Shree Guru Gita
Background Information
Shree Guru Gita, part of the sacred text Skanda Purana, contains mystical teachings on the Guru-disciple relationship. It describes the Divine Essence of the Guru and of the disciple and how the two establish a relationship that speeds the disciple through the process of Self-Realization.
Although the Skanda Purana no longer exists in its entirety, there are over 300 verses in the portion entitled Shree Guru Gita. Before the internet, obscure texts had to be ferreted out by yogis and researchers, who then translated them. In 1971, someone brought Shree Guru Gita to Swami Muktananda. Baba weeded out over half of the verses and added introductory mantras. His result was 182 verses, which took about 35 minutes to chant. The introductory and closing chants turned it into a full 90-minute practice during sunrise. Gurudevi Nirmalananda is one of the thousands that have come to love the chant Swami Muktananda crafted for many good reasons.
For Gurudevi, chanting Shree Guru Gita is like sitting at her Guru’s feet. Muktananda described chanting the Guru Gita as being “bathed in the Essence called Guru.” The Sanskrit word Guru means the grace-bestowing power or the flow of grace itself. There is a mystery hidden in chanting the ancient texts. Instead of just studying them, by singing them aloud, you have the experience of what the text really says.
When Gurudevi opened our Ashram and began chanting the Shree Guru Gita, she returned to the traditional melody that Baba had established. However, she noticed that people had trouble with the long words, so she added a few notes to the tune. Although based on the traditional melody, these notes make the melody unique to Svaroopa® Vidya Ashram. The new arrangement helps you chant as well as helps the group stay together.
When Baba first introduced the chant to ashramites in 1971, he said that every teaching is in this text. Gurudevi has studied other texts and says that it is true. That is why she created the pronunicaion lessons and the verse commentaries, as well as recorded the CD, "Honored Guru Gita." Chanting the Shree Guru Gita ensures that you are bathed in the flow of grace that is the focus of Svaroopa® Vidya Ashram’s practices.
updated 8/9/2021