Guru Paduka Stotram: Salutation to the Sacred Sandals of the Guru
Guru Paduka Stotram - Sanskrit Text
॥ श्री गुरु पादुका स्तोत्रम् ॥
अनन्तसंसारसमुद्रतार नौकायिताभ्यां गुरुभक्तिदाभ्याम् ।
वैराग्यसाम्राज्यदपूजनाभ्यां नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् ॥१॥
कवित्ववाराशिनिशाकराभ्यां दौर्भाग्यदावाम्बुदमालिकाभ्याम् ।
दूरीकृतानम्रविपत्ततिभ्यां नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् ॥२॥
नता ययोः श्रीपतितां समीयुः कदाचिदप्याशु दरिद्रवर्याः ।
मूकाश्च वाचस्पतितां हि ताभ्यां नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् ॥३॥
नालीकनीकाशपदाहृताभ्यां नानाविमोहादिनिवारिकाभ्याम् ।
नमज्जनाभीष्टततिप्रदाभ्यां नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् ॥४॥
नृपालिमौलिव्रजरत्नकान्ति सरिद्विराजत्झषकन्यकाभ्याम् ।
नृपत्वदाभ्यां नतलोकपङ्क्तेः नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् ॥५॥
पापान्धकारार्कपरम्पराभ्यां तापत्रयाहीन्द्रखगेश्वराभ्याम् ।
जाड्याब्धिसंशोषणवाडवाभ्यां नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् ॥६॥
शमादिषट्कप्रदवैभवाभ्यां समाधिदानव्रतदीक्षिताभ्याम् ।
रमाधवाङ्घ्रिस्थिरभक्तिदाभ्यां नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् ॥७॥
स्वार्चापराणामखिलेष्टदाभ्यां स्वाहासहायाक्षधुरन्धराभ्याम् ।
स्वान्ताच्छभावप्रदपूजनाभ्यां नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् ॥८॥
कामादिसर्पव्रजगारुडाभ्यां विवेकवैराग्यनिधिप्रदाभ्याम् ।
बोधप्रदाभ्यां द्रुतमोक्षदाभ्यां नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् ॥९॥
॥ इति श्रीगुरुपादुकास्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ॥
Transliteration (Roman/IAST)
anantasaṃsāra-samudra-tāra naukāyitābhyāṃ guru-bhakti-dābhyām |
vairāgya-sāmrājyada-pūjanābhyāṃ namo namaḥ śrī-guru-pādukābhyām ||1||
kavitva-vārāśi-niśākarābhyāṃ daurbhāgya-dāvāmbuda-mālikābhyām |
dūrīkṛtānamra-vipat-tatibhyāṃ namo namaḥ śrī-guru-pādukābhyām ||2||
kāmādi-sarpa-vraja-gāruḍābhyāṃ viveka-vairāgya-nidhi-pradābhyām |
bodha-pradābhyāṃ druta-mokṣa-dābhyāṃ namo namaḥ śrī-guru-pādukābhyām ||9||
Meaning
The Guru Paduka Stotram is a hymn of salutation to the sandals (paduka) of the Guru - and through them, to the Guru himself. Each verse ends with the refrain "namo namah shri-guru-padukabhyam" - "again and again I bow to the holy sandals of the Guru." The verses praise the paduka as a boat that ferries one across the endless ocean of samsara; as the moon that swells the ocean of poetic genius and the cloud-band that quells misfortune; as that which makes the bowing poor become wealthy as Vishnu's beloved and the dumb become masters of speech. They are the sun that dispels the darkness of sin, the eagle that devours the serpents of desire, the bestower of discrimination (viveka), dispassion (vairagya), knowledge (bodha) and swift liberation (moksha).
About this Stotra
The Shri Guru Paduka Stotram is one of the best-loved hymns of the Guru tradition, traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya. In Indian spiritual culture the Guru's sandals (paduka) are revered as a symbol of the Guru's presence and grace - to bow to the paduka is to bow to the Guru and to the lineage of teachers. The hymn's nine verses are a sustained meditation on the transforming power of the Guru's grace, and it is especially recited on Guru Purnima and in daily guru-vandana.
Significance & Spiritual Benefits
This stotra cultivates the central devotional attitude of the spiritual path: surrender to the Guru. Reciting it daily is said to deepen guru-bhakti, dispel inner darkness and confusion, awaken discrimination and dispassion, and draw the Guru's grace that ferries the seeker across samsara. The verses promise upliftment of every kind - eloquence to the silent, fortune to the poor, knowledge to the ignorant - all flowing from devotion to the Guru's feet. It anchors the disciple in humility and gratitude, the soil in which spiritual progress grows.
Astrological Relevance
The Guru in this hymn is the spiritual master, but the word "Guru" is also the Sanskrit name of Jupiter - the great benefic graha of wisdom, dharma, teachers and liberation. Reciting the Guru Paduka Stotram is therefore a fitting devotional remedy (upaya) for strengthening Jupiter (Brihaspati) in the horoscope: it nourishes the very significations Jupiter rules - knowledge, guidance, dispassion, blessing and grace. Those experiencing a weak, afflicted or combust Jupiter, or running a challenging Guru dasha, may chant it on Thursdays to honour Brihaspati and invoke the protective wisdom of the Guru.
How to Chant (Vidhi)
Bathe and sit before an image of your Guru, of the paduka, or of the ishta-devata. Light a lamp and incense, and offer flowers at the Guru's feet or paduka. Recite the nine verses with devotion and a feeling of surrender, ideally daily. On Guru Purnima the hymn is offered with special reverence, often accompanied by paduka-puja. Conclude by bowing in gratitude and offering the merit at the Guru's feet.
Best Day & Time
Thursday (Guru-vara), the day of Jupiter, is most auspicious, and Guru Purnima is the supreme occasion for this hymn. The early morning hours are ideal for guru-vandana. It may also be recited before study, meditation or any spiritual undertaking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the Guru's sandals (paduka) worshipped?
The paduka symbolise the Guru's presence and grace. In the Guru tradition, bowing to the sandals expresses humility and surrender to the Guru and the entire lineage of teachers, which is considered essential for spiritual progress.
Who composed the Guru Paduka Stotram?
It is traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, the great 8th-century teacher of Advaita Vedanta, and is among the most cherished hymns of guru-devotion.
When is it best recited?
On Guru Purnima, on Thursdays (the day of Jupiter), and as part of daily guru-vandana, especially before study or meditation.
The sandals of the Guru as a living spiritual technology
Attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, the Guru Paduka Stotram approaches the Guru not through biography or doctrine but through one of the most intimate and charged symbols in the Indian spiritual tradition: the sandals. The paduka are more than footwear; they are understood as the very contact point between the Guru's enlightened consciousness and the earth, charged with the grace that flows downward from realised being into the world. Each verse of this stotram bows to these sandals as the true vehicle of liberation, the boat that carries the disciple across the turbulent ocean of samsara. This imagery of the boat and the crossing appears repeatedly in Advaita teaching, and Shankaracharya's choice to locate that transformative power in so humble an object is itself a teaching on surrender and the radical accessibility of grace.
In the Jyotish tradition, Guru (Jupiter) is the planet of wisdom, dharma, and the relationship between teacher and student; this stotra naturally resonates with Guru's significations, and Thursdays are considered the ideal day for its recitation. Devotees chant it at the feet of their Guru, before a photograph or padukas at a shrine, or during Guru Purnima - the annual celebration of the teacher-student lineage. It is traditionally believed that sincere recitation with a surrendered heart opens the inner ear of the disciple to guidance that transcends words.