A Hymn to Shiva

शिवस्तोत्रम्।▶

ॐ नमः शिवाय।▶

निखिलभुवनजन्मस्थेमभङ्गप्ररोहाः अकलितमहिमानः कल्पिता यत्र तस्मिन्। सुविमलगगनाभे ईशसंस्थेऽप्यनीशे मम भवतु भवेऽस्मिन् भासुरो भावबन्धः॥▶

Salutation to Shiva! whose glory Is immeasurable, who resembles sky In clearness, to whom are attributed The phenomena of all creation, The preservation and dissolution Of the universe! May the devotion, The burning devotion of this my life Attach itself to Him, to Shiva, who, While being Lord of all, transcends Himself.▶

निहतनिखिलमोहेऽधीशता यत्र रूढा प्रकटितपरप्रेम्णा यो महादेवसंज्ञः। अशिथिलपरिरंभः प्रेमरूपस्य यस्य प्रणयति हृदि विश्वं व्याजमात्रं विभुत्वम्॥▶

In whom Lordship is ever established, Who causes annihilation of delusion, Whose most surpassing love, made manifest, Has crowned Him with a name above all names, The name of "Mahâdeva", the Great God! Whose warm embrace, of Love personified, Displays, within man's heart, that all power Is but a semblance and a passing show,▶

वहति विपुलवातः पूर्वसंस्काररूपः प्रमथति बलवृन्दं धूर्णितेवोर्मिमाला। प्रचलति खलु युग्मं युष्मदस्मत्प्रतीतं अतिविकलितरूपं नौमि चित्तं शिवस्थम्॥▶

In which the tempest of the whole past blows, Past Samskâras, (The accumulated effects of past desires and actions) stirring the energies With violence, like water lashed to waves; In which the dual consciousness of "I" and "Thou" Plays on: I salute that mind unstable, Centred in Shiva, the abode of calm!▶

जनकजनितभावो वृत्तयः संस्कृताश्च अगणनबहुरूपो यत्र एको यथार्थः। शामितविकृतिवाते यत्र नान्तर्बहिश्च तमहह हरमीडे चित्तवृत्तेर्निरोधम्॥▶

Where the ideas of parent and produced, Purified thoughts and endless varied forms, Merge in the Real one; where the existence ends Of such conceptions as "within", "without" — The wind of modification being stilled — That Hara I worship, the suppression Of movements of the mind. Shiva I hail!▶

गलिततिमिरमालः शुभ्रतेजःप्रकाशः धवलकमलशोभः ज्ञानपुञ्जाट्टहासः। यमिजनहृदिगम्यः निष्कलं ध्यायमानः प्रणतमवतु मां स मानसो राजहंसः॥▶

From whom all gloom and darkness have dispersed That radiant Light, white, beautiful As bloom of lotus white is beautiful; Whose laughter loud sheds knowledge luminous; Who, by undivided meditation, Is realised in the self-controlled heart: May that Lordly Swan of the limpid lake Of my mind, guard me, prostrate before Him!▶

दुरितदलनदक्षं दक्षजादत्तदोषं कलितकलिकलङ्कं कम्रकह्लारकान्तं। परहितकरणाय प्राणविच्छेदसूत्कं नतनयननियुक्तं नीलकण्ठं नमामः॥▶

Him, the Master-remover of evil, Who wipes the dark stain of this Iron Age; Whom Daksha's Daughter gave Her coveted hand; Who, like the charming water-lily white, Is beautiful; who is ready ever To part with life for others' good, whose gaze Is on the humble fixed; whose neck is blue (Nilkantha, a name of Shiva) With the poison (The all-destructive evil) swallowed: Him, we salute!▶