Sri Shiva Sahasranama stotram (Poorva Peetika)
The Sri Shiva Sahasranama Stotram (Poorva Peetika) introduces the Sahasranama and prepares the devotee for the recitation of the thousand names of Lord Shiva.
पूर्वपीठिका ॥
pūrvapīṭhikā
Vasudeva said,
वासुदेव उवाच ।
vāsudēva uvāca
Then, having made an effort, my father Yudhishthira,
ततः स प्रयतो भूत्वा मम तात युधिष्ठिर । प्राञ्जलिः प्राह विप्रर्षिर्नामसङ्ग्रहमादितः ॥ १ ॥
tataḥ sa prayatō bhūtvā mama tāta yudhiṣṭhira
With folded hands, the sage spoke, beginning the collection of names.
उपमन्युरुवाच । ब्रह्मप्रोक्तैरृषिप्रोक्तैर्वेदवेदाङ्गसम्भवैः ।
prāñjaliḥ prāha viprarṣirnāmasaṅgrahamāditaḥ
Upamanyu said,
सर्वलोकेषु विख्यातं स्तुत्यं स्तोष्यामि नामभिः ॥ २ ॥
upamanyuruvāca
By the words spoken by Brahma and the sages,
महद्भिर्विहितैः सत्यैः सिद्धैः सर्वार्थसाधकैः ।
brahmaprōktairr̥ṣiprōktairvēdavēdāṅgasambhavaiḥ
Known in all worlds, I will praise with names that are worthy of worship.
ऋषिणा तण्डिना भक्त्या कृतैर्वेदकृतात्मना ॥ ३ ॥
sarvalōkēṣu vikhyātaṁ stutyaṁ stōṣyāmi nāmabhiḥ
By those great truths, by those who have attained success,
यथोक्तैः साधुभिः ख्यातैर्मुनिभिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः ।
mahadbhirvihitaiḥ satyaiḥ siddhaiḥ sarvārthasādhakaiḥ
By the sage Tandina, with devotion, composed by the one who knows the Vedas,
प्रवरं प्रथमं स्वर्ग्यं सर्वभूतहितं शुभम् ॥ ४ ॥
r̥ṣiṇā taṇḍinā bhaktyā kr̥tairvēdakr̥tātmanā
As stated by the renowned saints and sages who perceive the truth,
श्रुतैः सर्वत्र जगति ब्रह्मलोकावतारितैः ।
yathōktaiḥ sādhubhiḥ khyātairmunibhistattvadarśibhiḥ
The foremost, heavenly, auspicious for all beings,
सत्यैस्तत्परमं ब्रह्म ब्रह्मप्रोक्तं सनातनम् ॥ ५ ॥
pravaraṁ prathamaṁ svargyaṁ sarvabhūtahitaṁ śubham
Heard everywhere in the world, descended from the Brahma realm,
वक्ष्ये यदुकुलश्रेष्ठ शृणुष्वावहितो मम ।
śrutaiḥ sarvatra jagati brahmalōkāvatāritaiḥ
That is the supreme Brahman, eternal as proclaimed by Brahma.
वरयैनं भवं देवं भक्तस्त्वं परमेश्वरम् ॥ ६ ॥
satyaistatparamaṁ brahma brahmaprōktaṁ sanātanam
I will speak of the best of the Yadu lineage; listen, O my Lord.
तेन ते श्रावयिष्यामि यत्तद्ब्रह्म सनातनम् ।
vakṣyē yadukulaśrēṣṭha śr̥ṇuṣvāvahitō mama
Grant me this boon, O God, you are the supreme Lord, devoted one.
न शक्यं विस्तरात्कृत्स्नं वक्तुं सर्वस्य केनचित् ॥ ७ ॥
varayainaṁ bhavaṁ dēvaṁ bhaktastvaṁ paramēśvaram
I will proclaim to you that eternal Brahman.
युक्तेनापि विभूतीनामपि वर्षशतैरपि ।
tēna tē śrāvayiṣyāmi yattadbrahma sanātanam
It cannot be fully expressed by anyone in detail.
यस्यादिर्मध्यमन्तं च सुरैरपि न गम्यते ॥ ८ ॥
na śakyaṁ vistarātkr̥tsnaṁ vaktuṁ sarvasya kēnacit
Even with reasoning, it cannot be comprehended by hundreds of years of glory.
कस्तस्य शक्नुयाद्वक्तुं गुणान् कार्त्स्न्येन माधव ।
yuktēnāpi vibhūtīnāmapi varṣaśatairapi
Whose beginning, middle, and end cannot be reached even by the gods.
किं तु देवस्य महतः सङ्क्षिप्तार्थपदाक्षरम् ॥ ९ ॥
yasyādirmadhyamantaṁ ca surairapi na gamyatē
Who can fully describe the qualities of Madhava?
शक्तितश्चरितं वक्ष्ये प्रसादात्तस्य धीमतः ।
kastasya śaknuyādvaktuṁ guṇān kārtsnyēna mādhava
But I will briefly speak of the great deity's essence in a condensed form.
अप्राप्य तु ततोऽनुज्ञां न शक्यः स्तोतुमीश्वरः ॥ १० ॥
kiṁ tu dēvasya mahataḥ saṅkṣiptārthapadākṣaram
I will describe his deeds, granted by the wisdom of that wise one.
यदा तेनाभ्यनुज्ञातः स्तुतो वै स तदा मया ।
śaktitaścaritaṁ vakṣyē prasādāttasya dhīmataḥ
Without having attained that, it is not possible to praise the Lord.
अनादिनिधनस्याहं जगद्योनेर्महात्मनः ॥ ११ ॥
aprāpya tu tatō:'nujñāṁ na śakyaḥ stōtumīśvaraḥ
When he is praised, having been permitted by him, then I will do so.
नाम्नां किञ्चित्समुद्देशं वक्ष्याम्यव्यक्तयोनिनः ।
yadā tēnābhyanujñātaḥ stutō vai sa tadā mayā
I am of the eternal, the great soul of the universe.
वरदस्य वरेण्यस्य विश्वरूपस्य धीमतः ॥ १२ ॥
anādinidhanasyāhaṁ jagadyōnērmahātmanaḥ
I will speak a little about the names of the unmanifest source.
शृणु नाम्नां च यं कृष्ण यदुक्तं पद्मयोनिना ।
nāmnāṁ kiñcitsamuddēśaṁ vakṣyāmyavyaktayōninaḥ
Of the granter of boons, the most excellent, the wise one of universal form.
दशनामसहस्राणि यान्याह प्रपितामहः ॥ १३ ॥
varadasya varēṇyasya viśvarūpasya dhīmataḥ
Listen to the names that Krishna has spoken, born of the lotus.
तानि निर्मथ्य मनसा दध्नो घृतमिवोद्धृतम् ।
śr̥ṇu nāmnāṁ ca yaṁ kr̥ṣṇa yaduktaṁ padmayōninā
The thousands of names that the great-grandfather has declared.
गिरेः सारं यथा हेम पुष्पसारं यथा मधु ॥ १४ ॥
daśanāmasahasrāṇi yānyāha prapitāmahaḥ
Having churned those with the mind, like clarified butter being churned.
घृतात्सारं यथा मण्डस्तथैतत्सारमुद्धृतम् ।
tāni nirmathya manasā dadhnō ghr̥tamivōddhr̥tam
Just as the essence of a mountain is gold,
सर्वपापापहमिदं चतुर्वेदसमन्वितम् ॥ १५ ॥
girēḥ sāraṁ yathā hēma puṣpasāraṁ yathā madhu
Just as the essence of a flower is honey,
प्रयत्नेनाधिगन्तव्यं धार्यं च प्रयतात्मना ।
ghr̥tātsāraṁ yathā maṇḍastathaitatsāramuddhr̥tam
Just as the essence of ghee is clarified butter,
माङ्गल्यं पौष्टिकं चैव रक्षोघ्नं पावनं महत् ॥ १६ ॥
sarvapāpāpahamidaṁ caturvēdasamanvitam
So too is this essence raised up.
इदं भक्ताय दातव्यं श्रद्दधानास्तिकाय च ।
prayatnēnādhigantavyaṁ dhāryaṁ ca prayatātmanā
This is the remover of all sins,
नाश्रद्दधानरूपाय नास्तिकायाजितात्मने ॥ १७ ॥
māṅgalyaṁ pauṣṭikaṁ caiva rakṣōghnaṁ pāvanaṁ mahat
Accompanied by the four Vedas,
यश्चाभ्यसूयते देवं कारणात्मानमीश्वरम् ।
idaṁ bhaktāya dātavyaṁ śraddadhānāstikāya ca
It must be attained through effort,
स कृष्ण नरकं याति सह पूर्वैः सहात्मजैः ॥ १८ ॥
nāśraddadhānarūpāya nāstikāyājitātmanē
And should be held with a striving spirit.
इदं ध्यानमिदं योगमिदं ध्येयमनुत्तमम् ।
yaścābhyasūyatē dēvaṁ kāraṇātmānamīśvaram
It is auspicious, nourishing,
इदं जप्यमिदं ज्ञानं रहस्यमिदमुत्तमम् ॥ १९ ॥
sa kr̥ṣṇa narakaṁ yāti saha pūrvaiḥ sahātmajaiḥ
A great purifier that destroys demons.
यं ज्ञात्वा अन्तकालेपि गच्छेत परमां गतिम् ।
idaṁ dhyānamidaṁ yōgamidaṁ dhyēyamanuttamam
This should be given to devotees,
पवित्रं मङ्गलं मेध्यं कल्याणमिदमुत्तमम् ॥ २० ॥
idaṁ japyamidaṁ jñānaṁ rahasyamidamuttamam
To those who have faith and are theistic.
इदं ब्रह्मा पुरा कृत्वा सर्वलोकपितामहः ।
yaṁ jñātvā antakālēpi gacchēta paramāṁ gatim
To those who lack faith and are atheistic,
सर्व स्तवानां राजत्वे दिव्यानां समकल्पयत् ॥ २१ ॥
pavitraṁ maṅgalaṁ mēdhyaṁ kalyāṇamidamuttamam
To those who worship the formless divine.
तदा प्रभृति चैवायमीश्वरस्य महात्मनः ।
idaṁ brahmā purā kr̥tvā sarvalōkapitāmahaḥ
Whoever envies the divine,
स्तवराज इति ख्यातो जगत्यमरपूजितः ॥ २२ ॥
sarva stavānāṁ rājatvē divyānāṁ samakalpayat
The causal essence, the Lord,
ब्रह्मलोकादयं स्वर्गे स्तवराजोऽवतारितः ।
tadā prabhr̥ti caivāyamīśvarasya mahātmanaḥ
Will go to hell along with their ancestors and offspring.
यतस्तण्डिः पुरा प्राप तेन तण्डिकृतोऽभवत् ॥ २३ ॥
stavarāja iti khyātō jagatyamarapūjitaḥ
This is meditation, this is yoga,
स्वर्गाच्चैवात्र भूर्लोकं तण्डिना ह्यवतारितः ।
brahmalōkādayaṁ svargē stavarājō:'vatāritaḥ
This is the supreme object of meditation.
सर्वमङ्गलमाङ्गल्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् ॥ २४ ॥
yatastaṇḍiḥ purā prāpa tēna taṇḍikr̥tō:'bhavat
This is the recitation, this is knowledge,
निगदिष्ये महाबाहो स्तवानामुत्तमं स्तवम् ।
svargāccaivātra bhūrlōkaṁ taṇḍinā hyavatāritaḥ
This is the most secret and supreme.
ब्रह्मणामपि यद्ब्रह्म पराणामपि यत्परम् ॥ २५ ॥
sarvamaṅgalamāṅgalyaṁ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam
Knowing this, even at the end of life,
तेजसामपि यत्तेजस्तपसामपि यत्तपः ।
nigadiṣyē mahābāhō stavānāmuttamaṁ stavam
One attains the highest destination.
शान्तानामपि यः शान्तो द्युतीनामपि या द्युतिः ॥ २६ ॥
brahmaṇāmapi yadbrahma parāṇāmapi yatparam
This is pure, auspicious, and excellent,
दान्तानामपि यो दान्तो धीमतामपि या च धीः ।
tējasāmapi yattējastapasāmapi yattapaḥ
This is the most supreme good.
देवानामपि यो देव ऋषीणामपि यस्त्वृषिः ॥ २७ ॥
śāntānāmapi yaḥ śāntō dyutīnāmapi yā dyutiḥ
This was created by Brahma in ancient times,
यज्ञानामपि यो यज्ञः शिवानामपि यः शिवः ।
dāntānāmapi yō dāntō dhīmatāmapi yā ca dhīḥ
The grandfather of all worlds,
रुद्राणामपि यो रुद्रः प्रभा प्रभवतामपि ॥ २८ ॥
dēvānāmapi yō dēva r̥ṣīṇāmapi yastvr̥ṣiḥ
And he arranged all divine hymns in their glory.
योगिनामपि यो योगी कारणानां च कारणम् ।
yajñānāmapi yō yajñaḥ śivānāmapi yaḥ śivaḥ
From that time onwards, this is known as the great lord's divine hymn,
यतो लोकाः सम्भवन्ति न भवन्ति यतः पुनः ॥ २९ ॥
rudrāṇāmapi yō rudraḥ prabhā prabhavatāmapi
Renowned as the king of hymns, worshipped by the celestial beings.
सर्वभूतात्मभूतस्य हरस्यामिततेजसः ।
yōgināmapi yō yōgī kāraṇānāṁ ca kāraṇam
The king of hymns has descended to the realms of Brahma and others,
अष्टोत्तरसहस्रं तु नाम्नां शर्वस्य मे शृणु । यच्छ्रुत्वा मनुजव्याघ्र सर्वान्कामानवाप्स्यसि ॥ ३० ॥
yatō lōkāḥ sambhavanti na bhavanti yataḥ punaḥ
For the sake of which, the great sage attained that state.
श्री शिव सहस्रनाम स्तोत्रम्
sarvabhūtātmabhūtasya harasyāmitatējasaḥ
From heaven and here on earth, he has indeed descended.
Sri Shiva Ashtottara satanamavali – श्री शिव अष्टोत्तरशतनामावली
aṣṭōttarasahasraṁ tu nāmnāṁ śarvasya mē śr̥ṇu
All auspiciousness and the destruction of all sins,