Śrī Śrī Gurv-aṣṭaka - Eight Prayers to the Guru by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
This song is sung during the maṅgala-ārātrika in all ISKCON centers. The 9th verse is not sung. (1) saḿsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka- trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam Synonyms saṁsāra — (of) material existence; dāvā-anala — (by) the forest fire; līḍha — afflicted; loka — the people; trāṇāya — to deliver; kāruṇya — of mercy; ghanāghanatvam — the quality of a cloud; prāptasya — who has obtained; kalyāṇa — auspicious; guṇa — (of) qualities; arṇavasya — who is an ocean; vande — I offer obeisances; guroḥ — of my spiritual master; śrī — auspicious; caraṇa-aravindam — unto the lotus feet. Translation The spiritual master is receiving benediction from the ocean of mercy. Just as a cloud pours water on a forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual master delivers the materially afflicted world by extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a...