ಭವದ್ಭವ್ಯ ಭೂತೇಶ್ವರಂ ಭೂತನಾಥಂ, ಶಿವಂ ಶಙ್ಕರಂ ಶಮ್ಭು ಮೀಶಾನಮೀಡೇ ॥ 1 ॥
- ಪ್ರಭುಮ್ (prabhum)the master
- ಪ್ರಾಣನಾಥಮ್ (prāṇanātham)lord of the life-breath
- ವಿಭುಮ್ (vibhum)present everywhere
- ವಿಶ್ವನಾಥಮ್ (viśvanātham)lord of the world
- ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನಾಥಮ್ (jagannāthanātham)lord even of the world's lords
- ಸದಾನನ್ದಭಾಜಾಮ್ (sadānandabhājām)of those who live in unbroken joy
- ಭವದ್ಭವ್ಯಭೂತೇಶ್ವರಮ್ (bhavadbhavyabhūteśvaram)ruler of what is, what will be and what has been
- ಭೂತನಾಥಮ್ (bhūtanātham)lord of the hosts
- ಶಿವಮ್ (śivam)Shiva
- ಶಙ್ಕರಮ್ (śaṅkaram)Shankara
- ಶಮ್ಭುಮ್ (śambhum)Shambhu
- ಈಶಾನಮ್ (īśānam)Ishana
- ಈಡೇ (īḍe)I praise
anvaya ಪ್ರಭುಮ್ ಪ್ರಾಣನಾಥಮ್ ವಿಭುಮ್ ವಿಶ್ವನಾಥಮ್ ಸದಾನನ್ದಭಾಜಾಮ್ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನಾಥಮ್ ಭವದ್ಭವ್ಯಭೂತೇಶ್ವರಮ್ ಭೂತನಾಥಮ್ ಶಿವಮ್ ಶಙ್ಕರಮ್ ಶಮ್ಭುಮ್ ಈಶಾನಮ್ ಈಡೇ
chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
ಈಡೇ I praise — From the old root īḍ, to praise, the same root the Rig Veda opens with in agnim īḷe. It is the one verb in the verse and it carries all eight.
ಭವದ್ಭವ್ಯಭೂತ what is, what will be, what has been — Three time words in one compound: present, future, past.
ಭೂತನಾಥಮ್ lord of the hosts — The bhūtas are the attendants who go with Shiva. The word also means beings in general, and both senses are at work here.
note Every verse of the hymn ends on the same line, ಶಿವಂ ಶಙ್ಕರಂ ಶಮ್ಭುಮೀಶಾನಮೀಡೇ, four names of the one god and then the verb. The metre is Bhujaṅgaprayāta, whose name means the gliding of a snake, and the pace of the recitation comes from it.
ಜಟಾಜೂಟ ಗಙ್ಗೋತ್ತರಙ್ಗೈರ್ವಿಶಾಲಂ, ಶಿವಂ ಶಙ್ಕರಂ ಶಮ್ಭು ಮೀಶಾನಮೀಡೇ ॥ 2॥
- ಗಲೇ (gale)at his throat
- ರುಣ್ಡಮಾಲಮ್ (ruṇḍamālam)wearing a garland of severed heads
- ತನೌ (tanau)on his body
- ಸರ್ಪಜಾಲಮ್ (sarpajālam)a mesh of snakes
- ಮಹಾಕಾಲಕಾಲಮ್ (mahākālakālam)death to death itself
- ಗಣೇಶಾದಿಪಾಲಮ್ (gaṇeśādipālam)guardian of Ganesha and the rest
- ಜಟಾಜೂಟಗಙ್ಗೋತ್ತರಙ್ಗೈಃ (jaṭājūṭagaṅgottaraṅgaiḥ)by the high waves of the Ganga in his coiled hair
- ವಿಶಾಲಮ್ (viśālam)made vast
- ಶಿವಮ್ (śivam)Shiva
- ಶಙ್ಕರಮ್ (śaṅkaram)Shankara
- ಶಮ್ಭುಮ್ (śambhum)Shambhu
- ಈಶಾನಮ್ (īśānam)Ishana
- ಈಡೇ (īḍe)I praise
anvaya ಗಲೇ ರುಣ್ಡಮಾಲಮ್ ತನೌ ಸರ್ಪಜಾಲಮ್ ಮಹಾಕಾಲಕಾಲಮ್ ಗಣೇಶಾದಿಪಾಲಮ್ ಜಟಾಜೂಟಗಙ್ಗೋತ್ತರಙ್ಗೈಃ ವಿಶಾಲಮ್ ಶಿವಮ್ ಶಙ್ಕರಮ್ ಶಮ್ಭುಮ್ ಈಶಾನಮ್ ಈಡೇ
chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
ಮಹಾಕಾಲಕಾಲಮ್ death to death itself — Kāla is time and also death. Mahākāla is death at its greatest, and Shiva is called the kāla of that.
ರುಣ್ಡಮಾಲಮ್ wearing a garland of severed heads — Ruṇḍa is a headless body or a head cut from one. The ornament belongs to the same Shiva who lives at the burning ground.
ಗಙ್ಗೋತ್ತರಙ್ಗೈಃ with the Ganga's rising waves — The river came down from the sky and was caught in his hair, which is what keeps her fall from breaking the earth.
note The verse keeps the fierce side of Shiva and the protecting side in one breath: heads and snakes in the first line, the guarding of Ganesha and the gods in the second.
ಅನಾದಿಂ ಹ್ಯಪಾರಂ ಮಹಾ ಮೋಹಮಾರಂ, ಶಿವಂ ಶಙ್ಕರಂ ಶಮ್ಭು ಮೀಶಾನಮೀಡೇ ॥ 3 ॥
- ಮುದಾಮ್ (mudām)of gladness
- ಆಕರಮ್ (ākaram)the mine it is dug from
- ಮಣ್ಡನಮ್ (maṇḍanam)the ornament itself
- ಮಣ್ಡಯನ್ತಮ್ (maṇḍayantam)who adorns
- ಮಹಾಮಣ್ಡಲಮ್ (mahāmaṇḍalam)this great round world
- ಭಸ್ಮಭೂಷಾಧರಮ್ (bhasmabhūṣādharam)wearing ash for jewellery
- ತಮ್ (tam)him
- ಅನಾದಿಮ್ (anādim)without beginning
- ಹಿ (hi)indeed
- ಅಪಾರಮ್ (apāram)with no far shore
- ಮಹಾಮೋಹಮಾರಮ್ (mahāmohamāram)who kills the great confusion
- ಶಿವಮ್ (śivam)Shiva
- ಶಙ್ಕರಮ್ (śaṅkaram)Shankara
- ಶಮ್ಭುಮ್ (śambhum)Shambhu
- ಈಶಾನಮ್ (īśānam)Ishana
- ಈಡೇ (īḍe)I praise
anvaya ಮುದಾಮ್ ಆಕರಮ್ ಮಣ್ಡನಮ್ ಮಹಾಮಣ್ಡಲಮ್ ಮಣ್ಡಯನ್ತಮ್ ಭಸ್ಮಭೂಷಾಧರಮ್ ಅನಾದಿಮ್ ಹಿ ಅಪಾರಮ್ ಮಹಾಮೋಹಮಾರಮ್ ತಮ್ ಶಿವಮ್ ಶಙ್ಕರಮ್ ಶಮ್ಭುಮ್ ಈಶಾನಮ್ ಈಡೇ
chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
ಭಸ್ಮಭೂಷಾಧರಮ್ wearing ash for jewellery — The ash is from the burning ground, smeared on in place of ornaments. It is what is left when everything else has gone.
ಆಕರಮ್ a mine — The place a metal or a gem is taken out of. Gladness is dug out of him as ore is dug out of a hill.
ಮಹಾಮೋಹಮಾರಮ್ who kills the great confusion — Moha is the muddle in which a person takes one thing for another. Māra is the killing of it, from the same root as Kama's name Māra.
note The first line turns on one root: maṇḍana the ornament, maṇḍayantam adorning, mahāmaṇḍalam the great circle. Sanskrit poets prize that kind of play, and reading it aloud is where the effect is.
ಗಿರೀಶಂ ಗಣೇಶಂ ಸುರೇಶಂ ಮಹೇಶಂ, ಶಿವಂ ಶಙ್ಕರಂ ಶಮ್ಭು ಮೀಶಾನಮೀಡೇ ॥ 4 ॥
- ವಟಾಧೋನಿವಾಸಮ್ (vaṭādhonivāsam)living at the foot of the banyan
- ಮಹಾಟ್ಟಾಟ್ಟಹಾಸಮ್ (mahāṭṭāṭṭahāsam)whose laughter rings out loud
- ಮಹಾಪಾಪನಾಶಮ್ (mahāpāpanāśam)who undoes the worst of wrongs
- ಸದಾ (sadā)always
- ಸುಪ್ರಕಾಶಮ್ (suprakāśam)plain to see
- ಗಿರೀಶಮ್ (girīśam)lord of the mountain
- ಗಣೇಶಮ್ (gaṇeśam)lord of the hosts
- ಸುರೇಶಮ್ (sureśam)lord of the gods
- ಮಹೇಶಮ್ (maheśam)the great lord
- ಶಿವಮ್ (śivam)Shiva
- ಶಙ್ಕರಮ್ (śaṅkaram)Shankara
- ಶಮ್ಭುಮ್ (śambhum)Shambhu
- ಈಶಾನಮ್ (īśānam)Ishana
- ಈಡೇ (īḍe)I praise
anvaya ವಟಾಧೋನಿವಾಸಮ್ ಮಹಾಟ್ಟಾಟ್ಟಹಾಸಮ್ ಮಹಾಪಾಪನಾಶಮ್ ಸದಾ ಸುಪ್ರಕಾಶಮ್ ಗಿರೀಶಮ್ ಗಣೇಶಮ್ ಸುರೇಶಮ್ ಮಹೇಶಮ್ ಶಿವಮ್ ಶಙ್ಕರಮ್ ಶಮ್ಭುಮ್ ಈಶಾನಮ್ ಈಡೇ
chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
ವಟಾಧೋನಿವಾಸಮ್ living at the foot of the banyan — Shiva as Dakshinamurti sits under a banyan and teaches four elderly sages without speaking.
ಅಟ್ಟಾಟ್ಟಹಾಸಮ್ loud laughter — The word is made by doubling, and the sound of it is the laugh. His laughter is told of as shaking the worlds.
note The second line is four names built the same way, each ending in īśa, lord: of the mountain, of the hosts, of the gods, and then simply the great one.
ಪರಬ್ರಹ್ಮ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾದಿಭಿರ್-ವನ್ದ್ಯಮಾನಂ, ಶಿವಂ ಶಙ್ಕರಂ ಶಮ್ಭು ಮೀಶಾನಮೀಡೇ ॥ 5 ॥
- ಗಿರೀನ್ದ್ರಾತ್ಮಜಾಸಙ್ಗೃಹೀತಾರ್ಧದೇಹಮ್ (girīndrātmajāsaṅgṛhītārdhadeham)half of whose body the mountain king's daughter has taken
- ಗಿರೌ (girau)on the hill
- ಸಂಸ್ಥಿತಮ್ (saṃsthitam)settled
- ಸರ್ವದಾ (sarvadā)always
- ಆಪನ್ನಗೇಹಮ್ (āpannageham)a house for those in trouble
- ಪರಬ್ರಹ್ಮ (parabrahma)the highest brahman
- ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾದಿಭಿಃ (brahmādibhiḥ)by Brahma and the rest
- ವನ್ದ್ಯಮಾನಮ್ (vandyamānam)being bowed to
- ಶಿವಮ್ (śivam)Shiva
- ಶಙ್ಕರಮ್ (śaṅkaram)Shankara
- ಶಮ್ಭುಮ್ (śambhum)Shambhu
- ಈಶಾನಮ್ (īśānam)Ishana
- ಈಡೇ (īḍe)I praise
anvaya ಗಿರೀನ್ದ್ರಾತ್ಮಜಾಸಙ್ಗೃಹೀತಾರ್ಧದೇಹಮ್ ಗಿರೌ ಸಂಸ್ಥಿತಮ್ ಸರ್ವದಾ ಆಪನ್ನಗೇಹಮ್ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾದಿಭಿಃ ವನ್ದ್ಯಮಾನಮ್ ಪರಬ್ರಹ್ಮ ಶಿವಮ್ ಶಙ್ಕರಮ್ ಶಮ್ಭುಮ್ ಈಶಾನಮ್ ಈಡೇ
chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
ಗಿರೀನ್ದ್ರಾತ್ಮಜಾ the mountain king's daughter — Parvati, daughter of Himavat. Her name itself means of the mountain.
ಆಪನ್ನಗೇಹಮ್ a house for those in trouble — Āpanna is someone who has fallen into difficulty. The word for what he is to them is simply house.
note In the printed reading the third pāda sits a little loose against the metre. It is left as it stands.
ಬಲೀವರ್ಧಯಾನಂ ಸುರಾಣಾಂ ಪ್ರಧಾನಂ, ಶಿವಂ ಶಙ್ಕರಂ ಶಮ್ಭು ಮೀಶಾನಮೀಡೇ ॥ 6 ॥
- ಕಪಾಲಮ್ (kapālam)a skull bowl
- ತ್ರಿಶೂಲಮ್ (triśūlam)a trident
- ಕರಾಭ್ಯಾಮ್ (karābhyām)in his two hands
- ದಧಾನಮ್ (dadhānam)holding
- ಪದಾಮ್ಭೋಜನಮ್ರಾಯ (padāmbhojanamrāya)to the one who bows at his lotus feet
- ಕಾಮಮ್ (kāmam)what was asked for
- ದದಾನಮ್ (dadānam)giving
- ಬಲೀವರ್ಧಯಾನಮ್ (balīvardhayānam)carried by the bull
- ಸುರಾಣಾಮ್ (surāṇām)among the gods
- ಪ್ರಧಾನಮ್ (pradhānam)the first
- ಶಿವಮ್ (śivam)Shiva
- ಶಙ್ಕರಮ್ (śaṅkaram)Shankara
- ಶಮ್ಭುಮ್ (śambhum)Shambhu
- ಈಶಾನಮ್ (īśānam)Ishana
- ಈಡೇ (īḍe)I praise
anvaya ಕರಾಭ್ಯಾಮ್ ಕಪಾಲಮ್ ತ್ರಿಶೂಲಮ್ ದಧಾನಮ್ ಪದಾಮ್ಭೋಜನಮ್ರಾಯ ಕಾಮಮ್ ದದಾನಮ್ ಬಲೀವರ್ಧಯಾನಮ್ ಸುರಾಣಾಮ್ ಪ್ರಧಾನಮ್ ಶಿವಮ್ ಶಙ್ಕರಮ್ ಶಮ್ಭುಮ್ ಈಶಾನಮ್ ಈಡೇ
chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
ಕಪಾಲಮ್ a skull bowl — The begging bowl of a skull, one of the marks of Shiva as the ascetic who owns nothing.
ಬಲೀವರ್ಧಯಾನಮ್ whose mount is the bull — Balīvarda is a bull. The bull is Nandi, who carries him and waits at the door of every Shiva shrine.
note Two hands, two things held, and between them the whole of him: the skull of the ascetic and the trident of the one who rules.
ಅಪರ್ಣಾ ಕಲತ್ರಂ ಸದಾ ಸಚ್ಚರಿತ್ರಂ, ಶಿವಂ ಶಙ್ಕರಂ ಶಮ್ಭು ಮೀಶಾನಮೀಡೇ ॥ 7 ॥
- ಶರಚ್ಚನ್ದ್ರಗಾತ್ರಮ್ (śaraccandragātram)whose body is the autumn moon
- ಗಣಾನನ್ದಪಾತ್ರಮ್ (gaṇānandapātram)the cup his hosts' gladness is poured into
- ತ್ರಿನೇತ್ರಮ್ (trinetram)three-eyed
- ಪವಿತ್ರಮ್ (pavitram)clean, and cleaning whoever comes near
- ಧನೇಶಸ್ಯ (dhaneśasya)of the lord of wealth
- ಮಿತ್ರಮ್ (mitram)the friend
- ಅಪರ್ಣಾಕಲತ್ರಮ್ (aparṇākalatram)whose wife is Aparna
- ಸದಾ (sadā)always
- ಸಚ್ಚರಿತ್ರಮ್ (saccaritram)of good conduct
- ಶಿವಮ್ (śivam)Shiva
- ಶಙ್ಕರಮ್ (śaṅkaram)Shankara
- ಶಮ್ಭುಮ್ (śambhum)Shambhu
- ಈಶಾನಮ್ (īśānam)Ishana
- ಈಡೇ (īḍe)I praise
anvaya ಶರಚ್ಚನ್ದ್ರಗಾತ್ರಮ್ ಗಣಾನನ್ದಪಾತ್ರಮ್ ತ್ರಿನೇತ್ರಮ್ ಪವಿತ್ರಮ್ ಧನೇಶಸ್ಯ ಮಿತ್ರಮ್ ಅಪರ್ಣಾಕಲತ್ರಮ್ ಸದಾ ಸಚ್ಚರಿತ್ರಮ್ ಶಿವಮ್ ಶಙ್ಕರಮ್ ಶಮ್ಭುಮ್ ಈಶಾನಮ್ ಈಡೇ
chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
ಅಪರ್ಣಾ Aparna, Parvati — Parṇa is a leaf, and a-parṇā is without one. The name comes from her long fast for Shiva, in which she gave up even leaves.
ಧನೇಶಸ್ಯ ಮಿತ್ರಮ್ friend of the lord of wealth — Dhaneśa is Kubera, who keeps the wealth of the world. The god who owns nothing is his friend.
ಶರಚ್ಚನ್ದ್ರ the autumn moon — After the rains the air is clear, so the autumn moon is the brightest of the year.
note Every pāda of this verse closes on the sound -tram, and the rhyme runs through all four.
ಶ್ಮಶಾನೇ ವಸನ್ತಂ ಮನೋಜಂ ದಹನ್ತಂ, ಶಿವಂ ಶಙ್ಕರಂ ಶಮ್ಭು ಮೀಶಾನಮೀಡೇ ॥ 8 ॥
- ಹರಮ್ (haram)who takes everything away
- ಸರ್ಪಹಾರಮ್ (sarpahāram)wearing a snake for a necklace
- ಚಿತಾಭೂವಿಹಾರಮ್ (citābhūvihāram)who walks where the pyres burn
- ಭವಮ್ (bhavam)Bhava, being itself
- ವೇದಸಾರಮ್ (vedasāram)the pith of the Veda
- ಸದಾ (sadā)always
- ನಿರ್ವಿಕಾರಮ್ (nirvikāram)unchanging
- ಶ್ಮಶಾನೇ (śmaśāne)at the cremation ground
- ವಸನ್ತಮ್ (vasantam)living
- ಮನೋಜಮ್ (manojam)desire, born in the mind
- ದಹನ್ತಮ್ (dahantam)burning
- ಶಿವಮ್ (śivam)Shiva
- ಶಙ್ಕರಮ್ (śaṅkaram)Shankara
- ಶಮ್ಭುಮ್ (śambhum)Shambhu
- ಈಶಾನಮ್ (īśānam)Ishana
- ಈಡೇ (īḍe)I praise
anvaya ಹರಮ್ ಸರ್ಪಹಾರಮ್ ಚಿತಾಭೂವಿಹಾರಮ್ ಭವಮ್ ವೇದಸಾರಮ್ ಸದಾ ನಿರ್ವಿಕಾರಮ್ ಶ್ಮಶಾನೇ ವಸನ್ತಮ್ ಮನೋಜಮ್ ದಹನ್ತಮ್ ಶಿವಮ್ ಶಙ್ಕರಮ್ ಶಮ್ಭುಮ್ ಈಶಾನಮ್ ಈಡೇ
chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
ಮನೋಜಮ್ ದಹನ್ತಮ್ burning desire to ash — Manoja, born of the mind, is Kama. When he aimed at Shiva in meditation the third eye opened and burnt him where he stood.
ಹರಮ್ who takes everything away — Hara is one of his commonest names. What he takes is read both as a person's wrongs and as everything that has an end.
ನಿರ್ವಿಕಾರಮ್ unchanging — Vikāra is any change or alteration. The word puts the one who does all this outside change.
note The eighth and last verse of the set proper, and the one that stays longest at the burning ground. The verse after this one is the phalashruti and stands outside the eight.
ಸುಪುತ್ರಂ ಸುಧಾನ್ಯಂ ಸುಮಿತ್ರಂ ಕಲತ್ರಂ ವಿಚಿತ್ರೈಸ್ಸಮಾರಾಧ್ಯ ಮೋಕ್ಷಂ ಪ್ರಯಾತಿ ॥
- ಸ್ವಯಮ್ (svayam)himself
- ಯಃ (yaḥ)whoever
- ಪ್ರಭಾತೇ (prabhāte)at daybreak
- ನರಃ (naraḥ)a person
- ಶೂಲಪಾಣೇ (śūlapāṇe)O you who hold the spear
- ಪಠೇತ್ (paṭhet)should recite
- ಸ್ತೋತ್ರರತ್ನಮ್ (stotraratnam)this jewel of a hymn
- ತು (tu)indeed
- ಇಹ (iha)here, in this life
- ಪ್ರಾಪ್ಯರತ್ನಮ್ (prāpyaratnam)the jewel worth getting
- ಸುಪುತ್ರಮ್ (suputram)a good son
- ಸುಧಾನ್ಯಮ್ (sudhānyam)good grain
- ಸುಮಿತ್ರಮ್ (sumitram)good friends
- ಕಲತ್ರಮ್ (kalatram)a wife
- ವಿಚಿತ್ರೈಃ (vicitraiḥ)with all these
- ಸಮಾರಾಧ್ಯ (samārādhya)having worshipped well
- ಮೋಕ್ಷಮ್ (mokṣam)release
- ಪ್ರಯಾತಿ (prayāti)goes on to
anvaya ಶೂಲಪಾಣೇ ಯಃ ನರಃ ಪ್ರಭಾತೇ ಸ್ವಯಮ್ ಇಹ ಪ್ರಾಪ್ಯರತ್ನಮ್ ಸ್ತೋತ್ರರತ್ನಮ್ ತು ಪಠೇತ್ ಸುಪುತ್ರಮ್ ಸುಧಾನ್ಯಮ್ ಸುಮಿತ್ರಮ್ ಕಲತ್ರಮ್ ವಿಚಿತ್ರೈಃ ಸಮಾರಾಧ್ಯ ಮೋಕ್ಷಮ್ ಪ್ರಯಾತಿ
chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas
ಸ್ತೋತ್ರರತ್ನಮ್ jewel of a hymn — A hymn called a gem among hymns. The verse then plays on it: the jewel recited brings the jewel worth having.
ಶೂಲಪಾಣೇ O you who hold the spear — The one address in the hymn spoken straight to Shiva. Everywhere else he is spoken of.
note The closing verse, which says what comes of reciting: household good first, and release after it. Printed ನರಶ್ಶೂಲ ಪಾಣೇ, which is ನರಃ and ಶೂಲಪಾಣೇ run together in the sandhi.
