Chapter 15 - Song of Prayer addressed to Śiva and Śivā

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Vāyu said:—

1. When the creation of Brahmā did not multiply Brahmā thought of creation by the process of sexual intercourse.

2. Since the race of women had not emanated from the lord formerly, Brahmā could not produce creation through sexual intercourse.

3. Then he finally resolved that the lord should be asked in respect of multiplying the subjects.

4. Thinking that without his grace the subjects will not increase, Brahmā began to perform penance.

5-7. His primordial eternal Śakti is subtle, pure, pleasant and intelligible only through piety; it is devoid of attributes, unsullied, unramified unruffled, perpetual and it ever remains with Īśvara. Thus Brahmā pondered over the lord and his great Śakti and performed penance.

8. Ere long the lord was pleased with Brahmā who was endowed with severe penance.

9. Becoming half-female^[1] after introducing certain parts into a certain image, the lord himself came there.

10-15. On seeing the lord, Brahmā eulogised him as well as the goddess, with hymns full of subtle meaning—the lord who is beyond darkness, is eternal, without a second, incomprehensible, invisible to the libertine, the creator, overlord, endowed with the creative power, who is beyond arguments, has no fallacious appearance, is immeasurable, unaging, stable, unmoving, devoid of attributes, quiescent, possessed of infinity, omnipresent, bestower of boons, devoid of difference between the Existent and the non-Existent, incomparable, worthy of being sought refuge and permanent. He prostrated before him and then stood up with palms joined with reverence. He eulogised him with faith and humility by means of hymns of subtle, sweet, refined and pious meanings that explained the Vedic texts.

Brahmā said:—

16. O lord, be victorious. O Īśvara, O Maheśvara, splendid with attributes, be victorious.

17. O auspicious goddess, O heroine of Prakṛti and the one beyond Prakṛti and naturally beautiful, be victorious.

18. O lord of fruitful Māyā, of fruitful will, of great sports and of fruitful strength, be victorious.

19. O mother of the universe, O goddess identical with the universe, O creator and companion of the universe, be victorious.

20. Be victorious, O lord of eternal prosperity and permanent abode. Be victorious, O lord of eternal form. Be victorious, O lord of permanent devotees.

21. Be victorious O creatress, protectress, annihilatress and the heroine of the three Ātmans.

22. Be victorious, O lord ready to survey, enlarge the universe. Be victorious, O lord from whose terrible glance rises the fire that consumes all the worlds.

23. Be victorious, O goddess incomprehensible to the gods and others, O goddess that shinest brilliantly with your subtle vision. Be victorious,'O goddess the part of the gross Śakti of the Ātman. Be victorious, O goddess pervading the mobile and immobile beings.

24. Be victorious. O lord merging various principles of the universe into one. Be victorious, O lord the groups of whose followers have stepped on the heads of Asùras.

23. Be victorious, O goddess affording protection to those who resort to you. Be victorious, O goddess who uproot the spirits of the poisonous tree of worldly existence.

26. Be victorious, O lord enhancing prosperity, prowess and heroism. Be victorious, O lord, stationed beyond the universe, O lord who hast quelled the might of the enemies.

27. Be victorious, O immortal lord who hast laid the rite of “five objects.” Be victorious, O goddess having the form of the hymn with the knowledge of the “five objects.”

28. Be victorious, O lord, the physician par excellence for the great suffering of the terrible worldly existence. Be victorious, O goddess the moon-light for the layers of darkness of ignorance, the primordial dirt.

29. Be victorious, O black fire that consumed the Tripuras. Be victorious, O goddess Tripurabhairavī. Be victorious, O lord devoid of three attributes. Be victorious P goddess, the possessor of three attributes.

30. Be victorious, O omniscient one. Be victorious, O goddess enlightening every one. Be victorious O lord having prolific divine limbs. Be victorious, O goddess bestowing all desires.

31. O lord, where is your great splendour and where the worthless words of ours. Still O lord, forgive me that babble but with devotion.

32. After eulogising with these and similar hymns the four-faced lord, the creator of the universe bowed again and again to Rudra and Rudrāṇī.

33. This holy and excellent hymn “Ardhanārīśvara Stotra” uttered by Brahma enhances the delight of Śiva and Śivā.

34. He who recites this with devotion or teaches to anyone whatsoever reaps the fruit thereof as a result of the pleasure of Śiva and Śivā.

35. I bow to Śiva and Śivā the sanctifiers of living beings in the entire universe; the couple whose bodies are devoid of birth and death and who have taken the bodies of an excellent man and a youthful maiden.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See P. 1075 note.