Veda saara shiva naamaani _ PART 02

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Veda saara shiva naamaani _ PART 02

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VedasAra shivastotram has eleven shlokas, the first shloka reads,

 

pashuunaaM patiM paapanaashaM pareshaM

gajendrasya kR^ittiM vasaanaM vareNyam.h .

jaTaajuuTamadhye sphuradgaaN^gavaariM

mahaadevamekaM smaraami smaraarim.h .. 1..

 

"pashupate, paapanaasha, paramesha, kR^ittivaasa, vareNya,

ga~ngaadhara, maahadeva, (tvam)ekam (aham) smaraami (punaH) smaraami"

 

"pashupate, paapanaasha, paramesha, kR^ittivaasa, vareNya,

ga~ngaadhara, maahadeva, I repeatadly meditate upon thee alone."

 

The other stanzas in this Stotra follow the same format. They sing

the praise of the lord with various names 'nAma sa~nkIrtanam' and

convey oblations. If the hymn just praises the lord, it could be

titled 'shiva stotram', but Acharya has titled it 'veda saara shiva

stotram' meaning, the Shiva stotra that conveys the essence of the

Vedas. He has also grouped it as a prakaraNa grantha that shows ways

to purify ones intellect. But the stotra seem to just utter various

names of Lord Shiva.

 

This raises a question as to what does Acharya prescribe as the

discipline for self purification 'chitta shuddi' and what does he

convey as the essence of the Vedas?

 

The dialog in Shivopanishad between Sage Atreya and Lord Shiva might

have the key to this question.

 

kailAsashikharAsInam asheShAmarapUjitam .

kAlaghnaM shrImahAkAlam IshvaraM j~nAnapAragam ..

saMpUjya vidhivadbhaktyA R^iShyAtreyaH susaMyataH .

sarvabhUtahitArthAya paprachChedaM mahAmuniH ..

j~nAnayogaM na vindanti ye narA mandabuddhayaH .

te muchyante kathaM ghorAdbhagavan bhavasAgarAt ..

 

Sage Atreya of high esteem approached Parameshvara at mount Kailash

with devotion, offered worship and questioned Lord mahAkAla towards

the welfare of the entire creation. How do men who lack the

prerequisite for j~nAnayoga (shravaNa manana nididhyAsanAtmikA) due

to lack of intellectual purity (mandabuddhi) get across the ocean of

birth and death (samsAra)?

 

evaM pR^iShTaH prasannAtmA R^iShyAtreyeNa dhImatA .

mandabuddhivimuktyarthaM mahAkAlaH prabhAShate ..

 

Delighted by Rishi Atreya's question, Lord MahAKAla answered for the

benefit of the dull-witted.

 

After a prolog Lord MahAkAla indicates that the answer lies in

Shivopanishad that was initially revealed by Lord Rudra. He explains

the significance and the glory of the two letter word `shiva' and

says, reciting the name of Lord Shiva alone is enough to purify ones

mind and guide him though the path of knowledge.

 

sakR^iduchchAritaM yena shiva ityakSharadvayam .

baddhaH parikarastena mokShopagamanaM prati ..

 

Even if recited once, the two letter word 'shiva' removes bondages

and leads to liberation.

 

nAmasaMkIrtaNAdeva shivasyAsheShapAtakaiH .

yataH pramuchyate kShipraM mantro .ayaM dvyakSharaH paraH ..

 

By the recitation of the names of Lord Shiva alone one is void of

all sins, they quickly attain liberation.

 

shivaH shiva ime shAntanAma chAdyaM muhurmuhuH .

uchchArayanti tadbhaktyA te shivA nAtra saMshayaH ..

 

Those who recite the holy name 'shiva' with devotion attain ShivA

without uncertainty.

 

We might have a doubt if the spiritual discipline of reciting the

holy name of the lord similar to reciting a mantra like pa~nchAxari

or pa~nchadashAxari? For that Lord mahAkAlA says,

 

mitrasvajanabandhUnAM kuryAnnAma shivAtmakam .

api tatkIrtanAdyAti pApamuktaH shivaM puram ..

 

Even if one calls his friend, family or a relative who happen to

have the name of Lord Shiva, they are void of all sins.

 

While a mantra has a lot of `niyama' or rules, `nAmakIrtanam' is

free of all `niyama'. Any one can chant the name `shiva'. Sage Vyasa

calls it `mahAndharmaH' or the king of all austerities.,

 

`na desha kaala niyamaH na sauchAsaucha vinirNayaH' .

 

(Reciting the name of the lord does not require any qualifications

like place, time, cleanliness etc.)

 

Cont…

 

...namaH shivAyai cha namaH shivAya..

 

Aravind