संत साहित्य · Guru Charitra · Chapters
Chapter 13 — Brahmin's Colic Pain Subsided
Literal. Shri Guru travels south, blesses his sister Ratnai (predicting her future leprosy and meeting at Papvinashi), then arrives at Brahmeshwar where a Brahmin suffers acute colic pain (he has fasted for weeks because eating triggers the pain). Shri Guru has him fed with prescribed food + medicine fried in ghee; the colic vanishes. The town's officer Sayamdev — town-officer under a Muslim ruler at Kanchi — meets him and invites him home. Sayamdev's family becomes a multi-generational devotee household; the chapter introduces the lineage that will bridge to Saraswati Gangadhar (the author of the Guru Charitra, four generations later).
Symbolic. Healing through correct prescription rather than miraculous touch is a quieter modality of the Guru's intervention than what we have seen in earlier chapters. It is also the first appearance of Sayamdev — the author's ancestor — and through him the transmission line of the book itself.
Verse by verse
श्रीगणेशाय नमः ॥ श्रीसरस्वत्यै नमः ॥ श्रीगुरुभ्यो नमः ॥
śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ || śrīsarasvatyai namaḥ || śrīgurubhyo namaḥ ||
Salutation to Śrī Gaṇeśa; salutation to Śrī Sarasvatī; salutation to the Śrī Gurus.
The chapter opens with the traditional triple invocation — to the remover of obstacles, the goddess of wisdom, and the lineage of teachers — before the story itself begins.
Begin any important undertaking by first invoking whatever removes obstacles and grants clarity in your own life.
नामधारक शिष्यराणा । लागे सिद्धाचिया चरणां । करसंपुट जोडूनि जाणा । विनवीतसे परियेसा ॥१॥
nāmadhāraka śiṣyarāṇā | lāge siddhāciyā caraṇām | karasampuṭa joḍūni jāṇā | vinavītase pariyesā ||1||
Namdharak, the prince of disciples, clasps the feet of Siddha; joining his palms he entreats him at that moment.
The seeker returns for the next chapter of teaching by going first to the teacher's feet — namaskāra (prostration) is the posture in which listening becomes possible.
Before asking for guidance, honor the one you are asking; the asking itself goes better from a bowed head.
जय जया सिद्ध मुनी । तूं तारक या भवार्णी । सांगितलें ज्ञान प्रकाशोनि । स्थिर जाहलें मन माझें ॥२॥
jaya jayā siddha munī | tūm tāraka yā bhavārṇī | sāmgitalem jñāna prakāśoni | sthira jāhalem mana mājhem ||2||
Victory, victory to you, Siddha muni! You are the one who ferries across this ocean of worldly existence. By expounding and illuminating this knowledge you have given, my mind has become steady.
The disciple's praise names the teacher's true function: not just answering questions but ferrying the seeker across bhavārṇava (the ocean of worldly becoming) through illuminated knowledge.
Notice when a teaching has actually settled your mind, and say so — gratitude names the effect a real teaching has.
गुरुचरित्रकथामृत । सेवितां तृष्णा अधिक होत । शमन करणार समर्थ । तूंचि एक कृपानिधि ॥३॥
gurucaritrakathāmṛta | sevitām tṛṣṇā adhika hota | śamana karaṇāra samartha | tūmci eka kṛpānidhi ||3||
The nectar-story of the Guru's life — the more I partake of it, the more my thirst grows; you alone, ocean of grace, are able to quench it.
Sacred narrative behaves like amṛta (nectar): tasting it does not satisfy desire but deepens it, because the thirst it answers is for the infinite, not the finite.
Let a good teaching increase your appetite rather than close it — keep returning to the source instead of feeling 'done' with it.
गुरुचरित्र कामधेनु । सांगितलें तुम्हीं विस्तारोनु । तृप्त नव्हे माझें मनु । आणखी अपेक्षा होतसे ॥४॥
gurucaritra kāmadhenu | sāmgitalem tumhīm vistāronu | tṛpta navhe mājhem manu | āṇakhī apekṣā hotase ||4||
The Guru's life-story is a wish-fulfilling cow; you have told it to me at length, yet my mind is not satisfied — still more longing arises.
Comparing the story to kāmadhenu (the wish-granting cow) shows sacred narrative as inexhaustibly generous — every hearing yields more than was asked, which is why longing keeps arising rather than closing.
When something genuinely nourishes you, don't apologize for wanting more of it — ask again.
क्षुधेंकरुनि पीडिलें ढोर । जैसें पावे तृणबिढार । त्यातें होय मनोहर । नवचे तेथोनि परतोनि ॥५॥
kṣudhemkaruni pīḍilem ḍhora | jaisem pāve tṛṇabiḍhāra | tyātem hoya manohara | navace tethoni paratoni ||5||
As a beast tormented by hunger, on reaching a store of fodder, finds it so delightful that it does not turn back from there.
The simile of the hungry animal reaching pasture illustrates the disciple's state: once real nourishment is found, one does not willingly leave it.
When you find a source of genuine sustenance — spiritual or otherwise — stay with it rather than wandering off out of restlessness.
एखादा न देखे तक्र स्वप्नीं त्यासी मिळे क्षीरबरणी । नोहे मन त्याचे धणी । केवीं सोडी तो ठाव ॥६॥
ekhādā na dekhe takra svapnīm tyāsī miḷe kṣīrabaraṇī | nohe mana tyāce dhaṇī | kevīm soḍī to ṭhāva ||6||
If one who has never even seen buttermilk, even in a dream, obtains a jar full of milk, his mind will not be satisfied — how then would he leave that place?
The image sharpens the point: the disciple, once starved of even ordinary nourishment, has now been given abundance itself — of course he will not depart from the Guru's presence.
Recognize scarcity you once lived in, so that today's abundance is met with full attention, not taken for granted.
तैसा आपण स्वल्पज्ञानी नेणत होतों गुरु-निर्वाणी । अविद्यामाया वेष्टोनि । कष्टत होतों स्वामिया ॥७॥
taisā āpaṇa svalpajñānī neṇata hotom guru-nirvāṇī | avidyāmāyā veṣṭoni | kaṣṭata hotom svāmiyā ||7||
So was I, a man of little knowledge, ignorant of the Guru's true nature; wrapped in the illusion of ignorance, I was suffering, O Lord.
Namdharak names his former condition plainly: avidyā (ignorance) and māyā (illusion) are not abstractions but the felt experience of suffering before the Guru's nature was recognized.
Be honest about the confusion you lived in before a teacher or insight helped you see — naming it clearly is part of gratitude.
अज्ञानतिमिररजनीसी । ज्योतिस्वरुप तूंचि होसी । प्रकाश केलें गा आम्हांसी । निजस्वरुप श्रीगुरुचें ॥८॥
ajñānatimirarajanīsī | jyotisvarupa tūmci hosī | prakāśa kelem gā āmhāmsī | nijasvarupa śrīgurucem ||8||
To the night of the darkness of ignorance, you alone are the form of light; you have illumined for us the true nature of the Śrī Guru.
Ignorance is figured as night, the Guru's teaching as dawn — Siddha's exposition has let Namdharak see the Guru's svarūpa (true nature) directly rather than merely believe in it.
When someone helps you see clearly what you only dimly believed before, acknowledge that shift from belief to sight.
तुवां केले उपकारासी । उत्तीर्ण काय होऊं सरसी । कल्पवृक्ष दिल्हेयासी । प्रत्युपकार काय द्यावा ॥९॥
tuvām kele upakārāsī | uttīrṇa kāya hoūm sarasī | kalpavṛkṣa dilheyāsī | pratyupakāra kāya dyāvā ||9||
For the favor you have done me, how could I ever repay it in full? If someone has given you a wish-fulfilling tree, what return-gift could you possibly give?
The wish-tree (kalpavṛkṣa) image makes the debt to a true teacher literally incalculable — some gifts exceed the category of exchange.
Accept that some debts of gratitude can never be repaid in kind — repay them instead by passing the gift on to others.
एखादा देतां चिंतामणी । त्यासी उपकार काय धरणीं । नाहीं दिधलें न ऐकों कानीं । कृपामूर्ति सिद्धराया ॥१०॥
ekhādā detām cimtāmaṇī | tyāsī upakāra kāya dharaṇīm | nāhīm didhalem na aikom kānīm | kṛpāmūrti siddharāyā ||10||
If someone gives a wish-granting gem, what obligation could be placed on the earth to match it? Never has such a thing been given — nor even heard of, O Siddharāja, embodiment of grace.
Piling a second wish-object (cintāmaṇi, the wish-fulfilling jewel) onto the wish-tree of the previous verse, Namdharak insists the Guru's teaching is unprecedented and beyond any worldly gift ever recorded.
When gratitude is genuine, let it be extravagant rather than measured — some gifts deserve superlatives.
ऐशा तुझिया उपकारासी । उत्तीर्ण नोहे जन्मोजन्मेसीं । म्हणोनि लागतसे चरणांसी । एकोभावेंकरोनियां ॥११॥
aiśā tujhiyā upakārāsī | uttīrṇa nohe janmojanmesīm | mhaṇoni lāgatase caraṇāmsī | ekobhāvemkaroniyām ||11||
For such a favor of yours I could not repay you even birth after birth; therefore I clasp your feet with a single-pointed devotion.
Since the debt cannot be settled by any exchange, Namdharak converts it into bhakti (devotion) itself — surrender at the feet becomes the only adequate response to a gift beyond repayment.
When you cannot repay a kindness, offer devotion and continued presence instead of trying to settle the account.
स्वामींनीं निरोपिला धर्म-अर्थ । अधिक झाला मज स्वार्थ । उपजला मनीं परमार्थ । गुरुसी भजावें निरंतर ॥१२॥
svāmīmnīm niropilā dharma-artha | adhika jhālā maja svārtha | upajalā manīm paramārtha | gurusī bhajāvem niramtara ||12||
You, my lord, have expounded to me duty and worldly gain; my true benefit has grown even greater — the highest good has arisen in my mind: to worship the Guru without ceasing.
Namdharak reports the actual fruit of the teaching: hearing about dharma and artha (duty and prosperity) has ripened into paramārtha (the highest good) — unbroken devotion to the Guru.
Let practical teachings about duty and livelihood mature, over time, into a steadier devotion to what matters most.
प्रयागीं असतां गुरुमूर्ति । माधवसरस्वतीस दीक्षा देती । पुढें काय वर्तली स्थिति । आम्हांप्रती विस्तारावें ॥१३॥
prayāgīm asatām gurumūrti | mādhavasarasvatīsa dīkṣā detī | puḍhem kāya vartalī sthiti | āmhāmpratī vistārāvem ||13||
While the Guru-embodiment was at Prayāga, he gave initiation to Mādhavasarasvatī; what happened afterward — please relate that state of affairs to me at length.
Namdharak's actual question surfaces here: having heard of the Guru's initiation of the disciple Mādhavasarasvatī at Prayāga (the confluence at Allahabad), he wants the next chapter of the story.
When a story moves you, ask directly for what comes next rather than sitting with vague longing.
ऐकोनि शिष्याचें वचन । सिद्धमुनि संतोषोन । मस्तकीं हस्त ठेवून । आश्वासिती तया वेळीं ॥१४॥
aikoni śiṣyācem vacana | siddhamuni samtoṣona | mastakīm hasta ṭhevūna | āśvāsitī tayā veḷīm ||14||
Hearing the disciple's words, Siddhamuni, pleased, placed his hand on his head and reassured him at that moment.
The teacher's simple gesture — a hand on the head — is itself a teaching: reassurance is communicated through touch and presence before a single word of the story resumes.
When someone comes to you anxious or eager, offer a steadying gesture of reassurance before launching into explanation.
धन्य धन्य शिष्या सगुण । तुज लाधले श्रीगुरुचरण । संसार तारक भवार्ण । तूंचि एक परियेसा ॥१५॥
dhanya dhanya śiṣyā saguṇa | tuja lādhale śrīgurucaraṇa | samsāra tāraka bhavārṇa | tūmci eka pariyesā ||15||
Blessed, blessed are you, virtuous disciple — you have attained the feet of Śrī Guru; you alone, listen, are the one who crosses the ocean of worldly existence through it.
Siddha affirms that reaching a true teacher's feet is itself the rare fortune (dhanya) that makes crossing the bhavārṇava (ocean of existence) possible.
Recognize and name your own good fortune when you find a genuine source of guidance — don't take it for granted.
तुवां ओळखिली श्रीगुरुची सोय । म्हणोनि पुससी भक्तिभावें । संतोष होतो आनंदमय । तुझ्या प्रश्नेंकरुनियां ॥१६॥
tuvām oḷakhilī śrīgurucī soya | mhaṇoni pusasī bhaktibhāvem | samtoṣa hoto ānamdamaya | tujhyā praśnemkaruniyām ||16||
You have recognized the true path of Śrī Guru, and so you ask with a devotional spirit; joy full of bliss arises in me because of your question.
The teacher's own joy is stirred by a sincere question — Siddha states plainly that the right question, asked in devotion, delights the one who is asked.
Ask your questions from genuine interest rather than idle curiosity; sincerity draws out a fuller answer.
सांगेन ऐक एकचित्तें । चरित्र गुरुचें विख्यातें । उपदेश देऊनि माधवातें । होते क्वचित्काळ तेथेंचि ॥१७॥
sāmgena aika ekacittem | caritra gurucem vikhyātem | upadeśa deūni mādhavātem | hote kvacitkāḷa tethemci ||17||
I shall tell it — listen with a one-pointed mind — the renowned life-story of the Guru: having given teaching to Mādhava, he remained there for some time.
Siddha resumes the narration proper, marking the transition from praise back to caritra (life-story) — the Guru lingers at Prayāga after initiating his disciple, letting the teaching settle.
After giving important guidance to someone, stay present a while rather than moving on immediately — let it take root.
असतां तेथें वर्तमानीं । प्रख्यात झाली महिमा सगुणी । शिष्य झाले अपार मुनि । मुख्य माधवसरस्वती ॥१८॥
asatām tethem vartamānīm | prakhyāta jhālī mahimā saguṇī | śiṣya jhāle apāra muni | mukhya mādhavasarasvatī ||18||
While he was residing there at that time, his virtuous glory became widely renowned; countless sages became his disciples, chief among them Mādhavasarasvatī.
Reputation for genuine goodness (mahimā saguṇī) spreads on its own and draws seekers — the Guru's fame is a natural consequence of his presence, not something sought.
Let your own good conduct speak for itself rather than advertising it; sincerity draws people without needing promotion.
तया शिष्यांचीं नामें सांगतां । विस्तार होईल बहु कथा । प्रख्यात असती नामें सात । सांगेन ऐक एकचित्तें ॥१९॥
tayā śiṣyāmcīm nāmem sāmgatām | vistāra hoīla bahu kathā | prakhyāta asatī nāmem sāta | sāmgena aika ekacittem ||19||
If I were to give the names of all those disciples, the account would grow very long; seven of them are especially renowned — listen with one-pointed mind as I tell them.
Siddha signals a deliberate narrowing of scope — out of countless disciples he will name only the seven most renowned, a common device for keeping an oral epic tractable.
When telling a long story, pick out the essential few details rather than trying to include everything.
बाळसरस्वती कृष्णसरस्वती । उपेंद्र-माधवसरस्वती । पांचवा असे आणीक यति । सदानंदसरस्वती देखा ॥२०॥
bāḷasarasvatī kṛṣṇasarasvatī | upemdra-mādhavasarasvatī | pāmcavā ase āṇīka yati | sadānamdasarasvatī dekhā ||20||
Bāḷasarasvatī, Kṛṣṇasarasvatī, Upendra-Mādhavasarasvatī, and a fifth ascetic — see — Sadānandasarasvatī.
The roll call of chief disciples begins, each bearing the suffix -sarasvatī, marking them as members of the Guru's monastic lineage.
Honor the specific names of those who carry forward a tradition or teaching you value — lineage matters, not just the idea.
ज्ञानज्योतिसरस्वती एक । सातवा सिद्ध आपण ऐक । अपार होते शिष्य आणिक । एकाहूनि एक श्रेष्ठ पैं ॥२१॥
jñānajyotisarasvatī eka | sātavā siddha āpaṇa aika | apāra hote śiṣya āṇika | ekāhūni eka śreṣṭha paim ||21||
Jñānajyotisarasvatī is one, and the seventh, listen, is I myself, Siddha; there were countless other disciples besides, each greater than the last.
Siddha reveals himself as the seventh of the named chief disciples — the narrator of the whole Guru Charitra is thus placed inside the lineage he is describing.
Recognize your own place within a tradition you are transmitting rather than presenting it as something outside yourself.
त्या शिष्यांसमवेत । श्रीगुरु निघाले दक्षिणपंथ । समस्त क्षेत्रें पावन करित । आले पुन्हा कारंजनगरासी ॥२२॥
tyā śiṣyāmsamaveta | śrīguru nighāle dakṣiṇapamtha | samasta kṣetrem pāvana karita | āle punhā kāramjanagarāsī ||22||
Together with those disciples, Śrī Guru set out on the southern road, sanctifying every sacred place along the way, and came again to the town of Karañja.
The Guru's journey both teaches (through disciples accompanying him) and sanctifies (through pilgrimage) — he returns to his own birthplace, Karañjanagara, closing a circle.
As you grow in any practice, return periodically to where you began — it renews both you and the place.
भेटी झाली जनकजननी । येवोनि लागताति चरणीं । चतुर्वर्ग भ्राते भगिनी । समस्त भेटती स्वामिया ॥२३॥
bheṭī jhālī janakajananī | yevoni lāgatāti caraṇīm | caturvarga bhrāte bhaginī | samasta bheṭatī svāmiyā ||23||
He met his father and mother, who came and fell at his feet; brothers, sisters, relatives of all four kinds came and met their lord.
Even a realized teacher returns to ordinary family bonds — the reunion honors both his divinity (they fall at his feet) and his humanity (they are still his family).
However far your path has taken you, make time to honor and visit the family who raised you.
देखानियां श्रीगुरुमूर्तीसी नगरलोक अत्यंत हर्षी । आले समस्त भेटीसी । पूजा करिती परोपरी ॥२४॥
dekhāniyām śrīgurumūrtīsī nagaraloka atyamta harṣī | āle samasta bheṭīsī | pūjā karitī paroparī ||24||
Seeing the form of Śrī Guru, the townspeople were filled with great joy; all of them came to meet him and worshipped him in every way.
The whole town's spontaneous joy and worship show how a single realized life radiates outward into shared celebration.
Let a community's joy at someone's return be genuine and full, not just a formality — celebrate visibly.
घरोघरीं श्रीगुरुसी । पाचारिती भिक्षेसी । जाहले रुपें बहुवसी । घरोघरीं पूजा घेती ॥२५॥
gharogharīm śrīgurusī | pācāritī bhikṣesī | jāhale rupem bahuvasī | gharogharīm pūjā ghetī ||25||
In house after house they invited Śrī Guru for alms; he took many forms and received worship in every home.
The miracle of the Guru appearing in many houses at once shows his nature as not bound to a single body — devotion offered anywhere reaches him.
Trust that sincere devotion offered in your own home is received fully, even without visible confirmation.
समस्त लोक विस्मय करिती । अवतार हा श्रीविष्णु निश्चितीं । वेषधारी दिसतो यति । परमपुरुष होय जाणा ॥२६॥
samasta loka vismaya karitī | avatāra hā śrīviṣṇu niścitīm | veṣadhārī disato yati | paramapuruṣa hoya jāṇā ||26||
All the people marveled, certain that this was an avatāra of Śrī Viṣṇu; though he appears in the guise of an ascetic, know him to be the Supreme Person.
The townspeople's wonder names the text's own theology plainly: the ascetic's outer form conceals paramapuruṣa (the Supreme Being).
Look past someone's humble outer role to recognize the depth of what they may actually carry.
यातें नर जे म्हणती । ते नर जाती नरकाप्रती । कार्याकारण अवतार होती । ब्रह्माविष्णुमहेश्वर ॥२७॥
yātem nara je mhaṇatī | te nara jātī narakāpratī | kāryākāraṇa avatāra hotī | brahmāviṣṇumaheśvara ||27||
Those who call him a mere man go to hell; Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara take avatāras for a purpose.
A stern warning follows the praise: divine incarnations appear for specific purposes (kāryākāraṇa), and dismissing them as merely human is treated as a serious spiritual error.
Take seriously the people in your life who quietly do great good — don't dismiss depth just because it comes in an ordinary form.
जननीजनक येणें रीतीं । पूजा करिती भावभक्तीं । श्रीगुरू झाले श्रीपादयति । जातिस्मृति जननीसी ॥२८॥
jananījanaka yeṇem rītīm | pūjā karitī bhāvabhaktīm | śrīgurū jhāle śrīpādayati | jātismṛti jananīsī ||28||
In this way his mother and father worshipped him with loving devotion; Śrī Guru had become the ascetic Śrīpāda, and his mother had the memory of past births.
The mother's jātismṛti (memory of previous lives) lets her recognize her son's true identity beyond this single lifetime — devotion here is also recognition.
Trust the deep intuitive recognition a parent sometimes has about who their child truly is.
देखोनि जननी तये वेळीं । माथा ठेवी चरणकमळीं । सत्यसंकल्प चंद्रमौळी । प्रदोषपूजा आली फळा ॥२९॥
dekhoni jananī taye veḷīm | māthā ṭhevī caraṇakamaḷīm | satyasamkalpa camdramauḷī | pradoṣapūjā ālī phaḷā ||29||
Seeing him, the mother at that moment placed her head at his lotus feet; her true resolve — the worship of Śiva (moon-crested one) at twilight — had come to fruit.
The mother's earlier vow of pradoṣa pūjā (evening worship of Śiva) is shown to have borne fruit across lifetimes — devotion's results may take a very long time to ripen but do not fail.
Keep faith with a long-held spiritual practice even when its fruit is not visible yet — it may still be ripening.
पतीस सांगे तया वेळीं । पूर्वजन्माचें चरित्र सकळीं । विश्ववंद्य पुत्र प्रबळी । व्हावा म्हणोनि आराधिलें म्यां ॥३०॥
patīsa sāmge tayā veḷīm | pūrvajanmācem caritra sakaḷīm | viśvavamdya putra prabaḷī | vhāvā mhaṇoni ārādhilem myām ||30||
She told her husband at that time the whole story of the previous birth: 'I performed that worship so that I might have a powerful son worshipped by the whole world.'
The mother explains her motive plainly — a specific, focused prayer for a son who would become a world teacher, showing intention behind long spiritual practice.
Be clear with yourself about what you are actually praying or working for, so you can recognize the answer when it comes.
याचि श्रीपाद-ईश्वराचें । पूजन केलें मनोवाचें । प्रसिद्ध झालें जन्म आमुचें । साफल्य केलें परियेसा ॥३१॥
yāci śrīpāda-īśvarācem | pūjana kelem manovācem | prasiddha jhālem janma āmucem | sāphalya kelem pariyesā ||31||
It was this very Lord Śrīpāda whom I worshipped in mind and word; our birth has become renowned — listen, it has been made fruitful.
The mother declares her whole life fulfilled (sāphalya) simply through having borne and raised this son — the ordinary purpose of a life finds its highest meaning.
Recognize when your own quieter role — raising, supporting, worshipping — has already fulfilled its deepest purpose.
म्हणोनि नमिती दोघेजणीं । विनविताति कर जोडूनि । उद्धरावें या भवार्णी । जगन्नाथा यतिराया ॥३२॥
mhaṇoni namitī doghejaṇīm | vinavitāti kara joḍūni | uddharāvem yā bhavārṇī | jagannāthā yatirāyā ||32||
So the two of them bowed and entreated him with joined hands: 'Deliver us from this ocean of worldly existence, O Lord of the universe, king of ascetics.'
The parents, having recognized their son's divine identity, now approach him as devotees seeking liberation rather than as parents seeking comfort.
Be willing to seek guidance even from your own children or juniors when they have grown wiser than you in some way.
श्रीगुरू म्हणती तयांसी । एकादे काळीं परियेसीं । पुत्र होय संन्यासी । उद्धरील कुळें बेचाळीस ॥३३॥
śrīgurū mhaṇatī tayāmsī | ekāde kāḷīm pariyesīm | putra hoya samnyāsī | uddharīla kuḷem becāḷīsa ||33||
Śrī Guru said to them: 'Listen — at some time, a son will be born who will become a renunciant and will deliver forty-two generations of the family.'
A specific prophecy is given: a future saṃnyāsī (renunciant) in the family lineage will redeem forty-two generations — the number is a traditional formula for the reach of one great soul's merit.
Believe that one person's sincere spiritual effort can benefit generations before and after them, not just themselves.
त्यासी शाश्वत ब्रह्मलोक । अचळ पद असे देख । त्याचे कुळीं उपजतां आणिक । त्यासीही ब्रह्मपद परियेसा ॥३४॥
tyāsī śāśvata brahmaloka | acaḷa pada ase dekha | tyāce kuḷīm upajatām āṇika | tyāsīhī brahmapada pariyesā ||34||
For him there is the eternal world of Brahmā, an unshakable state — see; and whoever else is born into his family will also, listen, attain the state of Brahman.
The promised liberation extends beyond the renunciant himself to the whole family line — birth into a lineage touched by such a soul is itself described as spiritually protective.
Take heart that living with integrity benefits not just yourself but everyone connected to you by blood or bond.
यमाचे दुःखें भयाभीत । नोहे त्याचे पितृसंततींत । पूर्वज जरी नरकीं असत । त्यांसी शाश्वत ब्रह्मपद ॥३५॥
yamāce duḥkhem bhayābhīta | nohe tyāce pitṛsamtatīmta | pūrvaja jarī narakīm asata | tyāmsī śāśvata brahmapada ||35||
His ancestral line will not be fearful of the sufferings of Yama; even if an ancestor were in hell, for them too there will be the eternal state of Brahman.
The claim reaches backward as well as forward — even ancestors already suffering are said to be released, showing the tradition's belief that one soul's realization can redeem the dead.
Let your own sincere striving be, in part, an offering on behalf of those who came before you.
याकारणें आम्हीं देखा । घेतला आश्रम विशेखा । तुम्हां नाहीं यमाची शंका । ब्रह्मपद असे सत्य ॥३६॥
yākāraṇem āmhīm dekhā | ghetalā āśrama viśekhā | tumhām nāhīm yamācī śamkā | brahmapada ase satya ||36||
For this very reason, see, we have taken up this particular order of life; you need have no fear of Yama — the state of Brahman is real and certain.
The Guru explains his own choice of renunciation as service to the whole family, not personal ambition — his path exists to benefit others, including his parents' fear of death.
When you choose a demanding path, remember and tell those who love you how it also serves them.
ऐसें सांगोनि तयांसी । आश्वासीतसे बहुवसी । तुमचे पुत्र शतायुषी । अष्टैश्चर्ये नांदती ॥३७॥
aisem sāmgoni tayāmsī | āśvāsītase bahuvasī | tumace putra śatāyuṣī | aṣṭaiścarye nāmdatī ||37||
Having told them this, he reassured them further: 'Your sons will live a hundred years and will prosper with the eight kinds of worldly fortune.'
Beyond the promise of liberation, the Guru also gives ordinary worldly blessings — long life and prosperity — showing that spiritual teaching does not despise ordinary well-being.
When comforting someone anxious about the future, address both their practical worries and their deeper fears.
त्यांचे पुत्रपौत्र तुम्ही । पहाल सुखें तुमचे नयनीं । पावाल क्षेम काशीभुवनीं । अंतकाळीं परियेसा ॥३८॥
tyāmce putrapautra tumhī | pahāla sukhem tumace nayanīm | pāvāla kṣema kāśībhuvanīm | amtakāḷīm pariyesā ||38||
You will happily see, with your own eyes, their sons and grandsons; and at the time of death, listen, you will attain peace in the holy city of Kāśī.
The blessing extends across generations — seeing grandchildren — and promises a peaceful death at Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), traditionally held to grant liberation at the moment of death.
Take comfort in the ordinary joys promised to a good life — seeing your family grow — alongside any spiritual hope.
मुक्तिस्थान काशीपुर । प्रख्यात असे वेदशास्त्र । न करा मनीं चिंता मात्र । म्हणोनि सांगती तये वेळीं ॥३९॥
muktisthāna kāśīpura | prakhyāta ase vedaśāstra | na karā manīm cimtā mātra | mhaṇoni sāmgatī taye veḷīm ||39||
Kāśīpura is renowned in the Vedas and scriptures as a place of liberation; do not hold worry in your minds at all — so he told them at that time.
Citing scriptural authority for Kāśī's liberating power, the Guru directly instructs his parents to set down their anxiety — reassurance grounded in tradition, not vague comfort.
When you reassure someone, ground your comfort in something solid they can trust, not just kind words.
त्यांची कन्या असे एक । नाम तिचें 'रत्नाई' विशेष । श्रीगुरुसी नमूनि ऐक । विनवीतसे परियेसा ॥४०॥
tyāmcī kanyā ase eka | nāma ticem 'ratnāī' viśeṣa | śrīgurusī namūni aika | vinavītase pariyesā ||40||
They had one daughter, whose name was specially 'Ratnāī'; bowing to Śrī Guru, listen, she made her entreaty.
A new figure enters — the Guru's own sister Ratnāī — shifting the narrative from parents to a sibling with her own request.
Make space for everyone in a family, not just the central figure, to bring their own needs forward.
विनवीतसे परोपरी । स्वामी मातें तारीं तारीं । बुडोनि जात्यें भवसागरीं । संसारमाया वेष्टोनियां ॥४१॥
vinavītase paroparī | svāmī mātem tārīm tārīm | buḍoni jātyem bhavasāgarīm | samsāramāyā veṣṭoniyām ||41||
She entreated him in every way: 'Lord, save me, save me! I am drowning in the ocean of worldly existence, wrapped in the illusion of household life.'
Ratnāī's cry uses the same bhavasāgara (ocean of existence) imagery as Namdharak's opening praise, showing the same longing for liberation cuts across every kind of devotee.
Voice your own drowning feeling plainly to someone you trust, rather than suffering it silently.
संसार-तापत्रयासी । आपण भीतसें परियेसीं । निर्लिप्त करीं गा आम्हांसी । आपण तपासी जाईन ॥४२॥
samsāra-tāpatrayāsī | āpaṇa bhītasem pariyesīm | nirlipta karīm gā āmhāmsī | āpaṇa tapāsī jāīna ||42||
I am afraid, listen, of the threefold suffering of household life; make me unattached, and I will go off to do penance.
Ratnāī names the tāpatraya (threefold suffering — from oneself, from others, from fate) and asks for a shortcut: renunciation instead of marriage.
When overwhelmed by ordinary life's stresses, be specific about what exactly frightens you before deciding to escape it.
ऐकोनि तियेचें वचन । श्रीगुरु निरोपिताति आपण । स्त्रियांसी पतिसेवाचरण । तेंचि तप परियेसा ॥४३॥
aikoni tiyecem vacana | śrīguru niropitāti āpaṇa | striyāmsī patisevācaraṇa | temci tapa pariyesā ||43||
Hearing her words, Śrī Guru himself instructed her: 'For women, service to the husband is itself their penance — listen, that alone is tapa.'
The Guru redirects Ratnāī's wish for formal asceticism toward the traditional teaching that devoted service within one's given role is itself a spiritual discipline (tapa), not a lesser path.
Recognize that faithful, ordinary daily duties can be as much a spiritual practice as dramatic renunciation.
येणें या भावार्णवासी । कडे पडती परियेसीं । जैसा भाव असे ज्यासी । तैसें होईल परियेसा ॥४४॥
yeṇem yā bhāvārṇavāsī | kaḍe paḍatī pariyesīm | jaisā bhāva ase jyāsī | taisem hoīla pariyesā ||44||
By this, people cross to the shore of this ocean of existence; whatever faith one holds, listen, so it will come to be for them.
The Guru generalizes: crossing to the far shore is possible through one's own devoted role, and the outcome matches the sincerity of one's inner bhāva (faith/attitude).
Bring full sincerity to whatever role or duty you already occupy — the results will match the honesty you put in.
उतरावया पैल पार । स्त्रियांसी असे तो भ्रतार । मनें करोनि निर्धार । भजा पुरुष शिवसमानी ॥४५॥
utarāvayā paila pāra | striyāmsī ase to bhratāra | manem karoni nirdhāra | bhajā puruṣa śivasamānī ||45||
To cross to the far shore, for a woman her husband is the means; resolve firmly in your mind, and worship your husband as equal to Śiva.
The teaching frames the husband as the vehicle of a wife's liberation when regarded with the same devotion given to Śiva — a culturally specific formulation of finding the sacred within an ordinary bond.
Look for the sacred obligation inside your closest relationships rather than only seeking it outside them.
त्यासी होय उद्धार गति । वेदपुराणें वाखाणिती । अंतःकरणीं न करीं खंती । तूतें गति होईल जाण ॥४६॥
tyāsī hoya uddhāra gati | vedapurāṇem vākhāṇitī | amtaḥkaraṇīm na karīm khamtī | tūtem gati hoīla jāṇa ||46||
For her, liberation and the highest state result — the Vedas and Purāṇas declare this; do not grieve in your heart, know that liberation will come to you.
The Guru backs the teaching with scriptural authority and closes with direct comfort, addressing Ratnāī's anxiety rather than leaving the doctrine abstract.
When you give someone a hard teaching, follow it immediately with concrete reassurance, not just doctrine.
ऐकोनि श्रीगुरुचें वचन । विनवीतसे कर जोडून । श्रीगुरुमूर्ति ब्रह्मज्ञान । विनवीतसें अवधारीं ॥४७॥
aikoni śrīgurucem vacana | vinavītase kara joḍūna | śrīgurumūrti brahmajñāna | vinavītasem avadhārīm ||47||
Hearing Śrī Guru's words, she entreated him with joined hands: 'O embodiment of Śrī Guru, knower of Brahman, hear my further entreaty.'
Ratnāī accepts the teaching but is not yet finished — she presses further, addressing the Guru now explicitly as one who holds brahmajñāna (knowledge of the Absolute).
It's fine to accept guidance and still ask a deeper follow-up question.
तूं जाणसी भविष्यभूत । कैसें मातें उपदेशीत । माझें प्रालब्ध कवणगत । विस्तारावें मजप्रति ॥४८॥
tūm jāṇasī bhaviṣyabhūta | kaisem mātem upadeśīta | mājhem prālabdha kavaṇagata | vistārāvem majaprati ||48||
You know past and future — how then do you instruct me? Tell me at length what course my prārabdha (fate from past karma) will take.
Ratnāī asks the Guru, as one who sees all time, to reveal her specific prārabdha (the portion of karma already set in motion for this life) rather than general teaching.
When facing uncertainty, be willing to ask directly for the hard specifics rather than settling for comforting generalities.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती तियेसी । तुझी वासना असे तपासी । संचित पाप असे तुजसी । भोगणें असे परियेसा ॥४९॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī tiyesī | tujhī vāsanā ase tapāsī | samcita pāpa ase tujasī | bhogaṇem ase pariyesā ||49||
Śrī Guru said to her: 'Your inclination is toward penance, but you have accumulated sin that must, listen, be experienced.'
The Guru distinguishes desire (vāsanā) from destiny — wanting to renounce does not erase sañcita pāpa (stored karmic residue) that must still be lived through.
Accept that some consequences of the past must simply be lived through, even when your present intentions are good.
पूर्वजन्मीं तूं परियेसीं । चरणीं लाथिलें धेनूसी । शेजारी स्त्रीपुरुषांसी । विरोधें लाविला कलह जाणा ॥५०॥
pūrvajanmīm tūm pariyesīm | caraṇīm lāthilem dhenūsī | śejārī strīpuruṣāmsī | virodhem lāvilā kalaha jāṇā ||50||
In a former birth, listen, you kicked a cow with your foot, and stirred up a quarrel between neighboring husband and wife out of malice.
Two specific past wrongs are named — cruelty to a cow and deliberately sowing discord between a married couple — establishing the concrete cause behind her coming suffering.
Be careful never to provoke conflict between others for your own amusement or advantage — the harm lingers.
तया दोषास्तव देखा । तूतें बाधा असे अनेका । गायत्रीसी लाथिलें ऐका । तूं सर्वांगीं कुष्ठी होसील ॥५१॥
tayā doṣāstava dekhā | tūtem bādhā ase anekā | gāyatrīsī lāthilem aikā | tūm sarvāmgīm kuṣṭhī hosīla ||51||
Because of that fault, see, many afflictions await you: since you kicked the cow — identified with Gāyatrī — listen, you will become leprous over your whole body.
The cow is identified with Gāyatrī, the sacred mantra-goddess, elevating the earlier cruelty from ordinary mistreatment to an offense against the sacred itself — hence the severity of the consequence.
Treat creatures and vulnerable beings with reverence, remembering that harm to them is never merely trivial.
विरोध केला स्त्रीपुरुषांसीं । तुझा पुरुष होईल तापसी । तुतें त्यजील भरंवसीं । अर्जित तुझें ऐसें असे ॥५२॥
virodha kelā strīpuruṣāmsīm | tujhā puruṣa hoīla tāpasī | tutem tyajīla bharamvasīm | arjita tujhem aisem ase ||52||
You caused conflict between a husband and wife; because of this your own husband will become an ascetic and will surely abandon you — this is what you have earned.
The second offense — breaking a marriage's harmony — is mirrored back precisely: her own marriage will be broken by her husband's renunciation, a poetic justice typical of karmic narrative logic.
Notice how the harm you cause others tends to return in the very same shape — let that awareness restrain you.
ऐकोनि दुःख करी बहुत । श्रीगुरुचरणीं असे लोळत । मज उद्धारावें गुरुनाथा त्वरित । म्हणोनि चरणीं लागली ॥५३॥
aikoni duḥkha karī bahuta | śrīgurucaraṇīm ase loḷata | maja uddhārāvem gurunāthā tvarita | mhaṇoni caraṇīm lāgalī ||53||
Hearing this she grieved greatly and lay rolling at Śrī Guru's feet: 'Deliver me quickly, O lord of Gurus' — so saying she clasped his feet.
Ratnāī's grief at hearing her fate is met not with denial of the prophecy but with renewed surrender — the appropriate response to hard truth is deeper devotion, not despair.
When you receive hard news about consequences you cannot avoid, let it deepen your resolve rather than collapse it.
श्रीगुरू म्हणती ऐक बाळे । क्वचित्काळ असाल भले । अपरवयसा होतांचि काळें । पति तुझा यति होये ॥५४॥
śrīgurū mhaṇatī aika bāḷe | kvacitkāḷa asāla bhale | aparavayasā hotāmci kāḷem | pati tujhā yati hoye ||54||
Śrī Guru said: 'Listen, child, for some time you will be well; but in time, when you reach a later age, your husband will become an ascetic.'
The Guru gives the timeline gently — present peace first, hardship only later — a pattern of compassionate pacing rather than delivering all bad news at once.
When sharing difficult future news with someone, give them the fuller picture of time so they aren't overwhelmed all at once.
तदनंतर तुझा देह । कुष्ठी होईल अवेव । भोगूनि स्वदेहीं वय । मग होईल तुज गति ॥५५॥
tadanamtara tujhā deha | kuṣṭhī hoīla aveva | bhogūni svadehīm vaya | maga hoīla tuja gati ||55||
After that your body will become leprous, limb by limb; having lived out your allotted years in that body, then liberation will come to you.
The hardship is described as finite — bounded by a lifespan — after which the promised gati (spiritual attainment) follows; suffering here is temporary, not final.
Hold on to the knowledge that a hard season, however severe, is not the whole story — an end and a further good lie beyond it.
नासतां तुझा देह जाण । भेटी होईल आमुचे चरण । तुझें पाप होईल दहन । सांगेन क्षेत्र ऐक पां ॥५६॥
nāsatām tujhā deha jāṇa | bheṭī hoīla āmuce caraṇa | tujhem pāpa hoīla dahana | sāmgena kṣetra aika pām ||56||
Know that when your body perishes, you will attain our feet; your sin will be burned away — listen, I shall tell you the sacred place.
The Guru promises that death itself will be the moment of reunion and purification, and now offers practical guidance — a specific tīrtha (holy site) — rather than leaving her only with prophecy.
Pair any hard truth you give someone with a concrete, actionable next step, not just prediction.
भीमातीर दक्षिण देशीं । असे तीर्थ पापविनाशी । तेथें जाय तूं भरंवसीं । अवस्था तुज घडलियावरी ॥५७॥
bhīmātīra dakṣiṇa deśīm | ase tīrtha pāpavināśī | tethem jāya tūm bharamvasīm | avasthā tuja ghaḍaliyāvarī ||57||
On the bank of the Bhīmā river in the southern country there is a sin-destroying holy place; go there with confidence once that condition has come upon you.
A specific geography — the Bhīmā riverbank — is given as refuge, grounding the prophecy in a real pilgrimage practice available to any sufferer, not just Ratnāī.
When hardship comes, seek out a specific place, practice, or community known to bring relief, rather than facing it alone and unguided.
या भूमंडळीं विख्यात । तीर्थ असे अति समर्थ । गंधर्वपुर असे ख्यात । अमरजासंगम प्रसिद्ध जाण ॥५८॥
yā bhūmamḍaḷīm vikhyāta | tīrtha ase ati samartha | gamdharvapura ase khyāta | amarajāsamgama prasiddha jāṇa ||58||
In this world there is a renowned holy place of great power, known as Gandharvapura, famous as the confluence of the Amarajā river — know this.
The site is named precisely — Gandharvapura at the Amarajā-Bhīmā confluence — which readers of the Guru Charitra tradition identify as the future site of the Guru's own long residence.
Learn the specific names of the places and resources that have historically helped others, so you can find them when you need them.
ऐसें सांगोनि तियेसी । श्रीगुरू निघाले दक्षिण देशीं । त्र्यंबक-क्षेत्रासी । आले, गौतमी-उद्धव जेथें ॥५९॥
aisem sāmgoni tiyesī | śrīgurū nighāle dakṣiṇa deśīm | tryambaka-kṣetrāsī | āle, gautamī-uddhava jethem ||59||
Having told her this, Śrī Guru set out for the southern country and came to the sacred place of Tryambaka, where the Godāvarī (Gautamī) river originates.
The narrative pivots from personal prophecy back to pilgrimage — the Guru now travels to Tryambakeśvara, the source of the Godāvarī river.
After giving someone difficult personal guidance, return to your own ongoing work rather than lingering in the emotion of the moment.
शिष्यांसहित गुरुमूर्ति । आले नाशिकक्षेत्राप्रती । तीर्थमहिमा असे ख्याति । पुरणांतरीं परियेसा ॥६०॥
śiṣyāmsahita gurumūrti | āle nāśikakṣetrāpratī | tīrthamahimā ase khyāti | puraṇāmtarīm pariyesā ||60||
The Guru-embodiment, together with his disciples, came to the sacred place of Nāśika; the glory of that holy site is celebrated, listen, throughout the Purāṇas.
Nāśika's sanctity is grounded in scriptural authority (purāṇa), setting up the extended digression that follows about how the Godāvarī came to exist.
When visiting a place of significance, learn its deeper history rather than passing through it unaware.
तीर्थमहिमा सांगतां । विस्तार होईल बहु कथा । संक्षेपमार्गे तुज आतां । सांगतसें परियेसीं ॥६१॥
tīrthamahimā sāmgatām | vistāra hoīla bahu kathā | samkṣepamārge tuja ātām | sāmgatasem pariyesīm ||61||
If I were to tell the full glory of this holy place, the account would grow very long; I shall tell it to you now, listen, by a shortened path.
Siddha again signals compression, a formal device that lets the epic acknowledge its own vastness while choosing what to include.
When explaining something large, be upfront that you are summarizing, so listeners know more depth exists if they seek it.
त्या गौतमीची महिमा । सांगतां अपार असे आम्हां । बहिरार्णव-उदक उगमा । ब्रह्मांडाव्यतिरिक्त ॥६२॥
tyā gautamīcī mahimā | sāmgatām apāra ase āmhām | bahirārṇava-udaka ugamā | brahmāmḍāvyatirikta ||62||
The glory of that Gautamī river is, for us, boundless to tell; its waters' source lies outside the visible cosmic egg, beyond the Brahmāṇḍa.
The river's origin is described in cosmological terms — its true source transcends the visible universe (brahmāṇḍa), marking the Godāvarī as no ordinary river but a channel of the celestial Ganges.
Recognize that some of the good in your life traces back to sources far larger and older than what you can directly see.
जटामुकुटीं तीर्थेश्वर । धरिली होती प्रीतिकर । मिळोनि समस्त ऋषीश्वर । उपाय केला परियेसा ॥६३॥
jaṭāmukuṭīm tīrtheśvara | dharilī hotī prītikara | miḷoni samasta ṛṣīśvara | upāya kelā pariyesā ||63||
The lord of that holy water had been affectionately held in Śiva's matted crest; the assembled great sages together devised a plan, listen.
The story explains why Godāvarī needed to be 'brought down': the Ganges was held captive, so to speak, in Śiva's hair, and sages had to strategize a way to release her onto earth.
When a needed good is out of reach, gather with others to plan deliberately for it rather than waiting passively.
ब्रह्मऋषि गौतम देखा । तपस्वी असे विशेषा । व्रीहि पेरिले वृत्तीं ऐका । अनुष्ठानस्थानाजवळी ॥६४॥
brahmaṛṣi gautama dekhā | tapasvī ase viśeṣā | vrīhi perile vṛttīm aikā | anuṣṭhānasthānājavaḷī ||64||
See, the brahmin sage Gautama was an especially great ascetic; for his livelihood he had sown rice near his place of spiritual practice.
Sage Gautama is introduced as the key figure — a disciplined ascetic who also grew his own food, showing that even great renunciants engaged in ordinary labor.
Don't assume serious spiritual discipline excuses you from ordinary practical responsibilities like earning your keep.
पूर्वी मुनी सकळी । नित्य पेरुनि पिकविती साळी । ऐसे त्यांचे मंत्र बळी । महापुण्यपुरुष असती ॥६५॥
pūrvī munī sakaḷī | nitya peruni pikavitī sāḷī | aise tyāmce mamtra baḷī | mahāpuṇyapuruṣa asatī ||65||
In ancient times all the sages would daily sow and ripen their rice by the power of mantra alone; such was the power of their sacred formulas — they were men of great merit.
A detail of the ancient world is given: sages of that era could grow crops instantly through the power of mantra, underscoring the extraordinary puṇya (merit) accumulated by true ascetics.
Trust that sustained inner discipline can produce outward abundance, even if the mechanism isn't visible to others.
समस्त ऋषि मिळोनि । विचार करिती आपुले मनीं । ऋषिगौतम महामुनी । सर्वेश्वराचा मुख्य दास ॥६६॥
samasta ṛṣi miḷoni | vicāra karitī āpule manīm | ṛṣigautama mahāmunī | sarveśvarācā mukhya dāsa ||66||
All the sages gathered and deliberated among themselves: 'The sage Gautama, the great muni, is the foremost servant of the Lord of all.'
The other sages identify Gautama specifically because of his closeness to Śiva (sarveśvara), reasoning that his special standing makes him the one who could successfully petition for the Ganges.
When seeking help for a shared cause, identify the person whose standing and integrity give them real credibility to ask.
त्यासी घालितां सांकडें । गंगा आणील आपुलें चाडें । समस्तां आम्हां पुण्य घडे । गंगास्नानें भूमंडळीं ॥६७॥
tyāsī ghālitām sāmkaḍem | gamgā āṇīla āpulem cāḍem | samastām āmhām puṇya ghaḍe | gamgāsnānem bhūmamḍaḷīm ||67||
If we put him into a difficulty, he will bring the Ganges for his own necessity, and all of us will gain merit by bathing in the Ganges here on earth.
The sages' plan is revealed as manipulative — they intend to trap Gautama in a crisis so severe that only bringing the Ganges to earth could resolve it — a plan of collective benefit built on one man's engineered suffering.
Be wary of pursuing a good outcome by deliberately causing harm to one person for the benefit of many — the ethics of the means still matter.
श्र्लोक ॥ या गतिर्योगयुक्तानां मुनीनामूर्ध्वरेतसाम् । सा गतिः सर्वजंतूनां गौतमीतीरवासिनाम् ॥६८॥
śrloka || yā gatiryogayuktānām munīnāmūrdhvaretasām | sā gatiḥ sarvajamtūnām gautamītīravāsinām ||68||
The state attained by yogis and celibate sages through great discipline — that same state is attained by all creatures who dwell on the bank of the Gautamī.
A Sanskrit verse is quoted, likely from a Purāṇic source, declaring that mere residence by the Godāvarī grants the liberation that ascetics achieve only through immense discipline.
Value the places and communities that make a good life more accessible, not only the solitary heroic effort to achieve it alone.
टीका ॥ ऊर्ध्वरेत मुनीश्वरांसी । कोटिवर्षे तपस्वियांसी । जे गति होय परियेसीं । ते स्नानमात्रें गौतमीच्या ॥६९॥
ṭīkā || ūrdhvareta munīśvarāmsī | koṭivarṣe tapasviyāmsī | je gati hoya pariyesīm | te snānamātrem gautamīcyā ||69||
The state that celibate great sages attain only after crores of years of penance — that very state, listen, comes merely from bathing in the Gautamī.
The commentary glosses the preceding verse plainly, emphasizing the astonishing generosity of the river: what takes eons of austerity elsewhere takes only a single bath here.
Seek out the practices or places that make good outcomes easy and available, rather than assuming difficulty is always required.
याकारणें गौतमीसी । आणावें यत्नें भूमंडळासी । सांकडें घालितां गौतमासी । आणितां गंगा आम्हां लाभ ॥७०॥
yākāraṇem gautamīsī | āṇāvem yatnem bhūmamḍaḷāsī | sāmkaḍem ghālitām gautamāsī | āṇitām gamgā āmhām lābha ||70||
For this reason, the Gautamī must be brought to the earth by effort; by putting Gautama into a predicament and thereby bringing the Ganges, we shall gain.
The sages restate and finalize their plan, repeating the earlier reasoning to move the narrative decisively toward action.
Before acting on a plan with real consequences for someone else, be sure you've reckoned honestly with what it costs them.
म्हणोनि रचिली माव एक । दुर्वेची गाय सवत्सक । करोनि पाठविली ऐक । गौतमाचे ब्रीहिभक्षणासी ॥७१॥
mhaṇoni racilī māva eka | durvecī gāya savatsaka | karoni pāṭhavilī aika | gautamāce brīhibhakṣaṇāsī ||71||
So they conjured up an illusion: a cow made of grass, with her calf, and sent her, listen, to eat Gautama's rice.
The sages create a magical decoy — a cow of grass — and send it to provoke a crisis by eating the sage's crop, setting the trap in motion.
Be alert when circumstances seem too conveniently arranged to test or trap you — not every crisis presenting itself is accidental.
ऋषि होता अनुष्ठानीं । देखिलें धेनूसी नयनीं । निवारावया तत्क्षणीं । दर्भ पवित्र सोडिलें ॥७२॥
ṛṣi hotā anuṣṭhānīm | dekhilem dhenūsī nayanīm | nivārāvayā tatkṣaṇīm | darbha pavitra soḍilem ||72||
The sage was engaged in his ritual observance; seeing the cow with his eyes, to drive her away instantly he flung a blade of sacred kuśa grass.
Gautama's instinctive, well-meant act — waving her off with a mere blade of consecrated grass, meant only to shoo her, not harm her — is about to have catastrophic unintended consequences.
Remember that even a small, well-intended action can carry unforeseen weight — act with care even in seemingly trivial moments.
तेचि कुश जाहलें शस्त्र । धेनूसी लागलें जैसें वज्रास्त्र । पंचत्व पावली त्वरित । घडली हत्या गौतमासी ॥७३॥
teci kuśa jāhalem śastra | dhenūsī lāgalem jaisem vajrāstra | pamcatva pāvalī tvarita | ghaḍalī hatyā gautamāsī ||73||
That very kuśa grass became a weapon; it struck the cow as if it were a thunderbolt-weapon, and she died instantly — the sin of killing a cow fell upon Gautama.
The trap closes: the consecrated grass, empowered by Gautama's own ritual purity, becomes lethal in his hand, and he unknowingly commits the grave sin of go-hatyā (cow-slaughter).
Recognize that your own strengths, used carelessly even for a moment, can cause harm disproportionate to your intention.
मिळोनि समस्त ऋषिजन । प्रायश्चित्त देती जाण । गंगा भूमंडळीं आण । याविणें तुम्हां नाहीं शुद्धि ॥७४॥
miḷoni samasta ṛṣijana | prāyaścitta detī jāṇa | gamgā bhūmamḍaḷīm āṇa | yāviṇem tumhām nāhīm śuddhi ||74||
All the assembled sages gathered and prescribed atonement for him: 'Bring the Ganges to the earth; without this you cannot be purified.'
The other sages now reveal the very penance that fulfills their original scheme — Gautama's atonement requires exactly the outcome they wanted all along.
When you owe amends for a mistake, be willing to undertake whatever real, difficult effort is required to make it right.
याकारणें गौतमऋषीं । तप केलें सहस्त्र वर्षी । प्रसन्न झाला व्योमकेशी । वर माग म्हणितलें ॥७५॥
yākāraṇem gautamaṛṣīm | tapa kelem sahastra varṣī | prasanna jhālā vyomakeśī | vara māga mhaṇitalem ||75||
For this reason the sage Gautama performed penance for a thousand years; the sky-haired one (Śiva) became pleased and said, 'Ask for a boon.'
Gautama's austerity is extraordinary in scale — a thousand years — before Śiva (vyomakeśī, whose hair is the sky) grants him the chance to ask.
Persist in sustained effort toward making amends, even when the timeline required seems immense.
गौतम म्हणे सर्वेश्वरा । तुवां देशील मज वरा । उद्धरावया सचराचरा । द्यावी गंगा भूमंडळासी ॥७६॥
gautama mhaṇe sarveśvarā | tuvām deśīla maja varā | uddharāvayā sacarācarā | dyāvī gamgā bhūmamḍaḷāsī ||76||
Gautama said to the Lord of all: 'If you will grant me a boon, give the Ganges to the earth, to deliver all moving and unmoving beings.'
Notably, Gautama's request is not for his own release but for the benefit of all creation — his personal atonement becomes a universal gift.
When granted the chance to ask for something for yourself, consider asking instead for something that benefits everyone around you.
गौतमाचे विनंतीसी । निरोप दिधला गंगेसी । घेवोनि आला भूमंडळासी । पापक्षालनार्थ मनुष्यांचे ॥७७॥
gautamāce vinamtīsī | niropa didhalā gamgesī | ghevoni ālā bhūmamḍaḷāsī | pāpakṣālanārtha manuṣyāmce ||77||
In response to Gautama's request, permission was given to the Ganges; taking her, he brought her down to earth for the washing away of humanity's sins.
The story resolves: Śiva releases the Ganges as the Godāvarī, and what began as a manipulative trap ends as a permanent blessing to all humanity.
Trust that even painful ordeals engineered or endured for a larger purpose can end in a gift that outlasts the pain.
ऐसी गंगाभागीरथी । कवणा वर्णावया सामर्थ्य । याचि कारणें श्रीगुरुनाथ । आले ऐक नामधारका ॥७८॥
aisī gamgābhāgīrathī | kavaṇā varṇāvayā sāmarthya | yāci kāraṇem śrīgurunātha | āle aika nāmadhārakā ||78||
Such is the Gaṅgā-Bhāgīrathī — who has the power to fully describe her? For this very reason Śrī Gurunātha came here, listen, Nāmadhāraka.
Siddha closes the digression by tying it back to why the Guru himself journeyed to this river — its sanctity drew him, just as it drew Gautama's austerities.
Let admiration for something truly great humble you into acknowledging you cannot fully capture it in words.
ऐशी गौतमीतटाकयात्रा । श्रीगुरू आपण आचरीत । पुढें मागुती लोकानुग्रहार्थ । आपण हिंडे परियेसा ॥७९॥
aiśī gautamītaṭākayātrā | śrīgurū āpaṇa ācarīta | puḍhem māgutī lokānugrahārtha | āpaṇa himḍe pariyesā ||79||
In this way Śrī Guru himself undertook the pilgrimage-circuit along the Gautamī's banks; afterward, listen, for the sake of blessing the people, he continued to wander further.
The Guru's motive for wandering is stated plainly: lokānugraha (grace/blessing for the people), not personal need — travel itself becomes a teaching act.
If you have gifts to offer, don't wait for people to come to you — go out and make yourself available to them.
तटाकयात्रा करितां देख । आले श्रीगुरु मंजरिका । तेथें होता मुनि एक । विख्यात 'माधवारण्य' ॥८०॥
taṭākayātrā karitām dekha | āle śrīguru mamjarikā | tethem hotā muni eka | vikhyāta 'mādhavāraṇya' ||80||
While making this circuit-pilgrimage, see, Śrī Guru came to Mañjarikā; there lived a sage, well known as 'Mādhavāraṇya.'
A new figure is introduced along the pilgrimage route, setting up the next episode of recognition and teaching.
Stay open to meeting new teachers or seekers wherever your own path happens to lead you.
सदा मानसपूजा त्यासी । नरसिंहमूर्ति परियेसीं । देखता झाला श्रीगुरुसी । मानसमूर्ति जैसी देखे ॥८१॥
sadā mānasapūjā tyāsī | narasimhamūrti pariyesīm | dekhatā jhālā śrīgurusī | mānasamūrti jaisī dekhe ||81||
He constantly performed mental worship of the form of Narasiṁha, listen; and when he saw Śrī Guru, he saw him exactly as the deity he worshipped in his mind.
Mādhavāraṇya's long practice of mānasa pūjā (worship performed entirely in the mind) meets its fulfillment: the Guru appears to him precisely as his own inwardly cherished form of Narasiṁha.
Trust that long, sincere inward devotion eventually meets and recognizes its object, even in an unexpected outer form.
विस्मित होऊनि मानसीं । नमिता झाला श्रीगुरुमूर्तीसी । स्तोत्र करी बहुवसी । अतिभक्तीकरुनियां ॥८२॥
vismita hoūni mānasīm | namitā jhālā śrīgurumūrtīsī | stotra karī bahuvasī | atibhaktīkaruniyām ||82||
Filled with astonishment in his mind, he bowed to the form of Śrī Guru and offered extensive praise, with the utmost devotion.
Wonder (vismaya) becomes the doorway to worship — Mādhavāraṇya's astonishment does not paralyze him but pours out immediately as praise.
When something astonishes you spiritually, let that wonder move straight into expressed gratitude rather than staying silent.
श्र्लोक ॥ यद्दिव्यपादद्वयमेवसाक्षाद् , अधिष्ठितं देवनदीसमीपे । य उत्तरे तीरनिवासिरामो, लक्ष्मीपतिस्त्वं निवसन्स नित्यम् ॥८३॥
śrloka || yaddivyapādadvayamevasākṣād , adhiṣṭhitam devanadīsamīpe | ya uttare tīranivāsirāmo, lakṣmīpatistvam nivasansa nityam ||83||
You whose divine pair of feet is itself directly established beside the celestial river; you who dwell as Rāma residing eternally on its northern bank, the husband of Lakṣmī.
In Sanskrit verse, Mādhavāraṇya identifies the Guru with Rāma-cum-Viṣṇu ('husband of Lakṣmī') dwelling forever by the sacred river, a formal hymn of praise marking the encounter's climax.
When words of ordinary speech feel too small for your gratitude, reach for your tradition's most formal, elevated language.
ओंव्या ॥ येणेंपरी श्रीगुरुसी । विनवी माधवारण्य हर्षी । श्रीगुरू म्हणती संतोषीं । तया माधवारण्यासी ॥८४॥
omvyā || yeṇemparī śrīgurusī | vinavī mādhavāraṇya harṣī | śrīgurū mhaṇatī samtoṣīm | tayā mādhavāraṇyāsī ||84||
In this way Mādhavāraṇya entreated Śrī Guru with joy; Śrī Guru, pleased, spoke to that Mādhavāraṇya.
The narrative marks the exchange turning: praise offered, the Guru now responds with his own pleased reply, setting up the dialogue to follow.
When someone offers you heartfelt praise, respond with warmth rather than brushing it aside.
श्र्लोक ॥ अत्यंतमार्गस्थितिमार्गरुपं, अत्यंतयोगादधिकारतत्त्वम् । मार्गं च मार्गं च विचिन्वतो मे, मार्गोदयं माधव दर्शये ते ॥८५॥
śrloka || atyamtamārgasthitimārgarupam, atyamtayogādadhikāratattvam | mārgam ca mārgam ca vicinvato me, mārgodayam mādhava darśaye te ||85||
You who are the very form of the path, established utterly upon the path — the essence of the authority attained through utmost yoga: to me, who searches path after path, reveal, O Mādhava, the arising of the true path.
Mādhavāraṇya's Sanskrit petition plays on the word mārga (path), begging the Guru — addressed as Mādhava, a name of Viṣṇu — to reveal the one true path amid all the paths he has searched.
When you feel lost among many possible paths, ask directly and specifically for guidance toward the one that is genuinely yours.
ओंव्या ॥ ऐसें श्रीगुरू तयासी आश्वासोनि म्हणती हर्षी । निजस्वरुप तयासी । दाविते झाले परियेसा ॥८६॥
omvyā || aisem śrīgurū tayāsī āśvāsoni mhaṇatī harṣī | nijasvarupa tayāsī | dāvite jhāle pariyesā ||86||
Thus Sri Guru reassured him joyfully, and revealed to him his own true form; listen well.
The devotee's inward vision of Narasiṁha (Guru's true form as the man-lion) is confirmed by an outward revelation — grace meets sincere devotion by making the unseen seen.
When your devotion is sincere, trust that confirmation will come in its own time; keep worshiping faithfully rather than demanding proof first.
श्रीगुरुचें स्वरुप देखोनि । संतोषी झाला तो मुनि । विनवीतसे कर जोडूनि । नानापरी स्तुति करी ॥८७॥
śrīgurucem svarupa dekhoni | samtoṣī jhālā to muni | vinavītase kara joḍūni | nānāparī stuti karī ||87||
Seeing Sri Guru's form, the sage rejoiced; folding his hands he entreated him, offering praise in many ways.
Joy at the sight of the divine spills naturally into stuti (praise) — genuine wonder does not stay silent, it becomes worship.
Let real gratitude show itself in words, not just quiet feeling — speak your thanks aloud.
जय जया जगद्गुरू । त्रयमूर्तीचा अवतारू । लोकां दिससी नरु । परमपुरुषा जगज्ज्योति ॥८८॥
jaya jayā jagadgurū | trayamūrtīcā avatārū | lokām disasī naru | paramapuruṣā jagajjyoti ||88||
Victory, victory, O world-teacher! You are the incarnation of the three great gods; to people you appear as a man, but you are the supreme being, the light of the world.
The hymn names the paradox at the heart of the avatāra (divine descent): ordinary human form concealing ultimate reality — sight alone cannot grasp what devotion perceives.
Look past appearances for the good in people; treat everyone as though something greater might be hidden within them.
तूं तारक विश्वासी । म्हणोनि भूमीं अवतरलासी । कृतार्थ केलें आम्हांसी । दर्शन दिधलें चरण आपुले ॥८९॥
tūm tāraka viśvāsī | mhaṇoni bhūmīm avataralāsī | kṛtārtha kelem āmhāmsī | darśana didhalem caraṇa āpule ||89||
You are the savior of the world; that is why you have taken birth on earth. You have fulfilled me, having granted me sight of your own feet.
Darśana (sight of the holy) at the teacher's feet is treated as the fulfillment of a life's purpose — the goal was never distant, only unseen until now.
Recognize the ordinary moments that already fulfill you instead of waiting for some future achievement.
ऐसेपरी श्रीगुरुसी । स्तुति करी तो तापसी । संतोष होऊन अति हर्षी । आश्वासिती तया वेळीं ॥९०॥
aiseparī śrīgurusī | stuti karī to tāpasī | samtoṣa hoūna ati harṣī | āśvāsitī tayā veḷīm ||90||
In this way the ascetic praised Sri Guru; greatly pleased and joyful, Sri Guru reassured him at that moment.
Devotion offered is met with reassurance given — the exchange between disciple and teacher runs in both directions.
When someone honors you sincerely, respond with warmth, not indifference.
म्हणती श्रीगुरू तयासी । सिद्धि झाली तुझ्या मंत्रासी । तुज सद्गति भरंवसीं । ब्रह्मलोक प्राप्त होय ॥९१॥
mhaṇatī śrīgurū tayāsī | siddhi jhālī tujhyā mamtrāsī | tuja sadgati bharamvasīm | brahmaloka prāpta hoya ||91||
Sri Guru said to him: your mantra has attained perfection; you shall surely attain the good state, the world of Brahma.
Long, sincere repetition of a mantra (sacred formula) is said to ripen into siddhi (spiritual accomplishment) — steady practice, not haste, is what perfects it.
Stay with your chosen spiritual practice patiently; results ripen from years of repetition, not a single burst of effort.
नित्यपूजा तूं मानसीं । करिसी नृसिंहमूर्तीसी । प्रत्यक्ष होईल परियेसीं । न करीं संशय मनांत ॥९२॥
nityapūjā tūm mānasīm | karisī nṛsimhamūrtīsī | pratyakṣa hoīla pariyesīm | na karīm samśaya manāmta ||92||
Whatever daily worship you perform in your mind of the form of Narasimha, it will become manifest — hold no doubt about it in your heart.
Mānasa pūjā (mental worship) is affirmed as fully real, not a lesser substitute for outward ritual — sincerity of mind is itself the offering.
When circumstances keep you from formal ritual, offer your devotion inwardly with full sincerity — it counts.
ऐसें सांगोनि तयासी । श्रीगुरू निघाले परियेसीं । आले वासरब्रह्मेश्वरासी । गंगातीर महाक्षेत्र ॥९३॥
aisem sāmgoni tayāsī | śrīgurū nighāle pariyesīm | āle vāsarabrahmeśvarāsī | gamgātīra mahākṣetra ||93||
Having told him this, Sri Guru departed; he arrived at Vasarabrahmeshvar, a great pilgrimage site on the bank of the Ganga.
The narrative moves on, as Sri Guru's wandering ministry continues from one sacred river-town to the next.
Keep moving toward those who need you; don't let one good encounter become an excuse to stop serving others.
तया गंगातटाकांत । श्रीगुरू समस्त शिष्यांसहित । स्नान करितां गंगेंत । आला तेथें विप्र एक ॥९४॥
tayā gamgātaṭākāmta | śrīgurū samasta śiṣyāmsahita | snāna karitām gamgemta | ālā tethem vipra eka ||94||
There on the bank of the Ganga, Sri Guru was bathing with all his disciples when a certain Brahmin came there.
A new episode opens at the riverbank, the setting where the coming crisis and its resolution will both unfold.
Stay attentive to the people around you even in quiet, routine moments — help often arrives through an unplanned encounter.
कुक्षिव्यथा असे बहुत । तटाकीं असे लोळत । उदरव्यथा अत्यंत । त्यजूं पाहे प्राण देखा ॥९५॥
kukṣivyathā ase bahuta | taṭākīm ase loḷata | udaravyathā atyamta | tyajūm pāhe prāṇa dekhā ||95||
He had a severe stomach ailment; he lay writhing on the riverbank, in extreme abdominal pain, about to give up his life.
The Brahmin's suffering is drawn starkly — chronic, untreatable pain has pushed him to the edge of despair before Sri Guru even speaks to him.
Take visible suffering seriously and act without delay when you see someone in real distress.
पोटव्यथा बहु त्यासी । नित्य करी तो उपवासासी । भोजन केलिया दुःख ऐसी । प्राणांतिक होतसे ॥९६॥
poṭavyathā bahu tyāsī | nitya karī to upavāsāsī | bhojana keliyā duḥkha aisī | prāṇāmtika hotase ||96||
He suffered great stomach pain; he fasted continually, for whenever he ate, such suffering came upon him that it threatened his very life.
His illness has trapped him in a vicious cycle — the food that should sustain him has become the source of his agony.
Notice when a habit meant to help you has quietly turned harmful, and be willing to seek a different remedy.
याकारणें द्विजवर । सदा करी फलाहार । अन्नासी त्यासी असे वैर । जेवितां प्राण त्यजूं पाहे ॥९७॥
yākāraṇem dvijavara | sadā karī phalāhāra | annāsī tyāsī ase vaira | jevitām prāṇa tyajūm pāhe ||97||
For this reason the excellent Brahmin always ate only fruit; food itself had become his enemy — whenever he ate a meal he nearly lost his life.
Even careful self-restraint (a fruit-only diet) could not cure him — his suffering runs deeper than diet alone, setting up the need for grace rather than mere remedy.
When your own best efforts aren't enough to solve a problem, be humble enough to ask for help beyond yourself.
पक्षमासां भोजन करी । व्यथा उठे त्याचे उदरीं । ऐसा किती दिवसवरी । कष्टत होता तो द्विज ॥९८॥
pakṣamāsām bhojana karī | vyathā uṭhe tyāce udarīm | aisā kitī divasavarī | kaṣṭata hotā to dvija ||98||
He ate only once a fortnight or a month, yet even then pain rose in his belly; for how many days had this Brahmin suffered so!
The narrator pauses to underline the length and severity of his ordeal, so that the coming cure will be felt as all the more wondrous.
Hold on through prolonged hardship — how long you've suffered doesn't determine whether relief is still possible.
पूर्व दिवसीं तया ग्रामीं । आला सण महानवमी । जेविला मिष्टान्न मनोधर्मी । मासें एक पारणें केलें ॥९९॥
pūrva divasīm tayā grāmīm | ālā saṇa mahānavamī | jevilā miṣṭānna manodharmī | māsem eka pāraṇem kelem ||99||
The day before, the festival of Mahanavami had come to that village; devoutly he had eaten sweet food, breaking a month's fast.
A festival meal, eaten with good intent after long abstinence, becomes the immediate trigger for his crisis — even pious occasions can go painfully wrong.
Ease back into indulgence gradually after a long restraint, rather than all at once.
भोजन केलें अन्न बहुत । त्याणें पोट असे दुखत । गंगातीरीं असे लोळत । प्राण त्वरित त्यजूं पाहे ॥१००॥
bhojana kelem anna bahuta | tyāṇem poṭa ase dukhata | gamgātīrīm ase loḷata | prāṇa tvarita tyajūm pāhe ||100||
He had eaten a great deal of food, and now his stomach ached; he lay writhing on the bank of the Ganga, ready to give up his life at once.
The pain from the festival meal reaches its peak, bringing him to the river's edge in despair — this is the low point before Sri Guru's intervention.
When pain drives you to hopeless thoughts, seek out someone wise or trustworthy before acting on despair.
दुःख करी द्विज अपार । म्हणे गंगेंत त्यजीन शरीर । नको आतां संसार । पापरुपें वर्तत ॥१॥
duḥkha karī dvija apāra | mhaṇe gamgemta tyajīna śarīra | nako ātām samsāra | pāparupem vartata ||1||
The Brahmin grieved greatly, saying: 'I will give up my body in the Ganga; I want this worldly life no more, lived as it is steeped in sin.'
He interprets his physical suffering as the fruit of moral failure — a common but mistaken conflation of illness with sinfulness that his despair makes worse.
Don't let physical suffering convince you that you are morally worthless; separate the pain from your sense of self-worth.
अन्न प्राण अन्न जीवन । कवण असेल अन्नावीण । अन्न वैरी झालें जाण । मरण बरवें आतां मज ॥२॥
anna prāṇa anna jīvana | kavaṇa asela annāvīṇa | anna vairī jhālem jāṇa | maraṇa baravem ātām maja ||2||
'Food is life, food is livelihood — who can live without food? Food itself has become my enemy; death is better for me now.'
His lament captures the total helplessness of a body turned against its own basic need — nothing ordinary can save him now.
Recognize when you've reached the limit of ordinary solutions and are ready to receive help you cannot arrange yourself.
मनीं निर्धार करोनि । गंगाप्रवेश करीन म्हणोनि । पोटीं पाषाण बांधोनि । गंगेमध्यें निघाला ॥३॥
manīm nirdhāra karoni | gamgāpraveśa karīna mhaṇoni | poṭīm pāṣāṇa bāmdhoni | gamgemadhyem nighālā ||3||
Resolving firmly in his mind to enter the Ganga, he tied a stone to his stomach and went out into the river.
His despair turns to action — the narrative brings him to the very brink of the river before grace intervenes.
In your darkest moment, pause one breath longer before acting — help may be closer than it seems.
मनीं स्मरे कर्पूरगौर । उपजलों आपण भूमिभार । केले नाहीं परोपकार । अन्नदानादिक देखा ॥४॥
manīm smare karpūragaura | upajalom āpaṇa bhūmibhāra | kele nāhīm paropakāra | annadānādika dekhā ||4||
In his mind he called to mind Śiva, fair as camphor, thinking: 'I was born only as a burden on the earth; I have done no good to others, no charity of food or the like.'
Even in his final moments he turns his mind toward God and toward self-examination — remembrance and honest confession persist even in extremity.
Even in crisis, keep turning your mind toward what is sacred rather than toward despair alone.
न करीं पुण्य इह जन्मांत । जन्मांतरीं पूर्वी शत । पुण्यफळ असे दिसत । मग हे कष्ट भोगीतसें ॥६॥
na karīm puṇya iha janmāmta | janmāmtarīm pūrvī śata | puṇyaphaḷa ase disata | maga he kaṣṭa bhogītasem ||6||
'I have earned no merit in this birth; and in a hundred past births too, no fruit of virtue seems to show — that is why I now suffer this hardship.'
He searches for a cause for his suffering across many lifetimes, reflecting the belief that present pain can be the ripening of very old karma (past action).
When suffering seems to have no clear cause, resist despair and instead use the time to reflect honestly on your conduct.
अपूर्ती पूजा ईश्वराची । केली असेल निंदा गुरुची । अवज्ञा केली मातापितयांची । मग हे कष्ट भोगीतसें ॥७॥
apūrtī pūjā īśvarācī | kelī asela nimdā gurucī | avajñā kelī mātāpitayāmcī | maga he kaṣṭa bhogītasem ||7||
'Perhaps I worshiped God imperfectly, perhaps I once slandered a guru, perhaps I disrespected my parents — that is why I now suffer this hardship.'
He runs through the classic list of grave offenses — neglect of worship, disrespect to teacher and parents — as possible roots of his pain.
Examine your conduct toward those who guide and raised you; repair neglect there before it grows into regret.
अथवा पूर्वजन्मीं आपण । केलें असेल द्विजधिक्कारण । अतिथि आलिया न घालीं अन्न । वैश्वदेवसमयासी ॥८॥
athavā pūrvajanmīm āpaṇa | kelem asela dvijadhikkāraṇa | atithi āliyā na ghālīm anna | vaiśvadevasamayāsī ||8||
'Or perhaps in a former birth I insulted Brahmins, or turned away a guest without food at the time of the daily household offering.'
Failing hospitality — turning away a guest at mealtime — is treated as a serious lapse, since feeding those who come to the door was a sacred daily duty.
Don't turn away someone who comes to you hungry or in need; give what you can, even briefly.
अथवा मारिलें वोवरांसी । अग्नि घातला रानासी । वेगळें सांडूनि जनकजननींसी । स्त्रियेसहित मी होतों ॥९॥
athavā mārilem vovarāmsī | agni ghātalā rānāsī | vegaḷem sāmḍūni janakajananīmsī | striyesahita mī hotom ||9||
'Or perhaps I killed some creature, or set fire to a forest, or lived apart in comfort with my wife, away from my mother and father.'
He continues listing possible past wrongs — harm to living things, to nature, and neglect of aging parents for the sake of comfortable married life.
Check that your own comfort at home hasn't come at the cost of neglecting your parents or the wider world.
मातापिता त्यजोनियां । असों सुखें जेवूनियां । पूर्वार्जवापासोनियां । मग हे कष्ट भोगीतसें ॥११०॥
mātāpitā tyajoniyām | asom sukhem jevūniyām | pūrvārjavāpāsoniyām | maga he kaṣṭa bhogītasem ||110||
'Having abandoned my mother and father, I lived comfortably, eating well off wealth earned before — that is why I now suffer this hardship.'
He returns to the theme of filial neglect as the likeliest cause of his present affliction — comfort built on someone else's sacrifice, unrepaid.
Make sure you are actively caring for your parents, not simply living off what they once gave you.
ऐसीं पापें आठवीत । विप्र जातो गंगेंत । तंव देखिलें श्रीगुरुनाथें । म्हणती बोलावा ब्राह्मणासी ॥११॥
aisīm pāpem āṭhavīta | vipra jāto gamgemta | tamva dekhilem śrīgurunāthem | mhaṇatī bolāvā brāhmaṇāsī ||11||
Recalling such sins, the Brahmin went into the Ganga; but Sri Guru saw him and said, 'Call that Brahmin here.'
At the very moment of self-condemnation and surrender, the teacher's compassionate notice interrupts what would have been his death.
Stay alert to those around you who seem to be silently giving up — a timely word or glance can be enough to stop tragedy.
आणा आणा त्या ब्राह्मणासी । प्राण त्यजितो कां सुखेसीं । आत्महत्या महादोषी । पुसों कवण कवणाचा ॥१२॥
āṇā āṇā tyā brāhmaṇāsī | prāṇa tyajito kām sukhesīm | ātmahatyā mahādoṣī | pusom kavaṇa kavaṇācā ||12||
'Bring, bring that Brahmin! Why does he give up his life so willingly? Suicide is a grave sin — let us ask him who he is.'
Sri Guru names self-destruction plainly as a grave wrong, even while moving immediately to rescue and question rather than condemn.
Meet someone in crisis with urgent action first, and only afterward with questions and counsel.
श्रीगुरुवचन ऐकोनि । गेले शिष्य धांवोनि । द्विजवरातें काढोनि । आणिलें श्रीगुरुसन्मुख ॥१३॥
śrīguruvacana aikoni | gele śiṣya dhāmvoni | dvijavarātem kāḍhoni | āṇilem śrīgurusanmukha ||13||
Hearing Sri Guru's words, the disciples ran; pulling the Brahmin out, they brought him before Sri Guru.
The disciples' swift obedience turns the teacher's compassion into concrete rescue — words become action without delay.
When someone in authority asks for urgent help, act at once rather than deliberating.
अनाथासी कल्पतरु । दुःखिष्टासी कृपासागरू । पुसतसे श्रीगुरू । तया दुःखिष्ट विप्रासी ॥१४॥
anāthāsī kalpataru | duḥkhiṣṭāsī kṛpāsāgarū | pusatase śrīgurū | tayā duḥkhiṣṭa viprāsī ||14||
Sri Guru, the wish-fulfilling tree to the helpless, the ocean of compassion to the sorrowful, questioned that grieving Brahmin.
The narrator pauses to name Sri Guru's essential nature — inexhaustible generosity and compassion — before he even speaks his healing word.
Let compassion, not judgment, be the first thing people feel from you when they are suffering.
श्रीगुरू म्हणती तयासी । प्राण कां गा त्यजूं पाहसी । आत्महत्या महादोषी । काय वृत्तांत सांग आम्हां ॥१५॥
śrīgurū mhaṇatī tayāsī | prāṇa kām gā tyajūm pāhasī | ātmahatyā mahādoṣī | kāya vṛttāmta sāmga āmhām ||15||
Sri Guru said to him: 'Why do you seek to give up your life? Suicide is a grave sin — tell us your whole story.'
The teacher invites the Brahmin to name his suffering openly, the first step toward its resolution.
Ask someone in pain to tell their story fully before offering any solution.
विप्र म्हणे गा यतिराया । काय कराल पुसोनियां । उपजोनि जन्म वायां । भूमिभार जाहलों असें ॥१६॥
vipra mhaṇe gā yatirāyā | kāya karāla pusoniyām | upajoni janma vāyām | bhūmibhāra jāhalom asem ||16||
The Brahmin said: 'O lord of ascetics, what will you gain by asking? I was born in vain, and have become merely a burden on the earth.'
His despair still resists comfort, doubting that his story even matters — a common posture of those in deep suffering.
If someone doubts that their pain is worth sharing, gently insist that it does matter to you.
मास-पक्षां भोजन करितों । उदरव्यथेनें कष्टतों । साहूं न शकें प्राण देतों । काय सांगूं स्वामिया ॥१७॥
māsa-pakṣām bhojana karitom | udaravyathenem kaṣṭatom | sāhūm na śakem prāṇa detom | kāya sāmgūm svāmiyā ||17||
'I eat only once a month or fortnight, and even then I suffer stomach pain; I cannot bear it and would rather give up my life — what more can I tell you, Master?'
He lays out the bare fact of his suffering, stripped of blame, as the concrete problem now before the teacher.
When asking for help, describe your actual situation plainly rather than only your feelings about it.
आपणासी अन्न वैरी असतां । केवीं वांचावें गुरुनाथा । शरीर सर्व अन्नगता । केवीं वांचूं जगद्गुरु ॥१८॥
āpaṇāsī anna vairī asatām | kevīm vāmcāvem gurunāthā | śarīra sarva annagatā | kevīm vāmcūm jagadguru ||18||
'When food itself is my enemy, how can I go on living, O Guru? The whole body depends on food — how then, world-teacher, can I survive?'
He states his dilemma at its starkest: the very thing that sustains life has become, for him, its threat — a problem beyond his own power to solve.
Name the exact obstacle standing between you and survival or well-being, so that help can be precisely aimed.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती ब्राह्मणासी । तुझी व्यथा गेली परियेसीं । औषध असे आम्हांपासीं । क्षण एकें सांगों तुज ॥१९॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī brāhmaṇāsī | tujhī vyathā gelī pariyesīm | auṣadha ase āmhāmpāsīm | kṣaṇa ekem sāmgom tuja ||19||
Sri Guru said to the Brahmin: 'Listen — your affliction is already gone; I have a remedy, and in a moment I shall tell it to you.'
The cure is announced before it is even explained — the teacher's assurance itself begins the healing, ahead of any medicine.
Offer genuine reassurance before you even explain your plan — hope itself can begin to steady someone.
संशय न धरीं आतां मनीं । भिऊं नको अंतःकरणीं । व्याधि गेली पळोनि । भोजन करी धणीवरी ॥१२०॥
samśaya na dharīm ātām manīm | bhiūm nako amtaḥkaraṇīm | vyādhi gelī paḷoni | bhojana karī dhaṇīvarī ||120||
'Hold no doubt in your mind now; do not be afraid in your heart. The disease has already fled — eat your fill.'
Sri Guru replaces fear with confidence directly, treating trust itself as part of the cure.
Speak calm confidence to someone who is anxious; your steadiness can lend them courage.
श्रीगुरुवचन ऐकोनि । स्थिर झाला अंतःकरणीं । माथा ठेवूनि श्रीगुरुचरणीं । नमन केलें तया वेळीं ॥२१॥
śrīguruvacana aikoni | sthira jhālā amtaḥkaraṇīm | māthā ṭhevūni śrīgurucaraṇīm | namana kelem tayā veḷīm ||21||
Hearing Sri Guru's words, his heart grew calm; placing his head at Sri Guru's feet, he bowed at that moment.
Trust restores inner peace even before the body itself is healed — the mind settles first.
Let a trustworthy word calm your mind, and let gratitude follow even before results appear.
इतुकिया अवसरीं । तया ग्रामींचा अधिकारी । विप्र एक अवधारीं । आला गंगास्नानासी ॥२२॥
itukiyā avasarīm | tayā grāmīmcā adhikārī | vipra eka avadhārīm | ālā gamgāsnānāsī ||22||
At that very moment, an official Brahmin of that village, listen well, came there to bathe in the Ganga.
A new character, Sayamdev, enters the scene at just the right moment, setting up the household where the cure will be completed.
Stay open to strangers you meet by chance — they may turn out to matter more than you expect.
तंव देखिलें श्रीगुरुसी । येऊनि लागला चरणांसी । नमन केलें भक्तीसीं । मनोवाक्कायकर्मे ॥२३॥
tamva dekhilem śrīgurusī | yeūni lāgalā caraṇāmsī | namana kelem bhaktīsīm | manovākkāyakarme ||23||
When he saw Sri Guru, he came and fell at his feet, bowing with devotion in mind, word, and deed.
His threefold bow — thought, speech, and action aligned — models complete, sincere reverence rather than a merely outward gesture.
When you show respect to someone, mean it with your whole self, not just with a polite word.
आश्वासोनि तये वेळीं । पुसती श्रीगुरू स्तोममौळी । कवण नाम कवण स्थळीं । वास म्हणती तयासी ॥२४॥
āśvāsoni taye veḷīm | pusatī śrīgurū stomamauḷī | kavaṇa nāma kavaṇa sthaḷīm | vāsa mhaṇatī tayāsī ||24||
Reassuring him at that moment, Sri Guru, worthy of praise, asked him: 'What is your name, and where do you dwell?'
The teacher takes personal interest in the stranger, asking his name and home before anything else — recognition precedes any request.
Learn someone's name and situation before asking anything of them.
ऐकोनि श्रीगुरुचें वचन । सांगतसे तो ब्राह्मण । गोत्र आपलें कौंडिण्य । आपस्तंब शाखेसीं ॥२५॥
aikoni śrīgurucem vacana | sāmgatase to brāhmaṇa | gotra āpalem kaumḍiṇya | āpastamba śākhesīm ||25||
Hearing Sri Guru's words, the Brahmin told him: 'My lineage is Kaundinya, of the Apastamba branch.'
He answers with his ritual identity — lineage and textual branch — the customary way of introducing oneself in that world.
Be ready to introduce yourself honestly and fully when someone in authority takes a genuine interest in you.
नाम मज 'सायंदेव' असे । वास-स्थळ आपलें 'कडगंची'स । आलों असे उदरपूर्तीस । सेवा करितों यवनाची ॥२६॥
nāma maja 'sāyamdeva' ase | vāsa-sthaḷa āpalem 'kaḍagamcī'sa | ālom ase udarapūrtīsa | sevā karitom yavanācī ||26||
'My name is Sayamdev; my home is Kadganchi; I have come here for my livelihood — I serve in the administration of a Yavana ruler.'
Sayamdev is introduced as an ordinary working man, employed under a foreign administration, far from being a renunciate — grace will meet him exactly as he is.
Don't think you must leave your ordinary job or circumstances to be worthy of a spiritual life — devotion can grow right where you stand.
अधिकारपणें या ग्रामीं । वसों संवत्सर ऐका स्वामी । धन्य धन्य झालों आम्ही । तुमचे दर्शनमात्रेसीं ॥२७॥
adhikārapaṇem yā grāmīm | vasom samvatsara aikā svāmī | dhanya dhanya jhālom āmhī | tumace darśanamātresīm ||27||
'As an official I have lived in this village for a year, listen, Master; I have become truly blessed just by the sight of you.'
He treats the chance encounter itself, apart from any request, as already a gift — gratitude precedes any favor asked.
Count an encounter with someone admirable as a blessing in itself, before you ask them for anything.
तूं तारक विश्वासी । दर्शन दिधलें आम्हांसी । कृतार्थ झालों भरंवसीं । जन्मांतरींचे दोष गेले ॥२८॥
tūm tāraka viśvāsī | darśana didhalem āmhāmsī | kṛtārtha jhālom bharamvasīm | janmāmtarīmce doṣa gele ||28||
'You are the savior of the world; you have granted us your sight. I have truly become fulfilled — the sins of my past births have surely departed.'
He echoes Madhavaranya's earlier praise almost word for word, showing how the same devotional language recurs naturally across different devotees.
Let genuine gratitude flow in your own words, even if others have said something similar before you.
तुझा अनुग्रह होय ज्यासी । तरेल या भवार्णवासी । अप्रयत्नें आम्हांसी । दर्शन दिधलें स्वामिया ॥२९॥
tujhā anugraha hoya jyāsī | tarela yā bhavārṇavāsī | aprayatnem āmhāmsī | darśana didhalem svāmiyā ||29||
'Whoever receives your grace shall cross this ocean of worldly existence; without effort on my part, Master, you have granted me your sight.'
He marvels that grace arrived unearned and unsought — bhavārṇava (the ocean of worldly existence) is crossed not by his striving but by unasked-for favor.
Receive unexpected kindness with humility rather than assuming you have somehow earned it.
श्र्लोक ॥ गंगा पापं शशी तापं दैन्यं कल्पतरुस्तथा । पापं तापं च दैन्यं च हरेच्छ्रीगुरुदर्शनम् ॥१३०॥
śrloka || gamgā pāpam śaśī tāpam dainyam kalpatarustathā | pāpam tāpam ca dainyam ca harecchrīgurudarśanam ||130||
[Verse:] The Ganga removes sin; the moon removes suffering; the wish-fulfilling tree removes poverty likewise — but the sight of Sri Guru removes sin, suffering, and poverty together.
A classical Sanskrit verse ranks the sight of the true teacher above even the greatest of holy remedies — Ganga, moon, and wish-tree each cure one affliction, the Guru cures all three at once.
Seek out the one relationship or practice in your life that addresses your deepest needs all at once, rather than chasing many partial fixes.
टीका ॥ गंगा देखितांचि पापें जाती । चंद्रदर्शनें ताप नासती । कल्पतरुची ऐसी गति । दैन्यवेगळा करी जाण ॥३१॥
ṭīkā || gamgā dekhitāmci pāpem jātī | camdradarśanem tāpa nāsatī | kalpatarucī aisī gati | dainyavegaḷā karī jāṇa ||31||
[Commentary:] At the mere sight of the Ganga, sins depart; by sight of the moon, one's suffering is destroyed; such is the way of the wish-fulfilling tree — it removes poverty, know this.
The commentary unpacks the verse's three comparisons one by one before contrasting them with the Guru's still greater power.
Appreciate each source of comfort in your life individually — recognizing its particular gift keeps you grateful and clear-eyed.
तैसे नव्हती तुमचे दर्शनगुण । पाप-ताप दैन्यहरण । देखिले आजि तुमचे चरण । चतुर्वर्गफल पावलों ॥३२॥
taise navhatī tumace darśanaguṇa | pāpa-tāpa dainyaharaṇa | dekhile āji tumace caraṇa | caturvargaphala pāvalom ||32||
'But the power of your sight is not merely like these — it removes sin, suffering, and poverty together; having seen your feet today, I have attained the fruit of all four aims of life.'
He claims that seeing the Guru grants dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa (righteousness, prosperity, desire fulfilled, and liberation) all at once — the full range of human aspiration met in a single moment.
Notice the moments that seem to satisfy several needs of your life at once, and give them your full attention.
ऐशी स्तुति करुनि । पुनरपि लागला श्रीगुरुचरणीं । जगद्गुरु अश्वासोनि । निरोप देती तया वेळीं ॥३३॥
aiśī stuti karuni | punarapi lāgalā śrīgurucaraṇīm | jagadguru aśvāsoni | niropa detī tayā veḷīm ||33||
Having offered such praise, he again fell at Sri Guru's feet; the world-teacher, reassuring him, gave him instruction at that moment.
Renewed prostration is met with renewed teaching — devotion and guidance keep answering each other.
After expressing gratitude, stay ready to listen — real relationships continue past the thank-you.
श्रीगुरू म्हणती तयासी । आमुचें वाक्य परियेसीं । जठरव्यथा ब्राह्मणासी । प्राणत्याग करीतसे ॥३४॥
śrīgurū mhaṇatī tayāsī | āmucem vākya pariyesīm | jaṭharavyathā brāhmaṇāsī | prāṇatyāga karītase ||34||
Sri Guru said to him: 'Listen well to my words — there is a Brahmin here with a stomach ailment, about to give up his life.'
Sri Guru turns Sayamdev's devotion directly into a task — praise is met not with more praise but with a concrete assignment to help another.
Turn someone's admiration for you into an opportunity to ask them to help someone else in need.
उपशमन याचे व्याधीसी । सांगों औषध तुम्हांसी । नेवोनि आपुले मंदिरासी । भोजन करवीं मिष्टान्न ॥३५॥
upaśamana yāce vyādhīsī | sāmgom auṣadha tumhāmsī | nevoni āpule mamdirāsī | bhojana karavīm miṣṭānna ||35||
'To relieve this man's illness I shall give you the remedy — take him to your own house and have him eat sweet, rich food.'
The prescribed medicine is, surprisingly, festive food itself — the same substance that seemed to cause harm becomes, by the teacher's word, the cure.
Be open to the idea that the very thing you've been avoiding, rightly guided, might become part of your healing.
अन्न जेवितां याची व्यथा । व्याधि न राहे सर्वथा । घेऊनि जावें आतां त्वरिता । क्षुधाक्रांत विप्र असे ॥३६॥
anna jevitām yācī vyathā | vyādhi na rāhe sarvathā | gheūni jāvem ātām tvaritā | kṣudhākrāmta vipra ase ||36||
'Once he eats, his pain will not remain at all; take him quickly now — this Brahmin is overcome with hunger.'
Sri Guru presses for immediate action, treating urgency itself as part of proper care for the sufferer.
When you've been told what someone needs, don't delay in providing it.
ऐकोनि श्रीगुरुचें वचन । विनवीतसे कर जोडून । प्राणत्याग करितां भोजन । या ब्राह्मणासी होतसे ॥३७॥
aikoni śrīgurucem vacana | vinavītase kara joḍūna | prāṇatyāga karitām bhojana | yā brāhmaṇāsī hotase ||37||
Hearing Sri Guru's words, Sayamdev, joining his palms, protested: 'But eating brings this Brahmin close to death!'
Even a devoted disciple can hesitate before an instruction that seems to contradict plain experience — honest doubt does not cancel devotion.
It's fine to voice honest concern to someone you trust, even while you remain ready to follow their guidance.
जेविला काल मासें एका । त्याणें प्राण जातो ऐका । अन्न देतां आम्हांसी देखा । ब्रह्महत्या त्वरित घडेल ॥३८॥
jevilā kāla māsem ekā | tyāṇem prāṇa jāto aikā | anna detām āmhāmsī dekhā | brahmahatyā tvarita ghaḍela ||38||
'He ate just yesterday after a month's fast, and even then he nearly died; if I feed him and he dies, I would at once commit the sin of killing a Brahmin.'
Sayamdev names his fear precisely — the dread of brahmahatyā (the sin of killing a Brahmin) — showing how seriously he takes both the command and the risk.
State your specific fear plainly when you're asked to do something risky, rather than simply refusing.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती सायंदेवासी । आम्ही औषधी देतों यासी । अपूपान्न-माषेसीं । क्षीरमिश्रित परमान्न ॥३९॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī sāyamdevāsī | āmhī auṣadhī detom yāsī | apūpānna-māṣesīm | kṣīramiśrita paramānna ||39||
Sri Guru said to Sayamdev: 'I myself am giving him the medicine — sweet cakes with lentil preparation, and rich milk pudding.'
Sri Guru takes personal responsibility for the prescription, naming the exact festive dishes that will serve as the cure.
When you ask someone to take a risk on your word, take responsibility for the outcome yourself.
अन्न जेवितां त्वरितेसीं । व्याधि जाईल परियेसीं । संशय न धरीं तूं मानसीं । त्वरित न्यावें गृहासी ॥१४०॥
anna jevitām tvaritesīm | vyādhi jāīla pariyesīm | samśaya na dharīm tūm mānasīm | tvarita nyāvem gṛhāsī ||140||
'As soon as he eats this food, his illness will vanish, listen well; hold no doubt in your mind — take him quickly to your house.'
The instruction is repeated with even firmer assurance, meeting Sayamdev's fear directly with renewed confidence.
When someone hesitates out of fear, repeat your reassurance patiently rather than growing impatient.
अंगीकारोनि तया वेळीं । माथा ठेवी चरणकमळीं । विनवीतसे करुणाबहाळी । यावें स्वामी भिक्षेसी ॥४१॥
amgīkāroni tayā veḷīm | māthā ṭhevī caraṇakamaḷīm | vinavītase karuṇābahāḷī | yāvem svāmī bhikṣesī ||41||
Accepting this at that moment, he placed his head at Sri Guru's lotus feet, and full of devotion entreated: 'Master, please come to my house for alms.'
Sayamdev's doubt yields to trust, and trust flowers into open-hearted hospitality — he now wants to host the whole party himself.
Once your doubts are addressed, commit fully and offer hospitality generously.
अंगीकारोनि श्रीगुरुनाथ । निरोप देती हो कां त्वरित । सिद्ध म्हणे ऐक मात । नामधारक शिष्योत्तमा ॥४२॥
amgīkāroni śrīgurunātha | niropa detī ho kām tvarita | siddha mhaṇe aika māta | nāmadhāraka śiṣyottamā ||42||
Sri Guru accepted and said, 'Let it be done quickly.' Siddha said: 'Listen to this account, O Namdharak, best of disciples.'
The narration briefly steps back to the frame story — Siddha addressing his disciple Namdharak — reminding the listener that this is a tale being retold.
When retelling a meaningful story to someone, pause to make sure they are really listening before continuing.
आम्ही होतों तये वेळीं । समवेत-शिष्य सकळीं । जठरव्यथेचा विप्र जवळी ; । श्रीगुरू गेले भिक्षेसी ॥४३॥
āmhī hotom taye veḷīm | samaveta-śiṣya sakaḷīm | jaṭharavyathecā vipra javaḷī ; | śrīgurū gele bhikṣesī ||43||
'We were there at that time, with all the disciples together, with the Brahmin who had the stomach ailment nearby, when Sri Guru went for the meal.'
Siddha speaks as an eyewitness, lending firsthand authority to the account that follows.
When you share something you witnessed yourself, say so plainly — firsthand testimony carries its own weight.
विचित्र झालें त्याचे घरीं । पूजा केली परोपरी । पतिव्रता त्याची नारी । 'जाखाई' म्हणिजे परियेसा ॥४४॥
vicitra jhālem tyāce gharīm | pūjā kelī paroparī | pativratā tyācī nārī | 'jākhāī' mhaṇije pariyesā ||44||
Wondrous things happened at his house; worship was offered in many ways; his devoted wife, named Jakhai, listen well, took part.
The household's welcome is described as extraordinary, and Sayamdev's wife Jakhai is named as an equal partner in the devotion that follows.
Include your spouse or household as full partners when you welcome someone important into your home.
पूजा करिती श्रीगुरुसी । षोडशोपचारें परियेसीं । तेणेंचि रीतीं आम्हांसी । शिष्यां सकळिकां वंदिलें ॥४५॥
pūjā karitī śrīgurusī | ṣoḍaśopacārem pariyesīm | teṇemci rītīm āmhāmsī | śiṣyām sakaḷikām vamdilem ||45||
They worshiped Sri Guru with the sixteen-fold ritual offerings, listen well; in the same manner they honored us, all the disciples.
Ṣoḍaśopacāra (the sixteen traditional offerings) marks the most complete form of formal worship — and it is extended not only to the teacher but to every disciple with him.
When you honor a leader or guest, extend the same courtesy to the people who accompany them.
श्रीगुरुपूजा-विधान । विचित्र केलें अतिगहन । मंडळ केलें रक्तवर्ण । एकेकासी पृथक्-पृथक् ॥४६॥
śrīgurupūjā-vidhāna | vicitra kelem atigahana | mamḍaḷa kelem raktavarṇa | ekekāsī pṛthak-pṛthak ||46||
The rite of worshiping Sri Guru was performed elaborately and with great depth; a red-colored ritual diagram was made, a separate one for each person.
The household spares no care in preparation — a distinct maṇḍala (ritual diagram) drawn individually for each guest shows attentiveness to every single person, not just the honored teacher.
When preparing to welcome guests, give thought to each individual, not just the most important one among them.
पद्म रचूनि अष्टदळी । नानापरीचे रंगमाळी । पंचवर्ण चित्रमाळी । रचिली तियें परियेसा ॥४७॥
padma racūni aṣṭadaḷī | nānāparīce ramgamāḷī | pamcavarṇa citramāḷī | racilī tiyem pariyesā ||47||
An eight-petaled lotus was drawn, with garlands of many colors; a five-colored decorative pattern was arranged there, listen well.
The vivid description of colors and design conveys the sheer beauty and craft poured into the welcome — devotion expressed through art.
Put real care and beauty into how you prepare to receive someone you respect, not just the bare minimum.
चित्रासन श्रीगुरुसी । तेणेंचिपरी सकळिकांसी । मंडळार्चनविधीसीं । करिती पुष्पगंधाक्षता ॥४८॥
citrāsana śrīgurusī | teṇemciparī sakaḷikāmsī | mamḍaḷārcanavidhīsīm | karitī puṣpagamdhākṣatā ||48||
A decorated seat was made for Sri Guru, and likewise for all the disciples; with the ritual of worshiping the mandala, they offered flowers, sandal paste, and rice grains.
Every element of hospitality — seating, ritual, offerings — is extended equally to the whole group, not reserved for the most senior guest alone.
Make sure everyone in a visiting group feels equally welcomed, not just its most prominent member.
संकल्पोनि विधीसीं । नमन केलें अष्टांगेसीं । माथा ठेवूनि चरणीं, न्यासी । पाद सर्वही अष्टांगीं ॥४९॥
samkalponi vidhīsīm | namana kelem aṣṭāmgesīm | māthā ṭhevūni caraṇīm, nyāsī | pāda sarvahī aṣṭāmgīm ||49||
Having made the ritual resolve, they bowed with all eight limbs touching the ground; placing their heads at his feet, they touched every limb reverently to the floor.
Sāṣṭāṅga namaskāra (full prostration with eight limbs touching ground) expresses total, unreserved reverence, holding nothing of the body back.
When you honor someone, let your whole posture — not just your words — show your respect.
षोडशोपचार विधीसीं । पंचामृतादि परियेसीं । रुद्रसूक्तमंत्रेसीं । चरण स्नापिले तये वेळीं ॥१५०॥
ṣoḍaśopacāra vidhīsīm | pamcāmṛtādi pariyesīm | rudrasūktamamtresīm | caraṇa snāpile taye veḷīm ||150||
By the rite of sixteen offerings, with the five nectars and the rest, listen well, they bathed Sri Guru's feet at that time while chanting the Rudra hymns.
Pañcāmṛta (the five sacred substances — milk, curd, ghee, honey, sugar) poured over the feet while sacred verses are chanted is among the most intimate acts of devotion in the tradition.
Bring the same level of care to small, intimate acts of service as you would to grand public gestures.
श्रीगुरुचरणीं अतिहर्षी । पूजा करीत षोडशी । तया विप्रा ज्ञान कैसी । चरणतीर्थ धरिता झाला ॥५१॥
śrīgurucaraṇīm atiharṣī | pūjā karīta ṣoḍaśī | tayā viprā jñāna kaisī | caraṇatīrtha dharitā jhālā ||51||
With great joy they worshiped Sri Guru's feet with the sixteen offerings; and that Brahmin, moved by whatever insight came to him, took hold of the sacred water that had washed his feet.
The ailing Brahmin, present at the feast, instinctively reaches for caraṇatīrtha (the water that touched the Guru's feet), trusting its power even before he understands why.
Trust the small, humble gestures of faith available to you, even when you can't fully explain their power.
तया चरणतीर्थासी । पूजा करीत भक्तीसीं । गीतवाद्यें आनंदेसीं । करी आरति नीरांजन ॥५२॥
tayā caraṇatīrthāsī | pūjā karīta bhaktīsīm | gītavādyem ānamdesīm | karī ārati nīrāmjana ||52||
He worshiped that foot-water with devotion; with song and music, joyfully, he performed the lamp-waving offering.
The sick Brahmin's own private act of devotion — worshiping the foot-water with music and lamp — shows his faith already stirring before the meal itself cures him.
Let your faith express itself actively — through song, ritual, or gesture — rather than staying only in your thoughts.
अनुक्रमें श्रीगुरुपूजा । करिता झाला विधिवोजा । पुनरपि षोडशोपचारें पूजा । करीतसे भक्तीनें ॥५३॥
anukramem śrīgurupūjā | karitā jhālā vidhivojā | punarapi ṣoḍaśopacārem pūjā | karītase bhaktīnem ||53||
In due order he performed the worship of Sri Guru according to proper ritual; once more he performed the sixteen-fold worship with devotion.
The repetition of the full ritual underscores how thoroughly and unhesitatingly the household commits to honoring their guest.
Don't rush through an act of gratitude — give it its full, unhurried measure.
अक्षय वाणें आरति । श्रीगुरुसी ओंवाळिती । मंत्रघोष अतिभक्तीं । पुष्पांजळी करिता झाला ॥५४॥
akṣaya vāṇem ārati | śrīgurusī omvāḷitī | mamtraghoṣa atibhaktīm | puṣpāmjaḷī karitā jhālā ||54||
With an ever-full vessel of light they waved the lamp before Sri Guru; chanting mantras with great devotion, he offered handfuls of flowers.
The imagery of an inexhaustible lamp suggests devotion that does not run dry — offering after offering continues without depletion.
Let your generosity toward those you respect keep flowing rather than stopping after a single gesture.
अनेकपरी गायन करी । नमन करी प्रीतिकरीं । पतिव्रता असे नारी । पूजा करिती उभयवर्ग ॥५५॥
anekaparī gāyana karī | namana karī prītikarīm | pativratā ase nārī | pūjā karitī ubhayavarga ||55||
He sang in many ways, and bowed with loving devotion; his devoted wife too joined; both husband and wife performed the worship together.
The worship becomes a shared act between husband and wife, showing that devotion is strongest when a household practices it together.
Share acts of gratitude and worship with your spouse or family rather than keeping them a solitary practice.
ऐसेपरी श्रीगुरुसी । पूजा केली परियेसीं । तेणेंचि विधीं शिष्यांसी । आम्हां समस्तांसी वंदिलें ॥५६॥
aiseparī śrīgurusī | pūjā kelī pariyesīm | teṇemci vidhīm śiṣyāmsī | āmhām samastāmsī vamdilem ||56||
In this way worship was offered to Sri Guru, listen well; and in the same manner they honored us, all the disciples.
The narrator again notes that the disciples, not only the Guru, received full honor — a mark of the household's completeness of welcome.
Extend your hospitality to everyone present, not only the one you most wish to impress.
संतोषोनि श्रीगुरुमूर्ति । वर देती अतिप्रीतीं । तुझी संतती होईल ख्याति । गुरुभक्ति वंशोवंशीं ॥५७॥
samtoṣoni śrīgurumūrti | vara detī atiprītīm | tujhī samtatī hoīla khyāti | gurubhakti vamśovamśīm ||57||
Sri Guru, well pleased, gave him a boon with great affection: 'Your descendants shall become renowned, devoted to the Guru generation after generation.'
The blessing promised is not wealth but enduring devotion passed down through the family line — the truest inheritance in this telling.
Aim to pass down faith and good character to your children as the most valuable thing you can leave them.
तूं जाणसी गुरुचा वास । अभिवृद्धि होय वंशोवंश । पुत्रपौत्रीं नांदाल हर्षी । गुरुभक्ति येणेंपरी ॥५८॥
tūm jāṇasī gurucā vāsa | abhivṛddhi hoya vamśovamśa | putrapautrīm nāmdāla harṣī | gurubhakti yeṇemparī ||58||
'You truly know where the Guru dwells; your lineage shall flourish generation after generation; you shall live happily with sons and grandsons, devoted to the Guru in this way.'
Recognizing the Guru's presence rightly is itself credited as the root of lasting prosperity and family harmony.
Build your household's future on a shared spiritual foundation, not on material gain alone.
ऐसें बोलोनि द्विजासी । आशीर्वचन देती अतिहर्षी । नमन करुनि श्रीगुरुसी । ठाय घातले तये वेळीं ॥५९॥
aisem boloni dvijāsī | āśīrvacana detī atiharṣī | namana karuni śrīgurusī | ṭhāya ghātale taye veḷīm ||59||
Having said this to the Brahmin, he gave his blessing with great joy; bowing to Sri Guru, they laid out seats for the meal at that moment.
Blessing given, the household turns at once to the practical work of hospitality — seating the guests for the meal that will complete the cure.
After a moment of deep meaning, don't neglect the practical follow-through it calls for.
नानापरीचें पक्क्वान्न । अपूपादि माषान्न । अष्टविध परमान्न । शर्करासहित निवेदिलें ॥१६०॥
nānāparīcem pakkvānna | apūpādi māṣānna | aṣṭavidha paramānna | śarkarāsahita nivedilem ||160||
Sweets of many kinds were offered — cakes and lentil preparations, eight kinds of rich pudding, along with sugar.
The lavish festival menu, listed dish by dish, is the very medicine Sri Guru prescribed — abundance itself becomes the remedy.
When caring for someone recovering, offer them generosity and comfort, not just the bare minimum.
शाक पाक नानापरी वाढताति सविस्तारीं । भोजन करिती प्रीतिकरीं । श्रीगुरुमूर्ति परियेसा ॥६१॥
śāka pāka nānāparī vāḍhatāti savistārīm | bhojana karitī prītikarīm | śrīgurumūrti pariyesā ||61||
Vegetables and dishes of many kinds were served in abundance; Sri Guru ate the meal with loving pleasure, listen well.
Sri Guru's own evident enjoyment of the meal blesses the household's effort and puts everyone, especially the anxious patient, at ease.
Show visible appreciation for the hospitality offered to you — it reassures and encourages your host.
जठरव्यथेच्या ब्राह्मणें । भोजन केलें परिपूर्ण । व्याधि गेली तत्क्षण । श्रीगुरूचे कृपादृष्टीनें ॥६२॥
jaṭharavyathecyā brāhmaṇem | bhojana kelem paripūrṇa | vyādhi gelī tatkṣaṇa | śrīgurūce kṛpādṛṣṭīnem ||62||
The Brahmin with the stomach ailment ate a full meal; his disease vanished at that very instant, by Sri Guru's gracious glance.
The cure arrives instantly and completely at the moment of eating, attributed not to the food's ordinary properties but to the Guru's kṛpādṛṣṭi (gracious glance).
Trust that healing, when it comes through grace or genuine care, can be swifter and more complete than you expect.
परीस लागतां लोहासी । सुवर्ण होय परियेसीं । दर्शन होतां श्रीगुरुसी । व्याधि कैंची सांग मज ॥६३॥
parīsa lāgatām lohāsī | suvarṇa hoya pariyesīm | darśana hotām śrīgurusī | vyādhi kaimcī sāmga maja ||63||
'When the touchstone touches iron, it becomes gold, listen well — when one has the sight of Sri Guru, how can any disease remain? Tell me.'
The classic alchemical image of the parīsa (philosopher's stone) transmuting base metal to gold illustrates how contact with true grace transforms suffering entirely, not just partially.
Seek contact with people and practices that genuinely transform you, not merely ones that offer temporary relief.
उदय जाहलिया दिनकरासी । संहार होतो अंधकारासी । श्रीगुरुकृपा होय ज्यासी । दैन्य कैंचें तया घरीं ॥६४॥
udaya jāhaliyā dinakarāsī | samhāra hoto amdhakārāsī | śrīgurukṛpā hoya jyāsī | dainya kaimcem tayā gharīm ||64||
'When the sun rises, darkness is destroyed; whoever has Sri Guru's grace, how can poverty remain in that house?'
Sunrise dispelling darkness becomes a metaphor for how grace, once present, leaves no room for lack of any kind to persist.
Let one clear source of light or guidance in your life dispel your worries, rather than fighting each worry separately.
ऐसेपरी श्रीगुरुनाथें । भोजन केलें शिष्यासहित । आनंद झाला तेथें बहुत । विस्मय करिती सकळै जन ॥६५॥
aiseparī śrīgurunāthem | bhojana kelem śiṣyāsahita | ānamda jhālā tethem bahuta | vismaya karitī sakaḷai jana ||65||
In this way Sri Guru, with his disciples, ate the meal; there was great joy there, and all the people were filled with wonder.
The whole village shares in the household's astonishment, turning a private healing into a community's shared witness of grace.
Let good news and healing you witness become something you share with your wider community, not keep to yourself.
अभिनव करिती सकळ जन । द्विजासी वैरी होतें अन्न । औषध झालें तेंचि अन्न । व्याधि गेली म्हणताति ॥६६॥
abhinava karitī sakaḷa jana | dvijāsī vairī hotem anna | auṣadha jhālem temci anna | vyādhi gelī mhaṇatāti ||66||
All the people marveled, saying: 'Food itself was this Brahmin's enemy, yet that same food became his medicine — his disease is gone!'
The crowd names the irony explicitly — the very thing that seemed to threaten his life became, through grace, the means of his cure.
Stay open to the possibility that the source of your struggle might, rightly approached, also become the source of your healing.
सिद्ध म्हणे नामधारकास । श्रीगुरुकृपा होय ज्यास । जन्मांतरींचे जाती दोष । व्याधि कैंची त्याचे देहीं ॥६७॥
siddha mhaṇe nāmadhārakāsa | śrīgurukṛpā hoya jyāsa | janmāmtarīmce jātī doṣa | vyādhi kaimcī tyāce dehīm ||67||
Siddha said to Namdharak: 'Whoever receives Sri Guru's grace, the sins of past births depart from him — how then can disease remain in his body?'
The narrator draws the moral explicitly: grace is understood to dissolve the deep causes of suffering, not merely its surface symptoms.
When seeking to heal something in your life, look for its root cause, not only its visible symptom.
गंगाधराचा नंदन । सरस्वती सांगें विस्तारोन । गुरुचरित्र कामधेनु । ऐका श्रोते एकचित्तें ॥६८॥
gamgādharācā namdana | sarasvatī sāmgem vistārona | gurucaritra kāmadhenu | aikā śrote ekacittem ||68||
Sarasvati, son of Gangadhar, tells this in full; the Guru's life-story is like the wish-fulfilling cow — listen, O hearers, with one-pointed mind.
The poet names himself and invites focused listening, comparing the whole Guru-charitra to kāmadhenu (the wish-fulfilling cow) that grants every good thing to those who approach it rightly.
Give your full, undivided attention when receiving wisdom that matters to you.
जे ऐकती भक्तीनें । व्याधि नसती त्यांचे भुवना । अखिल सौख्य पावती जाणा । सत्यं सत्यं पुनः सत्यं ॥६९॥
je aikatī bhaktīnem | vyādhi nasatī tyāmce bhuvanā | akhila saukhya pāvatī jāṇā | satyam satyam punaḥ satyam ||69||
'Those who hear this with devotion — disease shall not touch their homes; they shall attain complete happiness, know this — truly, truly, again truly.'
The chapter closes with a threefold affirmation (satyaṁ satyaṁ punaḥ satyaṁ, 'truly, truly, again truly') promising that devoted listening to this story itself carries a protective and healing power.
Make listening to and retelling stories of faith and healing a regular part of your life, not just a one-time event.
इति श्रीगुरुचरित्रामृते परमकथाकल्पतरौ श्रीनृसिंहसरस्वत्युपाख्याने सिद्ध-नामधारकसंवादे करंजनगराभिगमनं तथा विप्रोदरव्यथानिरसनं नाम त्रयोदशोऽध्यायः ॥१३॥
iti śrīgurucaritrāmṛte paramakathākalpatarau śrīnṛsimhasarasvatyupākhyāne siddha-nāmadhārakasamvāde karamjanagarābhigamanam tathā viprodaravyathānirasanam nāma trayodaśo'dhyāyaḥ ||13||
Thus ends the thirteenth chapter, named 'The Journey to Karanjanagar and the Relief of the Brahmin's Stomach Pain,' in the nectar-like Guru-charitra, the supreme wish-fulfilling tree of stories, told in the dialogue between Siddha and Namdharak recounting the tale of Sri Nrisimha Sarasvati.
The formal colophon marks the chapter's close, naming both its two major episodes — the homecoming journey and the Brahmin's healing — and situating them within the larger frame-dialogue of the whole text.
When you complete a meaningful chapter of effort, take a moment to name and honor what was actually accomplished.
श्रीगुरुदत्तात्रेयार्पणमस्तु ॥ श्रीगुरुदेव दत्त ॥
śrīgurudattātreyārpaṇamastu || śrīgurudeva datta ||
May this be offered to Sri Guru Dattatreya. Sri Gurudev Datta.
The closing dedication returns all credit for the chapter's telling — and the healing it describes — to the divine teacher himself, Dattātreya.
Offer credit for your good work back to its true source, rather than claiming it entirely as your own.
( ओंवीसंख्या १६९ ) ॥ ॐ ॥
( omvīsamkhyā 169 ) || oṁ ||
(Verse count: 169) Om.
The scribal note recording the chapter's verse count, closed with the sacred syllable Om, marks the formal, careful end of the manuscript copying.
Finish your own work carefully and completely, down to the smallest closing details.