Guru Stotram – 10

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शोषणं भवसिन्धोश्च ज्ञापनं सारसम्पदः ।
गुरोः पादोदकं सम्यक् तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥ १०॥

śoṣaṇaṃ

śoṣaṇaṃ bhavasindhośca jñāpanaṃ sārasampada:
Guroh pādodakaṃ samyak tasmai śrigurave nama:

Salutations to my guru, whose water from feet (spiritual knowledge) can dry out the ocean of samsara and teaches the essence of all wealth (Truth)

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As we have seen, the Guru plays an indispensable role in our spiritual journey, dissolving the layers of ignorance accumulated over innumerable lifetimes. This ignorance, deeply entrenched, binds the seeker to the vast ocean of worldly existence (bhavasindhu), perpetuating the cycle of birth and death. Through the Guru’s grace, this ocean—once seemingly endless—is gradually dried up (śoṣaṇaṃ), revealing the shore of self-realization.

This transformation occurs through jñāpanaṃ, the act of imparting knowledge. True wisdom is not merely acquired; it is revealed—the Guru does not give something new but uncovers what was always present, like a sculptor chiseling away the excess stone to reveal the deity within. In this way, the Guru makes known the supreme reality, dissolving the misconceptions that obscure the truth.

Culturally, the reverence for knowledge is deeply rooted, expressed through the sacred tradition of washing the Guru’s feet. The pādodakaṃ, the water that has touched the Guru’s feet, is symbolic of purification—just as water cleanses outwardly, the Guru’s wisdom purifies the inner being, washing away the residual impressions of ignorance. When taken samyak—completely, with sincerity and devotion—the act of honoring the Guru becomes an acknowledgment of one’s own readiness to receive wisdom.

Thus, with deep gratitude, I bow in reverence (namaḥ) to the Guru, who, like the rising sun, dissolves the darkness of samsara and reveals the wealth of eternal truth.