Here is another beautiful hymn from the Shiva Purana
presented as a prayer from the Gods to Shiva. Not much explanation is needed to
understand this prayer for those who understand Shaivism, for it is filled with
theology and philosophy. Notice the composer of this hymn has chosen to
completely forego any reference to the stories of Shiva’s exploits! For a hymn
that occurs within a book replete with legends, this is highly unusual, yet
highly uplifting at the same time.
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The Gods said:
Obeisance
to the great Purusha, Mahesha, the supreme Isha, and the great Atman. (36)
Obeisance to
the primordial Seed of every one, the Form of consciousness, beyond Purusha and
Prakriti. (37)
Obeisance to
Thee who createst this world, by whom this is illuminated, from whom this
originated,
By whom this is sustained, to whom this belongs and by whom everything is kept under control. (38)
By whom this is sustained, to whom this belongs and by whom everything is kept under control. (38)
We bow to
that self-born Deity who is beyond this and everything that is great,
Who is
the undepraved great Lord, who sees these within Himself. (39)
We have
sought refuge at His feet who is the supreme Brahman, who is the Soul of
everyone,
Who is the greatest Witness with unbarred vision and who assumes various
forms. (40)
Obeisance to
Him whose region is not known by Devas, Sages or Siddhas.
How then can other
creatures realize it or express it? (41)
He is our
goal supreme, seeking to see whose region great saints free from attachment
perform unmutilated vow of release. (42)
Thou hast no
change like death, birth etc., that yields misery,
Yet by means of Maya, Thou assumest all these. (43)
Yet by means of Maya, Thou assumest all these. (43)
Obeisance to
Thee who art the great Isha and the Performer of miracles.
Obeisance to
Brahman, the great Soul who is far removed from words. (44)
Obeisance to
the formless Being of immense form, the great, of unlimited power,
The Lord of
the three worlds, the witness of all and all-pervasive. (45)
Obeisance to
the light of Atman, richly endowed with the bliss of liberation, of the form of
knowledge.
Obeisance to Thee, the all-pervasive Lord. (46)
Obeisance to
the Lord of salvation who is accessible only through the cessation of worldly activities.
Obeisance to Thee the great Purusha, the great Lord, the Bestower of all. (47)
Obeisance to Thee the great Purusha, the great Lord, the Bestower of all. (47)
Obeisance to
conscious principle in the corporal frame, identical with Atman, the Cause of
all perception. (48)
Obeisance to
the Origin of Prakrti, the great presiding Deity of everything.
Obeisance to
Thee, the great Purusha, the great Lord, the Bestower of all. (49)
Obeisance to
Thee, the three-eyed, the five-faced and the ever-luminous.
Obeisance to Thee
who hast no cause and who seest all the qualities of the sense-organs. (50)
Obeisance,
obeisance to Thee, the Cause of the three worlds and salvation.
Obeisance to the Bestower of quick liberation, and Deliverer of those who seek refuge. (51)
Obeisance to the Bestower of quick liberation, and Deliverer of those who seek refuge. (51)
Obeisance to
Thee, the Ocean of the knowledge of Vedic texts.
Obeisance to Thee, the great Lord
and the ultimate goal of devotees and possessed of three attributes. (52)
Obeisance to
Thee, O great Lord whose fiery heat of knowledge is latent in the sacrificial
churning rod for the production of fire of three attributes.
Obeisance
to Thee whose form is beyond the reach of fools and who livest for ever in the
heart of the wise. (53)
Obeisance to
the Liberator of the individual soul from the noose (pasha);
To the Bestower of
salvation to the devotee, to the self-luminous, the eternal, the unwasting, the
incessant knowledge. (54)
Obeisance to
Thee, the Self-Contemplator, the Unchanging, the Holder of great suzerainty and
glory.
Never be ruthless unto them who resort to the four aims of life and
desire the cherished final goal (Moksha). Obeisance to Thee, O Shiva. (55)
Thy devotees
never desire anything solely to themselves. They sing the auspicious glory of
Thy exploits. (56)
We eulogise
Thee, the imperishable supreme Brahman, the omnipresent whose features are unmanifest,
Who can be attained by the yoga of the Soul and is complete (purnam). (57)
O Lord of
everything, we bow to Thee who art beyond the perception of the sense-organs;
who hast no support; who art the support of all;
Who hast no cause; who art
endless; the primordial and the subtle. (58)
All the Devas,
Vishnu and others, and the world of mobile and immobile beings are created by
deficient digit with the difference of name and form. (59)
Just as the
flames of fire and the rays of the sun emerge and submerge so also this current
of creation and dissolution. (60)
Thou art
neither a Deva nor an Asura, nor a man nor a brute nor a brahmana, O Lord.
Thou
art neither a
woman nor a man, nor a eunuch. Thou makest nothing either the existent or the
non-existent. (61)
After all
negations whatever remains Thou art that. Thou art the maker, the sustainer and
the destroyer of the· universe;
Thou art the soul of the universe. We bow to
that Lord Shiva. (62)
We bow to
Thee, the Lord of yoga, whom the yogins who have destroyed all their actions by
means of yoga, are able to realise in their minds purified by yoga. (63)
Obeisance to
Thee whose velocity is unbearable, who hast three Shaktis, who art identical
with the three Vedas;
Obeisance to Thee the delighted Protector of immense
potentiality. (64)
O Lord, Thou
art impenetrable to the wicked sense-organs; worldly lords cannot reach Thee
who art beyond all paths;
Obeisance to Thee whose splendour is mystically hidden
and who art always engaged in the uplift of the devotees. (65)
We bow to
Thee, the great Lord, whose greatness cannot be surpassed;
Whose power the confounded
fool with egotistic mind can never realise. (66)
Sri Shiva Purana, Rudra Samhita (Book II), Section II, Chapter XV:36-66.
Aum Namah Shivaya.
Sri Shiva Purana, Rudra Samhita (Book II), Section II, Chapter XV:36-66.
Aum Namah Shivaya.
Dear Sri Agnideva,
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you back active in 2015. For all the devotees of lord Shiva and whosoever admires your posts, for all such persons the best new-year gift is to see you posting again in your blog.
Looking forward to see you actively posting in your blog. Thanks!
Hey there, great website. Keep going the good work.
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