Veda Sara Shiva Sthavam, Prayer To The Lord Of The Vedas

Translated By P. R. Ramachander

[Sage Markandeya was saved by Lord Shiva of certain death at the age of 16 by killing the God of death. This stotra is supposed to have been sung by the sage after that.]

Pasunam pathim papa nasam paresam,
Gajendrasya kruthimvasanam varenyam,
Jada jutamadhye sphurad Ganagavarim,
Mahadevamekam smarami smararim. 1

I meditate only on that great God,
Who is the lord of all beings,
Who is the destroyer of sins,
Who is the lord of heaven,
Who wears the hide of the king of elephants,
And who keeps river ‘Ganga’ in the middle of his hair.

Mahesam, suresam, surarathinasam,
Vibhum, Viswanaham,Vibhuthyanga bhoosham,
Virupaksha mindwarka vahnithra nethram,
Sadananda meede Prabhu pancha vakthram. 2

I pray that Lord of lords with faces five,
Who is the greatest God,
Who is the God of devas,
Who is the enemy of Asuras,
Who is scholar of philosophy,
Who is the lord of the universe,
Who anoints himself totally with ash,
And who has sun, moon and fire as eyes.

Shivaakantha Shambho, sasangardha moule,
Mahesanasulin Jatajutadharin,
Thwameka jagadvyapako Viswaroopa,
Praseeda, Praseeda Prabho poorna Roopa. 3

Be kind to me. Be kind to me, Oh, Lord,
Who has a fully complete mien,
Who is the consort of Goddess Uma,
Who keeps the moon crescent with himself,
Who is the God who carries the great spear,
Who has unkempt grown hair,
Who is the only one pervading all over,
And who has a form which encompasses the universe.

Parathmanamadhyam, Jagat bheejamekam,
Nireeham nirakaramonkara vandhyam,
Yatho jayathe palyathe yena viswam,
Thameesam bhaje leeyahe yatra viswam. 4

I worship that God,
Who is the Paramathma,
Who is the seed of the world,
Who does not have any desires,
Who does not have any shape,
Who can be known through ‘Om’,
Who creates and looks after the world,
And merges it within him.

Na bhoomir na chapo na vahnir na vayur,
Ma cha akasamasthe na thanthra na nidhra,
Na greeshmo na seetham na deso na vesho,
Na yasyahimurthitrimurthim thameede. 5

I pray and praise that God,
Who is the trimurthy*,
And who is not affected by
Earth, water, fire, wind,
Ether, thanthra, nidhra,
Heat, cold, place of stay and attire.

Ajam sasvatham karanam karananam,
Shivam kevalam Bhasakam Bhasakanam,
Thureeyam thama paramadyantha heenam,
Prapadhye param pavanam dwaitha heenam. 6

I praise that most holy God,
Who does not have any birth,
Who is permanent,
Who is the cause of all causes,
Who is peaceful,
Who is the light of all lights,
Who is thureeya, the other side of ignorance,
Who does not have either end or beginning,
And who does not have any divisions.

Namasthe namasthe, Vibho viswamurthe,
Namasthe, namasthe thapo yoga gamya,
Namasthe, namasthe chidananda murthe,
Namasthe, namasthe sruthi gnana gamya. 7

Salutations and salutations,
To the store house of knowledge and god of all worlds,
Salutations and salutations,
To him who should be known by meditation and Yoga,
Salutations and salutations,
To him who is the ever lasting bliss,
Salutations and salutations,
To him who should be attained through Vedas.