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## Meaning of Guru Vandana Sutra
**Yoga Shastra, Third Light, Verse 129**
I desire, O Shramans of Forgiveness! To offer you my obeisance with a strong body, free from the five great sins. Please permit me to enter your presence, O Shramans! Oh, what a great joy it is to be forgiven! I am truly fortunate to be in the presence of the pure and virtuous! Is the day auspicious? Is it a day of victory? I seek forgiveness, O Shramans of Forgiveness! I prostrate myself before the divine beings, the protectors of the Dharma, the thirty-two principles of conduct. For any wrong thoughts, words, or actions, for any anger, pride, deceit, or greed, for any transgression of the Dharma, for any offense I may have committed against the protectors of the Dharma, I seek forgiveness, O Shramans of Forgiveness! I condemn myself, I reproach myself, I purify myself.
**Sutra - Explanation:**
Here, with the desire to perform the twelve-fold obeisance, the disciple, after performing a light obeisance in the form of seeking forgiveness, cleanses the ground and sits down. Then, as mentioned earlier, he performs the purification of the mouth with twenty-five syllables and the purification of the body with twenty-five syllables. After that, with utmost humility, having purified himself in mind, speech, and body, he stands outside the three and a half hand-span area of the Guru's seat (which is the ground area equivalent to his own body), and bowing slightly from the waist upwards, like a bow, he takes the Oghā (a type of garland) and the Muhpaṭṭī (a type of cloth) in his hand and says:
"I desire" - meaning, I want to. I do not offer this obeisance under any pressure or coercion, but out of my own free will.
"Khmaasamano" - O Shramans of Forgiveness! Here, the suffix "ā" is added to the feminine form of the root "Ksham" (to forgive), forming the word "Kshamā" (forgiveness). Its meaning is to bear, to endure. And the suffix "an" is added to the root "Shram" (to toil) in the sense of the doer, forming the word "Shraman" (one who toils). Its meaning is one who, being indifferent to worldly matters, practices austerities, or one who strives in the pursuit of knowledge, vision, and character, or in self-realization. In the Prakrit language, it becomes "Khmaasamano" in the form of an address. By accepting forgiveness, one also accepts the qualities of gentleness, honesty, etc. Its meaning is - Shraman endowed with the primary qualities of forgiveness, etc. = Shramans of Forgiveness. Here it is indicated that - being endowed with such qualities of forgiveness, etc., they are truly worthy of obeisance; now what is the desire?
"Vandiun" - meaning, to offer you obeisance. How?
"Javanijjaae Nisihiaae" - Here, "Nisihiaae" is the noun and "Javanijjaae" is the adjective. "Nisihiaae" means in which there is no violence, etc., such "Javanijjaae" = with a strong body. The meaning of this entire sentence is - O Shramans of Forgiveness! endowed with the qualities of forgiveness, etc.! I desire to offer you obeisance with a strong body, free from violence, etc.
Here, one should pause for a moment. At the time of this obeisance, if the Guru is engaged in some other work or if there is some obstacle, then the Guru Maharaj may say that it should be done later, or that it should be left for now. If there is a reason to say so, then he should say it, and if there is no reason to say so, then he should not say it either. This is the opinion of the Churnikara. The commentator's opinion is that at such a time, it is forbidden to offer obeisance with mind, speech, and body, therefore the disciple should offer a brief obeisance. And if the Guru is not engaged in any other work and gives permission to offer obeisance and says - "Chhanden = Abhipraayen = If you wish, offer me obeisance. I have no objection; offer obeisance with joy." Then, to offer obeisance, he should stand three and a half hand-spans away and say - "Anujaanah Me Miuggham" - Please grant me permission to enter your presence. Here, the three and a half hand-spans of land in all four directions, equivalent to his own body, is the Guru Maharaj's "Avgraha" (area of presence), and he cannot enter it without his permission. It is also said - the area equivalent to the Guru's body in all four directions is the Guru's "Avgraha", and it is never permissible to enter it without the Guru's permission. After that, the Guru Maharaj says - "Anujaanami" - meaning, "I grant you permission to enter", then the disciple cleanses the ground, says "Nisihi" and enters the "Avgraha". When going to the Guru Maharaj, the meaning of "Nisihi" is - I renounce all evil deeds. Later, after cleansing the ground, he sits down and places the Oghā on the ground near the Guru Maharaj's feet, and imagining the Guru's feet to be placed in the middle of the Oghā's flowers, he takes the Muhpaṭṭī in his right hand, and with his right hand, he cleanses his forehead from his right ear to his left ear and his right knee three times, and places the Muhpaṭṭī on his left knee. Then, as soon as he utters the sound "A", he touches the Rajoharan (a type of cloth), and utters the sound "Ho", at that time he touches his forehead. Then, while uttering the letter "Ka", he touches the Oghā's flowers with his hand in the same way, and while saying "Ya", he touches the middle of his forehead for the second time. Then, while saying "Ka" again, he touches the Oghā and "Ya"