After a fulfilling week at work, my favorite thing to do on Sunday mornings is to recite
Shri Guru Gita.
Today I had a wonderful time. Just as I was reciting the last verse, the sun rose over the mountains and lit up my room. I closed my eyes, and it was as bright inside me as it was outside. I felt Gurumayi’s presence as strongly as if she were in my room. I am so happy and grateful to have had this experience by reciting
Shri Guru Gita.
Konolfingen, Switzerland
Two of the main benefits I receive from my daily Shri Guru Gita recitations are purification and guidance. For me the daily recitation is akin to taking a bath—afterwards I feel refreshed, clean, more presentable to others, alive. Second, a verse or even just one word of the English translation almost always jumps out at me, suggesting a shift in how I should spend my time that day.
My brother always reminds me to recite it, even though he is not a Siddha Yogi. He often tracks how many times I have recited it consecutively. The other day he said, “Imagine where you would be if you hadn’t done that.”
It is true—these daily, small adjustments have completely changed the trajectory of my life to one of happiness, abundance, and the ability to contribute to others.
Washington, United States
I have been in love with Shri Guru Gita throughout my forty years of walking the Siddha Yoga path. For over a year now, the Sadhana Circle that I participate in has been studying Shri Guru Gita by exploring and expressing verses through creative art. This has deepened my experience of this sacred text. The level of our art ability doesn’t matter; we always inspire each other.
New York, United States
Shri Guru Gita recitation has been a daily practice of mine for many years. For me it is an exquisite offering of love and gratitude to our beloved Gurus, who have given everything to me. I also experience it as
darshan, a sweet and sacred opportunity to be in their presence and bathe in their love.
California, United States
I love reciting
Shri Guru Gita. I used to only offer
Shri Guru Gita recitations when I had a specific intention. Now I recite
Shri Guru Gita because I love every single verse and because it is my way of expressing my gratitude to Gurumayi, Baba, and Bade Baba for this blessed text.
Mexico City, Mexico
Reciting
Shri Guru Gita on the 53rd Anniversary of the day that the recitation of this sacred text first became a part of the Ashram Daily Schedule took me back to the first time I recited it thirty-six years ago. From that very first time until now, I have always loved
Shri Guru Gita. I immediately considered it to be, as Baba said, “the one indispensable text” for my spiritual path. Reciting the “Song of the Guru” today made me experience anew Baba’s love for Siddha Yoga devotees all over the world.
San Giorgio a Cremano, Italy
I love chanting
Shri Guru Gita! There are so many layers to it. The past few days have been turbulent and challenging for me, and chanting
Shri Guru Gita leads me to a place of complete serenity where I can see the mind for what it is and not identify with it. It is such a blessing to have this in my life.
Central Lakes, New Zealand
Years ago, I attended a Siddha Yoga course in which we studied
Shri Guru Gita. As I contemplated the text, I felt the pure expression of love between Shiva and Parvati, the everlasting Lord and his radiant energy.
Since then, I have treasured this delicious feeling in my heart. For this, I regularly recite
Shri Guru Gita and assimilate the knowledge revealed in the text. This knowledge widens my awareness of the Self.
Over the years, I have been happy to participate in the perpetual dance of Shiva and Parvati while seeing it manifest itself in countless forms, and I settle deep into my heart.
Rodez, France
Reciting
Shri Guru Gita always affects my life by suffusing it with grace and ease within and without. For me, it is like the difference between running a motor with or without oil.
The most significant verse for me is verse 125, which teaches: “Whether you attain it or you do not attain it, whether it is great or small, it should always be enjoyed without desire and with a contented mind.” A devotee marked this verse for me in the very first month I went to the local Siddha Yoga meditation center in 1989. It has held meaning for me ever since. It has helped me to change my mind: to let go of overthinking and to replace it with gratitude and contentment. It has allowed me to release ego-conjured fantasies and to love the life I live as it is now.
California, United States
Soon after my introduction to the Siddha Yoga path, I had the good fortune to visit Shree Muktananda Ashram. I arrived at the Ashram late in the evening and was informed that
Shri Guru Gita would be chanted in just a few hours. Even though I didn’t think I would attend, as I imagined I would be asleep, I found myself fully awake thirty minutes before the recitation.
Even though I did not yet know what
Shri Guru Gita was, I decided to go. Shortly after I arrived for the recitation, Gurumayi came in and took her seat just a few feet away from me.
I will always remember the experience of reciting this sacred text with the Guru. I felt as if time stood still. Nothing else seemed to matter as much as it had before, and I experienced a complete change in my demeanor. I now chant
Shri Guru Gita almost every morning with the recording on the Siddha Yoga path website. For me, it’s the only way to start the day.
Birmingham, United Kingdom
I was so moved when I read in this exposition that “Lord Shiva praises the greatness of this hymn by referring to it as mantraraja, literally ‘king of mantras,’ a supreme mantra.”
Having regularly recited Shri Guru Gita over many years, I have experienced this greatness in the form of the sound, the rhythm, the wording, its strength, its purifying elements, and the tremendous love of my Guru. This feeling of its greatness overflows into the meditation that follows my recitations as, in complete silence, I experience my oneness with the supreme Self—my very own Self.
Nairobi, Kenya
So many sweet memories came flooding back as I read Swami Shantananda’s exposition. I remember how, over thirty-four years ago, I struggled with the text, with holding a chanting book, with trying to keep awake while seated on the floor at a time when it was still dark outside! And although it
was a struggle, I kept at it—because something inside felt so right, like a lake of still water: “Why not dive in?”
And I do dive in regularly—and that something inside still feels just right.
Hampton Hill, United Kingdom
I feel that
Shri Guru Gita is the most valuable gift I have ever received. When I recite this sacred text, I feel immediately connected with my beloved Guru. I am in the right place.
After my recitation, it seems that I can accomplish even difficult and unpleasant tasks with love and ease. I find that my decisions are coming from a deeper level of understanding and that I am more serene.
I am also grateful for the opportunity to dedicate
Shri Guru Gita to someone as a way to offer help and support to them.
Even after reciting
Shri Guru Gita for almost thirty years, the text continues to reveal new insights to me—and much love each time I recite it. It’s such a wonder!
Duisburg, Germany
This inspiring introduction to
Shri Guru Gita reminded me of the myriad recitations that I have performed over the years. I think of how, so often, a recitation has given me a new perspective on my life and my purpose.
I am so grateful that we have such a powerful, enlightening practice available at any time. Reciting
Shri Guru Gita feels to me to be the most beneficial, healing action I can take to uplift this world.
New York, United States
Some of my deepest experiences have occurred through the recitation of this most sacred text. I am so grateful for the ways this practice has the power to instill devotion to Shri Guru in my being and open me to perceive the world through the Guru’s light.
New Jersey, United States
In 1997 I made a commitment to recite
Shri Guru Gita every Sunday at the local Siddha Yoga meditation center, and I have been doing so ever since, with rare exception. It is my touchstone. My life is very rich with the Guru’s presence and grace.
New Mexico, United States
I have been eagerly waiting for the celebration of the auspicious day on which Baba Muktananda gave us this amazing gift.
I have been reciting Shri Guru Gita every day for several years, and I have received innumerable blessings from this practice: love, nurturance, protection, strength, prosperity, and faith in my Guru and the Siddha Yoga path.
I pray that I may have the good fortune to recite
Shri Guru Gita every day of my life. To me,
Shri Guru Gita is a world in itself. I love
Shri Guru Gita with all my heart.
Madrid, Spain
When I first recited
Shri Guru Gita sixteen years ago, it felt familiar to me, as if I had recited it many times before. The syllables were somehow deeply ingrained in my being.
Over time I have come to understand that I was singing the praises of my Sadguru’s infinite grace, love, and glory, and that I was also singing to my own Self within. As I have continued to practice the recitation of
Shri Guru Gita, I have experienced that Shri Guru and my own Self are one.
For me,
Shri Guru Gita is the ocean of the Guru's love and grace—a place of refuge and celebration. It gives me access to the place within that I had been searching for my entire life.
New Jersey, United States
Reciting
Shri Guru Gita has been my foundational practice since 1975. I recite the full text every morning. Although I almost always sing aloud, if time is short or if we have guests whose sleep I don’t want to disturb, I sing silently to myself. I sit in a relaxed, upright posture, holding my book comfortably, and focus on the text and the translation as I breathe in rhythm with the verses.
As I do this, bliss arises from deep within, filling my body and making my heart sing with joy. After the recitation, I sit for a few minutes and quietly luxuriate in the ecstasy that
Shri Guru Gita invariably evokes.
Shri Guru Gita is the heart of my day.
Missouri, United States
I am grateful for these beautiful words about
Shri Guru Gita. They evoked memories going back thirty years—including the golden glow in my heart as I recited
Shri Guru Gita with Gurumayi and Siddha Yogis in early morning halls throughout the United States and in Gurudev Siddha Peeth.
I relish my memory of watching the sun come up in Shree Muktananda Ashram and hearing the birds’ chorus as we reached the close of the recitation.
North Carolina, United States
What beautiful gifts I have received from Gurumayi through the recitation of
Shri Guru Gita! For over thirty-five years, I have been reciting
Shri Guru Gita, and I now realize how this has strengthened my devotion to Shri Guru and also helped me in my
sadhana and day-to-day life.
As a daily practice, after reciting
Shri Guru Gita, I focus on one verse and reflect and write about its meaning. Then, I relate it to my life and practice it throughout the day. In this way, I am able to go deeper in the understanding of
Shri Guru Gita. Surprisingly, over the years, my understanding of every verse has deepened and new layers of meaning have arisen.
The recitation of
Shri Guru Gita has nurtured me, protected me, and helped me stay connected with Gurumayi at all times and in all situations.
Lucknow, India
To me, reciting
Shri Guru Gita is like being with a living teacher, reflecting my inner state, helping me explore answers to my questions, centering me, and providing soothing relief in times of difficulty.
What a blessing the recitation of
Shri Guru Gita is!
Florida, United States
Recently I was remembering that the very first time I recited
Shri Guru Gita was when I met Gurumayi in Mexico City in 1993. We all went on a pilgrimage with Gurumayi to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The priest who welcomed us was so happy to see Gurumayi! We all sat in the church and recited
Shri Guru Gita.
Although
Shri Guru Gita was quite new to me, I recognized its beauty and power—and also understood that it could take years of practice to be able to recite it all comfortably. Now it’s more than two decades later, and my recitations of
Shri Guru Gita help me to clearly see a “before” and “after” in my spiritual growth.
Now, whenever I recite
Shri Guru Gita, I remember all those blessed moments and I’m filled with gratitude for the Siddha Yoga path and the guidance and protection of our Guru.
New York, United States
Reciting
Shri Guru Gita is pure delight for my heart and strong medicine for my mind. Today after reciting it, I sat for meditation. Even after my timer rang, I remained in meditation! As I sat quietly, the eyes of Lord Ganesh appeared, and then I saw Bade Baba and then Baba within. This experience filled me with love and gratitude.
Missouri, United States
As I read Swami ji’s exposition on the greatness and benefits of this sacred text, I was reminded of my own experience. After I met Gurumayi twenty years ago, I began the practice of daily recitation of
Shri Guru Gita. I loved it from the start and felt great waves of love and connection with both Gurumayi and Baba Muktananda. The feeling of bliss grew daily. After six months of this daily practice, I was blessed by a feeling of Baba’s presence that stayed with me for years and really cemented my connection with the Guru and helped me to establish my
sadhana.
London, United Kingdom
I have been practicing the recitation of
Shri Guru Gita for sixteen years, and it has become my favorite part of my life. If one day I don’t recite it or at least listen to it, I find my state is at a different level, in which I am more easily bothered by my emotions and unnecessary thoughts. Each time after I recite it in the morning, my inner state is uplifted and purified. I am rejuvenated. I feel I have much creative energy, and I am refreshed to face the new day with a peaceful state.
China
I have recited
Shri Guru Gita every morning since September of 1975. It is the central practice of my
sadhana. I began reciting
Shri Guru Gita for the purpose of becoming wealthy. That didn’t happen. Instead, I have come to live a life filled with the grace of the Guru, in big and small, obvious and subtle ways. I cannot express my gratitude for the divine power and joy that pervade every moment of my life. Every time I recite
Shri Guru Gita, I learn fresh lessons about my relationship to the divine grace of the Guru. Eternal bliss wells up and fills me with joy. My heart overflows with gratitude every day.
Missouri, United States
Since 1989, I have regularly recited
Shri Guru Gita. The pocket edition of
Shri Guru Gita is always with me in my purse. I often play the recording of it in my car. It reminds me that God is ever-present.
At one point in my life, I realized that I no longer felt the need to tell others my worries and seek their consolation. I was no longer so fearful and angry. What had happened? Why was this so? The repeated recitation of
Shri Guru Gita was the answer that came to my mind.
New York, United States
I recite
Shri Guru Gita every morning in order to remember that all is transient besides the Self, to lose myself in the grace of the Guru within and without, and to offer supreme devotion to my beloved Sadguru, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda.
This morning once again, tears of joy, love, and gratitude streamed down my face as I experienced an abundance of love and grace from the Guru overflowing from my heart. Gurumayi has given everything to me.
I am renewed and reborn in Gurumayi’s love and grace every time I recite
Shri Guru Gita.
New Jersey, United States
I feel that every time I recite the verses of
Shri Guru Gita, I am connecting to the Guru.
Shri Guru Gita is truly a blessing that shows the Guru’s love for the disciple. I feel very grateful for it and for all the benefits it bestows.
Madrid, Spain
Shri Guru Gita has provided me protection many times over the years when I’ve needed it most. I recited
Shri Guru Gita every day when a loved one was going through a serious illness and facing death. I felt that I was enveloped by grace. It was an amazing feeling that everything is perfect and that I was being cared for by God. Even though I was about to lose my closest friend, I felt that I was not alone. I felt protected by the Guru's love.
I am grateful that Gurumayi, Baba, and Bade Baba showed me how their loving presence is with me at all times.
Hawaii, United States
Swami Shantananda’s exposition speaks to me of love—the profound love with which Baba and Gurumayi take care of their disciples by creating a daily practice of reciting
Shri Guru Gita and continually honing our practice through refinements. What else other than love could motivate the Guru to put so much time and attention and focus on helping us attain all that
Shri Guru Gita has to offer? When I recite
Shri Guru Gita, I experience that love.
Ohio, United States
I fell in serious love with Shri Guru Gita at the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Oakland in the mid-1990s. There was a seven-hour saptah of the chant, which I never want to forget. I had just begun my sadhana, and attempting to recite the text felt intimidating and lengthy (to say the least). I just couldn't sit still. By the end (with pauses, of course) I was resting in complete serenity and couldn't wait to chant it again. What's really great is I still feel that way now, only more so! Shri Guru Gita is extremely powerful.
New York, USA
Initially, when I started reciting Shri Guru Gita, I did so very occasionally. I found it hard to make enough time in my day. However, I loved this practice so much that I kept praying to be shown how I could fit the repetition of this holy scripture into my daily practices.
Then one day, about ten years ago, I was inspired to read Shri Guru Gita silently to myself each morning. This has become a regular practice. It takes me about twenty minutes. I don't always get to the very end, but hardly a day goes by that I don't read at least some verses. On the days when life is too busy for even a few verses, I remind myself that even one letter, one verse of Shri Guru Gita is a holy mantra. Over the years, this daily reading has become a most precious time, where I sit with my beloved Shri Guru.
California, USA
On the first day of my first visit to Gurudev Siddha Peeth, I was initiated into the Siddha Yoga path through the recitation of Shri Guru Gita. It was the greatest experience of my life. I felt that my Master had waited for me and at that moment took me under her protection. Since then, the recitation of Shri Guru Gita has been my principal practice to know my Self.
Cuttack, India
Starting my day with reading this letter about the sacred text, Shri Guru Gita, warms my soul and leads me into a deep reflection on the grace that this path, this Guru, and this text have brought me over the past 21 years.
As I read these words from Swami Shantananda, I immediately felt aligned with the whole Siddha Yoga sangham across the globe. I am profoundly grateful for our sweet efforts in the practices—such as swadhyaya—for the great benefit of our own selves, as well as the upliftment of all humanity.
Also, as I read the letter, I had flashes of the many places I have recited this sacred text—in various Siddha Yoga Ashrams and centers, on Siddha Yoga teaching tours, in the many homes I have lived in or visited, and also in nature, on beaches or under a tree.
Thank you, Gurumayi, for this grand and enormously valuable opportunity to dive even deeper into this most precious gift.
California, USA
Recently, my wife and I took a week's vacation and we chanted Shri Guru Gita every morning outdoors, surrounded by beautiful woods. This daily practice made each day a golden day, whether it ended up being sunny or raining, warm or cold. Beginning each day by chanting Shri Guru Gita was enough to create the peace and harmony that we sought by taking time off from work; the rest of the day felt like an added bonus.
Paris, France