The Supremacy of Hearing, Chanting and Remembrance

Verse 1 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.1)

मुनय ऊचुः । मननं कीदृशं ब्रह्मञ्छ्रवणं चापि कीदृशम् । कीर्तनं वा कथं तस्य कीर्तयैतद्यथायथम्

munaya ūcuḥ mananaṁ kīdṛśaṁ brahmañchravaṇaṁ cāpi kīdṛśam kīrtanaṁ vā kathaṁ tasya kīrtayaitadyathāyatham

The sages said: O Brahman, what manner of thing is contemplation? And what manner of thing is hearing? And how does one praise him? Tell us all this in its true nature.

Verse 2 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.2)

ब्रह्मोवाच । पूजाजपेशगुणरूपविलासनाम्नां युक्तिप्रियेण मनसा परिशोधनं यत् । तत्सन्ततं मननमीश्वरदृष्टिलभ्यं सर्वेषु साधनवरेष्वपि मुख्यमुख्यम्

brahmovaca pūjājapeśaguṇarūpavilāsanāmnāṁ yuktipriyeṇa manasā pariśodhanaṁ yat tatsaṁtataṁ mananamīśvaradṛṣṭilabhyaṁ sarveṣu sādhanavareṣvapi mukhyamukhyam

Brahma said: That continual purifying reflection — carried out with a mind fond of right reasoning — upon the names bound to Shiva's worship, japa, qualities, form and play,

Verse 3 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.3)

गीतात्मना श्रुतिपदेन च भाषया वा शम्भुप्रतापगुणरूपविलासनाम्नाम् । वाचा स्फुटं तु रसवत् स्तवनं यदस्य तत्कीर्तनं भवति साधनमत्र मध्यम्

gītātmanā śrutipadena ca bhāṣayā vā śaṁbhupratāpaguṇarūpavilāsanāmnām vācā sphuṭaṁ tu rasavatstavanaṁ yadasya tatkīrtanaṁ bhavati sā dhanamatra madhyam

that is contemplation, attainable only through the Lord's own grace, and foremost even among all excellent means. To sing, with one's own voice — whether in the words of the Shrutis or in ordinary speech — of the names bound to Shambhu's majesty, qualities, form and play,

Verse 4 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.4)

येनापि केन करणेन च शब्दपुञ्जं यत्र क्वचिच्छिवपरं श्रवणेन्द्रियेण । स्त्रीकेलिवद् दृढतरं प्रणिधीयते यत् तद्वै बुधाः श्रवणमत्र जगत्प्रसिद्धम्

yenāpi kena karaṇena ca śabdapuṁjaṁ yatra kvacicchivaparaṁ śravaṇeṁdriyeṇa strīkelivaddṛḍhataraṁ praṇidhīyate yattadvai budhāḥ śravaṇamatra jagatprasiddham

with clear speech, full of feeling — that is his praise, holding the middle place among the means. Whatever workings of the ear's faculty catch, anywhere, a cluster of words bearing on Shiva,

Verse 5 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.5)

सत्सङ्गमेन भवति श्रवणं पुरस्तात् सङ्कीर्तनं पशुपतेरथ तद् दृढं स्यात् । सर्वोत्तमं भवति तन्मननं तदन्ते सर्वं हि सम्भवति शङ्करदृष्टिपाते

satsaṁgamena bhavati śravaṇaṁ purastātsaṁkīrtanaṁ paśupateratha taddṛḍhaṁ syāt sarvottamaṁ bhavati tanmananaṁ tadaṁte sarvaṁ hi saṁbhavati śaṁkaradṛṣṭipāte

and is held in the mind as firmly as a lover's embrace — that, the wise declare, is hearing, well known in this world. Through the company of the good, hearing comes first; then comes the praise of the Lord of creatures, which grows firmer still than that,

Verse 6 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.6)

सूत उवाच । अस्मिन् साधनमाहात्म्ये पुरा वृत्तं मुनीश्वराः । युष्मदर्थं प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणुध्वमवधानतः

sūta uvāca asminsādhanamāhatmye purā vṛttaṁ munīśvarāḥ yuṣmadarthaṁ pravakṣyāmi śṛṇudhvamavadhānataḥ

and at the end, contemplation is the very best of all, at whose culmination everything is attained the moment Shankara's glance falls upon one. Suta said: O lords among sages, I shall now tell you what once happened, showing the greatness of this means — listen with full attention.

Verse 7 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.7)

पुरा मम गुरुर्व्यासः पराशरमुनेः सुतः । तपश्चचार सम्भ्रान्तः सरस्वत्यास्तटे शुभे

purā mama gururvyāsaḥ parāśaramuneḥ sutaḥ tapaścacāra saṁbhrāṁtaḥ sarasvatyāstaṭe śubhe

Long ago, my guru Vyasa, the son of the sage Parashara, took up austerities in distress upon the sacred bank of the Sarasvati.

Verse 8 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.8)

गच्छन् यदृच्छया तत्र विमानेनार्करोचिषा । सनत्कुमारो भगवान् ददर्श मम देशिकम्

gacchanyadṛchayā tatra vimānenārkarociṣā sanatkumāro bhagavāndadarśa mama deśikam

There, by chance, going along in a chariot radiant as the sun, the illustrious Sanatkumara caught sight of my teacher.

Verse 9 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.9)

ध्यानारूढः प्रबुद्धोऽसौ ददर्श तमजात्मजम् । प्रणिपत्याह सम्भ्रान्तः परं कौतूहलं मुनिः

dhyānārūḍhaḥ prabuddho 'sau dadarśa tamajātmajam praṇipatyāha saṁbhrāṁtaḥ paraṁ kautūhalaṁ muniḥ

That unborn son of Brahma, absorbed in meditation, roused himself and looked upon the sage; and the sage, bowing with the greatest wonder, put this question —

Verse 10 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.10)

दत्त्वार्घ्यमस्मै प्रददौ देवयोग्यं च विष्टरम् । प्रसन्नः प्राह तं प्रह्वं प्रभुर्गम्भीरया गिरा

dattvārghyamasmai pradadau devayogyaṁ ca viṣṭiram prasannaḥ prāha taṁ prahvaṁ prabhurgaṁbhīrayā girā

Having offered him arghya and a seat fit for the gods, the Lord, well pleased, spoke to that humble sage in a voice deep and grave.

Verse 11 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.11)

सनत्कुमार उवाच सत्यं वस्तु मुने दध्याः साक्षात्करणगोचरः । स शिवोऽथ सहायोऽत्र तपश्चरसि किङ्कृते

sanatkumāra uvāca satyaṁ vastu mune dadhyāḥ sākṣātkaraṇagocaraḥ sa śivothāsahāyotra tapaścarasi kiṁ kṛte

Sanatkumara said: O sage, tell me the truth of it, whatever falls within direct experience — for what purpose, even without any aid, do you undertake this austerity toward Shiva here?

Verse 12 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.12)

एवमुक्तः कुमारेण प्रोवाच स्वाशयं मुनिः । धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाश्च वेदमार्गे कृतादराः

evamuktaḥ kumāreṇa provāca svāśayaṁ muniḥ dharmārthakāmamokṣāśca vedamārge kṛtādarāḥ

Thus questioned by Kumara, the sage told him his intent: "Dharma, artha, kama and moksha I have, out of reverence for the path of the Veda,

Verse 13 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.13)

बहुधा स्थापिता लोके मया त्वत्कृपया तथा । एवं भूतस्य मेऽप्येवं गुरुभूतस्य सर्वतः

bahudhā sthāpitā loke mayā tvatkṛpayā tathā evaṁ bhutasya mepyevaṁ gurubhūtasya sarvataḥ

established in this world in many ways — through your grace alone. And yet, though I have become the teacher of all in this way,

Verse 14 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.14)

मुक्तिसाधनकं ज्ञानं नोदेति परमाद्भुतम् । तपश्चरामि मुक्त्यर्थं न जाने तत्र कारणम्

muktisādhanakaṁ jñānaṁ nodeti paramādbhutam tapaścarāmi muktyarthaṁ na jāne tatra kāraṇam

that wondrous knowledge which is the means to liberation does not arise in me; I perform austerities for the sake of liberation, but I do not know the reason why it eludes me."

Verse 15 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.15)

इत्थं कुमारो भगवान् व्यासेन मुनिनार्थितः । समर्थः प्राह विप्रेन्द्रा निश्चयं मुक्तिकारणम्

itthaṁ kumāro bhagavān vyāsena muninārthitaḥ samarthaḥ prāha vipreṁdrā niścayaṁ muktikāraṇam

Thus entreated by the sage Vyasa, the mighty and illustrious Kumara, O foremost brahmins, declared the certain cause of liberation —

Verse 16 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.16)

श्रवणं कीर्तनं शम्भोर्मननं च महत्तरम् । त्रयं साधनमुक्तं च विद्यते वेदसम्मतम्

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ śaṁbhormananaṁ ca mahattaram trayaṁ sādhanamuktaṁ ca vidyate vedasaṁmatam

"Hearing of Shambhu, praising him, and contemplating him — this threefold means is declared the greatest, and is sanctioned by the Veda.

Verse 17 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.17)

पुराहमथ सम्भ्रान्तो ह्यन्यसाधनसम्भ्रमः । अचले मन्दरे शैले तपश्चरणमाचरम्

purāhamatha saṁbhrāṁto hyanyasādhanasaṁbhramaḥ acale maṁdare śaile tapaścaraṇamācaram

I too was once troubled, confused among other means; then I began austerities upon the unmoving mountain Mandara.

Verse 18 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.18)

शिवाज्ञया ततः प्राप्तो भगवान् नन्दिकेश्वरः । स मे दयालुर्भगवान् सर्वसाक्षी गणेश्वरः

śivājñayā tataḥ prāpto bhagavānnandikeśvaraḥ sa me dayālurbhagavānsarvasākṣī gaṇeśvaraḥ

By Shiva's command, the illustrious Nandikeshvara then came there; that compassionate lord, witness of all, the great among Ganas,

Verse 19 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.19)

उवाच मह्यं सस्नेहं मुक्तिसाधनमुत्तमम् । श्रवणं कीर्तनं शम्भोर्मननं वेदसम्मतम्

uvāca mahyaṁ sasnehaṁ muktisādhanamuttamam śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ śaṁbhormananaṁ vedasaṁmatam

told me, out of affection, this supreme means to liberation — the hearing, praising and contemplating of Shambhu, sanctioned by the Veda,

Verse 20 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.20)

त्रिकं च साधनं मुक्तेः शिवेन मम भाषितम् । श्रवणादित्रिकं ब्रह्मन् कुरुष्वेति मुहुर्मुहुः

trikaṁ ca sādhanaṁ muktau śivena mama bhāṣitam śravaṇādiṁ brahmankuruṣveti muhurmuhuḥ

this threefold means for liberation was told to me by Shiva himself — 'O Brahman, practice hearing and the rest again and again,' so he said.

Verse 21 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.21)

एवमुक्त्वा ततो व्यासं सानुगो विधिनन्दनः । जगाम स्वविमानेन पदं परमशोभनम्

evamuktvā tato vyāsaṁ sānugo vidhinaṁdanaḥ jagāma svavimānena padaṁ paramaśobhanam

Having spoken thus to Vyasa, the son of the ordinance [Nandikeshvara], together with his attendants, departed in his own chariot to that most beautiful abode.

Verse 22 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.22)

एवमुक्तं समासेन पूर्ववृत्तान्तमुत्तमम् । ऋषय ऊचुः । श्रवणादित्रयं सूत मुक्त्युपायस्त्वयेरितः

evamuktaṁ samāsena pūrvavṛttāṁtamuttamam ṛṣaya ūcuḥ śravaṇāditrayaṁ sūta muktyopāyastvayeritaḥ

Thus was told, in brief, this excellent story of times past. The sages said: O Suta, you have declared this threefold hearing and the rest to be the means to liberation,

Verse 23 (shiva.vidyeshvara.4.23)

श्रवणादित्रिकेऽशक्तः किं कृत्वा मुच्यते जनः । अयत्नेनैव मुक्तिः स्यात् कर्मणा केन हेतुना

śravaṇāditrike 'śaktaḥ kiṁ kṛtvā mucyate janaḥ ayatnenaiva muktiḥ syātkarmaṇā kena hetunā

but what should one do who is unable to undertake this threefold hearing and the rest — how might such a person be freed? By what cause might liberation come to him even without such effort?