Chapter 82 - Hymn of purification (vyapohana-stava)

Sūta said:

1- 4. I shall now mention the auspicious hymn [vyapohana-stava] that dispels sins and bestows Siddhis. This was at first heard by the noble Kumāra from Nandin and narrated to Vyāsa and from him heard by me with great attention.

Obeisance to Śiva, the pure, the renowned, devoid of impurities; the destroyer of the wicked. Obeisance to Śarva, to Bhava; to the great Ātman. May the omniscient five-faced,^[1] ten-armed^[2] lord possessed of fifteen organs of senses, decked in all ornaments and resembling pure crystal and accompanied by Umā^[3] dispel sins quickly. He is quiescent, all-pervasive stationed above all in the Padmāsana^[4] posture.

5- 8. May Īśāna, Puruṣa, Aghora, Sadya and Vāmadeva dispel sin quickly. May Ananta, the lord of all learning, the omniscient lord who is the bestower of everything and who is richly endowed with meditation on Śiva dispel my sin. May the subtle lord of Devas and Asuras, the lord of the universe, worshipped by Gaṇas and endowed with the sole meditation on Śiva dispel my sin. May the most excellent one among auspicious ones, the great one worthy of worship, the deity engaged in auspicious meditation, the all-pervasive bestower of everything dispel my sin.

9-12. May the single-eyed lord Īśa, engrossed in auspicious worship, the lord richly endowed with meditation on Śiva dispel my sin. May lord Īśa of three forms, the inducer of Śiva’s devotion and richly endowed with meditation on Śiva dispel my sin. May Śrīkaṇṭha the glorious lord of fortune, always engaged in meditation and worship of Śiva, dispel my sin. May the tufted quiescent lord, smeared with ashes from the corpse and the glorious one engaged in the worship of Śiva, dispel my sin.

13-24. May the great goddess directly dispel my sin immediately:—the goddess bowed to by the three worlds, the ancient goddess in the form of a comet, the great goddess, the daughter of Dakṣa, Gaurī, the splendid daughter of the Himavān, Ekaparṇā,^[5] Agrajā,^[6] the gentle one, Ekapāṭalā, Aparṇā, the Goddess who bestows boons, the goddess who is interested only in granting boons, Umā, the destroyer of Asuras, Kauśikī, Kapardinī, Khaṭvāṅgadhāriṇī the Divine lady, one who plucked the sprouts by means of the tip of her hand, one who is surrounded by the four sons Naigameya^[7] and others, the daughter of Menā, goddess born of water, one whose eyes resemble lotuses, one who is the mother of the noble-souled Nandin devoid of sorrow, the companion of Śubhāvatī, Pañcacūḍā, the bestower of boons, the unchanging one who attained the state of Prakṛti for the sake of creation of all living beings; one who pervades everything by means of the twentythree^[8] principles beginning with Mahat; one who is perpetually bowed to by Lakṣmī and other Śaktis; the delighter of Nanda; Manonmanī, one who is fond of embellishing Mahādeva the wielder of Māyās; one who agitates and fascinates the entire universe beginning with Brahmā and consisting of the mobile and immobile beings, by means of her Māyā, one who is stationed in the heart of the yogins; one who is stationed in the world both as one and many; one whose eyes resemble the blue lotus; one who is perpetually eulogised with great devotion by all Devas beginning with the leaders of the Gaṇas, Brahmā, Indra, Yama and Kubera; the mother who on being eulogised destroys all their calamities; the destroyer of the agony of devotees; the elegant one; she who destroys worldliness; the divine deity the bestower of enjoyment of worldly pleasures and liberation on devotees without their effort. [May that great goddess dispel my sin immediately].

25. May Caṇḍa the lord of all the Gaṇas, who came out of the mouth of Siva, the glorious one engaged in the worship of Śiva, dispel my sin.

26-29. May the lord Nandin dispel all sins; Nandin the son of Śālaṅkāyana, originating from the path of the ploughshare, the son-in-law of the Maruts, the lord of all Bhūtas, the all-pervasive, one who has eyes everywhere; the lord who is like the lord of all, may he dispel sins. He is the lord of the three worlds eulogised by Devas including Nārāyaṇa, Indra, moon, sun, Siddhas, Yakṣas, Gandharvas, Bhūtas, the creators of Bhūtas, serpents, sages and the noble-souled Brahmā. He is stationed in the harem of the lord. He is always worshipped by all.

30. May he who has great splendour and strength, he who is like another Mahādeva, the glorious one engaged in the worship of Śiva, dispel my sin.

31-35. May the auspicious elephant-faced deity surrounded by hundreds and crores of Gaṇas and engrossed in the meditation on Śiva dispel my sin. He splits and pierces the ridges and peaks of the Meru, Mandara and Kailāsa; he is worshipped by Airāvata and other divine elephants of the quarters. The seven Pātālas^[9] constitute his feet; the seven continents^[10] his thighs and calves; the seven oceans^[11] his goads; all the holy centres his belly; the firmament his body; the quarters his arms, the moon, sun and fire his eyes; the asuras like the trees are killed by him; he is great and fierce with the Vidyā of the Brahman; He is bound to the pillar of lotus-like hearts of men by Brahmā and others who act as divine mahouts and who are equipped with the ropes of yoga.

36. May the glorious tawny-eyed lord Bhṛṅgin who has a body that has brightened the quarters, and who is engaged in the worship of Śiva dispel my sin.

37-41. May the Śakti-bearing commander-in-chief of the army of Devas, the glorious destroyer of Asuras by means of his four bodies [?], the quiescent peacock-vehicled leader of the armies dispel my sin. May these forms^[12] of Parameṣṭhin dispel my sin, viz.,—Bhava, Śarva, Īśāna, Rudra, Paśupati, Ugra, Bhīma and Mahādeva, who are always engaged in the worship of Śiva. The following parts of his body,^[13] viz.,—Mahādeva, Śiva, Rudra, Śaṅkara, Nīlalohita, Īśāna, Vijaya, Bhīma, Bhavodbhava the lord of Devas, Kapālin and Īśa, who are all engaged in doing obeisance of Śiva. May they dispel my impurity (sin).

42-43. May these twelve Ādityas^[14] dispel my impurity—Vikartana, Vivasvān, Mārtaṇḍa, Bhāskara, Ravi, Lokaprakāśaka (the illuminator of the worlds), Lokasākṣin (the witness of the worlds), Trivikrama, Āditya, Sūrya, Aṃśumān and Divākara.

44-45a. The firmament, wind, fire, water, earth, moon and Atman are mentioned as his cosmic bodies.^[24] May they dispel my sin. May they destroy my fear.

45b-47a. May Vāsava, (Indra) Pāvaka (fire), Yama, Nirṛti, Varuṇa, Vāyu, Soma, Īśāna, Viṣṇu and Brahmā all engaged in meditating on. Śiva dispel my sin committed mentally and physically.

47b-48. May the Maruts (wind-god) Nabhasvān, Sparśana, Vāyu, Anila, Maruta, Prāṇa, Prāṇeśa and Jīveśa, all engaged in the worship of Śiva, dispel my impurities.

49-50. The following are the Cāraṇas highly purified by his worship—Khecarin, Vasucārin, Brahmeśa, Brahmabrahmadhī, Suṣeṇa, Śāśvata, Puṣṭa, Supuṣṭa and Mahābala. May they dispel my impurities and all sins committed by me.

51-52a. May all the Siddhas the worshippers of the feet of Śiva dispel my impurities—Mantrajña, Mantravid, Prājña, Mantrarāṭ, Siddhapūjita, Siddhavatparama and Siddha. They are the bestowers of all Siddhis.

52b-53. May these lords of Yakṣas dispel my impurities—Yakṣa, Yakṣeśa, Dhanada, Jṛmbhaka, Maṇibhadraka, Pūrṇabhadreśvara, Mālin, Kṣitikuṇḍali and Narendra.

54-55. May these who constitute the ornaments in the body of Śiva dispel my sin and all poison mobile and immobile—Ananta, Kulika, Vāsuki, Takṣaka, Karkoṭaka. Mahāpadma, Śaṅkhapāla and Mahābala, all engaged in doing obeisance to Śiva.

56-57a. May the Kinnaras, Vīṇājña, Śūrasena, Pramardana, Atīśaya, Saprayogin and Gītajña, all engaged in adorning Śiva dispel my impurities.

57b-59a. May the Vidyādharas, viz., Vibudha, Vidyarāśi, Vidāmvara, Vibuddha, Vibudha, Kṛtajña, and Mahāyaśas, all engaged in meditating on Śiva, dispel all terrible impurities through the grace of Mahādeva.

59b-62a. May the following noble-souled heroes, all greatly devoted to Mahādeva dispel all fear and the dreadful asura tendency^[15]:—Vāmadeva, Mahājambha, Kālanemi, Mahābala, Sugrīva, Mardaka, Piṅgala, Devamardana, Prahlāda, Anuhlāda, Saṃhlāda, Kila, Bāṣkala, Jambha, Kumbha, Māyāvin, Kārtavīrya and Kṛtañjaya.

62b-64. May the following Garuḍas the vehicles of Viṣṇu, all golden in colour and adorned with various ornaments, dispel my impurity. Garutmān, Khagati, Pakṣirāṭ, Nāgamardana, Nāgaśatru, Hiraṇyāṅga, Vainateya, Prabhañjana, Nāgāśīḥ [Nāgāśis?], Viṣanāśa and Viṣṇuvāhana.

65-66. May these sages who are sanctified by Śiva and who are engaged in His worship, dispel my impurity—Agastya, Vasiṣṭha, Aṅgiras, Bhṛgu, Kaśyapa, Nārada, Dadhīca, Cyavana, Upamanyu and others.

67-68a. May the departed fathers, grand-fathers, great grand-fathers, the Agniṣvāttas, the Barhiṣadas, the maternal grandfathers and others who are devoted to meditation on Śiva dispel my fear and sin.

68b-70. May the divine mothers dispel my impurities, thanks to the grace of the lord of Devas, viz.,—Lakṣmī, Dharaṇī, Gāyatrī, Sarasvatī, Durgā, Uṣā, Śacī, and Jyeṣṭhā, who are all worshipped by Devas, the mothers of Devas, Gaṇas, Bhūtas and the mothers of the Gaṇas wherever they are.

71-73a. May the celestial damsels and the goddesses, engaged in the worship of Śiva dispel my impurities—viz., Urvaśī, Menakā, Rambhā, Rati, Tilottamā, Sumukhī, Durmukhī, Kāmukī, Kāmavardhanī and other divine Apsarases in all the worlds and the goddesses who are highly purified by doing the Tāṇḍava dance for Śiva.

73b-74. May the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rāhu and Ketu (the ascending and descending nodes) dispel all affliction from evil planets.

75-77a. May these twelve Rāśis (signs of zodiac), viz.,—Meṣa, Vṛṣa, Mithuna, Karkaṭaka, Siṃha, Kanyā, Tulā, Vṛścika, Dhanus, Makara, Kumbha and Mīna (i.e., from Aries to Pisces), all engaged in the worship of Śiva, dispel fear and sin through the grace of Parameṣṭhin.

77b-81a. May the goddesses of the twenty-seven lunar mansions always dispel my impurity. They are Aśvinī, Bharaṇī, Kṛttikā, Rohiṇī, Mṛgaśiras, Ārdrā, Punarvasu, Puṣya, Āśleṣā, Maghā, Pūrvaphālgunī, Uttaraphālgunī, Hasta, Citrā, Svātī, Viśākhā, Anurādhā, Jyeṣṭhā, Mūlā, Pūrvāṣāḍhā, Uttarāṣāḍhā, Śravaṇa, Śraviṣṭhā, Śatabhiṣak, Pūrvabhādra, Proṣṭhapadā^[16] and Revatī.

81b-83. May these Pramathas, viz.—Jvara, Kumbhodara, Śaṅkukarṇa, Mahābala, Mahākarṇa, Prabhāta, Mahābhūtapramardana, Śyenajit and Śivadūta, who increase one’s delight as also innumerable mothers of the Bhūtas, dispel my fear and sin through the grace of Mahādeva.

84-85a. May Himavān dispel my sin, who is engaged in the worship of Śiva, who resembles a watery expanse, who has the colour of the Kunda flower and the moon,^[17] who is inimical to the submarine fire and who pierces the face of Vaḍavā.

85b-87. May the lord of bulls (Nandin) dispel my sin; the bull who has four feet, who is grey in colour like the milk ocean, who is always stationed in the world of Rudra along with the Rudras and the leaders of the Gaṇas, who holds the universe, who is the divine father of the entire universe, who is surrounded always by Nandā and other mothers and who is the suppressor of sacrifice.

88. May mother Gaṅgā,^[18] the mother of the universe, stationed in the world of Rudra, a delighted devotee of Śiva, dispel my sin.

89. May Goddess Bhadrā of auspicious position stationed in the world of Śiva, the highly blessed mother of all kine, dispel my sin.

90. May Surabhi, who is auspicious all round, who is the destroyer of all sins and who is always engaged in the worship of Rudra dispel my sin.

91. May Suśīlā of good conduct and glorious position, sanctified by Śiva and stationed in the world of Śiva dispel my sin.

92-95. May Senāpati (Skanda) the son of the lord of Devas dispel my sin. He is conversant with the reality of the teaching in the Vedas and Śāstras; he ponders over all actions, he is richly endowed with all attributes, he is the eldest and the lord of all; he is gentle, and has the body of Mahaviṣṇu, he is the noble commander of the army, he is the mysterious suppressor of sacrifice; he rides on the elephant Airāvata, he has black curly hairs; his limbs are black, his eyes are red; moon and serpent constitute his ornaments; he is surrounded by goblins, ghosts, evil spirits and Kūṣmāṇḍas and he is engaged in the worship of Śiva.

96-97. May all these mothers accompanied by Yoginīs dispel all great sins: Brahmāṇī, Māheśī, Kaumārī, Vaiṣṇavī, Vārāhī, Māhendrī, Cāmuṇḍā and Āgneyikā. They are worshipped by all the worlds and they are pure and attentive.

98-103. Vīrabhadra of great splendour is the son of Rudra. He is the leader of the armies and lord of the Gaṇas. May he dispel sin. He resembles the snow, the Kunda flower and the moon; he is terrible, his great hand closely clinging to the trident. He is omniscient and thousand-armed. He holds all weapons. The three sacrificial fires constitute his eyes. He is the lord, the bestower of fearlessness on the three worlds. He is the permanent protector of the mothers. His vehicle is the great bull. He is glorious and is bowed to by the three worlds. He is engaged in the worship of Śiva. He beheaded Yakṣa;^[19] he destroyed the tooth of Pūṣan;^[20] he removed the hand of the fire-god;^[21] he caused the eye of Bhaga to fall down;^[22] he pounded the limbs of Soma by the big toe of his foot; he is the bodyguard of Upendra, Indra, Yama and other Devas; he cut off the nose and lips of the great goddess Sarasvatī.^[23] May the lord of Gaṇas dispel my sin.

104. May Mahālakṣmī the mother of the universe dispel my sin. She is the eldest, most excellent, bestower of boons and bedecked in excellent ornaments.

105. May the highly blessed Mahāmoha (the great delusion), surrounded by the great groups of goblins and engaged in the worship of Śiva dispel my sin.

106. May Lakṣmī who is endowed with all attributes, who has all the characteristics, who is the goddess that bestows all and who is omnipresent, dispel my sin.

107-108. May Durgā engaged in the worship of Śiva dispel my sin. She is the great goddess riding on a lion. She is the unchanging daughter of Pārvatī. She is Mahāmāyā of Viṣṇu constituting his slumber. She is worshipped by Devas. She has three eyes. She is the goddess who bestows boons. She had suppressed the demon Mahiṣa.^[24]

109. May all the mental sons of Satī, the Rudras who sustain the Cosmic egg, and who are worshipped by all the worlds, dispel my fear.

110. May the Bhūtas, Pretas, Kūṣmāṇḍas, the leaders of Gaṇas and of Kūṣmāṇḍas dispel my sin.

111-112. Devas eulogised the lord with this hymn and then bowed down their heads as far as the ground. O excellent brahmins, he who reads this divine hymn [vyapohana-stava] every month, or he who listens to this, sheds off all sins and is honoured in the world of Rudra.

113. He who seeks a virgin obtains her; he who is desirous of victory shall attain victory; he who is desirous of wealth shall attain wealth and he who wishes for sons will obtain sons.

114-116. He who seeks learning obtains learning; he who seeks enjoyment of pleasures will attain pleasures. By listening to this, a man obtains immediately whatever he desires. He will be favourite of Devas. If this meritorious hymn is read on behalf of some one, the ailments arising from gas, bile, etc., do not harass him. He courts no premature death nor is he bitten by snakes.

117-120. By repeating this hymn a man. obtains many times the merit of visiting holy centres, and doing Ājñās, giving charitable gifts and performing the vratas in particular. The slayer of cows, the ungrateful wretch, the murderer of heroes, brahmins, mother and father, the slayer of those who seek refuge, the sinner who is guilty of breach of faith towards friends, all these wretched men dispel their sins and are honoured in the world of Śiva.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

pañcavaktra [pañca-vaktraḥ]—five-faced. See p. 49 note 65.

[2]:

daśabhuj [daśabhujaḥ]—this epithet of Śiva seldom occurs in the Purāṇas.

[3]:

someśa [someśaḥ]—[umayā sahitaḥ somaḥ, sa cāsau īśaś ca]—Śivatoṣiṇī. the lord accompanied by Umā.

[4]:

padmāsana—See p, 35 note 47.

[5]:

ekaparṇā—one who lived on a single leaf, i.e., Pārvatī, Umā, better known as ‘aparṇā’.

[6]:

agrajā—the first-born.

[7]:

Naigameya, etc. The four brothers (sons of Umā) are named (i) Kumāra, (ii) Śākha, (iii) Viśākha, (iv) Naigameya. These appear on the gold coins of Kuviṣka in the early Kushan period.

[8]:

The twenty-three principles consist of ten senses, five bhūtas, five tanmatras, buddhi, ahaṃkāra and manas. Cf. Bhāga 3.6.2—[trayoviṃśati tattvānāṃ gaṇam.]

[9]:

seven nether regions, see p. 71 note 90.

[10]:

See p. 140 note 247.

[11]:

See p. 14 note 247; p. 181 note 282.

[12]:

See p. 166 note 273.

[13]:

See p. 167 note 275.

[14]:

For detail, see Matsyapurāṇa—A Study, p. 63.

[15]:

āsuram bhāvam—evil thoughts created by Satan.

[16]:

proṣṭapadā—uttarā bhādrapadā.

[17]:

kumbha-kundendu-bhūṣaṇaḥ—omitted in translation: ‘adorned with the moon-like kumbha and kunda flowers, kumbhaṃ-tatsañjñakam puṣpam Śivatoṣiṇī, a kind of flower.

[18]:

The river Gaṅgā, the mother of the worlds (jaganmātā), is invoked in her various forms.

[19]:

The translators prefer yakṣasya to yajñasya and translate accordingly. But the legends referred to in this verse relate to Dakṣa’s sacrifice. Hence in ‘yakṣasya ca śiraś chettā’ ‘yajñasya’ for ‘yakṣasya’ would suit the context—Editor.

[20]:

For the legends, see Puranic Encyclopaedia.

[21]:

For the legends, see Puranic Encyclopaedia.

[22]:

For the legends, see Puranic Encyclopaedia.

[23]:

This legend is not traceable.

[24]:

Mahiṣa—the asura from whom the country of Mysore is said to take its name.