śrī rudrāṣṭakam

I adore You, the guardian of the north-east quarter and Ruler of the whole universe, eternal bliss personified, the omnipresent and all-pervading Brahma manifest in the form of the Vedas. I worship Lord Siva, shining in His own glory, devoid of material attributes (beyond the Gunas - Sattva, Rajas, Tamas), undifferentiated, desireless, all-pervading consciousness, having nothing to wrap about Himself except ether (or enveloping ether itself).

I bow to the supreme Lord, who is devoid of form, transcendent and extra-cosmic, beyond speech, understanding and sense perception, terrible yet gracious, the seed of the mystic syllable OM, the Ruler of Kailasa, the Devourer even of the great Time-Spirit and the abode of virtues.

Who is deeply thoughtful, and is possessed of a form white as the snowclad Himalaya, radiant with the beauty of a myriad Cupids, whose head sparkles with the lovely stream of the Ganga, whose brow is adorned by the crescent moon and neck coiled by serpents.

I adore the all-merciful Sankara, the universal Lord, who is loved by all, who has tremulous pendants dangling from His ear-lobes, is possessed of beautiful eyebrows and large eyes, who has a cheerful countenance and a blue speck on His throat, and who has a lion-skin wrapped round His waist and a garland of skulls round His neck.

I take my refuge in Bhavani’s Spouse, the supreme Lord, terrible, exalted, intrepid, indivisible, unborn and invested with the glory of a myriad suns, who roots out the threefold agony and holds a trident in His hand and who is accessible only through love.

Limitless (beyond digits), ever blessed, bringing about universal destruction at the end of each round of creation, a source of perpetual delight to the virtuous, Slayer of the demon Tripura, Consciousness and Bliss personified, dispeller of delusion, be propitious, my lord, be propitious, O Destroyer of Cupid.

So long as they worship not the lotus-feet of Uma’s lord, there is no happiness nor peace nor cessation of suffering for men either in this world or in the next. Therefore, be propitious, my lord, dwelling as You do in the heart of all living beings.

I know not Yoga (concentration), nor Japa (the muttering of prayers) nor ritual. I simply bow to you at all times and at every moment, O Sambhu! Pray, protect me, my lord, miserable and afflicted by sufferings attendant on old age and birth (and death) as I am, O Lord Sambhu!

This hymn of eight verses was uttered by the Brahmana in order to propitiate Lord Siva. Sri Sambhu is pleased with those men who devoutly recite it.