Guru Pūrṇimā—An Offering of Love

The auspicious day of Guru Pūrṇimā falls on the full moon day in the month of Āṣāḍha (June-July) as per the Hindu calendar. It is the day when the guru is honored by offering pūjā and respect to him. It is celebrated by thousands of disciples of various gurus around the world. Especially in Vrindavan, it is a big festival with a long tradition. In Braj this day coincides with the disappearance day of Santana Gosvami, the most senior of the famous Six Gosvamis, who rediscovered the lost holy places of Braj about five hundred years ago.

In honor and memory of his beloved Gurudeva, Śrī Haridāsa Śāstrī Mahārāja, Babaji Śrī Satyanarayana Dasa composed the following beautiful aṣṭakam:

  Śrī Gurudevāṣṭakam

(1)

purulīya-gataṁ vara-bhūsura-jaṁ
abhirāma-mukhaṁ śuci-hema-tanum
madhuhaika-gatiṁ hari-dhāma-matiṁ
praṇamāmi mudā guru-pāda-yugam 

I happily bow down at the lotus feet of my Gurudeva, who appeared in the county of Purulīya, West Bengal, in a high-class brāhmaṇa family, who had a very pleasing face and a body of fair color. As his goal was to attain Kṛṣṇa, he meditated on going to Vṛndāvan.

(2)

yuvako hi mudā mathurā-puri-gaṁ
yati-rūpa-virājita-deva-sitam
 vraja-sādhu-śiromaṇi-labdha-varaṁ
praṇamāmi mudā guru-pāda-yugam

I happily bow down at the lotus feet of my Gurudeva, who, as a young boy, left his family and happily traveled to Mathurā. From there he walked to the temple of Śrī Govindadeva in Vrindavan. Later he met the prime sadhu of Vraja, Śrī Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa Dāsa Bābājī, and was blessed by him.

(3)

guru-diṣṭa-paraṁ yati-veśa-dharaṁ
sama-śāstra-rataṁ śiva-deśa-gatam
kuṭi-vāsa-karaṁ janatā-virataṁ
praṇamāmi mudā guru-pāda-yugam

I happily bow down at the lotus feet of my Gurudeva, who wholeheartedly followed the instruction of his guru, who accepted the renounced order of a bābāji, who engaged in the study of various divisions of śāstra, who went to Benaras to study, who lived in a solitary room after returning from Benaras, and who was not given to socializing.

(4)

kṛta-mauna-varaṁ hari-nāma-paraṁ
vidhivat-yamunā-salilāharakam
payaḥpāna-param hari-dhyāna-dharaṁ
praṇamāmi mudā guru-pāda-yugam

I happily bow down at the lotus feet of my Gurudeva, who took a vow of silence and engaged in nāma-japa, who regularly went to the Yamuna to bathe and bring water to worship his deities, who lived on drinking milk, and who engaged in līlā-smaraṇam.

(5)

śrī-vinoda-mahāśaya-śiṣya-varaṁ
guru-pāda-surāga-virāga-dharam
sadhu-vartma-sarūpa-śiromaṇikam
praṇamāmi mudā guru-pāda-yugam

I happily bow down at the lotus feet of my Gurudeva, who is the prime disciple of Śrī Gaura Śiromaṇi Vinoda-vihārī Mahāśaya, who had love for his own Gurudeva, who was dispassionate in worldly affairs, and who was the supreme ideal for a follower on the path of bhakti.

(6)

śrī-gadādhara-gaura-nikāya-karaṁ
śruti-sāra-vicāra-vilāsa-param
itihāsa-purāṇa-śruti-cayakaṁ
praṇamāmi mudā guru-pāda-yugam

I happily bow down at the lotus feet of my Gurudeva, who established a temple of Śrī Gadādhara Gaura, who relished deliberating on the meaning of the scriptures, and who built a library containing all the divisions of scriptures.

(7)

bādarāyaṇa-sūtra-samanvayadaṁ
virala-śruti-jāta-vikāśa-karam
upadeśa-vilāsa-rataṁ satataṁ
praṇamāmi mudā guru-pāda-yugam

I happily bow down at the lotus feet of my Gurudeva, who compiled a book pointing out Bhāgavata verses that explain the meaning of the Vedānta-sūtras, who translated and published about one hundred rare books, and who was always happy to teach scriptures to his students.

(8)

vatsa-go-sukhadaṁ vṛṣa-rāgakaraṁ
caraṇāśrita-mānava-tāpa-haram
śiṣya-saṅkula-vandita-pāda-yugaṁ
praṇamāmi mudā guru-pāda-yugam

I happily bow down at the lotus feet of my Gurudeva, who served the calves and cows to make them happy, who loved bulls, who relieved the suffering of those who took his shelter, and whose lotus feet are worshiped by hosts of disciples.

(9)

adhamāpacitaṁ haridās-varaṁ
haridāsa-nivāsa-nivāsa-param
mayakā laṣitaṁ haridāsa-padaṁ
gāyakāya bhaved varadaṁ lalitam

With this prayer consisting of eight verses, this lowly being has worshiped the best of the devotees, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śri Śrī 108 Śrī Śrīmad Haridāsa Śāstri Mahārāja, who ever resides in the āśrama called Śrī Haridāsa Nivāsa. My only wish is to attain the service to the feet of the devotees and Gurudeva. May one who sings this prayer get their wishes fulfilled.