Vande Gurunam - Grammatical Analysis
Let's face it, most translations of our famous chant are based on hearsay, wishful thinking and copy-paste errors. The Sanskrit etymology, grammar and even common sense are being ignored which makes all translations useless for interpretation. This work is absolutely necessary, because it makes us understand the role of tradition and the qualifications of teachers who deserve the title "guru". When actually reading the text we see that self-acclaimed "highest gurus" (Sharath!) rather fall into the category "business man" than "yoga teacher".
September 2024 - with love - Grischa
Die meisten Übersetzungen unseres berühmten Mantras basieren auf "stiller Post" statt auf Sanskrit-Kenntnis, Etymologie, Grammatik, Kenntnis der Symbologie und gesundem Menschenverstand. Wie kann man darauf kommen, dass man die Füße seines Gurus verehren soll, wie es fast überall steht? Das ist wirklich tragisch, weil dieser Text hohe Anforderungen stellt an diejenigen, die von uns überhaupt als "Guru" angesehen werden dürften. Und das sind ganz sicher nicht die vielen berühmten Insta-Lifstyle-Guru-Narzissten, die die Welt mit Füßen treten und sich vor allem um ihren Profit und einen schönen Lifestyle kümmern. Aber kein Wunder, denn was lehrt uns ein selbst-vorgeblich "höchter Guru" (paramguru), vielfacher Millionär und Autonarr Sharath außer Eigennutzdenken wirklich? Erleuchtung ist jedenfalls nicht zu finden.
September 2024 - mit Liebe - Grischa
1. vande gurūṇāṁ caraṇāravinde
"I bow to the two lotus feet of the (all) gurus..."
| Word | Meaning | Grammar | Root/Stem | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| vande | "I bow" | Verb, 1st person singular | √vand – "to bow" | 1st person singular present tense of the root √vand meaning "to bow, to pay homage." |
| gurūṇāṁ | "Of the gurus" | Noun, genitive plural | guru – "teacher" | Genitive plural form of guru. Derived from the root √gṛ – "to invoke, to praise." Refers to a teacher, one heavy with knowledge. Remember the student is called "laghu" (light) |
| caraṇa | "Feet" | √car – "to move" | √car means "to move, to walk." Caraṇa refers to "feet," often symbolizing the object of reverence and humility. | |
| ara | "Without" | Prefix | ara – "not" | Prefix meaning "without" or "not," negating the verb that follows it. |
| vinda | "Finding" | Noun (derived from root) | √vid – "to find, to know" | √vid means "to know, to find, to discover." Aravinda |
| aravinda | "Lotus" | Compound, acc/loc sg | ara + vinda | Derived from ara (without) + vinda (finding), literally "that whose feet cannot be found", like - and translated as - a "Lotus" flower, symbolizing the ancient origins of the tradition of Yoga. |
| caraṇāravinde | "To the two lotus feet" | Compound, accusative dual | caraṇa + aravinda | Accusative locative compound, meaning "to the two lotus feet," indicating bowing or reverence to two lotus feet, which can represent the ancient tradition of seeing the identity of seemingly opposite perspectives, the absolute and the relative. Brahman and the atman. |
2. saṁdarśita svātma sukhāvabodhe
"...who have revealed the bliss of self-realization."
| Word | Meaning | Grammar | Root/Stem | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| saṁ | "Together, completely" | Prefix | sam – "together, with" | Prefix indicating completeness or intensity, attached to the verb √dṛś to enhance the meaning "fully shown." |
| darśita | "Shown, revealed" | Past participle, nom sg | √dṛś – "to see" | Past participle of √dṛś (to see). Darśita means "shown" or "revealed" in a completed sense. |
| sva | "Own, one's own" | Pronoun, compounded | sva – "own" | Sva means "one’s own," typically referring to something related to the self. |
| ātma | "Self, soul" | Noun, acc sg | ātman – "self, soul" | Ātman refers to the true self or soul, the essence of a person. Sva-ātma ("one's own self") is a compound indicating self-realization. |
| sva-ātma | "One's own self" | Compound, acc sg | sva + ātma | A Karmadhāraya compound: "one’s own" + "self," referring to one's true nature or inner being. |
| su | "Good, pleasant" | Prefix | su – "good" | Su is a prefix meaning "good" or "pleasant," forming the compound sukha when combined with kha ("space"). |
| kha | "Space, sky" | Noun, acc sg | kha – "space" | Kha refers to space or sky. Together with su, it forms sukha, meaning "happiness, ease, bliss." |
| āva | "Towards, near" | Prefix | ā – "toward" | Ā is a prefix meaning "towards" or "fully," often used with verbs to intensify the action. |
| bodha | "Knowledge, awakening" | Noun, locative sg | √budh – "to awaken, to know" | √Budh means "to awaken, to understand." Bodha refers to knowledge or the state of awakening. Āvabodha refers to a profound understanding or realization. |
| sukhāvabodhe | "In the bliss of self-realization" | Compound, locative sg | sukha + āvabodha | Tatpurusha compound: sukha (bliss) + āvabodha (realization). It refers to the bliss or happiness that comes from self-realization or knowledge. |
3. niḥśreyase jāṅgalikāyamāne
"...acting like a forest healer for the highest good."
| Word | Meaning | Grammar | Root/Stem | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| niḥ | "Without, beyond" | Prefix | niḥ – "without, beyond" | Prefix meaning "without" or "beyond." Indicates something that is beyond ordinary limitations, often referring to a spiritual or ultimate state. |
| śreya | "The highest good, welfare" | śreyas – "good, welfare" | Śreyas refers to the highest spiritual good, welfare, or liberation (moksha). Niḥśreyase means "for the sake of the highest good." | |
| śreyase | "For the highest good" | Noun, dative sg | śreyas + dative ending (-e) | Dative singular form of śreyas, indicating purpose or aim, i.e., "for the sake of attaining the highest good." |
| jāṅgala | "Forest, wilderness" | jāṅgala – "forest" | Refers to the forest or wilderness. In this context, it metaphorically refers to a healer who uses knowledge from nature, a forest healer. | |
| ika | "Related to, belonging to" | Suffix | -ika – "related to" | Suffix that forms adjectives or nouns, indicating "related to" or "one who belongs to." |
| āya | "Approaching, coming" | Noun (verbal) | √i – "to go" | Derived from √i meaning "to go," āya refers to the act of coming toward something, or in this context, "acting as." |
| māna | "Acting, behaving" | Present participle | √mā – "to measure, to act" | From the root √mā, meaning "to measure" or "to act." Māna in the locative form means "acting like" or "behaving as." |
| jāṅgalikāyamāne | "Acting like a forest healer" | Compound, locative sg | jāṅgala + ika + āyamāne | Bahuvrīhi compound: Refers to someone who is acting like a forest healer (metaphorically, the guru acting as a spiritual physician). |
4. saṁsāra hālāhala moha śāntyai
"...for the pacification of delusion caused by the poison of worldly existence."
| Word | Meaning | Grammar | Root/Stem | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| saṁ | "Together, completely" | Prefix | sam – "together, with" | Prefix suggesting completeness or continuity, indicating the cycle or flow of life and rebirth. |
| sāra | "Essence, flow" | √sṛ – "to flow" | Derived from √sṛ meaning "to flow." Saṁsāra refers to the cyclical nature of worldly existence or rebirth (the "flow" of life). | |
| saṁsāra | "Cycle of worldly existence" | Compound, acc sg | sam + sāra | Compound formed from sam (together) and sāra (flow), indicating the continuous cycle of life, death, and rebirth. |
| hāla | "Plow" | hāla – "plow" | It comes from the root √hal (हल्), which means to "plow" or "turn up the soil. In this compound, it refers to the mythical deadly poison (hālāhala). | |
| hala | "Poison" | Noun, acc sg | hala – "poison" | Hālāhala is known as a famous poison from Hindu mythology, representing the toxicity of the material world (or rather our mind bying into this illusion). Therefore the spelling is correct.
Then we must wonder, why the second a is long when it should be short. ChatGPT says: By elongating the middle vowel (i.e., from "hālahala" to "hālāhala"), the destructive nature of the is emphasized. Alternatively, we can also use hāla + ahala. This gives a very interesting meaning, something like plowing that causes un-plowed land: Using the mind in a way that just creates an uncultivated, troubled, disturbed field. |
| moha | "Delusion, confusion" | √muh – "to be confused" | Derived from √muh meaning "to be confused" or "to be deluded." Refers to ignorance or attachment that causes delusion in worldly existence. | |
| śānti | "Peace, tranquility" | √śam – "to pacify" | √Śam means "to calm, to pacify." Śānti refers to peace or tranquility, both mental and spiritual, often the result of overcoming delusion. | |
| śāntyai | "For the sake of peace" | Noun, dative sg | śānti + dative ending (-yai) | Dative singular, indicating the purpose of achieving peace through the pacification of worldly attachments and delusion. |
5. ābāhu puruṣākāraṁ śaṅkhacakrāsi dhāriṇam
"Having the form of a person, holding the conch, discus, and sword."
| Word | Meaning | Grammar | Root/Stem | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ā | "Near, from" | Prefix | ā – "near" | Prefix meaning "near" or "toward," indicating proximity. |
| bāhu | "Arms" | Noun, acc sg | bāhu – "arm" | Refers to arms, symbolizing strength. Ābāhu means "having arms" or "with arms." |
| puruṣa | "Man, person" | puruṣa – "man, person" | Refers to a person, specifically a human-like form. Puruṣa comes from the root √pṛ – "to fill" (as in a being that fills or pervades the body). | |
| ākāra | "Form, shape" | ākāra – "form, shape" | Ākāra means "form" or "shape," from the root √kṛ – "to make." It refers to the outward appearance or manifestation of something. | |
| puruṣākāraṁ | "In the form of a person" | Compound, acc sg | puruṣa + ākāra | Compound word: puruṣa (person) + ākāra (form), meaning "in the form of a person." |
| śaṅkha | "Conch" | śaṅkha – "conch shell" | Śaṅkha refers to a conch shell, often used as a symbol of purity and sound in Hinduism. The conch is also an attribute of Lord Vishnu. | |
| śa | "With" | Prefix | sa – "with" | Prefix indicating possession, often used in compounds like śaṅkha. |
| ankha | "Empty space" | Noun | √ankh – "space, cavity" | Ankha refers to a cavity or hollow space, representing the inside of the conch shell. |
| cakra | "Disc, wheel" | cakra – "wheel, disc" | Cakra means "wheel" or "disc," derived from √cak – "to move," referring to a circular object that moves (symbolic of Vishnu’s discus). | |
| asi | "Sword" | asi – "sword" | Asi refers to a sword, representing another weapon often attributed to Vishnu. | |
| dhārin | "Holder, bearer" | Present participle | √dhṛ – "to hold" | √Dhṛ means "to hold." Dhārin refers to the one who holds or bears something. In this context, it describes the one holding the conch, discus, and sword. |
| dhāriṇam | "The one holding" | Present participle, acc sg | dhārin + accusative ending (-am) | Addressing the holder of a conch, discus, and sword. |
6. sahasra śirasaṁ śvetam praṇamāmi patañjalim
"I bow to the white, thousand-headed Patañjali."
| Word | Meaning | Grammar | Root/Stem | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sahasra | "Thousand" | sahasra – "thousand" | Refers to "thousand." Sahasra is a numeric term meaning "thousand," often used in the context of describing many forms or aspects (e.g., thousand heads). | |
| śiras | "Head" | √śri – "to rest, to lie" | Derived from √śri meaning "to rest or to lie." Śiras refers to the head, the part of the body where one rests or lays thoughts. Śirasaṁ means "heads" in plural. | |
| śira-saṁ | "Heads" | Compound, acc sg | śiras + sahasra | Compound meaning "thousand heads." It refers to the thousand-headed form of Patañjali. |
| śvetam | "White" | Adjective, acc sg | śveta – "white" | Śveta means "white" or "bright." It derives from the root √śvit meaning "to shine, to be bright." Śveta symbolizes purity and illumination. |
| praṇa | "To bow" | Verb root | √ṇam – "to bow" | Pra is a prefix meaning "before, forward," and √ṇam means "to bow." Together, praṇa means "to bow or salute before someone." |
| māmi | "I bow" | Verb, 1st person singular | √ṇam + māmi | Praṇamāmi is derived from √ṇam meaning "to bow" and the suffix māmi (1st person singular), meaning "I bow." |
| pata | "To fall" | Verb root | √pat – "to fall, to descend" | Pata is derived from the root √pat, meaning "to fall" or "descend." It forms the first part of patañjali, meaning "one who falls or descends." |
| añjali | "Folded hands" | añjali – "offering, folded hands" | Añjali refers to an offering or gesture of folded hands, often used in worship. Patañjali could be interpreted as "one who descends with folded hands (offering wisdom)." | |
| patañjalim | "Patañjali (the sage)" | Proper noun, acc sg | pata + añjali | Refers to the sage Patañjali, the author of the Yoga Sutras and a revered figure in Indian philosophy. |
| praṇamāmi | "I bow" | Verb, 1st person singular | praṇa + māmi | "I bow" in reverence. |