This document contains two Sanskrit prayers. The first prayer honors the goddess Sharada and describes her as enlightening, holding a veena (musical instrument) and book, sitting on a lotus, and granting wisdom. The second prayer honors the cosmic principle of the guru, saying the guru embodies the qualities of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara and represents the three gunas (qualities) of sattva, rajas, and tamas. It explains the gunas represent clear conscience, ego, and ignorance, and that a loving guru takes students beyond the three gunas through granting knowledge and removing ignorance.

1. PRAYERS
OF
WISDOM
DR.
SHRINIWAS
KASHALIKAR

2. Sanskrut Prayer No.1
Shulkaam brahmavichaarasaaraparamam
aadyam jagadvyaapineem
Veenapustakadhaarineem abhayadaam
jadyandhakaarapahaam
Haste sphaatikamalikaam vidadhateem
padmaasanesansthitaam
Vande taam parameshvareem bhagavateem
buddhipradaam shaaradaam
Which means
Oh enlightening Shaarada goddess, who is
fair complexioned & means full of
SATVAGUNA [conscientiousness], the
essence of the knowledge of self
realization, the source of energies
encompassing the whole universe, holding
the VEENA and book, destroyer of

3. darkness of ignorance and thereby making
us fearless, holding the rosary of
SPHATIK beads, sitting on lotus I
prostrate in front of you and offer my
salutations to you.
Sanskrut Prayer No. 2
GURURBRAHMAA GURURVISHNU
GURURDEVO MAHESHVARAA
GURUH SAKSHAAT PARABRAHMA
TASMAI SHRI GURUVE NAMAH
GURU is a cosmic principle BRAHMAN
or the origin of the universe which
embodies all the qualities of the three
deities BRAHMA, VISHNU and
MAHESH representing three GUNAS viz.
SATVA, RAJA and TAMA.

4. SATVA is nothing else but crystal clear
conscience governed perceptions, feelings
and actions.
RAJA is ego driven perceptions, feelings
and actions
and
TAMA means ignorance driven
perceptions, feelings and actions.
GURU principle manifests through either
human body, scriptures, through dreams
and even through various manifestations in
the nature! The guru principle is said to
embody three deities or three gunas
because a loving guru takes us beyond the
three gunas viz. SATVA, RAJA and
TAMA
because guru takes us from the ignorance
to knowledge.