Gurvashtakam
Gurvashtakam
Gurvashtakam
shrI gurvaShTakam (guru aShTakam)
sharIraM surUpaM tathA vA kalatraM
yashashchAru chitraM dhanaM meru tulyam |
manashchena lagnaM gurora~Nghripadme
tataH kiM tataH kiM tataH kiM tataH kim || 1 ||
kalatraM dhanaM putra pautrAdisarvaM
gRRiho bAndhavAH sarvametaddhi jAtam |
manashchena lagnaM gurora~Nghripadme
tataH kiM tataH kiM tataH kiM tataH kim || 2 ||
ShaDkSha~NgAdivedo mukhe shAstravidyA
kavitvAdi gadyaM supadyaM karoti |
manashchena lagnaM gurora~Nghripadme
tataH kiM tataH kiM tataH kiM tataH kim || 3 ||
videsheShu mAnyaH svadesheShu dhanyaH
sadAchAravRRitteShu matto na chAnyaH |
manashchena lagnaM gurora~Nghripadme
tataH kiM tataH kiM tataH kiM tataH kim || 4 ||
kShamAmaNDale bhUpabhUpalabRRibdaiH
sadA sevitaM yasya pAdAravindam |
manashchena lagnaM gurora~Nghripadme
tataH kiM tataH kiM tataH kiM tataH kim || 5 ||
yasho me gataM dikShu dAnapratApAt
jagadvastu sarvaM kare yatprasAdAt |
manashchena lagnaM gurora~Nghripadme
tataH kiM tataH kiM tataH kiM tataH kim || 6 ||
na bhoge na yoge na vA vAjirAjau
na kantAmukhe naiva vitteShu chittam |
manashchena lagnaM gurora~Nghripadme
tataH kiM tataH kiM tataH kiM tataH kim || 7 ||
araNye na vA svasya gehe na kArye
na dehe mano vartate me tvanardhye |
manashchena lagnaM gurora~Nghripadme
tataH kiM tataH kiM tataH kiM tataH kim || 8 ||
guroraShTakaM yaH paThetpurAyadehI
yatirbhUpatirbrahmachArI cha gehI |
lamedvAchChitAthaM padaM brahmasanjnaM
guroruktavAkye mano yasya lagnam || 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