THE COMPLETE HYMN
A hundred verses.
A place to return.
IAST and Telugu · Vignanam, with meanings and study connections for every śloka.
100 verses
Choose a verse. Stay as long as you like.
An offering to Shiva and Uma
kalābhyāṃ cūḍālaṅkṛtaśaśikalābhyāṃ nijatapaḥ-
The poet bows to Shiva and Uma together: crowned with the crescent moon, fruits of austerity, bestowers of blessings and a source of auspiciousness for the three worlds. Their presence is experienced anew in the heart as joy.
A wave of joy in the heart
galantī śambho tvaccaritasaritaḥ kilbiṣarajo
May the wave of joy in Shiva flourish within my heart. Flowing from the river of his story, it washes away wrongdoing, enters the channels of understanding and relieves the distress of worldly wandering.
Holding Shiva in the heart
trayīvedyaṃ hṛdyaṃ tripuraharamādyaṃ trinayanaṃ
I worship Shiva in my heart: the primordial, three-eyed Lord, known through the Vedas, bearing matted locks, serpents and a deer. I turn toward the compassionate Lord of beings, the support of consciousness, together with Uma.
Seeking lasting devotion
sahasraṃ vartante jagati vibudhāḥ kṣudraphaladā
Countless divine beings in the world bestow limited rewards. I do not seek their pursuit or its fruits, even in a dream. What is difficult even for Hari, Brahma and others close to you to obtain. I ask continually, O Shambhu, for devotion to your lotus feet.
A humble request for care
smṛtau śāstre vaidye śakunakavitāgānaphaṇitau
In sacred learning, medicine, omens, poetry, song and expression. In the Puranas, mantra, praise, performance and humor, I claim no expertise. How could kings be pleased with me? What am I, O Lord of beings? Care for me, your creature, through your renowned compassion, O all-knowing Lord.
Beyond argument alone
ghaṭo vā mṛtpiṇḍo’pyaṇurapi ca dhūmogniracalaḥ
A pot, a lump of clay, an atom, smoke, fire or a mountain. A cloth or its threads: can such subjects remove the terror of death? Why strain your throat in the haste of argument? Worship Shambhu's lotus feet, wise one, and approach the highest happiness.
Gathering the faculties
manaste pādābje nivasatu vacaḥ stotraphaṇitau
Let my mind dwell at your lotus feet and my speech in words of praise. Let my hands worship and my hearing listen to your story. Let understanding meditate on you and my eyes behold your form. Beyond this, O Supreme Shiva, what need do I know of other texts or views?
Recognizing mistaken appearances
yathā buddhiḥ śuktau rajatamiti kācāśmani maṇi-
As the mind mistakes a shell for silver or a piece of glass for a gem. As flour mixed with water appears to be milk, or a mirage to be water. So a confused person worships something other than you under a mistaken notion of divinity. Failing to hold you, the great Lord, in mind, O Paśupati.
The flower already within
gabhīre kāsāre viśati vijane ghoravipine
A person enters deep waters and a lonely, frightening forest. And wanders over a great mountain in search of flowers. Yet does not know to offer the single lotus of the heart to you, Lord of Uma. And rest in that offering with ease: how astonishing!
Beyond the form of birth
naratvaṃ devatvaṃ nagavanamṛgatvaṃ maśakatā
Let birth be human, divine, a creature of mountain or forest, or a mosquito. An animal, insect, bird, or some other embodied condition. If the heart is always absorbed in the wave of highest joy from remembering your lotus feet. What decisive difference does that bodily form make here?
The heart beyond social roles
vaṭurvā gehī vā yatirapi jaṭī vā taditaro
A student, a householder, an ascetic, one with matted hair, or another kind of person. Whatever a person's outward condition, what follows from that alone, O Bhava? If that person's heart-lotus is placed under your care, O Lord of beings. You belong to that person, O Shambhu, and carry the burden of worldly existence.
Where yoga takes place
guhāyāṃ gehe vā bahirapi vane vādriśikhare
Let someone live in a cave, a house, outdoors, a forest or a mountain summit. In water or fire: what fruit does the dwelling place alone confer? If the inner faculty always rests at your feet, O Shambhu. That is yoga; that person is a true yogin and is happy.
An appeal for refuge
asāre saṃsāre nijabhajanadūre jaḍadhiyā
In an unstable worldly existence, with dull understanding and far from worship. I wander as though blind; it is fitting that your highest compassion protect me. Who is more helpless than I, and who more skilled than you in protecting the distressed? Who else in the three worlds could be my refuge, O Lord of beings?
The bond of compassion
prabhustvaṃ dīnānāṃ khalu paramabandhuḥ paśupate
You are the Lord and the closest friend of those in distress, O Paśupati. I count myself foremost among them: how close, then, is our relationship! You yourself must forgive all my offenses, O Shiva. And take care to protect me: this is the way of kinship.
A bold question about destiny
upekṣā no cetkiṃ na harasi bhavaddhyānavimukhāṃ
If you are not indifferent, why not remove the writing of destiny that turns me from meditation on you? That writing is crowded with fruitless hopes; if you say you lack the power. Was the creator's head really beyond your reach, O Lord of beings? How, then, was it effortlessly severed by the tip of your fingernail?
The saving glance
viriñcirdīrghāyurbhavatu bhavatā tatparaśira-
Let the creator live long; protect his other four heads. He has indeed written distress into my earthly life. Why need I worry? Your clear compassion protects me, O Shiva. The activity of your glance is itself devoted to rescuing the distressed.
A glimpse through the crowd
phalādvā puṇyānāṃ mayi karuṇayā vā tvayi vibho
Whether through the fruit of merit or your compassion, you may be pleased with me. Even then, Lord, how shall I see your stainless lotus feet? The eager crowd bowing before you obstructs my view. Rows of celestial beings hide it with their gold-and-ruby crowns.
A small hope before great generosity
tvameko lokānāṃ paramaphalado divyapadavīṃ
You alone grant the highest fruit to the worlds. Even Hari and others, whose exalted stations arise from you, return to worship you. How great is your generosity, Shiva, and how small my hope! When will your compassion-filled glance undertake my protection?
At the wrong doorway
durāśābhūyiṣṭhe duradhipagṛhadvāraghaṭake
At the doors of unworthy patrons, filled with fruitless hopes. Within a seemingly endless worldly life that shelters wrongdoing and breeds distress. Why do you not remove my weariness? Whom else should I address for help? If your favor is present, O Shiva, we are indeed fulfilled.
The restless monkey of the mind
sadā mohāṭavyāṃ carati yuvatīnāṃ kucagirau
The mind wanders in the forest of delusion and leaps upon the mountains of sensual attraction. It dances on the branches of desire and darts freely in every direction. O skull-bearing mendicant, this monkey of my heart is exceedingly restless. Bind it firmly with devotion, Shiva, and bring it under your care.
A dwelling prepared in the heart
dhṛtistambhādhārāṃ dṛḍhaguṇanibaddhāṃ sagamanāṃ
Supported by pillars of resolve, firmly tied with good qualities, and fit for movement. Beautiful, adorned with lotuses, and brought along the good path each day. Enter this clear tent of my heart, O destroyer of desire. Dwell gloriously with Shakti and your attendants, O Lord.
The thief in the heart
pralobhādyairarthāharaṇaparatantro dhanigṛhe
Driven by temptations and the urge to take wealth, the mind approaches a rich person's house. Ready to enter, it wanders in many ways, O Lord of thieves. How can I bear this thief of a mind, O Shankara? Take it under your authority and show compassion to me.
Wanting you rather than a station
karomi tvatpūjāṃ sapadi sukhado me bhava vibho
I worship you; grant me happiness at once, O Lord. If you offer the station of Brahma or Vishnu as its reward. I would again become bird or beast, searching heaven and earth to see you. Unable to find you, how could I endure that sorrow, O Shankara?
An age passing like a moment
kadā vā kailāse kanakamaṇisaudhe saha gaṇai-
When shall I dwell on Kailasa, in a palace of gold and jewels, among your attendants? Standing before Shambhu with joined hands raised firmly above my head. Calling: Lord, with Uma, Supreme Shiva, protect me! And pass the creators' vast ages in happiness as though they were a moment?
Longing to behold the form
stavairbrahmādīnāṃ jayajayavacobhirniyamināṃ
Amid the praises of Brahma and others and the victory cries of disciplined sages. Amid the attendants' play, upon the great bull's high shoulder. Blue-throated, three-eyed, your form embraced by Uma. When shall I see you, holding the deer and axe?
Joy in drawing near
kadā vā tvāṃ dṛṣṭvā giriśa tava bhavyāṅghriyugalaṃ
When shall I see you, Lord of the mountain, and take your auspicious feet. With both hands, placing them upon my head, eyes and chest. Embracing them and breathing their clear lotus fragrance. And experience in my heart a joy difficult even for Brahma and others to attain?
The one gift I can offer
karasthe hemādrau giriśa nikaṭasthe dhanapatau
The golden mountain is in your hand, and the lord of wealth is near you. In your home are the heavenly tree, wish-giving cow and precious jewel. The cool moon rests upon your head and every blessing at your feet. What possession could I give? Let my mind be offered for your sake.
Four ways of drawing close
sārūpyaṃ tava pūjane śiva mahādeveti saṅkīrtane
In worship and in calling out Shiva's names, likeness to you is experienced. In company and conversation with devoted people, nearness is experienced. In meditation on your form as the moving and unmoving world, dwelling in your realm is experienced. Here itself union with you becomes accomplished: Lord, I am fulfilled.
Teach the heart to rest
tvatpādāmbujamarcayāmi paramaṃ tvāṃ cintayāmyanvahaṃ
I worship your lotus feet and contemplate you, the highest, each day. I come to you for refuge and address my request to you alone. Grant the compassionate glance long sought by celestial beings. O Shambhu, teacher of the world, instruct my mind in happiness.
The scale of service
vasroddhūtavidhau sahasrakaratā puṣpārcane viṣṇutā
For preparing the cloth, a thousand-handed power; for offering flowers, the capacity of Vishnu. For fragrance, the nature of the wind; for cooking, mastery of fire. And for vessels, the power associated with the golden creator: if these were mine, O moon-crested Lord. Then I would undertake your service, O Lord of beings and teacher of the three worlds.
Compassion held in the throat
nālaṃ vā paramopakārakamidaṃ tvekaṃ paśūnāṃ pate
Is this one deed not enough as the highest help, O Lord of beings? To protect the moving and unmoving beings within your body and those outside. You took the terrifying, fiercely burning poison from which the immortals fled. Holding it in your throat, neither swallowing it nor releasing it.
Wonder at the blue throat
jvālograḥ sakalāmarātibhayadaḥ kṣvelaḥ kathaṃ vā tvayā
How did you behold the fiercely burning poison that terrified the immortals? Did you hold it as though it were a ripe jambu fruit in your palm? Was it a potent medicinal pill upon your tongue, or something held in your throat? Is it a blue jewel adorning you? Tell me, great-hearted Shambhu.
The sufficiency of one remembrance
nālaṃ vā sakṛdeva deva bhavataḥ sevā natirvā nutiḥ
Is not even one act of service, bowing or praise enough for people such as us? One worship, remembrance, hearing of your story, or sight of you? What is gained by exhausting ourselves in pursuit of impermanent divine rewards? If liberation is found here, what further thing needs to be requested?
Fearlessness amid dissolution
kiṃ brūmastava sāhasaṃ paśupate kasyāsti śambho bhava-
What can we say of your daring, O Lord of beings? Who has courage like yours? How could another attain such steadiness in oneself? As divine hosts fall, sages tremble and the manifested world dissolves. You alone move without fear, filled with dense joy.
The one who already knows
yogakṣemadhurandharasya sakalaśreyaḥpradodyogino
You bear the care of preservation and well-being and work for every good. You teach what concerns the seen and unseen and pervade within and without. All-knowing and compassionate, what must I make known to you? Shambhu, I remember each day that you are my most intimate companion.
The inward consecration
bhakto bhaktiguṇāvṛte mudamṛtāpūrṇe prasanne manaḥ-
In the clear vessel of the mind, bound with devotion and filled with the nectar of joy. I place the fresh shoots of your feet and the fruit of awareness, O Shiva with Uma. Uttering the purifying mantra and cleansing the house of my body. I proclaim an auspicious day and bring forth a beautiful consecration.
Churning the ocean of learning
āmnāyāmbudhimādareṇa sumanaḥsaṅghāḥ samudyanmano-
Good-hearted seekers respectfully approach the ocean of sacred revelation. They churn it with the mind as the churning staff and firm devotion as the rope. They bring forth Soma, the wish-giving tree, celestial cow and jewel. And the nectar of lasting joy and an unbroken wealth of blessedness.
The moon rising in the heart
prākpuṇyācalamārgadarśitasudhāmūrtiḥ prasannaḥ śivaḥ
Shown by the mountain-path of earlier merit, Shiva appears as a serene nectar-bearing form. Soma, attended by the good, bearing the deer, full and dispelling darkness. When he becomes visible in the lotus of the mind, the ocean of joy. Swells mightily, and the flowering of good hearts follows.
When the heart has a ruler
dharmo me caturaṅghrikaḥ sucaritaḥ pāpaṃ vināśaṃ gataṃ
Righteousness stands firmly on four feet and wrongdoing moves toward destruction. Desire, anger and pride loosen their hold, and time reveals happiness. The great medicinal plant of knowledge and joy bears fruit. When the Lord of freedom, moon-crowned, always dwells in the lotus-city of my mind.
Irrigating the field of devotion
dhīyantreṇa vacoghaṭena kavitākulyopakulyākramai-
With understanding as the lifting device and speech as the water vessel. Through the channels of poetry, the nectar-ocean of Sadashiva's deeds is brought in. The rice plants of devotion in the field of the heart become fruitful. Why should your servant fear famine, O Lord of the universe?
The faculties ask for service
pāpotpātavimocanāya ruciraiśvaryāya mṛtyuñjaya
For release from wrongdoing and for a beautiful fullness of life, O conqueror of death. In praise, meditation, bowing, circumambulation, service, seeing and hearing. My tongue, mind, head, feet, hands, eyes and ears ask me for these tasks. Command me and appoint me again and again; do not turn me away.
The fortress of the mind
gāmbhīryaṃ parikhāpadaṃ ghanadhṛtiḥ prākāra udyadguṇa-
Depth is the moat, firm resolve the wall, and the rising host of virtues a trusted force. The gathered senses are the gateways situated in the body. Knowledge is its wealth: with all these provisions assembled. O Lord who loves Durga, make your home in the fortress of my mind.
The hunter in the inner forest
mā gaccha tvamitastato giriśa bho mayyeva vāsaṃ kuru
Do not wander elsewhere, Lord of the mountain; make your dwelling in me. O primordial hunter, in the forest-region of my mind. Many beasts of pride, envy and delusion roam. Destroying them, you may find the delight of the hunt you enjoy.
Fearlessness in the heart's cave
karalagnamṛgaḥ karīndrabhaṅgo
A deer rests in his hand; he overcomes the mighty elephant. He subdues the great tiger and brings other creatures to rest. The mountain Lord, clear in form, is within the cave of my heart. The five-faced one is there: what cause have I for fear?
A nest for the bird of attention
chandaḥśākhiśikhānvitairdvijavaraiḥ saṃsevite śāśvate
Served by noble twice-born ones among the branches of sacred verse. Everlasting, giving ease, ending distress and bright with nectar-like fruits. O excellent bird of my mind, abandon pointless wandering elsewhere. Make your lasting home in the nest of Shankara's paired lotus feet.
The swan's inward palace
ākīrṇe nakharājikāntivibhavairudyatsudhāvaibhavai-
Radiant with the rows of toenails and their rising nectar-like brilliance. Washed in that light, lovely with lotus-ruby color and frequented by swans. With the bridal company of devotion, move freely in inward seclusion. O royal swan of the mind, remain within the palace of Girija's Lord's feet.
Spring in the garden of the heart
śambhudhyānavasantasaṅgini hṛdārāme’ghajīrṇacchadāḥ
When meditation on Shambhu brings spring to the garden of the heart, old leaves of wrongdoing fall. The vine of devotion shines with fresh shoots of merit. Buds of good qualities and flowers of repeated sacred utterance glow. Good dispositions yield the nectar of knowledge and joy, and awareness ripens as fruit.
The lake worth dwelling in
nityānandarasālayaṃ suramunisvāntāmbujātāśrayaṃ
A home of lasting joy, resting in the heart-lotuses of gods and sages. Clear, frequented by the good, removing impurity and revealing wholesome dispositions. O noble swan of the mind, go steadily to the lake of meditation on Shambhu. Why exhaust yourself wandering among shallow pools of lesser refuge?
The supported vine of devotion
ānandāmṛtapūritā harapadāmbhojālavālodyatā
Filled with the nectar of joy and rising from the basin at Hara's lotus feet. The vine of devotion takes hold of the support of steadiness and grows branches. It climbs high over the bower of the mind, becoming stainless. May it, nourished by good action, continually yield the cherished fruit.
The flowering presence at Srisailam
sandhyārambhavijṛmbhitaṃ śrutiśiraḥsthānāntarādhiṣṭhitaṃ
Unfolding at twilight and dwelling in the summit of sacred revelation. Beautiful with loving bees and repeatedly adorned with good fragrance. Bearing the serpent king, worshipped by all the good and revealing excellent qualities. I serve the great Mallikarjuna linga at Srigiri, embraced by Shiva's consort.
The bee in the heart-lotus
bhṛṅgīcchānaṭanotkaṭaḥ karimadagrāhī sphuranmādhavā-
Eager for Bhringi's desired dance and taking in the elephant's pride, with the delight of spring shining. Resounding, dark in form, and regarded by the five-arrowed one. With good wings or noble allies, moving among flower-gardens. May the Lord dwelling at Srisailam, king of bees, move in the lotus of my mind.
The cloud of compassion
kāruṇyāmṛtavarṣiṇaṃ ghanavipadgrīṣmacchidākarmaṭhaṃ
You rain the nectar of compassion and skillfully end the summer-heat of great adversity. You bring the crop of knowledge to fruit and are sought by the good, freely assuming form. Devotee-peacocks dance around you; you dwell on the mountain with moving matted locks. O blue-throated Shambhu, the chataka bird of my mind always longs for you.
The blue-throated dancer
ākāśena śikhī samastaphaṇināṃ netrā kalāpī natā-
Crested with the sky and splendid with the lord of serpents. Crying out through the teaching of Om that blesses those who bow. Seeing the dark mountain-born goddess, he dances with joy. I worship that blue-throated one who delights in the grove of Vedanta.
The dance as a rainstorm
sandhyā gharmadinātyayo harikarāghātaprabhūtānaka-
Twilight becomes the end of a hot day, and the drum struck by Hari's hand. Becomes the thunder of a cloud, while the gods' glances flash like lightning. The devotees' tears of delight fall as rain, and Shiva's consort is the peahen. I worship the blue-throated one whose brilliant tandava triumphs in this scene.
Salutation to radiant awareness
ādyāyāmitatejase śrutipadairvedyāya sādhyāya te
To the primordial one of immeasurable radiance, knowable through sacred revelation and to be realized. Whose nature is knowledge and joy, intent on protecting the three worlds. Meditated upon by yogins, sung by divine hosts, and master of wondrous manifestation. To the matted-haired Shambhu absorbed in the fullness of dance, this salutation is offered.
The ancient householder
nityāya triguṇātmane purajite kātyāyanīśreyase
To the eternal one associated with the three qualities, conqueror of the cities and the good of Katyayani. To truth, the primordial householder, manifest as consciousness in sages' minds. Whose power manifests the three worlds and who moves through the culmination of revelation. To the matted-haired Shambhu absorbed in the evening dance, this salutation is offered.
A claim upon the indwelling Lord
nityaṃ svodarapūraṇāya sakalānuddiśya vittāśayā
To fill my belly, I continually approach others with hopes of money. I wander fruitlessly and do not know how to serve you, O Lord. Yet through the ripening of merit from other births, you, who are within all. Remain within me too; for that reason, O Lord of beings, I am to be protected by you.
The darkness that hides the light
eko vārijabāndhavaḥ kṣitinabhovyāptaṃ tamomaṇḍalaṃ
One sun breaks the darkness filling earth and sky. It becomes visible, yet you shine like countless suns. Why, then, are you not known to me? How dense must my darkness be! Remove it completely, Lord of beings, and reveal your gracious presence.
The heart's natural longing
haṃsaḥ padmavanaṃ samicchati yathā nīlāmbudaṃ cātakaḥ
As a swan seeks lotuses and a chataka seeks the dark raincloud. As the chakravaka seeks the sun and the chakora the moon. So my mind longs for what is sought along the path of consciousness. Your paired lotus feet, Lord of Gauri, which grant the happiness of freedom.
Recognizing a place of refuge
rodhastoyahṛtaḥ śrameṇa pathikaśchāyāṃ tarorvṛṣṭito
One swept away seeks a bank; a tired traveler seeks shade; one afraid of rain seeks home. A guest seeks a householder, and the distressed a righteous protector. One in darkness seeks a lamp, and one chilled by cold seeks fire. So, mind, go gladly to Shambhu's lotus feet, which remove every fear.
What devotion means
aṅkolaṃ nijabījasantatirayaskāntopalaṃ sūcikā
As the ankola seed returns to its tree, and the needle to the magnet. As a faithful wife turns to her husband, a vine to a tree, and a river to the ocean. So the movement of the heart approaches the two lotus feet of Paśupati. And remains there continually: that is called devotion.
Devotion as a mother
ānandāśrubhirātanoti pulakaṃ nairmalyataśchādanaṃ
With tears of joy she brings delight and clothes the child in purity. She feeds it the nectar of Shiva's story through the vessel of speech. She protects its body with rudraksha and sacred ash. Placing it in the cradle of contemplation, mother Devotion cares for the devotee-child.
The hunter's offering
mārgāvartitapādukā paśupateraṅgasya kūrcāyate
A sandal worn on the road becomes a brush for the Lord's body. Water carried in the mouth becomes a divine ritual bathing. A remaining morsel of tasted meat becomes a fresh offering. What can devotion not do? A forest hunter becomes foremost among devotees.
A gentler resting place
vakṣastāḍanamantakasya kaṭhināpasmārasammardanaṃ
Striking Death's chest, pressing down the hard figure of Apasmara. Wandering mountains and brushing against the crowns of bowing gods. Are these tasks fitting for your tender pair of feet? Shambhu, always accept the jeweled sandals of my heart as your place of movement.
The devotee's fortune
vakṣastāḍanaśaṅkayā vicalito vaivasvato nirjarāḥ
Death trembles at the thought of a blow to his chest. The gods wave the jeweled lights of their crowns in reverent offering. The bride Liberation approaches with a close embrace, O Lord of Bhavani. For one whose heart worships your lotus feet, what is difficult to attain?
The play and its participant
krīḍārthaṃ sṛjasi prapañcamakhilaṃ krīḍāmṛgāste janā
You create the entire world for play, and people are creatures of that play. Whatever action I have performed thus becomes part of your delight. Shambhu, my activity is surely an instrument of your own curiosity. Therefore you, Lord of beings, must undertake my protection.
The dwelling of contemplation
bahuvidhaparitoṣabāṣpapūra-
Marked by abundant tears of many kinds of delight. And by clearly arising joy that makes the body thrill, a beautiful place of experience. Sought by those who long for an enduring state. I take refuge in contemplation of the supreme Sadashiva.
The cow of devotion
amitamudamṛtaṃ muhurduhantīṃ
Yielding again and again the nectar of immeasurable joy. Dwelling in the pure enclosure of your feet. O compassionate Lord of beings, this well-ripened fruit of merit. Protect this one cow of my devotion.
Even defects may find a place
jaḍatā paśutā kalaṅkitā
Dullness, animal nature and blemish. Crooked movement too: these, Lord, are not in me. But if they are, O moon-crowned one. Would that not make me fit to be one of your ornaments?
The accessible presence within
arahasi rahasi svatantrabuddhyā
You are fit to be served freely in inward seclusion. Easy to approach, with a gracious form. My Lord, giver of countless fruits. Beyond the world, the moon-crowned one dwells in the heart.
The bow of remembrance
ārūḍhabhaktiguṇakuñcitabhāvacāpa-
With the bow of intention bent and strung with devotion. And unfailing arrows of remembrance of Shiva. The wise victor overcomes the enemies of wrongdoing. And joyfully gains the lasting splendor of inward sovereignty.
Bringing the treasure to light
dhyānāñjanena samavekṣya tamaḥpradeśaṃ
With the eye-salve of meditation, one examines the place of darkness. Breaking through it with the great power of the Lord's name-mantras. One brings forth the divine treasure adorned with serpents. Those who thus take up your lotus feet, Shiva, are fulfilled.
The field of freedom
bhūdāratāmudavahadyadapekṣayā śrī-
For the sake of those feet, even the Lord who upholds the earth assumed a boar's form. What more need be said, wise mind? Obtain this. Worship of the Supreme Lord's lotus feet, the field. In which the great medicinal plants of liberation are cultivated.
Fragrance in the mind's casket
āśāpāśakleśadurvāsanādi-
With powerful divine fragrances ready to break the bonds of hope. And the distress of unwholesome dispositions. May the lotus feet of the one clothed in the directions. Make the casket of my mind fragrant.
Offering the horse of the mind
kalyāṇinaṃ sarasacitragatiṃ savegaṃ
Auspicious, lively in its varied movements and swift. Understanding every intention, stainless and endowed with steady marks. Mount this horse of my mind and move, O destroyer of desire. Leader of all worlds, who rides the bull.
The rain of devotion
bhaktirmaheśapadapuṣkaramāvasantī
Devotion dwells in the lotus of Mahesha’s feet. Like a rain cloud, it showers contentment. The lake of the mind becomes full. The entire crop of life then bears fruit.
The understanding that remembers
buddhiḥ sthirā bhavitumīśvarapādapadma-
The understanding seeks steadiness through attachment to the Lord’s lotus feet. It remembers constantly, like a bride longing in separation. Loving thought, remembrance, seeing and praise occupy it. It turns toward the repetition of Shiva’s mantra.
Receive the understanding
sadupacāravidhiṣvanubodhitāṃ
This understanding has learned the ways of thoughtful service. It approaches with humility, goodwill and refuge. Lord, uplift this understanding of mine. Receive it as a newly married bride, through excellent qualities.
Concern for the tender feet
nityaṃ yogimanaḥsarojadalasañcārakṣamastvatkramaḥ
Your steps move upon the lotus petals of yogins’ minds. How could those feet strike the hard chest of the lord of death? My mind worries about your exceedingly tender pair of feet. Show them to my eyes, Lord, so that I may massage them with my hands.
Practising on the mountain
eṣyatyeṣa janiṃ mano’sya kaṭhinaṃ tasminnaṭānīti ma-
Perhaps you foresaw my birth and the hardness of my mind. To protect me, you practised placing your tender feet on mountain ground. Otherwise, with heavenly homes and beds of flowers available, Why would you dance upon stone, Shambhu?
A life offered in many ways
kañcitkālamumāmaheśa bhavataḥ pādāravindārcanaiḥ
Some time is spent worshipping your lotus feet, Uma-Mahesha. Some is spent in meditation, absorption, bowing and hearing your stories. Some is spent seeing and praising you, in this manner. One who joyfully offers the mind to you is indeed liberated while living.
The many forms of service
bāṇatvaṃ vṛṣabhatvamardhavapuṣā bhāryātvamāryāpate
Hari assumed the forms of arrow, bull and a wife sharing half the body. He became a boar, a friend, a bearer of the drum and other forms. He offered an eye at your feet and became part of your body. Through such devotion he is honoured above the honoured; who could surpass him?
Seeking what does not pass away
jananamṛtiyutānāṃ sevayā devatānāṃ
Service directed toward deities subject to birth and death Does not yield the lasting happiness sought here, the poet declares. Those who worship the unborn, immortal Lord together with Uma Are blessed with the highest happiness.
Make the heart your home
śiva tava paricaryāsannidhānāya gauryā
Shiva, for service near you and Gauri, I offer the daughter of my understanding, rich in good qualities. Friend of every world, ocean of being, consciousness and bliss, Dwell always, with compassion, in the home of my heart.
An ordinary worshipper’s question
jaladhimathanadakṣo naiva pātālabhedī
I am not skilled at churning the ocean or piercing the underworld. Nor am I an accomplished hunter in the forest. How can I prepare worship with food, flowers, ornaments and clothing For you, O moon-crested Lord? Tell me.
Beyond the reach of measurement
pūjādravyasamṛddhayo viracitāḥ pūjāṃ kathaṃ kurmahe
The materials of worship are ready; yet how shall we worship? I have not attained the difficult forms of bird or boar. Lord of Uma, I do not know the bounds of your head and tender feet. Even Brahma and Hari in those forms did not truly discover them.
Give only devotion
aśanaṃ garalaṃ phaṇī kalāpo
Your food is poison and your ornaments are serpents. Your clothing is skin and your vehicle a great bull. What possessions could you give me, Shambhu? Give me only devotion to your lotus feet.
The limits of my capacity
yadā kṛtāmbhonidhisetubandhanaḥ
When I can build a bridge across the ocean, Hold the lord of mountains beneath my hand, And surpass the lotus-born creator, Then perhaps I will be equal to your worship, praise and contemplation.
What offering pleases you?
natibhirnutibhistvamīśa pūjā-
Lord, if bowing, praises and formal worship And meditation and absorption do not please you, Would a bow, a pestle or stones please you instead? Tell me what brings you joy, and I shall do it.
Speech, mind and head
vacasā caritaṃ vadāmi śambho-
With speech I recount your deeds, Shambhu. I am not equal to your great undertakings. With the mind I attend upon the form of the Lord. With my head I bow to Sadashiva.
Knowledge welcomed within
ādyāvidyā hṛdgatā nirgatāsī-
The beginningless ignorance lodged in the heart has departed. Through your grace, cherished knowledge has entered the heart. I continually serve your auspicious lotus feet, O moon-crested Lord, which make one fit for liberation.
Drinking the story’s essence
dūrīkṛtāni duritāni durakṣarāṇi
Wrongdoing and ominous marks of fate are driven away, Along with misfortune, sorrow, harmful pride and harsh speech. As I deeply drink the essence of your story, Lord of Gauri, uplift me through your gracious glances.
May the heart delight continually
somakalādharamaulau
In the Lord whose crest bears the moon’s crescent, Whose tender throat is cloud-dark and whose radiance is great, In the master, the beloved of Girija, May my heart delight without interruption.
The senses fulfilled
sā rasanā te nayane
That is truly a tongue, those are truly eyes, Those are truly hands, and that person has fulfilled the purpose, Which speak of, behold, continually worship, And remember Bharga, the radiant Lord.
Do not hesitate to enter
atimṛdulau mama caraṇā-
Do not think, Lord of Bhavani, that your feet are too tender And my mind far too hard. Put that hesitation aside, Shiva. After all, how did you come to dwell on a mountain?
Tending the heart’s elephant
dhairyāṅkuśena nibhṛtaṃ
With the goad of courage, hold it firmly. Draw it close with the chain of devotion. Destroyer of the cities, bind the intoxicated elephant of my heart to the post of your feet, Using the means of awareness.
Lead the mind to steadiness
pracaratyabhitaḥ pragalbhavṛttyā
The mighty elephant of my mind roams in every direction, Proud and intoxicated in its bold behaviour. Take hold of it with skill and the rope of devotion. Lead it firmly to the supreme, steadfast goal of Sthanu.
Receive this daughter of poetry
sarvālaṅkārayuktāṃ saralapadayutāṃ sādhuvṛttāṃ suvarṇāṃ
Adorned with ornaments, simple words, good metres and beautiful syllables, Praised by the good, rich in feeling and qualities and marked by auspicious features, Humble, distinctively adorned and radiant with meaning, May you receive this auspicious daughter of my poetry, beloved of Gauri.
Known through nearness
idaṃ te yuktaṃ vā paramaśiva kāruṇyajaladhe
Supreme Shiva, ocean of compassion, is this fitting? Hari and Brahma took animal forms to seek your feet and head. They wandered below and above, exhausted by their search. How then, my Lord, do you become known before me?
The fruit of praise
stotreṇālamahaṃ pravacmi na mṛṣā devā viriñcādayaḥ
Enough of praise; what I say is not false. Brahma and the other gods count you first among those worthy of praise. When your greatness is examined, your servants sift away what is like husk. They know you, Shambhu, as the highest and best fruit.
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