Always meditate on the Guru’s form.
Sip from the Guru’s water and eat from the food that he has left.
Constantly repeat the mantra he has given you.
| Guroh paado | |
| gu – ro paa – do | |
| Again, paado is feet | |
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| dakam pitvaa | |
| du – kum peet – vaa | |
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. So here in pitvaa, we just want to extend the 'aaaaaa' sound out a little longer; don't make it into a dipthong. There is also a subtle distinction like that for the 'i' vowel. We have not shown this in the transliteration in the Guru Gita book because it is more subtle, but this verse actually uses the longer 'i', which is pronounced more like "eee". |
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| guro rucchishta | |
| gu – roar – uch – chee – sta | |
Note: often when words are next to each other in Sanskrit, their sounds are combined; we see that here with the end of 'guro' running into the next word, and borrowing the sound of the 'r' at its beginning. When we have a single 'c' in a Sanskrit word, it is pronounced like 'ch'. When we have a double 'cch' as we do here, try to get both 'ch' sounds in, one right after the other. It's a bit tricky at first, but if you practice them separately at first, then keep speeding it up, they will run together properly. |
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| bhojanam | |
| bho – ju – num | |
| 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' | |
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| Guru murte | |
| Guru moor – tay | |
| the e at the end of murte is pronounced like hay. Murte means 'form'; for instance, the sacred statues of saints which are often seen, such as Bhagawan Nityananda, are known as murtis. | |
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| sadaa dhyaanam | |
| su – daa dh – yaa – num | |
| Note: the consonant combination "dh" means there is a slight aspiration, as though you have extra air following the pronunciation of each consonant – dh is pronounced like 'doghouse'. Sada means always or constantly; Dhyana means meditation. | |
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| guru mantram | |
| guru mun – trum | |
Note: Remember, the short 'a' sound is more like a 'u' than an longer 'a' sound. Mantram (mantra) means sacred syllable(s), used as objects of meditation or contemplation, which lead the mind to Silence and the recognition of infinity. |
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| sadaa japet | |
| su – daa ju – pet | |
| Note: sada means always or continually; japa means the verbal repetition of a mantra, and is often done with a mala , or string of beads. | |
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Now repeat the entire verse all together: |
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| Guroh paado dakam pitvaa, guro rucchishta bhojanam; Guru murte sadaa dhyaanam, guru mantram sadaa japet. | |
| And with the keywords: | |
| Guroh paado dakam pitvaa, guro rucchishta bhojanam; Guru murte sadaa dhyaanam, guru mantram sadaa japet. | |
| Always meditate on the Guru’s form. Sip from the Guru’s water and eat from the food that he has left. Constantly repeat the mantra he has given you. |
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