Jaya shubhavajradhara shubhra kalevara
Vyághrámbara Hara dehi padam;
Jaya Viśáńaninádaka kleshavidúraka
Sarvadhiidháraka dehi padam;
Jaya Ádipitá Ádideva mantresha Mahádeva
Bhávátiita abhinava dehi padam;
Rajatagirinibha madhumaya durlabha
Ánanda amitábha dehi padam;
Jaya satya sanátana paramapadam.

[Victory to the benevolent wielder of the thunderbolt, the one with white-complexioned body Clad in tiger-skin – give me shelter at Your feet; Victory to the blower of the long horn, the remover of all afflictions, The Supreme entity in whom all intellect is sheltered – give me shelter at Your feet; Victory to the First Father, the First Lord, the lord of mantra, the God of Gods, Beyond thought, ever-new – give me shelter at Your feet; One who looks like a silver mountain, full of sweetness, difficult to attain, Blissful, infinitely radiant – give me shelter at Your feet; Victory to the supreme, eternal truth.]

1. Vajra: A kind of powerful weapon invented and used by Shiva. He used this weapon to protect the honest and virtuous people as well as innocent birds and animals, and to strike at the sinful, violent and arrogant antisocial elements. Shiva was very restrained and self-possessed in all spheres of life; He would use His weapon only on rare occasions. From a perusal of history we learn that He never used this weapon against any virtuous person. Human beings as well as animals in trouble used to approach Shiva for security; Shiva would protect them and admonish their enemies to move along the path of righteousness. By repeated persuasion He tried to rectify their defects. Only against those who refused to correct their ways and, on the contrary, tried to further their own self-interest by opposing Shiva, did He use this weapon. Since it was used to promote the welfare of all living beings, it was rightly called shubhavajra [“the thunderbolt of welfare”].

Shiva had unbounded love not only for human beings but for animals as well, and so He was respected as Pashupati [the Lord of Animals]. His vajra was also called Páshupata Astra [the Weapon of Pashupati]. By Shiva’s grace, some honest and virtuous people also acquired this weapon and had the opportunity to learn how to use it. One whose vajra was always used with benevolent intent was rightly called shubhavajradhara.

2. In those days the Aryans were fair-complexioned, the non-Aryans dark-complexioned, and the Mongolians yellow-complexioned. But Shiva was white-complexioned. His immense purity of mind was in perfect harmony with His white complexion. Regarding His complexion it has been stated kundendu-hima-shaunkha shubhra – that is, Shiva is as white as a kunda flower… as the lovely moon… as the glittering snow… as a conch shell. Hence the epithet shubhra kalevara [“one with a white-complexioned body”].

3. Since the beginning of yoga practice, yogis have sat on various kinds of materials which are by nature non-conductors of heat and electricity. The yogis of olden times mostly sat on animal skins, and in many cases they also used animal skins as their outer garments. Later, for lack of animal skins, people started using blankets as ásanas [meditation seats]. Shiva was fond of using tiger skins both as His seat during meditation and as His outer garments. About 4500 years after Shiva, due to the influence of the Digambara Jain cult, He was depicted as digambara [without clothes] – which was not at all true. Actually Shiva was never digambara. He was indifferent to His dress, but He never did anything indecent. In the dhyána mantra of Shiva, there is no reference to Shiva as digambara, as one whose body is smeared with ashes, as one who is addicted to opium or hashish. These were the latter-day fantasies of some irresponsible people. Thus in the “Shivagiiti” [“Song of Shiva”], Shiva has been described as vyághrámbara Hara.⁽¹⁾

4. Harati pápán ityarthe Hari [“One who steals otherśsins is called Hari”], and Harati bandanaḿ ityarthe Hara [“One who cuts asunder the knots of bondages is called Hara”]. That great personality who lays out the spiritual path which leads to liberation from all kinds of bondages is called Hara. If He is not Hara, then who deserves such a glorious epithet?

5. One should proceed toward Parama Puruśa without the least thought of selfishness, and should not ask Him for anything. In fact, Parama Puruśa knows the real needs of human beings better than they themselves – the parents of a child know the child’s need better than the child itself. So an ideal sádhaka is one who never asks Parama Puruśa for anything – who asks only for Parama Puruśa Himself. Thus here Parama Puruśa is beseeched, dehi padam – “give me shelter at Your feet”.

6. In olden days neglected and exploited people, who had fallen prostrate under extreme oppression, used to look upon Shiva as their supreme shelter. Shiva would crush this exploitation with His thunderbolt – He would strike the arrogance of vain and egotistic people with His trident, and reduce to ashes the mountains of injustice and tyranny. He felt great compassion for those afflicted people and, making them sit beside Him, advised them how to solve their physical, psychic and spiritual problems. Shiva used to live on a hill, and all kinds of people from far and near would flock to Him. He would call them with the call of His viśáńa, His long horn, and that is why the people of those days could not think of Him without His viśáńa – so they lovingly nicknamed Him “Viśáńaninádaka” [“One who Blows the Viśáńa”]. Perhaps those persecuted people, whose lustreless faces showed no glow of well-being, who had been reduced to skeletons by their back-breaking labour, who had no soft bed of flowers on which to rest – those persecuted people, buffeted by hunger and exhausted by injustice – were not at all beautiful. That is why the arrogant tyrants of those days contemptuously called them “ghouls” and “ghosts”. But those so-called ghouls and ghosts were in fact the companions of Shiva. These unbeautiful representatives of the hungry masses of the world of that time were actually the simple and devoted followers of Shiva, His gańas who spoiled the yajiṋa of King Daksha.

7. Kleshakarmavipákáshayaeraparámrt́śah Puruśavisheśa Iishavarah – “That Puruśa who remains unassailed by klesha [afflictions], by the bondages of karma, by vipáka [reactions] and áshaya [saḿskáras] is called Iishvara.”

Shiva wanted His beloved devotees, His gańas who took shelter under Him, to attain the highest spiritual realization, and so He Himself used to teach them the different processes of spiritual practice to remove all spiritual and psychic afflictions; and moreover He spared no effort to help His devotees to overcome all mundane and social difficulties.

Whenever Shiva noticed tears in the eyes of His devotees He felt restless. In fact, everyone was aware of the tenderness and flower-like softness of His large heart. Even wicked people used to take full advantage of His large-heartedness. Even though Shiva realized this, He would not change His ways. He never said, “I have made a mistake by forgiving those people, by granting them boons.” Thus this noble personality, the remover of all the afflictions of the universe, was lovingly called Ashutośa, One Who Is Easily Pleased.

8. Just as a unit entity is quite insignificant next to the vast Cosmic Entity, similarly the intellect of a unit entity is completely insignificant next to the vast intellectual power of the Cosmic Entity. In the brilliant light of the sun, the feeble glow of a firefly is invisible. What to speak of a firefly – even the moon and stars fade in the presence of the sun! Only in the blinding darkness of night are the moon, the stars and the fireflies important – only then do they dare to strut and prance. Similarly, as long as living beings remain forgetful of Parama Puruśa, they pompously display their little intellect. Some people do not realize, others do realize, and still others pretend not to realize, that the Cosmic Mind is the only shelter of all unit minds. Thus all their intellectual abilities, all their swaggering and boasting, are all contained within the vast bosom of the Cosmic Mind. Thus it has been rightly said that Shiva is sarvadhiidháraka [“the Supreme Entity in whom all intellect is sheltered”].

9. Shiva was the first person in the universe to marry; before Him no one was married in the true sense of the term. No male would take any kind of household responsibility, only perhaps a nominal responsibility such as animals do. But when Shiva is addressed here as “Ádipitá” [“First Father”], it does not mean that He was the first married person. It means that He was such a great personality that out of His deep paternal love and compassion He provided a safe shelter not only to human beings but also to animals. He gave them food to eat, the touch of warmth in cold, consolation in sorrow, and made them realize the warm feeling of existence. Before Him people were half animal, half human. These people, who had been devoid of any social consciousness and mutual love for each other, built a sweet and loving environment revolving around Shiva; they created a social atmosphere of peace and happiness, a cool and shady bower of peace. For the first time in history, people began to realize that they were human beings.

The loving inspiration of Shiva made those mute people eloquent, and they proclaimed with a sweet smile on their faces, Hararme pitá Gaorii mátá svadeshah bhuvanatrayam [“Shiva is my father, Párvatii is my mother, and the three worlds of earth, heaven and hell are my native land”]. They further declared, Átmagotraḿ parityajya Shivagotraḿ pravishatu [“Leave your own gotra and enter Shivagotra”]. “From now on there will be no discrimination among us, no conflict among the clans. Regardless of our colour – black, white, yellow – we are all the sons and daughters of Shiva. We all belong to one gotra – Shivagotra.” Thus the prehistoric humans, united by the common bond of the fatherhood of Shiva, strengthened the foundation of their mutual relationships. They realized that because Shiva was their father, their lives were in harmony and rhythm. Thus Shiva was the first father of the human race.

10. The word deva is derived from the Sanskrit root verb div. The word deva means an entity which is shining in its own spiritual effulgence. In this universe, a benevolent entity which is an embodiment of serenity and beauty is called deva. After feeling the tender touch of Shiva’s large-heartedness, people understood the concept of deva, and they declared Shiva to be ádideva [“the first deva”].

11. Long ago people learned to perform sacrifices, they realized in theory that God exists, but they did not know how to attain Him – how to develop God-consciousness, how to make themselves fit instruments for the attainment of the Supreme. Shiva prepared the path of sádhaná for them and taught them how to evolve their minds with the help of mantra. Mananát tárayet yastu sah mantrah parikiirtitah [“A mantra is that collection of sounds which, when meditated upon, leads to liberation”].

Shiva also taught the people how to develop themselves spiritually with the help of mantra yoga, rája yoga and other branches of rájádhiráj yoga.⁽²⁾ Then people accepted unanimously that Shiva was mantrádhipati, or mantresha – “the lord of mantra”. Shiva equally loved animals and human beings. As He protected the animals, He was addressed as Pashupati. In the spiritual world, He gave shelter to the sádhakas of viirabháva [a kind of Tantric ideation]. So, He was respectfully addressed as “Viireshvara”. And as He was the guardian of those sádhakas of noble character and developed intellect, He was addressed as “Mahádeva” [the “Lord of Lords”]. Devánáḿ devah ityarthe Mahádeva [“The Lord of lords is Mahádeva”].

For ages those exalted entities considered as devas have said,

Tava tattvaḿ na jánámi kiidrsho’si Maheshvara;
Yádrsho’si Mahádeva tadrsháya namo namah.

“O Maheshvara, it is not possible for the unit mind to understand You. Whenever I have tried to fathom You in any way, I did not succeed, so I do not know what You really are. But whatever You are, I pay my deepest salutation to You.”

12. That mental state which is created in the subtlest, most solitary recesses of the mind, which inspires the practical side of thought, which develops human personality, is called bháva:

Shuddhasattvavisheśád́vá premasúryáḿshusámyabhák,
Rucibhishcittamásrńya krdasao bháva ucyate.

[That which makes one extremely pure and sentient, which causes the sun of love to shine, Which makes the mind clean-surfaced and soft owing to the spiritual effulgence, is called bháva.]

Parama Puruśa, the Supreme Reality, is beyond all speech and thought: He is beyond the reach of the vocal cord. So He is bhávátiita [“beyond bháva”]. Shiva was also beyond the reach of ordinary intelligence. Although His body was composed of the five fundamental factors, He was beyond them. The more one thinks of His infinite qualities, the more one becomes speechless, the more deeply one becomes absorbed in Him. However He is viewed, He is seen to be the newest of the new – constantly new. That is why He has been described as bhávátiita abhinava [“beyond bháva, ever-new”].

13. In the “Shivagiiti” as well as the dhyána mantra of Shiva, Shiva is described as rajatagirinibha. That is, the physical appearance of Shiva was like a great silver mountain. Not only the external complexion of Shiva was silvery, His mind also was stainless and sparkling white. There was no difference between the inside and outside of the white-complexioned Shiva, the embodiment of náda.⁽³⁾

Shiva the great intellectual, great yogi, great tapasvii [one who performs penance], the most glorious one, whose inside and outside were in perfect balance, was the shelter and the vehicle for the development of others.

14. There are endless varieties of humans in the world. Each of them according to his or her inherent saḿskáras is moving forward from the distant past to the more distant future. But how many of them are really human beings? How few people can we fully trust – to whom we can tell all our pains and pleasures, to whom we can divulge all the thoughts of our minds and hearts and feel completely relieved, to whom we can say, “O Lord, You know everything. I have nothing to hide from You.” No, we do not ordinarily find such people. They are not only rare, they are also as sweet as honey. After coming into contact with such a person even once, one feels forever drawn to Him, one’s heart yearns for Him, one cannot help but be pulled by His irresistible attraction. He is at the same time “filled with sweetness and difficult to attain”.⁽⁴⁾

One cannot get Him easily like puffed rice in the market place. We cannot build a temple and permanently confine Him inside.

Even if one runs about the external world like a mad dog one will not find Him. One will have to seek Him, the most beloved, with the highest love in the innermost recesses of the heart, in the most solitary jewel-case of the mind.

15. The universe has emerged as a blissful vibration from the Supreme Entity – Ánandáddhyeva khalvimáni bhútáni jáyante. Ánandena játáni jiivanti. Ánandaḿ prayantyabhi saḿvishanti. [“Out of bliss all beings were born, in bliss they are living, and into bliss they will ultimately dissolve.”]

This bliss, these blissful entities and the blissful Parama Puruśa: all three are one; they are one in three. And all manifest and unmanifest entities are glittering with the effulgence of this blissful Parama Puruśa. He is vibrating all entities, substantiating their existence. So He is ánanda [“bliss”] and amitábha [“infinitely radiant”].

16. That entity which existed in the past, which exists at present, and which will ever exist in the future is called sanátana. This entity is not only rta [existing in fact] but also satya [existing for the sake of welfare]. That is, His existence is kalyáńamukha [supreme benevolence], as well as kalyáńamadhura [benevolent sweetness]. Because of this sweet, benevolent touch, Parama Puruśa, the eternal reality, is eternal sweetness, eternal beauty:

Yadi cirasundara náhi habe go
Kena candra súrya graha táŕa sab
Carańe lut́áye rabe go.
Kusuma bitare taba madhurimá
Samiiran bahe tomári susamá
Nad-nadii-giri ban-upavan
Mahimá tomári pracáre go.
Mahán haite tumi sumahán
Anáther náth jagater práń
Parashe tomár dúre yáy jválá
Shánti paráńe pái go.
Tái aharaha gáhiyá biraha
Tomárei sabe cáhe go.

[If You are not the ever-beautiful One,
Then why should the sun, moon, planets and stars
All cling to Your feet?
The flowers diffuse Your sweetness,
The wind carries Your exquisite grace.
Rivers, mountains, forests and glades
All proclaim Your glory.
From the great to the greater,
You are the greatest;
You are the Lord of the helpless,
The life of the universe.
Your touch removes all agony,
And bestows peace in the heart;
So those who suffer the constant pain of separation
All yearn for You.]

That is why He is satya sanátana [“eternal truth”], why He alone is satya sanátana.

The Supreme Reality is vibrant with blissful vibrations; He is the greatest of all entities, the highest, above all, beyond all comparison. Tulá vá upamá Shivasya násti [“Shiva has no comparison”]. His existence, His stance, His ever-blissful state, is the highest stage of attainment. From Him one should not ask for anything. One should only ask to attain the supreme stance – nothing more than that, nothing less than that.

Footnotes

(1) “Hara” means “Shiva”; vyághra means “tiger”, and ambara means “clothes”. So vyághrámbara Hara means “Shiva clad in a tiger-skin”. –Trans.

(2) Different systems of yoga sádhaná. –Trans.

(3) The divine sound that arises from the heart in an exalted state of consciousness. –Trans.

(4) That is, madhumaya durlabha. –Trans.