Guru Gita with Transliteration and Translation

About the Book Guru Gita is a profound text which describes a conversation between Lord Shiva and Parvati. She asks him to teach her about the Guru and liberation. Shiva describes the Guru principle, the proper ways of worshiping the Guru and the methods and benefits of repeating the Guru Gita.

Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath unravels this Guhyat Guhyatara Vidya (wisdom more mysterious than the mysterious) in this commentary. The following words of his capture the essence of Guru Principle:

"What if you have yet to experience anything spiritual? After all you have had your Guru. As soon as you have the Guru, you cease to be narrow, little, limited, caged self - so soon indeed your body, family, property, all becomes Guru's. One is free the moment one sits at the Guru's feet. Instantly with initiation comes emancipation. The purpose of sadhana is only to realise this great truth, to be aware of the phenomenon."

About the Author At the young age of six, Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath, one of the greatest saints of modern times, had a vision of Lord Shiva. Twenty years later, the Lord visited Him again and gave Him His Ishta Mantra. He acquired proficiency in Sanskrit and Yoga, and easily mastered the subjects of Vyakarana, Upanishads, Puranas and Vedanta.

While in his forties, He formally became a renunciate and assumed the name Sitaramdas Omkarnath. He wrote a number of books that were to give the world a glimpse into His deep spiritual experience.

Swami Chidananda of Divine Life Society hailed him as the Naam Avatara. All the leading lights of the day such as Sufi Pir Inayat Vilayat Khan, the Buddhist master Dalai Lama, Ma Anandamayi, Daya Ma of the Yogoda Satsanga, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and other mystics, experienced divine bliss on contact with Him. A proponent of the doctrine of Omkar, Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath said that all the streams of spirituality culminate into Omkara. He mainly preached the chanting of Naam or the Mahamantra i.e. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare. His teachings had a universal appeal.

He wrote a unique commentary on Gita titled Pranav Prem Piyush and his commentary on the Upanishads, especially the Brihadaranyaka and Chhandogya and Katha Upanishad is the 11 volume Magnum Opus titled Sri Sri Namamrita Lahari. He wrote 200 original books in his lifetime; built 76 ashrams all over the country, from Kanyakumari to Utrakashi Himalayas; initiated lakhs of followers and preached Sanatana Dhara tirelessly through ninety years of his mortal existence.

Introduction When I was observing 'Mauna-Vrata' at the Bhagirathi Math near Uttarkashi, I received direction from my Gurudeva that I should translate the Guru Gita into English. I took up the work with not a little trepidation of my heart as I had not come here equipped for this work and a literal translation of a profound book like the Guru Gita into a foreign language always raised innumerable difficulties. But I had the faith that Gurudeva, having entrusted the work to me, would not leave me in the cold and that he would give me the strength and intelligence to do the work satisfactorily.

In this task, I found a very able and learned assistant in Kinkar Ramanuja, also engaged in Tapasya in the same Math. He gave me many valuable suggestions which enriched my understanding, and these have all been included in the text. May Gurudeva's blessings shower on him constantly!

I hope this English edition will be found useful by those readers who do not possess sufficient knowledge of Sanskrit, Hindi, Bengali and Telugu in which languages the Guru Gita has so far been published.

I now offer this English edition of the Guru Gita to my beloved Gurudeva with the prayer that he may graciously accept it.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages