ॥ 1 ॥
ಕಲತ್ರಂ ಧನಂ ಪುತ್ರ ಪೌತ್ರಾದಿಸರ್ವಂ
ಗೃಹೋ ಬಾನ್ಧವಾಃ ಸರ್ವಮೇತದ್ಧಿ ಜಾತಮ್ ।
ಮನಶ್ಚೇನ ಲಗ್ನಂ ಗುರೋರಙ್ಘ್ರಿಪದ್ಮೇ
ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಮ್ ॥ 2 ॥
ಷಡ್ಕ್ಷಙ್ಗಾದಿವೇದೋ ಮುಖೇ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರವಿದ್ಯಾ
ಕವಿತ್ವಾದಿ ಗದ್ಯಂ ಸುಪದ್ಯಂ ಕರೋತಿ ।
ಮನಶ್ಚೇನ ಲಗ್ನಂ ಗುರೋರಙ್ಘ್ರಿಪದ್ಮೇ
ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಮ್ ॥ 3 ॥
ವಿದೇಶೇಷು ಮಾನ್ಯಃ ಸ್ವದೇಶೇಷು ಧನ್ಯಃ
ಸದಾಚಾರವೃತ್ತೇಷು ಮತ್ತೋ ನ ಚಾನ್ಯಃ ।
ಮನಶ್ಚೇನ ಲಗ್ನಂ ಗುರೋರಙ್ಘ್ರಿಪದ್ಮೇ
ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಮ್ ॥ 4 ॥
ಕ್ಷಮಾಮಣ್ಡಲೇ ಭೂಪಭೂಪಲಬೃಬ್ದೈಃ
ಸದಾ ಸೇವಿತಂ ಯಸ್ಯ ಪಾದಾರವಿನ್ದಮ್ ।
ಮನಶ್ಚೇನ ಲಗ್ನಂ ಗುರೋರಙ್ಘ್ರಿಪದ್ಮೇ
ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಮ್ ॥ 5 ॥
ಯಶೋ ಮೇ ಗತಂ ದಿಕ್ಷು ದಾನಪ್ರತಾಪಾತ್
ಜಗದ್ವಸ್ತು ಸರ್ವಂ ಕರೇ ಯತ್ಪ್ರಸಾದಾತ್ ।
ಮನಶ್ಚೇನ ಲಗ್ನಂ ಗುರೋರಙ್ಘ್ರಿಪದ್ಮೇ
ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಮ್ ॥ 6 ॥
ನ ಭೋಗೇ ನ ಯೋಗೇ ನ ವಾ ವಾಜಿರಾಜೌ
ನ ಕನ್ತಾಮುಖೇ ನೈವ ವಿತ್ತೇಷು ಚಿತ್ತಮ್ ।
ಮನಶ್ಚೇನ ಲಗ್ನಂ ಗುರೋರಙ್ಘ್ರಿಪದ್ಮೇ
ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಮ್ ॥ 7 ॥
ಅರಣ್ಯೇ ನ ವಾ ಸ್ವಸ್ಯ ಗೇಹೇ ನ ಕಾರ್ಯೇ
ನ ದೇಹೇ ಮನೋ ವರ್ತತೇ ಮೇ ತ್ವನರ್ಧ್ಯೇ ।
ಮನಶ್ಚೇನ ಲಗ್ನಂ ಗುರೋರಙ್ಘ್ರಿಪದ್ಮೇ
ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಂ ತತಃ ಕಿಮ್ ॥ 8 ॥
ಗುರೋರಷ್ಟಕಂ ಯಃ ಪಠೇತ್ಪುರಾಯದೇಹೀ
ಯತಿರ್ಭೂಪತಿರ್ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಚಾರೀ ಚ ಗೇಹೀ ।
ಲಮೇದ್ವಾಚ್ಛಿತಾಥಂ ಪದಂ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಸಞ್ಜ್ಞಂ
ಗುರೋರುಕ್ತವಾಕ್ಯೇ ಮನೋ ಯಸ್ಯ ಲಗ್ನಮ್ ॥ 9 ॥
About This Stotram
Overview
The Gurvashtakam is a nine-verse Sanskrit hymn that systematically argues for the centrality of the guru in spiritual life. Each verse ends with the rhetorical refrain "tatah kim" (what then?) — asserting that without devotion to the guru's feet, worldly accomplishments and religious observances are ultimately without purpose. The text is attributed to Adi Shankaracharya and belongs to the Advaita Vedanta tradition.
What are the benefits of chanting Gurvashtakam?
- Recitation serves as a reminder of the guru's indispensable role in spiritual progress
- Said to cultivate genuine humility and reduce attachment to worldly distinctions
- Regular chanting is associated with purification of the mind and removal of spiritual ignorance
- Supports the cultivation of surrender to one's guru
When is the best time to recite this?
Morning recitation is standard. Guru Purnima is the most significant annual occasion. The ashtakam is also recited during spiritual retreats, at the start of teachings, and in monastic contexts as part of daily worship.
What is the historical and traditional background?
Adi Shankaracharya (c. 788–820 CE) established Advaita Vedanta as a systematic philosophical school and emphasized the guru-shishya parampara as the means of transmitting the knowledge of Brahman. The Gurvashtakam's philosophical premise — that even extensive learning, ritual, and renunciation are insufficient without guru-bhakti — directly reflects Advaita teaching on the necessity of a qualified teacher for self-realization. The attribution is traditional within Shankaracharya's lineages; the text is included in standard collections of his stotrams. Its exact date of composition within his lifetime is not documented.
Available scripts
This text is available in 14 scripts: devanagari, tamil, telugu, kannada, malayalam, gujarati, bengali, iast, gurmukhi, oriya, assamese, sinhala, itrans, hk. Use the script selector above to switch between them.
Related Texts
- Guru Paduka Stotram — a companion hymn attributed to Shankaracharya honoring the guru's sandals as a devotional symbol
- Dakshinamurti Stotram — Shankaracharya's Sanskrit hymn to Shiva as the primordial silent teacher