Ode to Guru the liberator
**Ode to the Guru, the Liberator** O venerable Guru, radiant beacon of the night, In tangled realms where modes obscure the light, You, the liberator, break the chains that bind, And lead the soul to truths it’s long resigned. In the maze of senses and the body’s snare, Where passions weave their intricate affair, You cast away the veils of ignorance so dense, Unveiling wisdom’s pure and sacred essence. With Krishna’s ancient words, you gently guide, “Tribhir gunamayair bhavair ebhih sarvam idam jagat, mohitam nabhijanati mam ebhyah param avyayam” (7.13)— Through modes of nature, the world is veiled, But in your light, the hidden truth unveiled. Adi Shankara’s voice, in reverence we hear, “गुरुं विनाऽध्यात्मविद्या न सिद्ध्यति” — Without your grace, the self remains unclear, Yet with your touch, the soul finds freedom near. You are the key to Navadha Bhakti’s path, The ninefold devotion that stills the heart’s wrath. In the dance of senses and temporal chase