Listening to Adi Shankara's Guru Ashtakam and reading its translation, and then listening to Durlabham by Guru Arjan Dev and being mesmerized. "What if you have everything but not the Guru. Whats the point?" - Adi Shankara says. While Guru Arjan says, "Everything is easy to obtain. The only thing that is rare is Naam."
Adi Shankara was one of the foremost Advaita philosophers and I have written about his neti-neti meditation.
Adi Shankara's Guru Ashtakam
शरीरं सुरूपं तथा वा कलत्रं यशश्र्चारु चित्रं धनं मेरुतुल्यं
गुरोरङ्घ्रिपद्मे मनश्र्चेन लग्नं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ||1
śarīram surūpam tathā vā kalatraḿ
yaśaścāru citram dhanam merutulyam
gurorańghripadme ḿanaścenna lagnaḿ
tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ
Translation : One’s physique may be superb, one’s consort likewise, one’s reputation resplendent and renowned, and one’s riches as high as Mount Meru; yet if one’s mind be not centred upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?
कलत्रं धनं पुत्रपौत्रादि सर्वं गृहं बान्धवाः सर्वमेतद्धि जातम्
गुरोरङ्घ्रिपद्मे मनश्र्चेन लग्नं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ||2
kalatraḿ dhanaḿ putrapoutrādi sarvaḿ
gṛhaḿ bāndhavāḥ sarvametaddhi jātam
gurorańghripadme ḿanaścenna lagnaḿ
tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ
Translation: Wife, wealth, sons, grandsons and all such; home and kindred; all these things maybe there; yet if one’s mind be not centered upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?
षडङ्गादिवेदो मुखे शास्त्रविद्या कवित्वादि गद्यं सुपद्यं करोति
गुरोरङ्घ्रिपद्मे मनश्र्चेन लग्नं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं || 3
ṣaḍańgādivedo mukhe śastravidyā
kavitcādi gadyaḿ supadyaḿ karoti
gurorańghripadme ḿanaścenna lagnaḿ
tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ
Translation: The Vedas with their six limbs and the knowledge of all sciences may be on one’s lips; one may possess the poetic gift and may compose fine prose and poetry; yet if one’s mind be not centred upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?
विदेशेषु मान्यः स्वदेशेषु धन्यः सदाचारवृत्तेषु मत्तो न चान्यः
गुरोरङ्घ्रिपद्मे मनश्र्चेन लग्नं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ||4
videśeṣu mānyaḥ svadeśeṣu dhanyaḥ
sadācāravṛtteṣu matto na cānyaḥ
gurorańghripadme ḿanaścenna lagnaḿ
tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ
Translation : “I am honoured in other lands and I am prosperous in my homeland; in the paths of righteous conduct there is none who surpasses me”, thus one may think; yet if one’s mind be not centred upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?
क्षमामण्डले भूपभूपालवृन्दैः सदासेवितं यस्य पादारविन्दं
गुरोरङ्घ्रिपद्मे मनश्र्चेन लग्नं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ||5
kṣamāmaṇḍale bhūpabhūpālavṛndaiḥ
sadā sevitaḿ yasya pādāravindam
gurorańghripadme ḿanaścenna lagnaḿ
tataḥ kim tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ
Translation : One may be constantly extolled and one’s presence highly honoured by hosts of emperors and rulers of this world; yet if one’s mind be not centred upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?
यशो मे गतं दिक्षु दानप्रतापा जगद्वस्तु सर्वं करे यत्प्रसादात्
गुरोरङ्घ्रिपद्मे मनश्र्चेन लग्नं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं || 6
yaśo me gataḿ dikṣu dānaptratāpāj-
jagadvastu sarvaḿ kare yatprasādāt
gurorańghripadme ḿanaścenna lagnaḿ
tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ
Translation : “My repute has travelled in all directions through my philanthropy and prowess; all the things of this world are in my hands as rewards for my virtues”, yet if one’s mind be not centred upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?
न भोगे न योगे न वा वाजिराजौ न कान्तामुखे नैव वित्तेषु चित्तं
गुरोरङ्घ्रिपद्मे मनश्र्चेन लग्नं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ||7
na bhoge na yoge na vā vājirājau
na kāntāmukhe naiva vitteṣu cittam
gurorańghripadme ḿanaścenna lagnaḿ
tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ
Translation : The mind may have turned away from external delights through dispassion and from attainments like Yoga and meditation, possessions like horses and the like, the enchanting face of the beloved, in short, the entire wealth of the earth; yet if one’s mind be not centred upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?
अरण्ये न वा स्वस्य गेहे न कार्ये न देहे मनो वर्तते मे त्वनर्घ्ये
गुरोरङ्घ्रिपद्मे मनश्र्चेन लग्नं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ||8
araṇye na vā svasya gehe na kārye
na dehe mano vartate me tvanarghye
gurorańghripadme ḿanaścenna lagnaḿ
tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ
Translation : The mind may have lost its charm to live in forests, and likewise in the house; may have lost all desire to achieve whatever; even the concern for the body’s welfare may have been outlived; yet if one’s mind be not centred upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?
Guru Arjan's Durlabham (Shivpreet Singh)
Guru Arjan Dev's advice on what is rare in life - in this Shlok in Sehaskriti - A language similar to Sanskrit:
ਨਚ ਦੁਰਲਭੰ ਧਨੰ ਰੂਪੰ ਨਚ ਦੁਰਲਭੰ ਸ੍ਵਰਗ ਰਾਜਨਹ ॥
Nach Dhuralabhan Dhhanan Roopan Nach Dhuralabhan Svarag Raajaneh ||
नच दुरलभं धनं रूपं नच दुरलभं स्वरग राजनह ॥
Wealth and beauty are not so difficult to obtain. Paradise and royal power are not so difficult to obtain.
ਨਚ ਦੁਰਲਭੰ ਭੋਜਨੰ ਬਿੰਜਨੰ ਨਚ ਦੁਰਲਭੰ ਸ੍ਵਛ ਅੰਬਰਹ ॥
Nach Dhuralabhan Bhojanan Binjanan Nach Dhuralabhan Svashh Anbareh ||
नच दुरलभं भोजनं बिंजनं नच दुरलभं स्वछ अ्मबरह ॥
Foods and delicacies are not so difficult to obtain. Elegant clothes are not so difficuilt to obtain.
ਨਚ ਦੁਰਲਭੰ ਸੁਤ ਮਿਤ੍ਰ ਭ੍ਰਾਤ ਬਾਂਧਵ ਨਚ ਦੁਰਲਭੰ ਬਨਿਤਾ ਬਿਲਾਸਹ ॥
Nach Dhuralabhan Suth Mithr Bhraath Baandhhav Nach Dhuralabhan Banithaa Bilaaseh ||
नच दुरलभं सुत मित्र भ्रात बांधव नच दुरलभं बनिता बिलासह ॥
Children, friends, siblings and relatives are not so difficult to obtain. The pleasures of woman are not so difficult to obtain.
ਨਚ ਦੁਰਲਭੰ ਬਿਦਿਆ ਪ੍ਰਬੀਣੰ ਨਚ ਦੁਰਲਭੰ ਚਤੁਰ ਚੰਚਲਹ ॥
Nach Dhuralabhan Bidhiaa Prabeenan Nach Dhuralabhan Chathur Chanchaleh ||
नच दुरलभं बिदिआ प्रबीणं नच दुरलभं चतुर चंचलह ॥
Knowledge and wisdom are not so difficult to obtain. Cleverness and trickery are not so difficult to obtain.
ਦੁਰਲਭੰ ਏਕ ਭਗਵਾਨ ਨਾਮਹ ਨਾਨਕ ਲਬਧ੍ਯ੍ਯਿੰ ਸਾਧਸੰਗਿ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਪ੍ਰਭੰ ॥੩੫॥
Dhuralabhan Eaek Bhagavaan Naameh Naanak Labadhhiyan Saadhhasang Kirapaa Prabhan ||35||
दुरलभं एक भगवान नामह नानक लबध्यिं साधसंगि क्रिपा प्रभं ॥३५॥
Only the Naam, the Name of the Lord, is difficult to obtain. O Nanak, it is only obtained by God's Grace, in the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. ||35||
- ਸਲੋਕ ਸਹਸਕ੍ਰਿਤੀ (ਮ: ੫) ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ: ਅੰਗ ੧੩੫੭ ਪੰ. ੩
Salok Seheskriti Guru Arjan Dev; Guru Granth Sahib Page 1357
Singing oneness!
