Chapter 21 - Eulogy of Lord Śiva

Sūta said:

1-3. Thereafter keeping Brahmā in front, the Garuḍa-emblemed deity Viṣṇu recited the hymn to lord Siva, containing his past, present and future names as enjoined by the Vedas.

Viṣṇu said:

Obeisance to you, O deity of holy rites, of infinite splendour, the overlord of the field (kṣetra), the sower of the seed, the trident-bearer, of excellent penis deserving worship, the staffholder and of dry and arid semen.

4. Obeisance to the eldest, the excellent, the foremost and the first; Obeisance to one who is worthy of honour and worship. Obeisance to Sadyojāta.

5. Obeisance to the unfathomable and the lord of jīvas (personal souls). Obeisance to the naked and the lord of all created- beings.

6. Obeisance to the lord of the Vedas, the Smṛtis and the lord of activities, charities and substances.

7. Obeisance to the lord of Yoga and Sāṅkhya. Obeisance to the lord of the sages who are bound together by the Polar Star.

8. Obeisance to you, the lord of stars and planets; obeisance to the lord of thundering sound of lightning, thunderbolt and clouds.

9. Obeisance to the lord of great oceans and their islands. Obeisance to the lord of mountains and continents.

10. Obeisance to the lord of the rivers and rivulets, to the lord of medicinal herbs and plantations.

11. Obeisance to the cause of Dharma, piety and righteousness, to the lord of maintenance (of all created beings), to the lord of Pārvatī and her eternal associate.

12. Obeisance to the lord of ‘rasas’, jewels, and the units of time.

13. Obeisance to the lord of day, night, fortnights and months; Obeisance to you, the lord of seasons and the lord of number.

14 Obeisance to the lord of ‘aparārdha’ (half of Brahmā’s age) Obeisance to the lord of Parārdha (the other half of Brahmā’s age); Obeisance to the lord of Purāṇas and to the lord of creation.

15- 17. Obeisance to the lord of the Vyantaras, of yoga, and of fourfold creation. Obeisance to one of infinite vision; to the lord of all occupations that have sprung up from the beginning of kalpa (that is creation itself). Obeisance to the lord of the universe and to the overlord of Brahmā. Obeisance to the source of origin of sacred lores and to the overlord of holy rites.

18- 19. Obeisance to the source of origin and the overlord of mantras, pitṛs and the individual souls. Obeisance to you, the deity of righteous speech, the ancient bull and the lord of souls. Obeisance to the deity who has Nandin, the leader of cows and bulls, as his banner.

20. Obeisance to the lord of Prajāpatis, to the lord of the Siddhas, to die lord of daityas, dānavas and rākṣasas.

21. Obeisance to the lord of gandharvas, yakṣas, garuḍa. snakes, serpents and birds.

22. Obeisance to the overlord of the guhyas and piśācas, to Gokarṇa, to the protector, to Saṅkukarṇa (one whose ears resemble the pike).

23. Obeisance to the incomprehensible varāha(boar); to the star bear, devoid of rajas, the lord of Devas and asuras and gaṇas.

24. Obeisance to the lord of the waters; the lord of refulgence; the lord of Lakṣmī (glory and splendour) and the lord of the earth.

25. Obeisance to one who unifies the strong and the weak; to the agitator who cannot be excited; to the bull (Nandi) who has a single illuminated horn; and a huge hump.

26. Obeisance to one who is stable in the body; to one enveloped in halo; to one who represents the past, future and present.

27. Obeisance to the brilliant and virile, to the heroic and the unconquered, to the bestower of boons, to the best of persons of great soul.

28. Obeisance to mahat (the first evolute of Prakṛti) in all its 3 stages, past, present and future;^[1] obeisance to you representing the people; to penance, to the bestower of boons.

29. Obeisance to the minute as well as the great; to the all-pervading lord. Obeisance to bondage and liberation; to heaven and hell.

30. Obeisance to lord Śiva, who is worthy of worship. Obeisance to the sacrifice, and to the deity of effulgent brilliance. Obeisance to the principle beyond all attributes.

31- 32. Obeisance to the noose, to the weapon, to one equipped with missiles as ornaments; to one who is the material for sacrifice; to one invoked; to one who partakes of what is offered in the sacrifice; to one who does desirable acts; to one who does acts of charity, such as digging wells; to the brahmin performing agniṣṭoma; to the member of the assembly; to one who does the sacrificial ablution after giving rewards to the sacrifices.

33. Obeisance to one refraining from violence, to one devoid of temptations, to one who is a redeemer of souls (Jīvas), to one who bestows nourishment, to one who habitually represents and practises good conduct.

34-35. Obeisance to one who represents the past, future and present. Obeisance to the brilliant and virile, to the heroic and the unconquered, to the bestower of boons and to the best of persons of great soul. Obeisance to ‘mahat’ the first evolute of Prakṛti in all its three stages: past, present and future. Obeisance to one without a fear.

36. Obeisance to the ever young, of golden form, the bestower of boons, the lower, the upper and the lord of the sleepers-on.

37-38. Obeisance to the wearer of garlands, to the enjoyer of objects through the vehicle of sense-organs. Obeisance to one representing the Universe, to one who is universe-formed and to one with heads, hands and feet all round. Obeisance to Rudra the unsurpassed. Obeisance to one who receives offerings poured into the fire. Obeisance to one who represents fire that carries oblations to the gods.

39. Obeisance to the holy one who has all attainments. Obeisance to the sacrifice and to one devoted to the sacrifice, to one who is a good warrior, to one of terrible aspect and to one who agitates persons who cannot be easily excited.

40. Obeisance to one of good progeny, to one of good intellect and to one who is the brilliant sun. Obeisance to the enlightened, pure and all-pervasive and to one who is contemplated on by all.

41. Obeisance to one who is both gross and subtle, to one who is both visible as well as invisible. Obeisance to one who showers and blazes, and who is both the wind and the winter.

42. Obeisance to you, of curly hairs, of great chest and tuft, of golden colour, or resembling gold.

43. Obeisance to one who has odd eyes, to one assuming the form of Liṅga, to one of tawny colour, to one of great prowess and to the destroyer of rain, to one of gentle eyes.

44. Obeisance to one of brown, white, black, red, tawny and yellow colours. Obeisance to one who is possessed of a quiver.

45. Obeisance to you, marked and not marked by special traits; Obeisance to one worthy of worship and adornment, Obeisance to one who is a suitable patron.

46. Obeisance to one befitting welfare. Obeisance to the elderly one. Obeisance to one favourably disposed. Obeisance to one representing the past, to the truthful one. Obeisance to one who is both true and untrue.

47-48. Obeisance to one of lotus colour, to the destroyer of death, the lord of death, to one of white, dark, tawny and red colours and to one having the colour of a charmingly brilliant cloud at dusk, to one initiated, to one having lotus-like hands; to one without garments and to one with matted hair.

49-50. Obeisance to one without magnitude; to one identical with all; to the unchanging and immortal one; to one who represents colour and smell; to the eternal and to the uninjured one; to the huge one in front; to one. without illusions; to one full and satisfied; to one difficult of access; to one representing anger and to the tawny coloured one.

51. Obeisance to one whose physical body is capable of being known and (at the same time) not known; obeisance to the powerful, to the brave; and the speedy one; obeisance to the deity behind sandy soil and behind current of water; to one stationed, extended and stretched,

52. Obeisance to you the intelligent potter; obeisance to you, with the crescent Moon on the forehead. Obeisance to the wonderful one of variegated dress and colours and of the form of intellect.

53. Obeisance to one, of great consciousness and alertness; obeisance to you, the most satisfied one and the best bestower of favours; obeisance to the forbearing one, to one having selfcontrol; and to one of adamantine body.

54- 55. Obeisance to the destroyer of the Rākṣasas, to the dispeller of poisons, to the bright-necked one and to one who is above anger. Obeisance to the all consuming God of Death; and to one holding sharp weapons, to one endowed with great joy, to one with great gaiety, to one comprehensible only to the ascetics; to one devoid of ailments, to one identical with all and to the great god of Death.

56. Obeisance to Praṇava; to the lord of Praṇava; to the destroyer of Bhaganetra; to the hunter of deer; to the diligent one and to the destroyer of Dakṣa’s sacrifice.

57. Obeisance to one, the soul of all creatures, to one who excels all lords, to the destroyer of the Puras, to one having good weapons and to one having bow and axe.

58. Obeisance to one who destroyed Pūṣadanta and Bhaganetra; to the bestower of desires; to the excellent one; to one who burnt the body of Kama.

59. Obeisance to one of terrible face in the battlefield; to one having face of a great elephant; obeisance to the lord who destroyed the Daityas and to one who caused distress to the Daityas.

60. Obeisance to the destroyer of snow; to the severe one; to one wearing wet hide; to one having perpetual interest in the cremation ground; to one holding the fire-brand.

61. Obeisance to you the protector of lives; to the wearer of skulls and to one surrounded by care-free goblins of different classes.

62. Obeisance to one having male-cum-female body; to one who pleases the Goddess; to one having matted hair; to one having tonsured head and to one having the serpent for sacred thread.

63. Obeisance to one the habitual dancer, to one fond of dance and music, to the lord of anger, to one practising music and to one who is sung about by the sages.

64. Obeisance to one in the form of a lion, to one of sharp nature, to one both pleasing and not pleasing, to the horrifying and the terrible one, to the suppressor of Bhaga demon.

65. Obeisance to one praised and sung about by the enlightened souls. Obeisance to the highly blessed, to one who laughs boisterously, who roars like a lion and who flaps and blows.

66. Obeisance to one who roars and jumps; obeisance to the joyous soul, to the benevolent, to one who breathes, runs and controls all.

67. Obeisance to one who meditates, yawns, cries, runs, gallops and sports about; to one who has a protruding belly.

68. Obeisance to one who has functions and no functions to perform, to one who has a thousand heads, to one who is poor or miserly, to one who has an impassioned body, to one who has small anklet-bells.

69. Obeisance to one of deformed dress; to the ruthless and unforgiving; to one who cannot be measured; to the protector; to the illuminated and devoid of attributes.

70. Obeisance to one fond of the elegant, to the beautiful, to one adorned with a crest-jewel, to the minutest of the minute and to one who cannot be measured or known by qualities.

71-74. Obeisance to one possessed of good qualities; to the secret one, to one who goes to impassable places. This earth is the mother of worlds. Your feet are resorted to by good men. Your belly, the support of all Siddhis, contains the wide firmament bedecked in clusters of stars. Just like the galaxy of stars the glorious necklace shines on your chest. To you, the ten quarters are the ten arms bedecked in shoulderlets and bracelets. Your neck has great girth and extent; it is comparable to the blue collyrium; it is adorned with golden threads.

75. Your face is irrepressible; it is terrible due to the curved fangs; it is incomparable. Your head which is heaven itself shines all the more with its turban of lotus garlands.

76-81. Refulgence in the sun, brilliance in the moon, firmness in the mountains, strength in the wind, heat in the fire, chilliness in the waters and sound in the firmament—the wise know these qualities to be due to the internal throbbing of the imperishable lord.

The following names of lord Śiva are to be used for Japa, viz.—Mahādeva, Mahāyoga, Maheśvara, Puriśaya (lying in the city of mind), Guhāvāsin (dweller in the cave), Khecara (moving about in the sky), Rajanicara (walking at night), Taponidhi (storehouse of penance), Guhaguru (Sire of Guha), Nandana (delighter), Nandavardhana (the increaser of delight), Hayaśīrṣa (horse-necked), Payodhātā (yielder of milk), Vidhātā (dispenser of justice), Bhūtabhāvana (activiser of living beings), Boddhavya (the object of knowledge), Bodhitā (the subject of knowledge) Netā (leader), Durdharṣa (invincible), Duṣprakampana (unshakeable), Bṛhadratha (having a great chariot), Bhīmakarman (of terrible activities) Bṛhatkīrti (of great fame), Dhanañjaya (conqueror of wealth), Ghaṇṭāpriya (fond of bells), Dhvajin (one with a banner), Chatrin (one with an umbrella), Pinākin (bearer of the bow Pināka), Dhvajanīpati (Lord of the army) Kavacin, (having armour), Paṭṭiśin (having the iron club), Khaḍgin (having sword), Dhanurhasta (having the bow in the hand), Paraśvadhin (having the axe), Aghasmara (non-destroyer), Anagha (sinless), Śūra (heroic), Devarāja (king of Devals), Arimardana (Supressor of enemies).

82-83. Formerly, after propitiating you the enemies were slain by us in the battle. You are a submarine fire. Not satiated by drinking all the waters of the ocean, you are infuriated in form, but delighted within. You are the bestower of desires; you can go as you wish; you are fond (of us); you are the celibate religious student. You are unfathomable and favourably disposed towards the Brahmins; you are adored by the society.

84. You have made sacrifice the everlasting treasure of the Devas. The fire-god bears to you the offering, as mentioned in the Vedas O supreme lord, if you are pleased we too become pleased.

85. You are the lord of Pārvatī, you are beginningless. At the time of first creation you are Brahmā, the maker of worlds. The followers of the Sāṃkhya system realise you as one beyond prakṛti and at the close of meditation they enter you, devoid of death.

86. Those who meditate on you, understand you as perpetual siddha through yoga and then eschew those yogas. Those enlightened persons who resort to you through their actions enjoy divine bliss.

87. The greatness of yours has been glorified in accordance with what we know according to our capacity. Your reality and principles cannot be enumerated; you are the supreme soul who cannot be easily crossed.

88-91. Be auspicious towards us everywhere. As you are so you are; obeisance be to you.

Sūta said:

He who recites this prayer by Brahmā and Viṣṇu, he who narrates this to the brahmins, or he who listens to this with concentration shall obtain that benefit which one attains after performing ten thousand horse sacrifices. Even a man of sinful activity who listens to this in the temple of Siva or respects this will be liberated and will live in Brahmā’s world. He who recites this at the time of śrāddha or a divine rite or during sacrifice or during the sacred ablution or in the midst of good men reaches the proximity of Brahmā.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The 26b, 27 and 28a are repeated in 34 and 35 of this Chapter.