Guru Pūrṇimā

mama śrī gurūpadiṣṭaṁ bhagavat kīrtana smaraṇa caraṇa paricaraṇādikam etad eva mama sādhanam etad eva mama sādhyam etad eva mama jīvātuḥ sādhana sādhya daśayoś tyaktum aśakyam etad eva me kāmyam etad eva me kāryam etad anyam na me kāryam nāpyābhilaśanīyaṁ svapne'pityatra sukham astu duḥkam vāstu saṁsāro naśyatu vā nā naśyatu tatra mama kāpi na kṣatiḥ

"The devotional practise of glorifying the Lord, remembering Him and serving His lotus-feet, as it has been instructed to me by my Guru is my goal and my life. It is impossible for me to give this up under any circumstance. This is what I desire and this is my duty. I have no other duty than this and I don't desire anything else, even in dreams! It may make me happy, it may make me unhappy, it may liberate me from material existence or it may not - that makes no difference to me at all"

(Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartī’s comment on Bhagavad Gītā 2.41)

śarīraṁ surūpaṁ sadā roga-muktam 

yaśaścāru citraṁ dhanaṁ meru tulyam 

guror aṅghri-padme manaścen na lagnam

tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ

"One's body may be beautiful and always healthy, one's fame may be wonderful and bright, and one's wealth may be like a mount of gold. But if the mind is not fixed on the lotus-feet of the Guru, then what of it, what of it, what of it, what of it?"

ṣaḍ aṅgādi vedo mukhe śāstra-vidyā

kavitvañca gadyaṁ supadyaṁ karoti 

guror aṅghri-padme manaścen na lagnam 

tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ tataḥ kiṁ

"One may master the Vedas with its six philosophical theses, one may have memorised all the sacred scriptures and one may be able to compose the most exquisite poetic or prose verses. But if the mind is not fixed on the lotus-feet of the Guru, then what of it, what of it, what of it, what of it?" 

(Śaṅkarācārya’s Gurvaṣṭakam)

parānanda guro bhavat pade

padaṁ mano me bhagaval labheta

tadā nirastākhila sādhana śramaḥ

śrayeya saukhyaṁ bhavataḥ kṛpātaḥ

“O most blissful Guru! When my mind attains a place at your lotus-feet, all the tiresome labor of my spiritual practises (sādhana) will be finished, and by your Grace I will experience supreme happiness!”
(Śrīdhara Swāmī)

vijita hṛśīka vāyubhir adānta manas turagam 

ya iha yatanti yantum ati lolam upāya khidaḥ 

vyasana śatānvitāḥ samavahāya guroścaraṇam 

vanija ivāja santyakṛta karṇadharā jaladau

“The mind is like an reckless horse that even persons who have conquered their senses and breath cannot control. Those in this world who try to subdue the uncontrolled mind, but who abandon the feet of the Guru, encounter hundreds of obstacles in their cultivation of various adverse practices. O birthless Lord! They are like merchants on a boat in the ocean who have failed to appoint a captain.”
(Śrīmad Bhāgavata 10.87.33)