Uttara Kanda

Chapter 108: The Rudrashtakam: the guru's hymn to Shiva

9 verses · 108 of 130

What happens in this chapter

The Rudrashtakam: the guru's hymn to Shiva

To soften Shiva's curse on his pupil, the Ujjain brahmin sings the Rudrashtakam, which Kakbhushundi recites to Garuda. He bows to Ishana, formless and beyond the gunas, root of Om, beyond speech and knowledge, death to Death itself. He praises the snow-white form with Ganga in the locks and serpents at the throat. Until men worship Uma's lord, he sings, they find no peace; I know no yoga, japa or worship, only that I bow to you. The closing shloka says Shambhu is pleased with whoever recites it. Shiva, moved, asks the brahmin to choose a boon. He asks first for bhakti, then for mercy: the soul errs under the Lord's own maya, so let the curse turn soon into grace.

108.छं॰ 1Chhand

नमामीशमीशान निर्वाणरूपं । विंभुं ब्यापकं ब्रह्म वेदस्वरूपं ।
निजं निर्गुणं निर्विकल्पं निरींह । चिदाकाशमाकाशवासं भजेऽहं ॥
निराकारमोंकारमूलं तुरीयं । गिरा ग्यान गोतीतमीशं गिरीशं ।
करालं महाकाल कालं कृपालं । गुणागार संसारपारं नतोऽहं ॥

namāmīśamīśāna nirvāṇarūpaṃ | viṃbhuṃ byāpakaṃ brahma vedasvarūpaṃ |
nijaṃ nirguṇaṃ nirvikalpaṃ nirīṃha | cidākāśamākāśavāsaṃ bhaje'haṃ ||
nirākāramoṃkāramūlaṃ turīyaṃ | girā gyāna gotītamīśaṃ girīśaṃ |
karālaṃ mahākāla kālaṃ kṛpālaṃ | guṇāgāra saṃsārapāraṃ nato'haṃ ||

108.छं॰ 2Chhand

तुषाराद्रि संकाश गौरं गभीरं । मनोभूत कोटि प्रभा श्री शरीरं ।
स्फुरन्मौलि कल्लोलिनी चारु गङ्गा । लसद्भालबालेन्दु कण्ठे भुजङ्गा ॥
चलत्कुण्डलं भ्रू सुनेत्रं विशालं । प्रसन्नाननं नीलकंठं दयालं ।
मृगाधीशचर्माम्बरं मुण्डमालं । प्रियं शंकरं सर्वनाथं भजामि ॥

tuṣārādri saṃkāśa gauraṃ gabhīraṃ | manobhūta koṭi prabhā śrī śarīraṃ |
sphuranmauli kallolinī cāru gaṅgā | lasadbhālabālendu kaṇṭhe bhujaṅgā ||
calatkuṇḍalaṃ bhrū sunetraṃ viśālaṃ | prasannānanaṃ nīlakaṃṭhaṃ dayālaṃ |
mṛgādhīśacarmāmbaraṃ muṇḍamālaṃ | priyaṃ śaṃkaraṃ sarvanāthaṃ bhajāmi ||

108.छं॰ 3Chhand

प्रचंडं प्रकृष्टं प्रगल्भं परेशं । अखण्डं अजं भानुकोटिप्रकाशं ।
त्रयःशूल निर्मूलनं शूलपाणिं । भजेऽहं भवानीपतिं भावगम्यं ॥
कलातीत कल्याण कल्पान्तकारी । सदा सज्जनान्ददाता पुरारी ।
चिदानंदसंदोह मोहापहारी । प्रसीद प्रसीद प्रभो मन्मथारी ॥

pracaṃḍaṃ prakṛṣṭaṃ pragalbhaṃ pareśaṃ | akhaṇḍaṃ ajaṃ bhānukoṭiprakāśaṃ |
trayaḥśūla nirmūlanaṃ śūlapāṇiṃ | bhaje'haṃ bhavānīpatiṃ bhāvagamyaṃ ||
kalātīta kalyāṇa kalpāntakārī | sadā sajjanāndadātā purārī |
cidānaṃdasaṃdoha mohāpahārī | prasīda prasīda prabho manmathārī ||

108.छं॰ 4Chhand

न यावद् उमानाथ पादारविन्दं । भजंतीह लोके परे वा नराणां ।
न तावत्सुखं शान्ति सन्तापनाशं । प्रसीद प्रभो सर्वभूताधिवासं ॥
न जानामि योगं जपं नैव पूजां । नतोऽहं सदा सर्वदा शम्भु तुभ्यं ।
जरा जन्म दुःखौघ तातप्यमानं । प्रभो पाहि आपन्नमामीश शंभो ॥

na yāvad umānātha pādāravindaṃ | bhajaṃtīha loke pare vā narāṇāṃ |
na tāvatsukhaṃ śānti santāpanāśaṃ | prasīda prabho sarvabhūtādhivāsaṃ ||
na jānāmi yogaṃ japaṃ naiva pūjāṃ | nato'haṃ sadā sarvadā śambhu tubhyaṃ |
jarā janma duḥkhaugha tātapyamānaṃ | prabho pāhi āpannamāmīśa śaṃbho ||

108.श्लो॰ 9

रुद्राष्टकमिदं प्रोक्तं विप्रेण हरतोषये ।
ये पठन्ति नरा भक्त्या तेषां शम्भुः प्रसीदति ॥

rudrāṣṭakamidaṃ proktaṃ vipreṇa haratoṣaye |
ye paṭhanti narā bhaktyā teṣāṃ śambhuḥ prasīdati ||

दो॰ 108 (क)Doha

सुनि बिनती सर्बग्य सिव, देखि ब्रिप्र अनुराग ।
पुनि मन्दिर नभबानी, भइ द्विजबर बर मागु ॥

suni binatī sarbagya siva, dekhi bripra anurāga |
puni mandira nabhabānī, bhai dvijabara bara māgu ||

दो॰ 108 (ख)Doha

जौँ प्रसन्न प्रभु मो पर, नाथ दीन पर नेहु ।
निज पद भगति देइ प्रभु, पुनि दूसर बर देहु ॥

jaum̐ prasanna prabhu mo para, nātha dīna para nehu |
nija pada bhagati dei prabhu, puni dūsara bara dehu ||

दो॰ 108 (ग)Doha

तव माया बस जीव जड़, सन्तत फिरइ भुलान ।
तेहि पर क्रोध न करिअ, प्रभु कृपा सिन्धु भगवान ॥

tava māyā basa jīva jar̤a, santata phirai bhulāna |
tehi para krodha na karia, prabhu kṛpā sindhu bhagavāna ||

दो॰ 108 (घ)Doha

सङ्कर दीनदयाल अब, एहि पर होहु कृपाल ।
साप अनुग्रह होइ जेहिं, नाथ थोरेहीं काल ॥

saṅkara dīnadayāla aba, ehi para hohu kṛpāla |
sāpa anugraha hoi jehiṃ, nātha thorehīṃ kāla ||

Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0