गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः। गुरुः साक्षात् परब्रह्म तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः॥
Guru Brahma
gurur brahmā gurur viṣṇuḥ gurur devo maheśvaraḥ | guruḥ sākṣāt paraṁ brahma tasmai śrī gurave namaḥ ||
"The Guru Stotram — honoring the spiritual teacher as Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, and as the Supreme Reality itself."
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Meaning & Translation
Sanskrit
गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः। गुरुः साक्षात् परब्रह्म तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः॥
Transliteration
gurur brahmā gurur viṣṇuḥ gurur devo maheśvaraḥ | guruḥ sākṣāt paraṁ brahma tasmai śrī gurave namaḥ ||
Pronunciation
GU-roor BRAH-mah, GU-roor VISH-nuhu, GU-roor DAY-vo mah-HESH-wah-rah
Full Translation
One of the most widely chanted verses in honor of the teacher. It declares that the Guru embodies the three great functions of the Divine — creation (Brahma), sustenance (Vishnu), and transformation (Shiva, here named Maheshvara) — and is none other than the Supreme Brahman made visible. The verse closes by bowing: "to that revered Guru, I offer my salutations." Jai Uttal brings the ancient shloka into a warm, melodic kirtan.
Spiritual Significance
In the Indian spiritual traditions the Guru is revered as the one who dispels darkness (gu = darkness, ru = remover) and reveals the light of true knowledge. This shloka expresses complete gratitude and surrender to the teacher as the living doorway to the Absolute.
Cultural Context & History
Drawn from the Guru Gita / Guru Stotram tradition, it is sung at the start of classes, satsangs, and spiritual practice across virtually every school of Hindu thought.
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