Chapter 19 - The mode of Śiva's worship

Śailādi said:

1. After bowing down to the bull-bannered lord who had been pleased, the sages and Devas who felt the sense of horripilation due to pleasure said.

Devas said:

2. O lord Śaṅkara, it behoves you to relate this. By what means are you to be worshipped by the twice-born? where? in what form?

3. Who is authorized in thy worship? O lord, how is a brahmin authorized? O lord, how are the Kṣatriyas authorized? O bull-bannered one, how are the Vaiśyas authorized?

4. How are the women and the Śūdras authorized? How are the bastards and illegitimate sons of widows authorized? For the welfare of the worlds, it behoves you to mention everything to us.

Sūta said:

5. On seeing the fervent emotion of the sages, Nīlalohita, Sadāśiva stationed in the mystic diagram said in a majestic tone.

6-8. Devas and sages saw the lord of Devas in the company of Umā in the Maṇḍala^[1] in front of them. His lustre was like that of ten million streaks of lightning. He had eight arms, four faces and twelve eyes. He had big mighty arms. Half of his body was female in form. He wore the coronet of matted hairs. He was bedecked in all ornaments. He wore red garlands and had smeared red unguent over his body. He who was the cause of creation, sustenance and annihilation was clad in red garments.

9. His face to the east^[2] was pleasing in. appearance and yellow in colour. That is in the form of Tatpuruṣa. His face to the right (i.e. to the south) in the Aghora form was comparable to a mass of blue collyrium.

10-11. His face to the north, named Vāmadeva, was very fierce and terrible with curbed fangs and red moustache. It was enveloped by clusters of flames and matted hairs. It had the lustre of coral. It was pleasing with the universe for its form. It was the bestower of boons.

His western face was splendid and white as the cow’s milk.

12. The divine face Sadyojāta that destroyed Kāma was shining with the splendour of the sun. as the caste mark on the forehead. It was bedecked in garlands consisting of pearls.

13-14. In the maṇḍala they saw Āditya in the east, Bhāskara in the west, Bhānu in the south and Ravi in the north; all with four faces as before (?) (all these are the different forms of the sun-god).

15-16. In the Maṇḍala they saw in the east the Śakti Vistāra, in the south Uttarā, Bodhanī in the west and Āpyāyanī in the north. All these Śaktis had one face and four arms, were bedecked with all ornaments and were approved by all Devas.

17. On the right side they saw Brahmā and on the left they saw Viṣṇu. They saw Śiva identical with the three Mūrtis by way of Ṛk, Yajus and Sāman.

18. They saw lord Īśāna the bestower of boons, īśāna Parameśvara, seated on the dais of Brahmā. The bestower of boons was on the seat of virtue and perfect knowledge.

19. They saw the lord Sarveśvara on a seat equipped with detachment and prosperity which was very pure and worthy of being propitiated, which was highly pleasing and which contained all essence (?).

20-22. The lord was seated in the middle of a white lotus and surrounded by Dīptā^[3] and other lustres. Dīptā (Refulgent) had the form of a bright and brilliant flame. Sūkṣmā (subtle) was splendid with the lustre of lightning. Jayā (victorious) had the shape of fiery flame. Prabhā (lustre) had golden lustre. Vibhūti (magnificence) had the refulgence of coral. Vimalā (spotless) resembled the lotus. Amoghā (invincible) had the shape of Karṇikāra flower. Vidyut (lightning) had universal colour. Sarvatomukhī had four faces and four colours.

23-24. They saw the planets all round the lord:—viz., the lord Soma (Moon), Aṅgāraka (Mars), Budha (Mercury) the most excellent among the intelligent, Bṛhaspati (Jupiter) of enormous intellect, Bhargava (Venus) the storehouse of refulgence and Manda (Saturn) slow in gait. Sūrya (Sun) was Śiva, the lord of the universe and Soma (Moon) was Umā herself.

25-26. The five elements^[4] were the rest. The universe of the mobile and immobile beings was seen as identical with them. On seeing Śiva the consort of Umā, the lord of Devas, the sages and Devas joined their palms in reverence and eulogised him who was the bestower of boons, by means of pleasing and delightful words.

The sages said:

27-30. Obeisance to Śiva, to Rudra, to Kadrudra, to Pracetas, to Mīḍhuṣṭama (the bountiful one), to Śarva, to Śipiviṣṭa, to Raṃhas. I bow down to lord Bhāskara (refulgent like the sun) seated in the lotus and surrounded by the nine Śaktis on a pedestal which was highly pleasing, large, spotless and essentially powerful. I bow to Āditya, Bhāskara, Bhānu, Ravi and lord Divākara. I bow down to Umā, Prabhā, Prajñā, Sandhyā, Sāvitrī, Vistārā, Uttarā, and Bodhanī as well as Āpyāyanī the bestower of boons. I bow to Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva.

31. After worshipping the group beginning with Soma in due order by means of the mantras in accordance with the prescribed injunctions I remember lord Sadāśiva, Śaṅkara the primordial deity stationed in the Solar disc.

32. I remember Indra and other Devas as well as Īśvara, Nārāyaṇa, and the lotus-born first Deva in due order from the east, etc., beneath and above. I remember the thunder-bolt and the lotus.

33. Obeisance unto you of the colour of saffron. Obeisance unto you with golden ornaments and diamonds. Obeisance unto one having eyes resembling the lotus, to one holding the lotus, to the cause of Brahmā, Indra and Nārāyaṇa.

34. I remember the chariot fitted with seven horses and having Anūru as a charioteer. I remember the gaṇas of seven^[5] kinds in due order by way of the continuous flow of the seasons. I remember the Vālakhilyas.^[6] I remember the lord who destroyed the group of Mandeha giants.

35. O lord of Devas, after performing Homa. in. the fire by means of gingelly seeds, etc. of various kinds and after dedicating everything once again, I remember your disc stationed in the middle of the lotus of the heart after duly discharging it ritualistically.

36. I remember the disc in the due order. I remember the pure lotus-like eyes red in colour. I remember the lotus in the right hand and the gesture of granting boons in the left. I remember the ornaments that adorn the lord.

37. I remember your divine face that is terrible due to the curved fangs, that has the lustre of lightning, that frightens the Daityas, that is engaged in protecting the brahmins and that threatens the groups of Rākṣasas.

38-43. I remember Soma [Moon] white in colour, Bhūmija (Mars) who has the colour of fire, Budha (Mercury) the son of Moon who has golden lustre, Bṛhaspati [Jupiter] who resembles gold, Śukra [Venus] whois white in colour, and Manda [Saturn] who is very dark. I remember the right hand with the gesture of granting fearlessness, and the left-hand that rests on the thighs. I remember all those planets ending with Saturn. I remember Mahādeva and Bhāskara. O lord, be pleased. I shall offer Arghya unto you in a strong vessel made of copper and filled with splendid water resembling the full moon in colour and having a prastha of flowers and sweet scents.

Obeisance to lord Śiva, Īśvara, Kapardin, Rudra, Viṣṇu. Obeisance to you Brahman of the form of the sun.

Sūta said:

He who worships thus, with concentration and mental purity, lord Śiva in the mystic diagram, he who reads this excellent hymn in the morning, mid-day and evening, acquires no doubt, identity with Śiva.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

maṇḍalastha [maṇḍalasthaḥ]—sūryamaṇḍalastha [sūryamaṇḍalasthaḥ] Śivatoṣiṇī. stationed in the solar orb.

[2]:

purāmukha [purāmukham]—the eastern face, viz. Tatpuruṣa.

[3]:

dīptādi [dīptādyaiḥ]—the nine Śaktis beginning with Dīptā are described in the following verses.

[4]:

śeṣāṇi pañca bhūtāni—the rest of the five grahas (following the sun and the moon), beginning with Bhauma are represented by the five gross elements, viz. ether etc.

[5]:

gaṇaṃ saptavidham. According to Śivatoṣiṇī. the sevenfold group comprises ādityas, ṛṣis, nāgas, gandharvas, gramaṇīs and rakṣas.

[6]:

Vālakhilyas—a class of rsis, sixty thousand in number, arc said to be Brahmā’s sons. A number of eleven hymns of the Ṛgveda (inserted after vi.ii.48) are attributed to these sages.