Śivāṣṭakam
Eight verses about Śiva
यो’न्तश्चरत्प्राणभृतां हृदब्जे
ध्वनत्यभीक्ष्णं भ्रमरायमाणः ।
अश्नंश्च शब्दादिपरागमुच्चैर्
नमोऽस्तु चैतन्यशिवाय तस्मै ॥१॥
Yo’ntaścaratprāṇabhṛtāṃ hṛdabje
dhvanatyabhīkṣṇaṃ bhramarāyamāṇaḥ |
Aśnaṃśca śabdādiparāgamuccair
namo'stu caitanyaśivāya tasmai || 1 ||
Let there be (astu) Salutation (namaḥ) to (tasmai) Śiva as Universal Consciousness (caitanya-śivāya), Who (yaḥ) constantly (abhīkṣṇaṃ) vibrates (dhvanati) in the Lotus of the Heart (hṛt-abje) of the embodied beings --lit. whose life-force moves inside-- (antaḥ-carat-prāṇa-bhṛtām), (while) buzzing like a bee (bhramarāyamāṇaḥ), (and) (ca) vehemently (uccaiḥ) eating (aśnan) the pollen made of the objects of the senses beginning with sound (śabda-ādi-parāgam). || 1 ||
स्वदीधितीनां करणेश्वरीणां चिद्-
अर्कमूर्तिः समुदेति मध्ये ।
ग्रासीकरोत्येषहठात्त्रिलोकीं
नमो’स्तु चैतन्यशिवाय तस्मै ॥२॥
Svadīdhitīnāṃ karaṇeśvarīṇāṃ cid-
arkamūrtiḥ samudeti madhye |
Grāsīkarotyeṣahaṭhāttrilokīṃ
namo’stu caitanyaśivāya tasmai || 2 ||
Let there be (astu) Salutation (namaḥ) to (tasmai) Śiva as Universal Consciousness (caitanya-śivāya), (Who) in the presence (madhye) of the Mistresses of the senses (karaṇa-īśvarīṇām) (Who are) the Rays of His own (sva-dīdhitīnām), rises (samudeti) as the Sun of Consciousness (cit-arka-mūrtiḥ), (and) devours (grāsa-karoti) the three worlds --i.e. subject, object and cognition-- (trilokīm) by hastening violence --i.e. forcefully and at once-- (eṣa-haṭhāt). || 2 ||
स्वप्राणवह्नित्रिशिखेन भित्त्वा
विरिञ्चिमुख्यानथ कारणेशान् ।
प्रशान्तकोपः परधाम्न्युदेति
नमोऽस्तु चैतन्यशिवाय तस्मै ॥३॥
Svaprāṇavahnitriśikhena bhittvā
viriñcimukhyānatha kāraṇeśān |
Praśāntakopaḥ paradhāmnyudeti
namo'stu caitanyaśivāya tasmai || 3 ||
Let there be (astu) Salutation (namaḥ) to (tasmai) Śiva as Universal Consciousness (caitanya-śivāya) (, Who) having penetrated into (bhittvā) (that which) begins with or controlled by Brahmā --i.e. the creation-- (viriñci-mukhyān), then (atha) the Lord of the senses (kāraṇa-īśān) by the three-flamed Fire of His own Power (sva-prāṇa-vahni-triśikhena) rises as (udeti) Calmness of passion (praśānta-kopaḥ) in the Supreme Abode (para-dhāmni). || 3 ||
तृतीयनेत्रात्मकमध्यधाम-
विकासिवह्निद्रुतसूर्यचन्द्रः ।
योगीसमाप्नोत्यमृतेस्वरत्वं
नमोऽस्तु चैतन्यशिवाय तस्मै ॥४॥
Tṛtīyanetrātmakamadhyadhāma-
vikāsivahnidrutasūryacandraḥ |
Yogīsamāpnotyamṛtesvaratvaṃ
namo'stu caitanyaśivāya tasmai || 4 ||
Let there be (astu) Salutation (namaḥ) to (tasmai) Śiva as Universal Consciousness (caitanya-śivāya), (Who is) the moon and the sun --i.e. object and cognition-- melted in the Fire (which is) expanded in the Central Abode (which) has the Nature of the Third Eye (tṛtīya-netra-ātmaka-madhya-dhāma-vikāsin-vahni-druta-sūrya-candraḥ), (and) the Yogin (yogī), (who) finally obtains (sam-āpnoti) the State of the Lord of Nectar (amṛta-īsvara-tvam). || 4 ||
कन्दादिचक्रोदितदेवतानां
प्रियो’पि सन्प्राणशिखान्तशायी ।
यो’पानवृत्त्या भजते प्रवृत्तिं
नमो’स्तु चैतन्यशिवाय तस्मै ॥५॥
Kandādicakroditadevatānāṃ
priyo’pi sanprāṇaśikhāntaśāyī |
Yo’pānavṛttyā bhajate pravṛttiṃ
namo’stu caitanyaśivāya tasmai || 5 ||
Let there be (astu) Salutation (namaḥ) to (tasmai) Śiva as Universal Consciousness (caitanya-śivāya), (Who is) (yaḥ) Dear also to the Deities (priyaḥ…api) (Who) rise from the wheel of ‘kanda’, etc. (kanda-ādi-cakra-udita-devatānām) (and) Rests on the tip of the Śikhā of Supreme Prāṇa --i.e. He is Unmanā or Mindless Being-- (sat-prāṇa-śikha-anta-māyī). Who (yaḥ), by the flow of apāna --i.e. incoming breath--, (apāna-vṛttyā) enjoys (bhajate) the ongoing flow --i.e. manifestation-- (pravṛttim). || 5 ||
Notes:
He is the Union or Source of both ‘prāṇa’ and ‘apāna’, and He enjoys the world --i.e. ‘prāṇa’-- outgoing breath, which is ‘creation’, by resting in His own Self --i.e. ‘apāna’-- incoming breath, which is the ‘source of creation’. In other words, Śiva is Mindless Consciousness, but when it comes to manifestation, He remains its Source and enjoys it. There is only one Being in any case Who is Śiva.
प्राणात्मिकाशक्तिरपानशक्तिस्-
तयोर्द्वयोः पूर्णकृशात्मनोर्यः ।
मध्ये’प्यघोरेश उदानशक्तिर्
नमोऽस्तु चैतन्यशिवाय तस्मै ॥६॥
Prāṇātmikāśaktirapānaśaktis-
tayordvayoḥ pūrṇakṛśātmanoryaḥ |
Madhye’pyaghoreśa udānaśaktir
namo'stu caitanyaśivāya tasmai || 6 ||
Let there be (astu) Salutation (namaḥ) to (tasmai) Śiva as Universal Consciousness (caitanya-śivāya), Who (yaḥ) is the Śakti (Whose) nature is prāṇa (prāṇa-ātmikā-śaktiḥ), (and also) the Śakti of apāna (apāna-śaktiḥ), but (api) between (madhye) the pair (dvayoḥ) of these two (tayoḥ), (who) have the nature of Pūrṇā and Kṛśā, (respectively) ‑ ‑i.e. the Full and the Emaciated, or manifestation and dissolution or the Immanent and the Transcendent (pūrṇa-kṛśa-ātmanoḥ)--, (He is) the Lord of the Aghora-s --i.e. the non-Terrible Śakti-s-- (aghora-īśaḥ), the Power of Rising --i.e. Who rises from the unification of prāṇa and apāna-- (udāna-śaktiḥ). || 6 ||
ऐक्यात्मना नोभयतात्मभूपा
याः कल्पनाः कल्पितदेहभाजः ।
ता अन्तियोमध्यमधाम्न्युदीते
नमोऽस्तु चैतन्यशिवाय तस्मै ॥७॥
Aikyātmanā nobhayatātmabhūpā
yāḥ kalpanāḥ kalpitadehabhājaḥ |
Tā antiyomadhyamadhāmnyudīte
namo'stu caitanyaśivāya tasmai || 7 ||
Who (yāḥ), because of the Essence of Oneness (aikya-ātmanā), are not (na) the protectors of the nature of both --i.e. Pūrṇā and Kṛśā-- (ubhaya-tā-ātmā-bhū-pāḥ), (and not) ‘kalpanā’ or ‘mentation’ (kalpanāḥ), (and not) the enjoyers of the imaginary body --i.e. transcendence and immanence or ‘dissolution’ and ‘manifestation’ are conceptions of mind, based on identification with the body. By the Essence of Oneness they are Aghora-s and not Ghora-s or terribles, hence they help and not obstruct-- (kalpita-deha-bhājaḥ). During (udīte) the rising in the Central Abode (madhyama-dhāmni), They (tāḥ) are close (antiyaḥ). Let there be (astu) Salutation (namaḥ) to (tasmai) Śiva as Universal Consciousness (caitanya-śivāya). || 7 ||
योगेन चैतन्यशिवः स्तुतो’यं
सिवाष्टकेनेति शरीरसंस्थः ।
तेनाशु सर्वस्य शिवं करोतु
शिवः स्वहृन्मध्यमधामधामा ॥८॥
Yogena caitanyaśivaḥ stuto’yaṃ
sivāṣṭakeneti śarīrasaṃsthaḥ |
Tenāśu sarvasya śivaṃ karotu
śivaḥ svahṛnmadhyamadhāmadhāmā || 8 ||
This (ayam) Śiva (,Who) Rests in the body, (and Who is) Universal Consciousness (caitanya-śivaḥ…śarīra-saṃsthaḥ), is the Dwelling-place of the Central Abode of one’s own Heart (sva-hṛt-madhyama-dhāma-dhāmā), is praised (stutaḥ) by this Śivāṣṭakam (śivāṣṭakena…iti) by Yoga --i.e. Yogarāja-- (yogena). By it (tena), may Śiva (śivaḥ) quickly (āśu) bestow (karotu) Happiness (śivam) for all (sarvasya). || 8 ||
॥इति श्रीयोगराजविरचितं शिवाष्टकं समप्तम्॥
|| Iti śrīyogarājaviracitaṃ śivāṣṭakaṃ samaptam ||
This (iti) Śivāṣṭakam --i.e. Eight verses about Śiva-- (śiva-aṣṭakam),
written by venerable Yogarāja (śrī-yoga-rāja-viracitam)
is finished (samaptam). ||
|| Itiśivam ||
Let there be Happiness for all (iti…śivam)
Sanskrit source
