Kriyadaxo daxah kratupatiradhishastanubhritam
Rishhinamartvijyam sharanada sadasyah sura-ganah
Kratubhranshastvattah kratuphala-vidhana-vyasaninah
Dhruvam kartum shraddha vidhuramabhicharaya hi makhah 21
All the same,O Protector though you exert to reward all sacrifices those
Done without faith in you become counter-productive, as exemplified in the
Case of the sacrifice performed by daksha; daksha was well-versed in the
Art of sacrifices and himself the Lord of Creation; besides, he was the
Chief performer: the great maharishis were the priests and the various gods
Were the participants! (daksha did not invite Shiva and insulted him
Greatly; thus enraged, Shiva destroyed the sacrifice and daksha
Too) (21)
Prajanatham natha prasabhamabhikam svam duhitaram
Gatam rohidh bhuutam riramayishhumrishhyasya vapushha
Dhanushhpaneryatam divamapi sapatrakritamamum
Trasantam teadyapi tyajati na mrigavyadharabhasah 22
O, Protector! Once Brahma became infatuated with his own daughter When she
Fled taking the form of a female deer he also took the form of a male deer
And chased her you took the form of a hunter and went after him, with a
Bow in hand Struck by your arrow and very much frightened, Brahma fled to
The sky taking the form of a star Even today he stands frightened by
You (22)
Svalavanyashansa dhritadhanushhamahnaya trinavath
Purah plushhtam drishhtva puramathana pushhpayudhamapi
Yadi strainam devi yamanirata-dehardha-ghatanath
Avaiti tvamaddha bata varada mugdha yuvatayah 23
O, destroyer of the three cities! Boon-giver! Practitioner of austerities!
Before the very eyes of Parvati, you reduced manmatha (the god of love) to
Ashes,the moment he tried to arouse passion in you for Parvati, by
Shooting his famous flower arrows Even after witnessing this, if Parvati,
Thinks that you are attracted by her physical charm, on the basis of your
Sharing half the body with her, certainly women are under self-
Delusion (23)
Shmashaneshhvakrida smarahara pishachah sahacharaah
Chita-bhasmalepah sragapi nrikaroti-parikarah
Amangalyam shilam tava bhavatu namaivamakhilam
Tathapi smartrinam varada paramam mangalamasi 24
O,boon giver! O,destroyer of Cupid! You play in the burning ghats your
friends are the ghosts your body is smeared with the ashes of the dead
bodies your garland is of human skulls Every aspect of your character is
thus inauspicious Let it be It does not matter Because, with all these
known oddness, you are quick to grant all auspicious things to the people
who just think of you (It is interesting to note here that in his devi
aparaadha kshamapana stotra Shankaracharya says that,despite his poor and
deficient possessions,Shiva got the power to grant boons entirely because
of his having taken the hand of Parvathi in marriage; in the
previous shloka, Pushhpadanta calls it naive on the part of Parvati, if she
thinks that Shiva is attracted by her charm simply because he is sharing
half the body with herthis dichotomy etc is due to the custom that when a
particular lord is to be extolled, the other gods are to be belittled to
some extent) (24)
Manah pratyakh chitte savidhamavidhayatta-marutah
Prahrishhyadromanah pramada-salilotsangati-drishah
Yadalokyahladam hrada iva nimajyamritamaye
Dadhatyantastattvam kimapi yaminastath kila bhavanh 25
The great yogis regulate their breath, control and still their mind, look
inward and enjoy the bliss with their hair standing on edge and eyes filled
with tears of joy It looks as though they are immersed in nectar that
bliss which they see in their heart and exult thus, is verily
You yourself! (25)
Tvamarkastvam somastvamasi pavanastvam hutavahah
Tvamapastvam vyoma tvamu dharaniratma tvamiti cha
Parichchhinnamevam tvayi parinata bibhrati giram
Na vidmastattattvam vayamiha tu yath tvam na bhavasi 26
You are the sun, the moon, the air, the fire, the water, the
sky(ether/space), and the earth (the five elements or `bhuta’s) you are
the Self which is omnipresent thus people describe in words every
attribute as yours On the other hand, I do not know any fundamental
principle or thing or substance, which you are not! (26)
Trayim tisro vrittistribhuvanamatho trinapi suranh
Akaradyairvarnaistribhirabhidadhath tirnavikriti
Turiyam te dhama dhvanibhiravarundhanamanubhih
Samasta-vyastam tvam sharanada grinatyomiti padamh 27
O, grantor of refuge and protection! The word `Om’ consists of the three
letters `a’, `u’ and `m’ It refers to the three Vedas(rik, yajuh and
Sama), the three states (Jaagrath, Swapna, and sushhupti-awakened,
dreaming and sleeping),the three worlds(Bhuh, bhuvah and suvah) and the
three gods (Brahma, Vishhnu amd mahesha)It refers to you yourself both
through the individual letters as well as collectively; in the latter form
(ie the total word `Om’) it refers to your omnipresent absolute nature,
as the fourth state of existence ie `turiyam’ (sleep-like yet awakened and
alert state, as a fully- drawn bow) (27)
Bhavah sharvo rudrah pashupatirathograh sahamahanh
Tatha bhimeshanaviti yadabhidhanashhtakamidamh
Amushhminh pratyekam pravicharati deva shrutirapi
Priyayasmaidhamne pranihita-namasyoasmi bhavate 28
I salute you as the dear abode of the following 8 names:bhava, sharva,
Rudra, pashupati, ugra, sahamahanh, bhiima, and Ishaana; the `Vedas’ also
discusses individually about these names (28)
Namo nedishhthaya priyadava davishhthaya cha namah
Namah xodishhthaya smarahara mahishhthaya cha namah
Namo varshhishhthaya trinayana yavishhthaya cha namah
Namah sarvasmai te tadidamatisarvaya cha namah 29
O, destroyer of Cupid! O, the three-eyed one! Salutations to you, who is
the forest-lover, the nearest and the farthest; the minutest and the
biggest, the oldest and the youngest; salutations to you who is everything
and beyond everything! (29)
Bahula-rajase vishvotpattau bhavaya namo namah
Prabala-tamase tath samhare haraya namo namah
Jana-sukhakrite sattvodriktau mridaya namo namah
Pramahasi pade nistraigunye shivaya namo namah 30
Salutations to you in the name of’bhava’ in as much as you create the world by
taking the `rajas’ as the dominant quality; salutations to you in the name
of `hara’ in as much as you destroy the world by taking the `tamas’ as the
dominant quality; salutations to you in the name of `mrida’, in as much as
you maintain and protect the world by taking `satva’ as the dominant
quality again salutations to you in the name of Shiva in as much as you are
beyond the above-mentioned three qualities and are the seat of the supreme
bliss (30)
Krisha-parinati-chetah kleshavashyam kva chedam
Kva cha tava guna-simollanghini shashvadriddhih
Iti chakitamamandikritya mam bhaktiradhadh
Varada charanayoste vakya-pushhpopaharamh 31
O, boon-giver! I was very perplexed to sing your praise considering my
little awareness and afflicted mind vis-a-vis your ever increasing
limitless quality; however, my devotion to you made me set aside this
diffidence and place these floral lines at your feet (31)
Asita-giri-samam syath kajjalam sindhu-patre
Sura-taruvara-shakha lekhani patramurvi
Likhati yadi grihitvaa sharada sarvakalam
Tadapi tava gunanamisha param na yati 32
O, great master! Even, if one were to assume that the blue mountain , the
ocean, the heavenly tree and the earth are the ink,the ink-pot, the pen and
the paper respectively and the goddess of learning (Saraswati) herself is
the writer,she will not be able to reach the frontiers of your
greatness,however long she were to write! (32)
Asura-sura-munindrairarchitasyendu-mauleh
Grathita-gunamahimno nirgunasyeshvarasya
Sakala-gana-varishhthah pushhpadantabhidhanah
Ruchiramalaghuvrittaih stotrametachchakara 33
The best one among all groups(gandharva?), Pushhpadanta by name, composed
this charming hymn in none too short metres, in praise of the great lord
who wears the moon in his head(Shiva), who is worshipped and glorified by
all demons, gods and sages and who is beyond all attributes and
forms (33)
Aharaharanavadyam dhurjateh stotrametath
Pathati paramabhaktya shuddha-chittah pumanh yah
Sa bhavati shivaloke rudratulyastathaatra
Prachuratara-dhanayuh putravanh kirtimanshcha 34
Whoever reads this faultless hymn of Shiva daily, with pure mind and great
devotion, ultimately reaches Shiva’s domain and becomes equal to him; in
this world, he is endowed with children, great wealth,
long life and fame (34)
Maheshannaparo devo mahimno napara stutih
Aghorannaparo mantro nasti tattvam guroh paramh 35
There is no god higher than mahesha; there is no hymn better than this one
There is no `mantra’ greater than `Om’ and there is no truth or principle
beyond one’s teacher/spiritual guide (35)
Dixa danam tapastirtham gyanam yagadikah kriyah
Mahimnastava pathasya kalam narhanti shhodashimh 36
Initiation(into spiritual development), charity, penance,
pilgrimage,spiritual knowledge and religious acts like sacrifices are not
capable of yielding even one-sixteenth of the return that will result from
the reading of this hymn (36)
Kusumadashana-nama sarva-gandharva-rajah
Shashidharavara-maulerdevadevasya dasah
Sa khalu nija-mahimno bhrashhta evasya roshhath
Stavanamidamakarshhidh divya-divyam mahimnah 37
Kusumadanta(equivalent of Pushhpadanta) was the king of all gandharvas and
he was a devotee of the Lord of lords, Shiva, who wears the baby moon (with
a few digits only) in his head he fell from his glorious position due to
Shiva’s wrath at his misconduct It was then that the gandharva composed
this hymn which is the most divine (37)
Suragurumabhipujya svarga-moxaika-hetum
Pathati yadi manushhyah prajnjalirnanya-chetah
Vrajati shiva-samipam kinnaraih stuyamanah
Stavanamidamamogham pushhpadantapranitamh 38
If an aspirant for heaven and liberation, worships Shiva,the teacher of
Gods, at first and then reads this unfailing hymn, composed by
Pushhpadanta, with folded hands and single-mindedness, he attains Shiva’s
abode, being praised by `kinnaras'(a group of semi-gods known for their
singing talent) (38)
Asamaptamidam stotram punyam gandharva-bhashhitamh
Anaupamyam manohari sarvamishvaravarnanamh 39
Here ends this meritorious,charming and incomparable hymn, uttered by the
Gandharva, all in description of the great master (39)
Ityeshha vanmayi puja shrimachchhankara-padayoh
Arpita tena deveshah priyatam me sadaashivah 40
Thus, this worship in the form of words, is dedicated at the feet of Shri
Shankara; may the ever-auspicious lord of the gods be
pleased with this (40)
Tava tattvam na janami kidrishoasi maheshvara
Yadrishoasi mahadeva tadrishaya namo namah 41
I do not know the truth of your nature and how you are O, great god! My
salutations are to that nature of yours of which you really are (41)
Ekakalam dvikalam va trikalam yah pathennarah
Sarvapapa-vinirmuktah shiva loke mahiyate 42
Whoever reads this once, twice or thrice (in a day) revels in the domain of
Shiva, bereft of all sins (42)
Shri pushhpadanta-mukha-pankaja-nirgatena
Stotrena kilbishha-harena hara-priyena
Kanthasthitena pathitena samaahitena
Suprinito bhavati bhutapatirmaheshah 43
This hymn which is dear to Shiva, has emerged out of the lotus-like mouth
Of Pushhpadanta and is capable of removing all sins may the lord of all
Beings become greatly pleased with anyone who has learnt this by heart
and/or reads or recalls this with single-mindedness! (43)
Iti Sri Pushhpadanta virachitam Shiva Mahima stotram samaptam
