Guru Stuti^[1]

sanskrit recitation

When Sankaracharya was going about the country debating with the exponents of the various schools of thought and overcoming them he once came to the town of Mahishmati in the north where Mandana Mishra the exponent of Vedic rituals lived. He overcame him in debate but his wife refused to concede victory until she was also defeated. So, Sankarachaiya argued with her and defeated her in all subjects except erotics. He then asked for a respite of one month and after shedding his body in a cave under the custody of his disciples, entered into the dead body of King Amaruka and sported among the hundred queens in the guise of their husband. When the disciples found that the period specified by their Guru had already expired they grew anxious. So some of them went to him in the disguise of minstrels and sang the following hymn to remind him.^[2]

• नेतिनेति इत्यादि निगमवचनेन निपुणं निषिध्य मूर्तामूर्त राशिम् ।
  यदशक्य निह्नवम् स्वात्मरूपतया जानन्ति कोविदास्तत्वमसि तत्वम् ॥ १ ॥
  

  neti neti ityādi nigama vacanena nipuṇam niśidhya mūrtāmūrta rāśim
  yadaśakya nihnavam svātmarūpatayā jānanti kōvidāhs tattvamasi tattvam | 1 |

• खाद्यमुत्पाद्य	विश्वमनुप्रविश्य गूढ़मन्नमय कोशतुषजाले ।
  कवयो विविच्य युक्त्यवघाततो यत्तण्डुलवदाददति तत्वमसि तत्वम् ॥ २ ॥
  

  khādyam utpādya viśvamanu praviśya gūḍham annamaya kośa tuśa jāle
  kavayo vivicya yuktya vaghātatō yat taṇdula vadādati tattvamasi tatvam | 2 |

• विषमविषयेषु संचारिणोऽक्षा- श्वान्दोषदशनकशाभिघाततः ।
  स्वैरं सन्निवर्त्य स्वान्त रश्मिभिर्धीरा बन्ध्नन्ती यत्र तत्त्वमसि तस्तम् ॥ ३ ॥
  

  viṣama viṣayeṣu sancāriṇokṣaśvān dōśa darśanakaśā bhighātatah svairam
  saṃnivartya svānta raśmibhir dhīrā bandhnanti yatra tattvāmasi tattvam | 3 |

• व्याव्रुत्तजाग्रदादिष्वनुस्यूतं तेभ्योऽन्यदिव पुष्पेभ्य इव सूत्रम् ।
  इति यदोपाधिकन्रयपृथक्त्वेन विदन्ति सूरयस्तत्त्वमसि तत्वम् ॥ ४ ॥
  

  vyāvṛtta jāgradā-diṣvanusyūtam tebhyōnyadiva puśpebhya iva sūtram
  itiyado upādhika trayaprthaktvena vidanti sūrayas-tattvamasi tattvam | 4 |

• पुरूष एवेदमित्यादिवेदेषु सर्वकारणतया यस्य सार्वात्म्यम् ।
  हाटकस्येव मुकुटादितादात्म्यम् सरसमाम्नायते तत्वमसि तत्वम् ॥ ५ ॥
  

  purūṣa evedam ityādi vedeṣu sarvakāraṇatayā yasya sārvātmyam |
  hāṭakasyeva mukuṭāditādātmyam sarasamāmnāyate tatvamasi tatvam | 5 |

• यश्चाहमत्र वर्षमणि भामि सोऽसौ योऽसौ विभाति रविमण्डले सोऽहमिति ।
  वेदवादिनो व्यतिहारतो यदध्यापयन्ति यत्नतस्तत्त्वमसि तत्त्वम् ॥ ६ ॥
  

  yaścāhamatra varśmaṇi bhāmi sō'sau yō sau vibhāti ravi maṇḍale sō'ham iti veda vādinō vyatihāratō yadadhyāpayanti yatnatas tattvamasi tattvam | 6 |

• वेदानुवचनसद्यानमुखधर्मेः श्रद्ध्यानुष्ठितैर्विद्ययायुक्तै: । 
  विविदिषन्त्यत्यन्तविमलस्वान्ता ब्रह्मणा यद् ब्रह्म तत्त्वमसि तत्वम् ॥ ७ ॥
  

  vedānu vacana sadyāna mukha dharmeḥ śraddha dyān anuṣṭhitair vidyayā yuktai:
  vividi ṣant yatyanta vimala svāntā brahmaṇā yad brahma tattvamasi tattvam | 7 |

• शमदमोपरमादि साधनैर्धीरा: स्वात्मनाऽऽत्मनि यदन्विष्य कृतकृत्याः । 
  अधिगतामितसश्चिदानन्द्रूपा न पुनरिह खिद्यन्ते तत्त्वमसि तत्वम् ॥ ८ ॥ 
  

  śamadamōpparamādi sadhanir dhīrāh svātmanātmani yadanviśya kritakrityāh
  adhigatāmita saccidānanda rūpā na punariha khidyante tattvamasi tattvam | 8 |

On hearing these verses the Acharya bade his disciples go away and promptly came out of the body of the King and re-entered his own. He then went to the wife of Mandana Misra and, after defeating her, made her and her husband his followers. Thereafter he went on his way enlightening the whole world.