Verse One - Sanskrit Study of Shri Guru Gita

Knowing that Lord Shiva held the secret of Guru
Yoga, the Goddess Parvati bowed to him with
reverence on the summit of Mount Kailas and said:

	Kailaasa shikhare ramye
	Kay – lasa shikh – aray ram – yay
	Note: the 'ai' is pronounced like "I", like pie, aisle; the 'kh' is like a k sound with extra air after it; the e at the end of ramye is pronounced like hay. Kailasa refers to Mount Khailash, the sacred mountain of the Himalayas. For a full discussion on Khailash - see Mount Khailash.

	bhakti sandhaana naayakam
	bhak – ti san – dha – na na – ya – kam
	Note: the single 'a' is pronounced like a short u, like duh, but; the double 'aa' is pronounced with an extended 'a' sound, as in awl, law, saw, arm, harm. In English, when we talk about a "long a" sound, we say it more like 'ay' as in cake or make. In Sanskrit, that sound is written 'ai', not 'aa'. So here in 'sandhaana', we just want to extend the 'aaaaaa' sound out a little longer; don't make it into a dipthong. Bhakti / bhaktyaa mean the path of devotion, Guru Yoga.

	Pranamya paarvati bhaktyaa
	Pra – nam – ya par – va – ti bhak – t - ya
	Note: the consonant combination "bh" means there is a slight aspiration, as though you have extra air following the pronunciation of each consonant – bh is pronounced like 'abhor' Pranam - to bow; Paarvati - the Goddess Parvati, Shiva's Consort. (read more about Parvati).

	shankaram parya prchata
	shan – kar – am parya pri – cha – ta
	Note: in Sanskrit, there is an 'r' sound that is actually a vowel. When you see an 'r' before another consonant or consonant pair like the 'ch' here, give the 'r' a little roll of the tongue to lead it into the letters that follow. Sometimes it helps to imagine an invisible short 'i' after the 'r' sound, to help you say it. Shankara is another name for Shiva

	Now repeat the entire verse all together:
	Kailaasa shikhare ramye, bhakti sandhaana naayakam; Pranamya paarvati bhaktyaa, shankaram parya prchata.
	And repeat it again while focusing in on the keywords and what they mean:
	Kailaasa shikhare ramye, bhakti sandhaana naayakam; Pranamya paarvati bhaktyaa, shankaram parya prchata.
	Note: One of your goals should be to read the transliteration of the Sanskrit smoothly and easily. In this way, you could recite from the Guru Gita book, wherever you are.

~ VERSE 1 ~