Verse 31

Brahmavidya

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

गुरुरेव हरिः साक्षान्नान्य इत्यब्रवीच्छ्रुतिः ॥३१॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

गुरुः एव हरिः साक्षात् न अन्यः इति अब्रवीत् श्रुतिः ।

IAST Transliteration

gurur eva hariḥ sākṣān nānya ity abravīc chrutiḥ ||31||

Translation

ശ്രുതി പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു: ഗുരുവേ സാക്ഷാൽ ഹരി (വിഷ്ണു) ആകുന്നു; അവനല്ലാതെ മറ്റൊന്നുമില്ല.

Academic Translation

The Śruti has declared: “The guru alone is Hari (Viṣṇu) directly; there is no other.”

Verse Context

• Guru-tattva; Brahmavidyā transmitted through śruti and ācārya
• Mahavakya: Indirect support: the guru is the indispensable means for grasping mahāvākyas such as “tat tvam asi” and “ahaṃ brahmāsmi.”
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)