Shri Rudrastakam English

I adore you, ruler of the entire universe, eternal bliss personified, the omnipresent and all pervading Brahma manifest in the form of the Vedas. I worship Lord Shiva, shining in his own glory, devoid of material attributes, undifferentiated, desireless, all-pervading consciousness, and the enveloping ether itself.

I bow to the Supreme Lord, who is devoid of form, transcendent and extra-cosmic, who is beyond the approach of the voice, wisdom and the senses; Master of Kailash; veritable nemesis for evil-doers but kindhearted to devotees and the noble; the seed of the mystic syllable Om; the devourer even of Time; the mine of all virtue; and the redeemer from mundane existence.

I adore the all-merciful Shankar, the universal Lord, who is loved by all and yet unfathomable, who is possessed of a form white as the snow-clad Himalaya and is radiant with the beauty of billions of Cupids, on whose head flows the enchanted Ganges, who has the crescent moon reposing upon his forehead, and whose neck is garlanded by snakes.

Who has tremendous pendants hanging from his earlobes, is possessed of beautiful eyebrows and large eyes, who has a cheerful countenance and a blue speck on his throat, who is extremely kind and has a lion’s skin wrapped around his waist and a garland of skulls around his neck. I bow to that supreme ruler who is dearest to me.

I take my refuge in Bhavani’s spouse, the Supreme Lord, fierce, exalted, intrepid, indivisible, unborn, radiant like billions of suns, who roots out all three afflictions of mundane existence, holds a trident in his hand, and is accessible only through love.

O Lord! You are phaseless, auspicious, the terminator of the kalpa [four ages], a source of perpetual bliss to the noble, slayer of the demon Tripura; you alone dispel all infatuation and illusion; you are consciousness and bliss personified; you are the Supreme God, the destroyer of Cupid. Please be gracious to me, be gracious to me.

Not until beings reverence the lotus feet of Uma’s spouse do they get any solace or peace in this world or the next. Nor do their afflictions end. Therefore be propitious, my Lord, dwelling as you do in the hearts of all living beings.

O Lord I do not know yoga, japa, or ritual worship. O Shambbu! I simply bow to you at all times and at every moment. Please protect me, my Lord, from the afflictions of age, decay, and sorrow. Protect me by your grace.

This hynm of eight versus was uttered by the Brahman [Goswami Tulsidas] in order to propitiate Lord Hara. Shambu is pleased with those who devoutly repeat it.