Mahadeva'r Stuti

This unique Axomiya hymn, echoing the deep philosophical and devotional style similar to that of the historical tradition of the region, beautifully captures the essence of Lord Shiva. Attributed to 'Shibadasa,' the verses celebrate Shiva as the ultimate, all-encompassing reality.

The hymn's power lies in its duality: it first establishes Shiva as the Transcendent Brahman (Nirguṇa, Nirākāra), existing beyond the universe. It then shifts to recognize Him as the Immanent Force, the Līlāmaya Mahadeva, residing within every creation and governing all action.

The final verses deliver a profound message that salvation is achieved not merely through austerity, but through understanding this Shiva-Tattva and meditating on His formless yet benevolent presence. The hymn is a succinct guide to finding moksha by navigating the world while focused on the ultimate peace offered by the Divine.

জয় জয় শিৱ শম্ভু, দেৱ দিগম্বর। তুমিহে কেৱল ব্ৰহ্ম, জগতৰ পৰ॥ 

চিদানন্দ ৰূপ তোমাৰ, নিৰ্গুণ নিৰাকাৰ। নিৰঞ্জন প্ৰভু তুমি, নাহিকে বিকাৰ॥ 

তথাপিও তুমি প্ৰভু, সৱ ঘটে আছা। স্থাৱৰ জঙ্গম যত, তোমাৰেই ক্ৰিয়া॥ 

তুমি সৃষ্টি স্থিতি লয়, ত্ৰিগুণৰ মূল। লীলাময় মহাদেৱ, সদায় অনুকূল॥ 

তোমাতে আৰম্ভ প্ৰভু, তোমাতে পৰিণতি। তোমাৰ চৰণে সেৱা, ভকতিৰ গতি॥ 

যতেক পুণ্য যশ, যতেক তপস্যা। তোমাৰ নামৰ ৰস, কৰিলেহে ৰক্ষা॥ 

বিষয় বাসনাত, জীৱ সদা ভ্ৰান্ত। তোমাৰ চৰণ পঙ্কজ, পৰম শান্ত॥ 

শিৱ-তত্ত্ব জ্ঞান যাৰ, সিজনেহে তৰে। শিৱদাসে কহে, মোক্ষ পদে স্মৰে॥ 

---om---

Victory, victory to Shiva Shambhu, the Sky-clad God. You alone are the absolute Brahman, beyond the universe. Your form is pure Consciousness-Bliss, without attributes, without form. You are the immaculate Lord, entirely without change or modification.

Yet, O Lord, You reside within every vessel/being. Whatever is unmoving or moving, is all Your divine action. You are the root of creation, maintenance, and dissolution—the source of the three gunas. The playful Mahadeva, You are always benevolent.

In You is the beginning, O Lord, and in You is the ultimate end. Worship at Your feet is the true path of devotion. Whatever merit or fame, whatever austerity one has amassed, only the nectar of Your Name can truly protect it.

The individual soul is always bewildered by material desires. Your lotus feet offer the ultimate peace. The one who attains the knowledge of the Shiva-Tattva (Shiva Principle) is indeed saved. Shibadasa says: meditate upon the state of Liberation.

|| oṁ namaḥ śivāya ||

Two verses on Gyanvapi

Today, we find inspiration from two synthetic verses about the Gyānvāpī Temple in Kāśī. These verses are stylized and inspired by the Kāśī Khanda, a large section of 100 chapters embedded within the Skanda Purāna praising the spiritual supremacy of Vārānasi. Below we imagine the magnificence of the Gyānvāpī Temple during the height of its splendor that once was and once again will be. May it be the will of Bhagavān Viśveśvara!

 गङ्गातीरनिभूतशैवलनिभं काश्याः प्रकाशं शिवं

ज्ञानाख्यस्य विशालवाप्युदितरत्नाभोगगर्भान्तरम् ।

नन्दीस्थाणुकृते नताः प्रथयते यत्सात्त्विकं तेजसा

तच्चित्रं प्रतिवीक्षितं हृदि ममाभाति त्रयीदीपवत् ॥

विश्वेशस्य पुरातनप्रभमिहोद्द्योतं प्रशान्ताम्बुधेः
काञ्चित्संवत्सरसारवह्निशिखया ध्यानान्तराले स्थितम् ।
यत्रोन्मेषतरङ्गमालिजलवद्भक्तिप्रभा जृष्णुता
तत्तेजो मम चेतसि प्रतिपदं देदीप्यते ध्यानवत् ॥

On the banks of Gaṅgā, where Kāśī shines with the quiet hue of moss and morning light,
rests the deep, gem-filled radiance of the vast Jñāna-vāpī, hidden in its sacred womb.
Before steadfast Nandi, those who bow perceive its gentle, sattvic flame;
and that vision, glimpsed again, glows in my heart like the lamp of the threefold Veda.

Here dawns the ancient brilliance of Viśveśvara, rising like a calm ocean of light,
standing in the inner sanctum of meditation, steady as the refined flame of years.
Where devotion shimmers in bright, wave-like ripples, vibrant and unbroken,
that radiance burns in my heart at every step, as in deep, unwavering contemplation.

|| oṁ namaḥ śivāya ||

Garland of Flames

The following Sanskrit verse is not drawn from any scripture but is a synthetic composition, written in the idiom of the classical Śaiva Āgamas, and meant to be inspirational. It weaves together images and phrases found in the early Agamas  that articulated exoteric ritual and contemplative life of Śaiva worship.

This verse and image envisions a tenth-century temple where the Liṅga—symbol of transcendence—shines like pure light, and before it Naṭarāja radiates with the light of oil lamps. Yogins and devotees gaze upward in awe, their hearts awakening in the glow of oil lamps.

Though not a quotation from any extant text, its phrases echo real Āgamic sources: the Suprabhedāgama’s meditation on the Jyotirliṅga, the Kāmika Āgama’s lamp rituals, and the Mahākāla Saṃhitā’s vision of Śiva in a halo of fire. It captures, in poetic synthesis, the central Śaiva insight that outer worship and inner realization mirror one another—the temple’s flame and the heart’s flame being one.

This modern verse thus offers not scripture, but scriptural feeling: the devotional and aesthetic atmosphere of the Āgamic world rendered anew in Sanskrit light.

---oṁ---

 antarāle sthitaṃ liṅgaṃ jyotirūpaṃ sanātanam |

tasya mūle tu bhagavān naṭarājo virājate ||

dīpālokāvalībhis tu jvālāmālāvṛtaṃ vapuḥ |

paśyanti yogino bhaktyā hṛdayaṃ bhāvayanti ca ||

mudrābhiḥ praṇavenaiva saṃpūjya parameśvaram |

tatra bhāvātmikā bhaktiḥ pratyakṣaṃ rūpamaśnute |

In the inner sanctum stands the eternal Liṅga, radiant as light itself.

At its base shines the Lord Naṭarāja.

His body is encircled with a garland of flames from rows of oil lamps.

The yogins, beholding Him with devotion, awaken their hearts in reverence.

With sacred gestures and the sound of Praṇava they adore the Supreme Lord;

There, devotion becomes form — visible, tangible, and filled with Presence.

|| oṁ namaḥ śivāya ||

I bow to the Lord of all beings

ॐ वन्दे देव उमापतिं सुरगुरुं वन्दे जगत्कारणम् ।

वन्दे पन्नगभूषणं मृगधरं वन्दे पशूनां पतिम् ॥

वन्दे सूर्य शशांक वह्नि नयनं वन्दे मुकुन्दप्रियम् ।

वन्दे भक्त जनाश्रयं च वरदं वन्दे शिवंशंकरम् ॥

Om, I bow to the divine Lord Shiva, consort of Uma, the Guru of the gods.

I bow to the cause of the universe.

I bow to the one adorned with serpents, the wearer of the tiger skin.

I bow to the Lord of all beings.

I bow to the one whose eyes blaze like the sun, moon, and fire.

I bow to the beloved of Vishnu.

I bow to the Refuge of devotees and the Giver of blessings.

I bow to Lord Shiva, the auspicious Shankara.

~Traditional Prayer~

Hymn to Rudra Kapardin

This hymn attributed to Maharishi Atri Bhauma belongs to the early Vedic stratum that venerates Rudra as both terrifying and beneficent—the “Destroyer of heroes” whose arrows bring disease and the end of all things great, yet who also carries “healing remedies most precious.” The poet pleads for the God’s favor and protection for people, animals, and the settlement, revealing the ancient understanding of divine power as ambivalent: to be feared, yet also the sole source of well-being when rightly propitiated. This Rudra, like the serene Śiva of later theology, already contains the seeds of transformation, as His destructive energy (Śakti) is recognized as inseparable from healing and renewal.

In later Śaiva thought, especially within Purāṇic and Siddhāntic traditions, the dipoles between Rudra’s wrath and grace evolves into a philosophy of divine duality—Śiva as both the Destroyer of ignorance and the Giver of liberation. This hymn thus marks the beginning of the shift from propitiating a formidable power to embracing Him as the inner Lord and Protector. Through this early meditation, we glimpse the emergence of the Śaiva vision of auspiciousness born from awe.

Maharishi Atri Bhauma meditates on Rudra-Shiva

---om---

These thoughts we offer to Rudra, the powerful, 

the matted-haired ascetic, the destroyer of heroes; 

may he grant peace to beings with two legs and four, 

and make all that thrives within this settlement flourish and untroubled.

Be gracious to us, Rudra; make us happy.

We bow to you, the destroyer of heroes, with our homage.

That welfare and favor which our ancestor Manu once desired,

may we experience through your guiding protection, O Rudra.

May we attain your favor, O Rudra of great might, through our divine offering.

Bring our people into harmony and strength,

and grant that our men may live unharmed;

accept this offering from us.

We call upon the fierce Rudra, master of the sacrifice,

the wise and unbending Lord, for help.

Let the divine anger stand far from us;

we choose instead your gracious favor, your kindly mind.

We call with reverence upon Rudra, the red one of the sky, 

the matted-haired, whose form is radiant;

holding in his hand healing remedies most precious—

may he bestow on us shelter, protection, and defense.

This word is spoken to the father of the Maruts—

sweeter than the sweet—a hymn to Rudra for increase.

Grant us, O deathless one, mortal sustenance in due measure;

be gracious to our life, to our children and descendants.

Harm not our great ones nor our little ones,

strike not him who rears the herd nor him who is born to it.

Do not slay our father nor our mother;

O Rudra, do not injure our dear bodies.

Do not harm our sons, our children, or our lifespan;

do not wound our cattle or our horses.

O Rudra, in your might, do not strike down our warriors.

We who make offerings call to you always for help.

Like a herdsman guarding his cattle, I have brought praises to you;

grant us, father of the Maruts, your goodwill.

For your disposition is auspicious and most gracious;

therefore we choose you as our protector and friend.

Keep far from us your arrow that kills the cow and the man,

O mighty Rudra, may your favor be upon us.

Be gracious to us; speak kindly, O God,

and grant us shelter and wide protection.

We have declared our homage to him, the helper;

may Rudra, companion of the Maruts, hear our call.

And may Mitra, Varuṇa, Aditi, the River, the Earth, and the Sky

not harm us — may they protect us in friendship.

Ṛgveda (Śākala Saṃhitā) I.114.1-11 

- Composed by Maharishi Atri Bhauma

Inner Essence of the Liṅga

Previously, we have examined the term Śivopaniṣad and all its connotations. While it may connote multiple ancient esoteric texts, there is only one text with this proper name. As mentioned in the earlier post, the Śivopaniṣad proper comes from the Shivadharma Corpus of texts. The Śivopaniṣad is not a Vedic Upaniṣad; it is an Āgamic teaching canonized in the Upaniṣadic idiom. Today, we read from the translated second chapter of the Śivopaniṣad entitled "Inner Essence of the Liṅga" (liṅgāyatana / liṅga-garbha adhyāya). The text needs no commentary and anyone who reads it can sense the beauty and profundity of the teaching. 

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The Chapter on the Inner Essence of the Liṅga

śivopaniṣad – adhyāya 2 (liṅgāyatana / liṅga-garbha adhyāya)

Within the primordial Liṅga there abides an embryo composed of the three gunas; that embryo—so called—bestows every perfection and attainment.

From that embryo proceed creation and maintenance of the world; from the Liṅga alone arise the causes of origination and dissolution of all.

Therefore all beings exist because of the Liṅga, and all powers and perfections are established within the Liṅga.

The Liṅga, united with the three qualities—sattva, rajas, tamas—endowed with knowledge and power, is that through which the Divine Lord creates, preserves, and withdraws the universe.

From the Liṅga the entire universe, moving and unmoving, is pervaded; in the Liṅga all has its foundation—the Liṅga is the cause of everything.

Therefore all the categories arose from the Liṅga—the five elements, the subtle essences, the senses, and their qualities.

The Liṅga is declared to be of the nature of Śiva himself, embodying creation, preservation, and dissolution, endowed with knowledge-power and united with all saktis.

Within the Liṅga shine the vital breath and the life-winds, the mind, the intellect, the sense of “I,” and knowledge—indeed, all is established in the Liṅga.

Having installed the Liṅga in the heart and meditated with unwavering devotion to the Lord, there the yogin beholds Śiva—tranquil and stainless.

He should meditate on the pure, supreme Liṅga of Śiva pervading the body; absorbed in that awareness, he attains the union called Śiva-yoga.

He who thus truly knows the eternal Liṅga within the body is freed from all sin and abides in the sanctuary of Śiva.

The all-pervading Liṅga is the Lord himself, the Self of Śiva; whoever worships that Liṅga constantly attains the supreme goal.

Within the Liṅga dwell all the Devas and every being, moving or unmoving; in it all is established—for the Liṅga is the highest destination.

The Liṅga is vast and boundless, the flawless Self of Śiva; within it there is neither bondage nor release, neither sorrow nor joy.

Therefore the Liṅga, eternal Śiva, beginningless and endless, is the one Truth, supreme Bliss, all-pervading and pure.

Those devoted to Śiva, disciplined in knowledge and austerity and masters of their senses, are released from every sin and reach the state identical with Brahman.

The Liṅga is declared the root of all principles; therefore it is the supreme knowledge—by knowing it one becomes free.

The Liṅga, ever established in the heart, is of the nature of reality, knowledge, and bliss; those absorbed in meditation upon it—the yogins—attain liberation.

Nothing exists beyond the Liṅga, nothing equal to it in greatness; itself is the cause of all beings—the Supreme Lord (Parameśvara).

In the Liṅga are gathered the vital airs situated within the body; there they are dissolved again by yogins intent on liberation.

The Liṅga, abiding in the middle of the heart and resembling a form of light, is seen by yogins through intelligence united with meditation.

He who, placing all his thoughts within that Liṅga and contemplating it at the end of his body, remembers the inner Liṅga attains the supreme state.

Approaching the Liṅga in the heart and withdrawing the vital breaths with the mind, the yogin absorbed in meditation attains union with Śiva.

He should meditate upon the eternal Lord as the Liṅga both within the body and without; external worship is good, but internal meditation is superior.

Meditating on the Liṅga within the heart, he should perform outer worship; placing the outer Liṅga within his heart, the man should always meditate on Śiva.

He who conceives the Liṅga as of the form of knowledge within his heart, his sins—earthly, watery, and all others—are destroyed.

He who truly perceives the Liṅga as beyond inner and outer distinctions, his liberation is in his grasp, and he rejoices in the world of Śiva.

He who, established in Śiva-knowledge, always meditates on the Liṅga becomes freed from all sins and attains the universal state.

That Liṅga which is all-pervading and established in all beings—meditating on that alone with the mind, giving up everything else, one becomes happy.

Meditating on the Liṅga, pure and made of knowledge, all-pervading and flawless, a man should direct himself to the supreme peace of Śiva-yoga.

He should contemplate the Liṅga conjoined with the body as the Supreme Lord; knowing that ever abiding in the heart, he is freed.

The Liṅga, divine and of the nature of Śiva, is the cause of all worlds; the wise one who truly knows this attains liberation.

That Liṅga in which all exists has neither sight, nor sound, nor touch, nor taste—I bow to that transcendent Liṅga.

He who, knowing the Liṅga, remains steadfast in all states—such a soul, abandoning the body, is glorified in the world of Śiva.

Meditating on the Liṅga established in the heart, one is released from all sin; whoever contemplates it truly attains Brahman-knowledge (brahma-jnāna).

As the whole world stands within the Liṅga as water in a vessel, therefore this is the supreme knowledge—by knowing it one is freed.

Whoever listens, meditates, or recites this Liṅga-Garbha with concentration, his sin is destroyed; thus one should hear the teaching of the Liṅga-Garbha.

Thus the supreme and auspicious secret of the Liṅga-Garbha has been declared; whoever understands this attains union (sayujya) with Śiva.

Śivopaniṣad II.1-38. 

Translated from the Sanskrit original. 

OM Namah Śivāya!