Salutations to the Lord of demi-gods (deva)! Salutations to the One bearing flag of Gaurda! Salutations to You, Who bears conch-shell (shankha), discus (chakra), and mace (gadaa) in hands and is known as Vasudeva.||1||
O the One, Who is formless, Who is immeasurable, Who cannot be resolved by arguments, Who is Arya, Who is pure, Who is pious, Who is both — knowledge and ignorance, Who is without support, Who is the support of everyone! Salutations to You.||2||
O the One, Who created rajas in this universe, Who is known as Brahma, Who is eternal! Salutations to You. O Lord! This whole universe, with animate and inanimate objects, was created by You.||3||
O the One, Who is established only with Sattva, Who is the Lord of the worlds, Who is known as Vishnu, Who is like a diamond (best), Who is the nourisher of everyone, Who has long hands, Who agitates men (with His creations)! Salutations to You.||4||
O the One, Who created tamas or darkness! I have been born out of Your anger. O the One, Who made all the qualities, Who is the Supreme Lord, Who is present everywhere! Salutations to You.||5||
O Lord of the worlds! You are this earth, the ether, the sky, the fire, the wind, the mind, the thoughts, and everything else. Salutations to You.||6||
O God! You are Dharma, sacrifice, penance, truth, benevolence, cleanliness, honesty, forgiveness, act of donating, mercy, surreal wealth, and study of the Veda.||7||
You are the four Veda with all their sub-parts², You are the extension of teaching of Veda, and You are beyond the Veda. O Lord! You are the Sub-Veda and everything else. Salutations to You.||8||
O Madhav, the One who is infallible, Who possesses a discus in His hand, Who took an incarnation in the form of a fish! Salutations to You. In my opinion, You are the most compassionate one in the world; (and hence) save me from my sin (of Brahma Hatya)¹.||9||
Destroy my ill-doing situated inside my body so that I get freed from this Brahma-Hatya. I am being destroyed and burnt by the un-pondered deed of mine. You are the supreme shrine and salutations to You.||10||
Notes:
¹ According to a story in the Vaman Purana, Brahma and Shiv had an argument after their creation in which Shiv took away one head of Brahma with His nails. Then the Brahma-Hatya or murder of a Brahman entered Shiv and the head of Brahma got stuck on His palms. That is why Shiv is known as Kapaali and this stuti appears in the due course.
² Shiksha (proper articulation and pronunciation), Chandas (metric property), Grammar (linguistic analysis), Nirukta (Unspoken or self-contained), Jyotisha (astronomy or Vedic calendar to fix auspicious days for sacrifices), and Kalpa (ceremonial property) are the six sub-parts or organs of the Veda.
Poet: Shiv
Source: Vaman Purana
© Stutimandal 2006, Mar 24.
