Recently, I came across the Gurvastakam written by Adi Sankaracarya. Each stanza of that ends with
gurorańghripadme ḿanaścenna lagnaḿ
tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ
If one’s mind is not absorbed in the lotus feet of the spiritual master, then what is the use?

I was memorizing a few verses which describe how one may be very expert in the knowledge of sastra, one may be expert in poetry, one may have a beautiful wife, a beautiful home, one may be famous, one may have wealth like Mount Meru, one may be topmost in charity, one may be praised for having conquered vast pieces of land, but inspite of all this, if one’s mind is not centered at the lotus feet of guru, it is worthless. It is a very nice description, and urges us to go beyond ‘I’ and ‘mind’ and focus completely on the guru. That is the essence of the gurvastakam of Adi Sankaracarya.

I then began thinking about the Gurvastakam that has been written by Srila Vishwanatha Chakravarti Thakura. It enlists in detail the qualities, the activities, the consciousness of the spiritual master, and urges oneself to be humbled at the lotus feet of such a spiritual master.

Negating our contributions is definitely important, but if we don’t have anything positive to hold on to, how long can we be absorbed thinking of the lotus feet of guru? Our mind will naturally want to hook on somewhere.

Therefore, Shrila Prabhupada would say that jnanis, mayavadis, they fall from their imagined superior position and come back to the material platform to open schools, hospitals, etc. Where did their brahman realization go?

The fact is – there was never such a realization – because of offending the lotus feet of the Lord – anadrta yusmad anghrayah! And who is situated at the lotus feet of the Lord? The devotees, the bonafide guru is situated there. Mayavadis don’t pay heed to the words of a true spiritual master, rather they follow someone who is himself on a material plane. How can that person take them above?

Vishwanatha Chakravarti Thakura has given this prayers of such high spiritual significance, and such deep meaning that just by reciting them, contemplating on the qualities of spiritual master, one gets transported to the abode of spiritual master. Moreover, Narottama Dasa thakura has given us the guru puja wherein he describes how we should take the instructions of spiritual master in our life, what is the effect of following those instructions, and how we should beg to our spiritual master.

Indirectly, through Gurvastakam also we can understand how impersonal philosophy focuses on negating, and how Vaishnava philosophy focuses both on keeping Krishna in the center and removing ourselves out of the center.

Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura mentions in the song ‘prabhu tava pada yuge’ what all he doesn’t want. Although he talks about what he doesn’t want, he also talks about his real wants. He says,
ei mātra āśā mama tomār caraṇe
ahoitukī bhakti hṛde jāge anukṣane
In whatever birth I take, wherever my karma leads me, let me sing the glories of Your Holy Name birth after birth.

viṣaye je prīti ebe āchaye āmār
sei-mata prīti hauk caraṇe tomār
This alone is my cherished hope, my aspiration, my prayer at your lotus feet: Let causeless and uninterrupted devotion awaken within my heart and flow towards You.