Description of Brahma's Hymn of Praise to Shiva

Verse 1 (skanda.5.171.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। समातृभिर्भूतगणश्च घोरैर्वृतः समन्तात्स ननर्त शूली। गजेन्द्रचर्मावरणे वसानः संहर्तुकामश्च जगत्समस्तम्॥

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| samātṛbhirbhūtagaṇaśca ghorairvṛtaḥ samantātsa nanarta śūlī| gajendracarmāvaraṇe vasānaḥ saṁhartukāmaśca jagatsamastam||

Sri Markandeya said: Surrounded on every side by the Mothers and the terrible hosts of ghosts, that trident-bearer danced, clad in an elephant-hide covering, desiring to destroy the whole world.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.171.2)

महेश्वरः सर्वसुरेश्वराणां मन्त्रैरनेकेखबद्धमाली। मेदोवसारक्तविचर्चिताङ्गस्त्रैलोक्यदाहे प्रणनर्त शम्भुः॥

maheśvaraḥ sarvasureśvarāṇāṁ mantrairanekekhabaddhamālī| medovasāraktavicarcitāṅgastrailokyadāhe praṇanarta śambhuḥ||

Maheshvara, garlanded and bound with the many mantras of all the lords of gods, his limbs smeared with fat, marrow, and blood, Shambhu danced in the burning of the three worlds.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.171.3)

स कालरात्र्या सहितो महात्मा काले त्रिलोकीं सकलां जहार। संवर्तकाख्यः सहभानुभावः शम्भुर्महात्मा जगतो वरिष्ठः॥

sa kālarātryā sahito mahātmā kāle trilokīṁ sakalāṁ jahāra| saṁvartakākhyaḥ sahabhānubhāvaḥ śambhurmahātmā jagato variṣṭhaḥ||

That great soul, together with Kalaratri, in time seized the entire triple world; called Samvartaka, of blazing splendor, Shambhu, the great soul, the most excellent of the world,

Verse 4 (skanda.5.171.4)

स विस्फुलिङ्गोत्करधूममिश्रं महोल्कवज्राशनिवाततुल्यम्। ततोऽट्टहासं प्रमुमोच घोरं विवृत्य वक्त्रं वडवामुखाभम्॥

sa visphuliṅgotkaradhūmamiśraṁ maholkavajrāśanivātatulyam| tato'ṭṭahāsaṁ pramumoca ghoraṁ vivṛtya vaktraṁ vaḍavāmukhābham||

let loose a terrible laughter, mixed with showers of sparks and smoke, like a great meteor, thunderbolt, and mighty wind, opening wide his mouth, resembling the submarine fire.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.171.5)

सहस्रवज्राशनिसंनिभेन तेनाट्टहासेन हरोद्गतेन। आपूरितास्तत्र दिशो दशैव संक्षोभिताः सर्वमहार्णवाश्च॥

sahasravajrāśanisaṁnibhena tenāṭṭahāsena harodgatena| āpūritāstatra diśo daśaiva saṁkṣobhitāḥ sarvamahārṇavāśca||

By that laughter, issuing from Hara, resembling a thousand thunderbolts, the ten directions there were filled, and all the great oceans were shaken.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.171.6)

स ब्रह्मलोकं प्रजगाम शब्दो ब्रह्माण्डभाण्डं प्रचचाल सर्वम्। किमेतदित्याकुलचेतनास्ते वित्रस्तरूपा ऋषयो बभूवुः॥

sa brahmalokaṁ prajagāma śabdo brahmāṇḍabhāṇḍaṁ pracacāla sarvam| kimetadityākulacetanāste vitrastarūpā ṛṣayo babhūvuḥ||

That sound reached Brahmaloka; the entire vessel of the cosmic egg trembled. 'What is this?' — thinking so, their minds troubled, the sages became terrified in form.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.171.7)

प्रणम्य सर्वे सहसैव भीता ब्रह्माणमूचुः परमेश्वरेशम्। भीताश्च सर्वे ऋषयस्ततस्ते सुरासुरैश्चैव महोरगैश्च॥

praṇamya sarve sahasaiva bhītā brahmāṇamūcuḥ parameśvareśam| bhītāśca sarve ṛṣayastataste surāsuraiścaiva mahoragaiśca||

All of them, suddenly frightened, bowing, spoke to Brahma, the supreme lord; and all those sages, frightened, together with the gods, asuras, and great serpents,

Verse 8 (skanda.5.171.8)

विद्युत्प्रभाभासुरभीषणाङ्गः क एष चिक्रीडति भूतलस्थः। कालानलं गात्रमिदं दधानो यस्याट्टहासेन जगद्विमूढम्॥

vidyutprabhābhāsurabhīṣaṇāṅgaḥ ka eṣa cikrīḍati bhūtalasthaḥ| kālānalaṁ gātramidaṁ dadhāno yasyāṭṭahāsena jagadvimūḍham||

'Who is this, of terrifying form, radiant as the splendor of lightning, sporting there upon the earth, bearing this body that is like the fire of Time itself — by whose laughter the world has become bewildered?'

Verse 9 (skanda.5.171.9)

वित्रस्तरूपं प्रबभौ क्षणेन संहर्तुमिच्छेत्किमयं त्रिलोकीम्। सार्धं त्वया सप्तभिरर्णकैश्च जनस्तपः सत्यमभिप्रयाति॥

vitrastarūpaṁ prababhau kṣaṇena saṁhartumicchetkimayaṁ trilokīm| sārdhaṁ tvayā saptabhirarṇakaiśca janastapaḥ satyamabhiprayāti||

'Its form terrified, it shone forth in an instant. Does he wish to destroy the triple world, together with you and the seven oceans, driving Janaloka toward Tapoloka and Satyaloka?'

Verse 10 (skanda.5.171.10)

संहर्तुकामो हि क एष देव एतत्समस्तं कथयाप्रमेय। न दृष्टमेतद्विषमं कदापि जानासि तत्त्वं परमो मतो नः॥

saṁhartukāmo hi ka eṣa deva etatsamastaṁ kathayāprameya| na dṛṣṭametadviṣamaṁ kadāpi jānāsi tattvaṁ paramo mato naḥ||

'Who indeed, O god, is this one desirous of destroying? Tell us all this, O immeasurable one; never before has this terrible thing been seen. You know the truth — you are held by us to be the highest.'

Verse 11 (skanda.5.171.11)

निशम्य तद्वाक्यमथाबभाषे ब्रह्मा समाश्वास्य सुरादिसङ्घान्॥

niśamya tadvākyamathābabhāṣe brahmā samāśvāsya surādisaṅghān||

Hearing that speech, Brahma then spoke, reassuring the hosts of gods and the rest:

Verse 12 (skanda.5.171.12)

श्रीब्रह्मोवाच। स एष कालस्त्रिदिवं त्वशेषं संहर्तुकामो जगदक्षयात्मा। पूर्णे च शेते परिवत्सराणां भविष्यतीशानविभुर्न चित्रम्॥

śrībrahmovāca| sa eṣa kālastridivaṁ tvaśeṣaṁ saṁhartukāmo jagadakṣayātmā| pūrṇe ca śete parivatsarāṇāṁ bhaviṣyatīśānavibhurna citram||

Sri Brahma said: 'This is that Time, desirous of destroying the entire triple heaven — the imperishable self of the world. When the full cycle of years is completed, and he sleeps, Ishana, the all-pervading Lord, will again come to be — this is no wonder.'

Verse 13 (skanda.5.171.13)

संवत्सरोऽयं परिवत्सरश्च उद्वत्सरो वत्सर एष देवः। दृष्टोऽप्यदृष्टः प्रहुतः प्रकाशी स्थूलश्च सूक्ष्मः परमाणुरेषः॥

saṁvatsaro'yaṁ parivatsaraśca udvatsaro vatsara eṣa devaḥ| dṛṣṭo'pyadṛṣṭaḥ prahutaḥ prakāśī sthūlaśca sūkṣmaḥ paramāṇureṣaḥ||

'This god is the Samvatsara, the Parivatsara, the Udvatsara, and the Vatsara; seen yet unseen, invoked yet self-luminous; he is the gross, and the subtle, and this very atom.'

Verse 14 (skanda.5.171.14)

नातः परं किंचिदिहास्ति लोके परापरोऽयं प्रभुरात्मवादी। तुष्येत मे कालसमानरूप इत्येवमुक्त्वा भगवान्सुरेशः॥

nātaḥ paraṁ kiṁcidihāsti loke parāparo'yaṁ prabhurātmavādī| tuṣyeta me kālasamānarūpa ityevamuktvā bhagavānsureśaḥ||

'There is nothing higher than this in this world; this Lord, transcending both the higher and lower, is the proclaimer of the Self. May he, of a form equal to Time, be pleased with me' — having spoken thus, the Blessed Lord of the gods,

Verse 15 (skanda.5.171.15)

सनत्कुमारप्रमुखैः समेतः संतोषयामास ततो यतात्मा॥

sanatkumārapramukhaiḥ sametaḥ saṁtoṣayāmāsa tato yatātmā||

—together with Sanatkumara and the others foremost among them, self-controlled, then set about to please him.

Verse 16 (skanda.5.171.16)

ब्रह्मोवाच। नमोऽस्तु सर्वाय सुशान्तमूर्ताये ह्यघोररूपाय नमोनमस्ते। सर्वात्मने सर्व नमोनमस्ते महात्मने भूतपते नमस्ते॥

brahmovāca| namo'stu sarvāya suśāntamūrtāye hyaghorarūpāya namonamaste| sarvātmane sarva namonamaste mahātmane bhūtapate namaste||

Brahma said: 'Salutation to the All, to the one of most tranquil form; salutation, salutation to you of the non-terrible form. Salutation, salutation to you, O Self of all, O All; salutation to you, O great soul, O lord of beings.'

Verse 17 (skanda.5.171.17)

ओङ्कार हुङ्कारपरिष्कृताय स्वधावषट्कार नमोनमस्ते। गुणत्रयेशाय महेश्वराय ते त्रयीमयाय त्रिगुणात्मने नमः॥

oṅkāra huṅkārapariṣkṛtāya svadhāvaṣaṭkāra namonamaste| guṇatrayeśāya maheśvarāya te trayīmayāya triguṇātmane namaḥ||

'Salutation, salutation to you, adorned with Om and Hum, invoked with Svadha and Vashat; salutation to you, O Maheshvara, lord of the three gunas, consisting of the Vedic triad, whose self is the three gunas.'

Verse 18 (skanda.5.171.18)

त्वं शङ्करत्वं हि महेश्वरोऽसि प्रधानमग्र्यं त्वमसि प्रविष्टः। त्वं विष्णुरीशः प्रपितामहश्च त्वं सप्तजिह्वस्त्वमनन्तजिह्वः॥

tvaṁ śaṅkaratvaṁ hi maheśvaro'si pradhānamagryaṁ tvamasi praviṣṭaḥ| tvaṁ viṣṇurīśaḥ prapitāmahaśca tvaṁ saptajihvastvamanantajihvaḥ||

'You are Shankara, you are indeed Maheshvara; you have entered as the foremost, primary principle. You are Vishnu, the Lord, and the great-grandfather too; you are the seven-tongued fire, you are the infinitely-tongued.'

Verse 19 (skanda.5.171.19)

स्रष्टासि सृष्टिश्च विभो त्वमेव विश्वस्य वेद्यं च परं निधानम्। आहुर्द्विजा वेदविदो वरेण्यं परात्परस्त्वं परतः परोऽसि॥

sraṣṭāsi sṛṣṭiśca vibho tvameva viśvasya vedyaṁ ca paraṁ nidhānam| āhurdvijā vedavido vareṇyaṁ parātparastvaṁ parataḥ paro'si||

'You alone, O all-pervading one, are the creator and the creation; you are the object of knowledge of the universe, and its supreme treasury. The twice-born, knowers of the Veda, call you the most excellent; you are higher than the highest, beyond the beyond.'

Verse 20 (skanda.5.171.20)

सूक्ष्मातिसूक्ष्मं प्रवदन्ति यच्च वाचो निवर्तन्ति मनो यतश्च॥

sūkṣmātisūkṣmaṁ pravadanti yacca vāco nivartanti mano yataśca||

'That which they declare to be subtler than the subtlest, from which words turn back, and the mind too turns back, unable to grasp it.'

Verse 21 (skanda.5.171.21)

श्रीमहादेव उवाच। त्वया स्तुतोऽहं विविधैश्च मन्त्रैः पुष्णामि शान्तिं तव पद्मयोने। ईक्षस्व मां लोकमिमं ज्वलन्तं वक्त्रैरनेकैः प्रसभं हरन्तम्॥

śrīmahādeva uvāca| tvayā stuto'haṁ vividhaiśca mantraiḥ puṣṇāmi śāntiṁ tava padmayone| īkṣasva māṁ lokamimaṁ jvalantaṁ vaktrairanekaiḥ prasabhaṁ harantam||

Sri Mahadeva said: 'Praised by you with various mantras, I grant you peace, O lotus-born one. Behold me, blazing, forcibly seizing this world with my many mouths.'

Verse 22 (skanda.5.171.22)

एवमुक्त्वा स देवेशो देव्या सह जगत्पतिः। पितामहं समाश्वास्य तत्रैवान्तरधीयत॥

evamuktvā sa deveśo devyā saha jagatpatiḥ| pitāmahaṁ samāśvāsya tatraivāntaradhīyata||

Having thus spoken, that lord of gods, the lord of the world, together with the goddess, having reassured the Grandsire, vanished right there.

Verse 23 (skanda.5.171.23)

इदं महत्पुण्यतमं वरिष्ठं स्तोत्रं निशम्येह गतिं लभन्ते। पापैरनेकैः परिवेष्टिता ये प्रयान्ति रुद्रं विमलैर्विमानैः॥

idaṁ mahatpuṇyatamaṁ variṣṭhaṁ stotraṁ niśamyeha gatiṁ labhante| pāpairanekaiḥ pariveṣṭitā ye prayānti rudraṁ vimalairvimānaiḥ||

Hearing this greatest, most excellent, most holy hymn, even those encompassed by many sins obtain a good destiny here; they go to Rudra in stainless celestial cars.

Verse 24 (skanda.5.171.24)

भयं च तेषां न भवेत्कदाचित्पठन्ति ये तात इदं द्विजाग्र्याः। सङ्ग्रामचौराग्निवने तथाब्धौ तेषां शिवस्त्राति न संशयोऽत्र॥

bhayaṁ ca teṣāṁ na bhavetkadācitpaṭhanti ye tāta idaṁ dvijāgryāḥ| saṅgrāmacaurāgnivane tathābdhau teṣāṁ śivastrāti na saṁśayo'tra||

O son, fear never comes to those foremost of brahmins who recite this — in battle, from thieves, fire, forest, or ocean, Shiva protects them; of this there is no doubt.