Presenting ’𝗦𝗵𝗶𝘃𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶 - 𝗩𝗲𝗱𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝘃𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗺’- A musical rendition of Sri Adi Shankaracharya’s illustrious composition in powerful and gripping voice of revered Gurudev Anandmurti Gurumaa. Listen to this beseeching invocation with love, inviting the Supreme Lord to take the seat of your heart!
The sacred Stotram opens by venerating the Great Shiva- the destroyer of vices and the magnanimous Lord of all beings. The transcendental Supreme adorns the elephant hide and sports deadlocks through which the holy Ganges flow. The desecrator of desires and the mightiest of all, we dwell in the divine remembrance of such an omniscient presence. The all-prevailing existence and the Lord of Lords, the great Shankara is all smeared in sacred ashes, representing the total dissolution. The One who proudly dons the triad of the Moon, the Sun and the Fire, upon such an ever-blissful five-faced Shiva, we meditate.
The blue-throated Lord of magnificent Girisha, the all-powerful Supreme of Celestial Attendants; the One having myriad forms seated gloriously on the great Nandi- the king of bulls; such is the mighty Mahadeva- an ineffable existence and an underlying Consciousness shining bright- We meditate upon the five-faced Lord who is the consort of Devi Bhavani. Donning the crescent moon, and holding the trident, reverential Shambhu’s very form is the universe manifested. We implore the all-pervasive existence to be pleased with us, ultimately dissolving us in absolute consciousness.
The One transcendental formless presence; the primal seed of the Universe that is bereft of desires is only realised through meditating on Omkara. We dwell in the divine remembrance of such an omniscient eternal Maheshwara in whom the entire Samsara merges and rests upon total dissolution. A sublime presence beyond the five elements, unconstrained by the seasons, places, or ensembles is not limited to any form either. We extol such cosmic existence that is the very substratum of Creation, Sustenance and Dissolution.
The eternal primordial cause behind the causes, the one and only Shiva is an ever-effulgent light of consciousness behind all that appears to be. He is the Supreme Conscious Himself- the One beyond the ignorance sans all beginnings and endings; We take refuge in such transcendental ultimate truth bereft of dualities. Our heartfelt salutations to the all-pervasive blissful Supreme embodied as the universe; We bow to such a mighty Mahadeva who can only be pleased and won over by intense Sadhana, Yoga, and direct encounter of the highest wisdom preserved in the revered Vedas.
In the closing verses of the Stotram, Adi Shankaracharya is glorifying the Lord of Lords as the most compassionate one who is carrying the sacred trident- symbolising the divinity that is beyond the three Gunas and yet holds them together. O beloved of Devi Gauri, the Lord of Kashi, and the Supreme Severer of all the bondages- In Your utmost grace, the samsara manifests, flourishes, and dissolves away.
वेदसार शिव स्तोत्रम्
पशूनां पतिं पापनाशं परेशं
गजेन्द्रस्य कृत्तिं वसानं वरेण्यम्
जटाजूटमध्ये स्फुरद्गाङ्गवारिं
महादेवमेकं स्मरामि स्मरारिम् ॥ 1 ॥
महेशं सुरेशं सुरारातिनाशं
विभुं विश्वनाथं विभूत्यङ्गभूषम्
विरूपाक्षमिन्द्वर्कवह्नित्रिनेत्रं
सदानन्दमीडे प्रभुं पञ्चवक्त्रम् ॥ 2 ॥
गिरीशं गणेशं गले नीलवर्णं
गवेन्द्राधिरूढं गुणातीतरूपम्
भवं भास्वरं भस्मना भूषिताङ्गं
भवानीकलत्रं भजे पञ्चवक्त्रम् ॥ 3 ॥
शिवाकान्त शंभो शशाङ्कार्धमौले
महेशान शूलिञ्जटाजूटधारिन्
त्वमेको जगद्व्यापको विश्वरूपः
प्रसीद प्रसीद प्रभो पूर्णरूप ॥ 4 ॥
परात्मानमेकं जगद्बीजमाद्यं
निरीहं निराकारमोंकारवेद्यम्
यतो जायते पाल्यते येन विश्वं
तमीशं भजे लीयते यत्र विश्वम् ॥ 5 ॥
न भूमिर्नं चापो न वह्निर्न वायु-
र्न चाकाशमास्ते न तन्द्रा न निद्रा
न ग्रीष्मो न शीतं न देशो न वेषो
न यस्यास्ति मूर्तिस्त्रिमूर्तिं तमीडे ॥ 6 ॥
अज