The Guru Sings the Rudrashtakam until Formless Brahman Shines as Beloved Shankara
Uttara Kanda, Chhand 13
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The Guru's prayer rises through the temple to Ishana, whose form is liberation, all-pervading Brahman and the essence of Veda. He worships the attributeless, desireless, indivisible consciousness, the sky of awareness beyond thought, and the formless source of Om.
The hymn then clothes the boundless in beloved form. Shiva appears fair as a snow mountain, Ganga moving through his radiant hair, the young moon upon his brow, a serpent at his blue throat. Earrings sway beside vast compassionate eyes. Animal skin and a garland of skulls adorn the Lord of all.
He is fierce beyond Time and gracious beyond measure, radiant as millions of suns, trident in hand, accessible through bhava. He ends delusion, gives joy to saints, and dwells in every being. The Guru confesses that he knows no yoga, japa, or ritual worthy of the Lord. Burning in birth, age, and sorrow, he simply bows and asks Shambhu to save the helpless. Nirguna and saguna meet inside one continuous act of surrender.
The hymn rises from empty awareness into moon, river, serpent, and blue throat, then returns as one helpless soul bowing before Shambhu.
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नमामीशमीशान निर्वाणरूपं। विंभुं ब्यापकं ब्रह्म वेदस्वरूपं। निजं निर्गुणं निर्विकल्पं निरींह। चिदाकाशमाकाशवासं भजेऽहं।। निराकारमोंकारमूलं तुरीयं। गिरा ग्यान गोतीतमीशं गिरीशं।। करालं महाकाल कालं कृपालं। गुणागार संसारपारं नतोऽहं।। तुषाराद्रि संकाश गौरं गभीरं। मनोभूत कोटि प्रभा श्री शरीरं।। स्फुरन्मौलि कल्लोलिनी चारु गंगा। लसद्भालबालेन्दु कंठे भुजंगा।। चलत्कुंडलं भ्रू सुनेत्रं विशालं। प्रसन्नाननं नीलकंठं दयालं।। मृगाधीशचर्माम्बरं मुण्डमालं। प्रियं शंकरं सर्वनाथं भजामि।। प्रचंडं प्रकृष्टं प्रगल्भं परेशं। अखंडं अजं भानुकोटिप्रकाशं।। त्रयःशूल निर्मूलनं शूलपाणिं। भजेऽहं भवानीपतिं भावगम्यं।। कलातीत कल्याण कल्पान्तकारी। सदा सज्जनान्ददाता पुरारी।। चिदानंदसंदोह मोहापहारी। प्रसीद प्रसीद प्रभो मन्मथारी।। न यावद् उमानाथ पादारविन्दं। भजंतीह लोके परे वा नराणां।। न तावत्सुखं शान्ति सन्तापनाशं। प्रसीद प्रभो सर्वभूताधिवासं।। न जानामि योगं जपं नैव पूजां। नतोऽहं सदा सर्वदा शंभु तुभ्यं।। जरा जन्म दुःखौघ तातप्यमानं। प्रभो पाहि आपन्नमामीश शंभो।।
I bow to Ishana, the Lord whose very form is liberation, the all-pervading Brahman, the essence of the Vedas. I worship the One who is beyond attributes, beyond thought, beyond desire, pure consciousness dwelling in the sky of awareness. I bow to the formless One, root of Omkara, the fourth state beyond speech, knowledge, and sense. The Lord of mountains, the terrible One, Mahakala, destroyer of time yet compassionate, repository of virtues, beyond the world, I bow. I worship the One fair as snow-clad peaks, fathomless, whose divine body outshines a million Kamadevas. The beautiful Ganga flows from His radiant crown; the crescent moon adorns His forehead; the serpent garlands His throat. With swaying earrings, beautiful brows, and vast eyes, with serene countenance, blue throat, and boundless mercy, clad in the skin of the lion-lord, wearing a garland of skulls, I worship beloved Shankara, Lord of all. I worship the One who is fierce, exalted, bold, the Supreme Lord, indivisible, unborn, radiant as ten million suns. The wielder of the trident who uproots the three afflictions, I worship Bhavani's Lord, attainable only through devotion. Beyond time, source of all welfare, destroyer at the end of creation, the ever-bestower of joy upon the virtuous, enemy of Tripura. The mass of consciousness-bliss, remover of delusion, be gracious, be gracious, O Lord, slayer of Kama. So long as men do not worship the lotus feet of Uma's Lord, here or hereafter, there is no happiness, no peace, no end to sorrow. Be gracious, O Lord, who dwells in all beings. I know no yoga, no japa, no worship; I simply bow to You always, at all times, O Shambhu. Burning in the flood of birth, old age, and sorrow, protect me, O Lord. I am helpless. Save me, Shambhu.