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गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः ।
गुरुरेव परं ब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥ ३॥

Gururbrahmā gurur viṣṇu gurur devo maheśvara:
gururevaparaṃ brahma tasmai śri gurave nama:

Salutations to my guru who is Brahma (knowledge creator), Vishnu (knowledge sustainer) and Shiva (ignorance destroyer), is indeed the supreme Brahman. 

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Let us try to expound the meaning of the above verse:

The cycle of creation, maintenance, and dissolution is a fundamental reality, manifesting in everything we observe. These three processes, which govern the fabric of existence, are traditionally represented by the divine powers of the Trimurti: Brahma (creation), Vishnu (maintenance), and Maheshvara, or Shiva (dissolution). Whether we speak of the life cycle of sentient beings or the existence of non-sentient things, all entities are subject to these phases. They come into being, sustain themselves, and, when the moment for transformation arises, they dissolve—only to give rise to new forms.

This eternal rhythm of existence reflects the dynamic and ever-unfolding nature of reality. The Guru, by their boundless wisdom, reveals a truth far beyond this: that the Self, the ultimate awareness, transcends creation, sustenance, and dissolution. It is the unchanging substratum upon which these cycles of transformation play out.

Salutations to that Guru, who, through their teachings, unveils the oneness of all—showing that he, I, all beings, and even the deities themselves are but facets of the same indivisible awareness. To that Guru, who embodies the essence of Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshvara, and transcends these roles as para brahman, and who leads us to the realization of the Self, I bow with reverence (tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ).