Panchindiya Guru Sutra (Jain Guru Vandana)
A short Prakrit hymn of homage to the guru and upadhyaya, praising restraint of the senses, care for living beings and devotion to the ten-fold dharma.
Verses
I bow to the guru, the preceptor, who is restrained in the five senses, who is declared to be the knower of the five, and who protects the six kinds of life-forms.
Verse 1
I bow to the guru, the preceptor, who keeps the five samitis, is guarded by the three guptis, is steadfast in knowledge, faith and conduct, and is devoted to restraint and austerity.
Verse 2
I bow to the guru, the preceptor, who is endowed with the five kinds of conduct, who protects the five types of abodes, and who is devoted to the dharma characterized by the ten virtues.
Verse 3
Worship Guidelines & Chanting Benefits (Phalashruti)
Daily or auspicious lunar days (Ekadashi, Purnima, Pradosham)
Brahma Muhurta (4:00 AM – 6:00 AM) or Evening Dusk (Sandhya)
Ghee lamp (Deepa), Incense (Dhoopa), Fresh flowers & Water offering
- Peace of mind, spiritual upliftment, and harmonious energy in the home
Background
This is a short Prakrit hymn of three verses in the Jain tradition, in homage to the guru who also serves as upadhyaya, the teacher who instructs monks and nuns in the scriptures. Each verse ends with the same refrain, vandami guru uvajjhayam, I bow to the guru, the preceptor. Verses 1 to 3 name what the guru is honoured for: restraint of the five senses, protection of the six kinds of living beings, keeping the five samitis and three guptis, steadiness in knowledge, faith and conduct, restraint and austerity, and delight in the dharma of ten virtues. The wording of this page differs from the Panchindiya Sutra commonly recited at guru-sthapana, which begins panchindiya samvarano, and the page's wording has not been matched to a published edition. It is offered for reverent reading as a guru vandana.
Did You Know?
One refrain
All three verses close with vandami guru uvajjhayam. The refrain turns each list of qualities into an act of homage, and the hymn is easy to learn by heart.
Restraint of the five senses
The first line of verse 1 describes the guru as restrained in the five senses, which are sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. In Jain teaching, restraint here means non-attachment and not blocking the senses.
Six kinds of living beings
Verse 1 speaks of protecting the six kayas. In Jain teaching these are beings with bodies of earth, water, fire and air, plants, and mobile beings. Protecting them is the heart of ahimsa.
Samitis and guptis
Verse 2 names the five samitis, which are careful ways of walking, speaking, seeking alms, handling things and disposing of waste, and three guptis, the restraints of mind, speech and body. The verse also joins steadiness in knowledge, faith and conduct to restraint and austerity.
The ten-fold dharma
Verse 3 ends with delight in the dasa-lakkhana dhamma, the dharma of ten virtues. In the usual list they are forbearance, humility, straightforwardness, purity, truth, restraint, austerity, renunciation, non-possession and celibacy.
Mahavira
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