SHREE SHIVA SAHASRANAAMAAVALI
।। श्री।।
श्रीगणेशाय नमः
अस्य श्रीसदाशिवसहस्र नाममंत्रस्य, नारायण ऋषिः,श्रीसदाशिवो देवता,अनुष्टुपछंदः, सदाशिवो बीजम्, गौरी शक्तिः, श्रीसदाशिव प्रीत्यर्थं जपे विनियोगः।
“The seer of this glorious cluster of one thousand names of Shri Sadaashiva is NaaraayaNa. Shri Sadaashiva is the deity, AnushTup is the metre, Sadaashiva is the seed(that has expanded into the universe), Gauri is the shakti. These names are chanted to please the Lord, Shri Sadaashiva”.
The very fact that it is NaaraayaNa who visualised these Names shows that Shiva and VishNu are identical in essence.
शिव सहस्त्रनाम :
On the auspicious occasion of MahasShivaraatri, I have pleasure in commencing Shiva Sahasranaamaavali, the 1000 Names of our patron deity Shri Bhavanishankar.. I have already annotated the 108 Names of Shiva at great length with many cross references. I could indulge that luxury because the Names were only 108.
Now, since I have to attend to 1000 Names, I will be brief.
There are 1000 Names for almost every IshTadevataa, but, those of VishNu, Shiva and Lalitaa are more wellknown. Among
these three, Shiva’s 1000 Names are comparatively less popular.
Shiva Sahasranaama occurs in seven texts with variations in terms of both names and their sequence. The sources are:
1. 17th chapter of Anushaasana Parva of Mahaabhaarata.
2. Shivarahasya(an Itihaasa)
3. Padma PuraaNa
4. .Linga PuraaNa
5. Saura PuraaNa
6. Skanda PuraaNa
7. Shiva PuraaNa
The version now mostly in vogue is no.1 above, imparted by Shri KrishNa to Dharmaraaja (YudhishTira). Dharmaraaja was emotionally shattered after the Kurukshetra bloodbath. He was in utter depression. To enable him to get over it, Bhishma imparted to him the VishNu Sahasranaama(VSN). As suggested by Bhishma, Shri KrishNa imparted Shiva Sahasranaama (SSN) to Dharmaraaja. So, both these, VSN and SSN, were part of psycho-therapy, as it were,to
dispel the gloom that had encircled Dharmaraajaa’s mind.
KrishNa is an incarnation of VishNu. So, His telling these 1000 Names is like VishNu Himself glorifying Shiva. There are so many common names in VSN and SSN which I will highlight as we go forward. These two points suffice to validate the old saying that God is one, be He Keshava or Shiva (एको देव: केशवो वा
शिवो वा).
These anthologies(be they 108 or 1000)of Divine Names constitute a unique feature of Hinduism. As one keeps on chanting the Names, one after the other, our fickle mind turns turtle as it were. Nama(नम:) is the Mana(मन) upside down. As we chant each Name with नम:, our mind mellows down. It becomes more steady and serene. While deekshaa(initiation by a Guru) is prescribed for a mantra, such a stipulation does not apply to reciting these Names, be they 108 or 1000. These Names tell us about the attributes(guNa), deeds(karma) and exploits (leela) of the deity. Here and there, there are allusions to events found in mytholigy. It is said that repetition of ‘namaha’ makes us ‘namra'(humble) and lessens the clamour of desires (namyante asya kaamaah).
As VishNu PuraaNa puts it, “what could be obtained in Krita Yuga by meditation, in Treta Yuga by Yajna and formal worship in Dvaapara Yuga, becomes easily ours in Kali Yuga by simple recitation(keertana) of fhe glory of God.”. Each Name we chant is a simple glorification of the Lord. So, we need to understand what is it that we are glorifying. Hence this humble effort on my part.
As always Dear Satish Kulkarni of Goregaon has set apart a webpage for this series. Our heartfelt ‘thank you’ to him for this friendly gesture.
ATTACHED is the video of Aum Namah Shivaaya chanted by Smt. Anuradha Paudwal.
V.RAJAGOPAL BHAT
11-3-2021
१)ॐ स्थिराय नमः।
Aum Sthiraaya Namaha (no.203 in VSN)
Salutations to Him, who is stable and firm.
Brahman is firm while Maayaa is fleeting.
The rails are firm, but, the train is fleeting.
This is the first name and has a message to us. We spend our life chasing the fleeting
names and forms. We should seek Him, who
is firm and stable – God. Trying to build a
house on shiftig sands will be foolhardy.
While commenting on this name in VSN, Aachaarya Shankara (AS) comments: ‘sadaa ekaroopatvaat sthiraha’ (He is sthira because His nature remains same, unchanged)…
२)ॐ स्थाणवे नमः।
Aum SthaaNave namaha
(no.28 in VSN)
StaaNu meas a pillar. This name reinforces
the idea in the name no.1. HE is firm like a
pillar and, therefore, supports and sustains the canopy of this creation.
Udayana Aachaarya, a renowned logician of 10th century c.e.says in his book “Nyaaya
Kusumaanjali” – “It is not the fault of the pillar
if a visually impaired person fails to see it”
(nahi ayam sthaaNoraparaadhaha yadenam andho na pashyati”). Shiva is the pillar of our very being and it is simply our misfortune if we fail to perceive Him and interact with Him.
AS says: ‘sthiratvaat sthaaNuhu'(He is sthaaNu because His firm, sthira).
३)ॐ प्रभवे नमः।
Aum Prabhave namaha
(no.35 and 299 in VSN).
Salutations to Him, who is the Lord of all. His
prabhaava(influence and authority) are unmistakable and are there everywhere for us to see.
AS says: ‘sarvaasu kriyaasu saamarthya atishayaat prabhuhu'( In all that He does, His capacity and competence are superb, so He is Prabhu).
४) ॐ भीमाय नमः।
Aum Bheemaaya namaha
(no.357, 948 in VSN)
Salutations to Him who is frightful and
awe-inspiring. The Upanishads say that all the five elements and luminaries like sun are afraid of Him and faithfully perform their assigned duties.
AS says: ‘bibheti asmaat sarvam iti bheemaha'(He is Bheema because
all are afraid of Him).
During Shiva-poojan we say: Aum bheemaaya aakaashamoortaye namaha.We identify Him with the sky in AshTamoortis.
५)ॐ प्रवराय नमः।
Aum Pravaraaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who is the most(pra) excellent(vara). All excellences find their ultimate expression in Him.
६) ॐ वरदाय नमः।
Aum Varadaaya namaha
(no.330 in VSN)
Salutations to Him, who is the bestower of boons. He confers boons in keeping with
our need rather than our greed.
AS says: ‘abhimataan varaan dadaati iti Varadaha'( He is Varada because He grants our wishes)
७) ॐ वराय नमः।
Aum Varaaya namaha
He is ‘vriyate'(sought after) by spiritual aspirants. The bridegroom is sought by the bride, so he is also called vara,
८) ॐ सर्वात्मने नमः।
Aum Sarvaatmane namaha
He is the Self in all. He is the inner monitor
(antaryaami).
९)ॐ सर्वविख्याताय नमः।
Aum Sarva Vikhyaataaya namaha
He is well-known(vikhyaata) to all(sarva).One cannot forget oneself and one’s true Self is Shiva. AS says in his Brahmasootra Bhaashya(1-1-1) “The existence of Brahman is wellknown from the fact of His being the Self of all”(सर्वस्य आत्मत्वाद् ब्रह्मास्तित्वप्रसिध्दिः।).
१०)ॐ सर्वाय नमः।
Aum Sarvaaya namaha
(no.25 in VSN)
He IS all this animate and inanimate creation.. He is IN all this creation.
AS says:: ‘sarvasya prabhava-apyayaat, sarvasya sarvadaa jnaanaat Sarvaha'(He is Sarva because all originate from Him, dissolve in Him and He is a know-all).
११) ॐ सर्वकराय नमः।
Aum Sarvakaraaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who is doing(karaaya) all
(creation, preservation. dissolution, punishment(nigraha, control) and grace
(anugraha, benediction).He is panchakritya
paraayaNa(an epithet of Lalitaa too).
१२) ॐ भवाय नमः।
Aum Bhavaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who is the origin of all life. Being gives rise to becoming(bhavati).
१३) ॐ जटिने नमः।
Aum JaTine namaha
Salutations to Him with matted locks(jaTaa).
१४) ॐ चर्मिणे नमः।
Aum CharmiNe namaha
Salutations to Him, whose garment is the hide(charma) of tiger as well as elephant.
(This name clearly shows He wa not
digambara in the popular sense of this word).
१५) ॐ शिखंडिने नमः।
Aum ShikhaNDine namaha (no.311 in VSN)
Salutations to Him with a tuft like the crest of a peacock(shikhaNDa).Shri KrishNa used to have a peacock feather in His crown
(kireeTa) and so, ShikhNDi is a Name of VishNu also in VSN.
AS says: ‘shikhNDaha kalaapaha alankaaro asya iti'( The cluster of peacock feathers – shikhNDa – is His ornament).
१६) ॐ सर्वांगाय नमः।
Aum Sarvaangaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, whose limbs are everywhere. The Gita says His feet, eyes, heads and faces are everywhere(XIII-13),
meaning all feet etc are His.
Another variant of this name is SARVAGAAYA NAMAHA(123 in VSN) which
means: He who moves everywhere.
१७)ॐ सर्वभावनाय नमः।
Aum Sarva-bhaavanaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him who brings about everything(sarvam bhaavayati) – creation, maintenance,dissolution, control and benediction(pancha kritya)
१८) ॐ हराय नमः।
Aum Haraaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who removes(harati) our
sorrow and ignorance.
१९)ॐ हरिणाक्षाय नमः।
Aum HariNaakshaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who has tremulous eyes
of the deer. Being compassionate, His concern for us makes His gaze roving like that of a deer.
२०) ॐ सर्वभूतहराय नमः।
Aum sarvabhoota haraaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who withdraws all beings into Himself during dissolution.
२१) ॐ प्रवृत्तये नमः।
Aum Privrittaye namaha
Salutations to Him, who knows when to act.
He knows His five functions and engages in
them at the right time.
२२)ॐ निवृत्तये नमः।
Aum Nivrittaye namaha
(In VSN no.229 is Nivrittaatmaa).
No.21 spoke about ‘pravritti’ – His wisdom as to when to act. This name says He knows when not to act.
This is the mark of a wise person too. He should know when to act and when to apply brakes.
२३) ॐ प्रभवे नमः।
Aum Prabhave namaha
No.3 was also same name. Here it means
‘prakarsheNa bhavati’ – He has manifested
Himself totally, in all respects,in
His creation, putting His ‘heart and soul’ as
it were.
२४) ॐ नियताय नमः।
Aum Niyataaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who is self-possessed
and is responsible for the determinism in
Nature.
There are laws governing the universe at various levels – physical, chemical, biological etc. It is a cosmos, not a chaos..Grapes don’t grow on a mango tree. A cow does not give birth to a horse. Everything is determined (niyata) and He is responsible for this underlying rhythm and bewitching symmetry of Nature. AS says: “tat siddhih jagato niyata pravritteh”
(The orderliness in Nature proves His
existence).
In Gita, niyata is used in the sense of ‘nitya’
and also self-controlled. Niyata-karma means our daily prescribed duties laid down in Vedaas, which constitute the breath of God. Niyatendriya is one who has senses under control. Shiva is a Mahaayogi and is an exemplar of self-control.
२५) ॐ शाश्वताय नमः।
Aum Shaashvataaya namaha ( no.56 in VSN).
Salutations to Him, who is eternal.
AS says: ‘sarveshu kaaleshu bhavati iti Shaashvataha'(He is present in all the three tenses of Time)
२६) ॐ ध्रुवाय नम: ।
Aum Dhruvaaya namaha
(no.54 in VSN)(no.745 in VSN is
Achala)
Salutations to Him, who is Immovable.
To move, there should be vacant space. Shiva is all-encompassing and even space and time are in Him. Dhruva and Achala mean the same thing. AS comments on Achala as follows: ‘na swaroopaat na
saamarthyaat na jnaanaadikaad guNaat
chalanam vidyate asya iti Achalaha'(He is Unmoving because He does not swerve from His swaroopa, strength and attributes like knowledge etc).
२७) ॐ श्मशानवासिने नमः।
Aum Shmashaanavaasine namaha
Salutations to Him who dwells in the cremation ground..
Portrayal of Shiva as above is to drive home to us the unpalatable truth that our final
destination is the crematorium, no matter
whether we are princes or paupers. It is meant to awaken vairaagya in us. We should
realise that samsaara is a vanity fair.
२८)ॐ भगवते नमः।
Aum Bhagavate namaha
Salutations to Bhagavaan(no.558 in VSN)
VishNu PuraaNa says(6-5-74) that six fortunes(bhaga) – lordship, strength, fame,
values(material, moral, spiritual etc), knowledge and dispassion – in full qualify
God. The last three suffice for us to refer to even a human being as Bhagavaan(Buddha,
RamaNa Maharshi etc)..
२९) ॐ खेचराय नमः।
Aum khecharaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who moves in the sky
(kham means sky). The PuraaNaas speak of Shiva and Paarvati taking a stroll in the sky to take stock of what is going on here, down below. In chapter 3 of our Chitrapura Guru-
parampara Charitra, we find our patron deity
getting ready to dive down the sky to answer
the fervent prayers of our ancestors at Kotiteerth.
The space within our heart (hridaya aakaasha)is also the dwelling place of Shiva.
as said by Shri KrishNa in Gita(18-61).
३०) ॐ गोचराय नमः।
Aum Gocharaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who moves(chara) as the respective objects before the senses(go).
What we receive through our senses is He alone. ‘go’ also means the cow and the, Vedic chants.. God moved among the cows as KrishNa. He is also the subject matter of Vedaas.
Govinda (no.187 in VSN) is identical in meaning.
३१) ॐ अर्दनाय नमः।
Aum Ardanaaya namaha
(no.126 in VSN is Janaardana)
Salutations to Him, who punishes (ardana)the wicked and the vicious.
“paritraaNaaya saadhoonaam vinaashaaya cha dushkritaam” (Gita 4-8)
AS says: ‘durjanaan ardayati hinasti, narakaadeen gamayati iti janaardanaha’
(He punishes and condemns the wicked and the vicious to hell). The root ‘ard(अर्द) also means: to pray for. So, AS says: ‘janaih purushaartham abhyudaya nihshreyasa
lakshaNam yaachyate iti Janaardanaha’
(People pray to Him for both material and
spiritual welfare,, so He is Janaardana).
३२) ॐ अभिवाद्याय नमः।
Aum Abhivaadyaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who is most worthy of being offered salutations.
३३) महाकर्मणे नमः।
Aum MahaakarmaNe namaha(no.672, 787 in VSN)
Salutations to Him, who performs mighty (mahaa) tasks(karma).
AS says: ‘jagat utpatti aadi mahat karma asya iti'(He performs mind-boggling tasks like creation of the world etc).
All his five functions,(creation etc) are mighty indeed.
३४) ॐ तपस्विने नमः।
Aum Tapasvine namaha
Salutations to the Ascetic. HE is always immersed in meditation.He is austere to the fingertips.
३५) ॐ भूतभावनाय नमः।
Aum Bhootabhaavanaaya namaha(no.9 in VSN)
Salutations to Him, who has given rise to the
five cosmic elements: earth, water, fire, air and the sky. Bhoota also means beings.
AS says: ‘bhootaani bhaavayati janayati vardhayati iti vaa'(He generates and fosters all beings).
३६) ॐ उन्मत्तवेषप्रच्छन्नाय नमः।
Aum Unmatta vesha prachchannaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who has disguised Himself(vesha pracchanna) like a maverick
with His uncouth appearance(unmatta).
His garment(animal hide), fancy for wearing serpents, garland of skulls, skull(kapaala) as the begging bowl, goblins dancing around Him, passion for staying in cremation ground and applying ‘chitaa bhasma'(ash
gathered from funeral pyre) – all this bizarre paraphernalia are utterly deceptive in nature
and in contrast to His true identity as the
Supreme Self.
३७) ॐ सर्वलोकप्रजापतये नमः।
Aum Sarvaloka
prajaapataye namaha
Salutations to Him, who is the Ruler of the
denizens of all the worlds.
३८) ॐ महारूपाय नमः।
Aum Mahaaroopaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, with a mighty form(mahaa roopa).
The universe itself is His colossal form.
३९) ॐ महाकायाय नमः।
Aum Mahaakaayaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, with a mighty physique.
The universe itself is His mighty body
४०) ॐ वृषरूपाय नमः।
Aum Vrisharoopaaya namaha(no.313 in VSN)
Salutations to Him, who is the embodiment
of Dharma symbolised by the bull.
It is said: ‘vrisho hi bhagavaan dharmaha’.
AS says: ‘kaamaanaam varshaNaat vrishaha dharmaha'(Dharma showers desired things, so it is called Vrishaha).
४१) ॐ महायशसे नमः।
Aum Mahaayashase namaha
Salutations to Him, whose glory and fame,
are great. The Upanishads say ‘tasya naama mahadyashaha’.(His name itself is Great Glory). The Purusha Sookta says the world proclaims His glory.
४२) ॐ महात्मने नमः।
Aum Mahaatmane namaha
Salutations to the Mahaatmaa. Compared to the individual soul(jeeva) who is ‘alpajna'(with little knowledge) and ‘alpa shaktimaan'(with little strength), HE is ‘mahaan Aatmaa).
४३) ॐ सर्वभूतात्मने नमः।
Aum Sarvabhootaatmane namaha
Salutations to Him, who is the Self of all.
४४) ॐ विश्वरूपाय नमः।
Aum Vishvaroopaaya namaha(no.717 in VSN is Vishvamoorti).
Salutations to Him, whose form is the universe.
४५) ॐ महाहनवे नमः।
Aum Mahaa-hanave namaha
Salutations to Him with huge jaws(hanu).
This name refers to Him as the great Destroyer(samhaara-kartaa). A figurative way
of expression.
४६)ॐ लोकपालाय नमः।
Aum Lokapaalaaya namah(no.733 in VSN is Lokabandhu and no.734 is Lokanaath and 750 is Lokaswami).
Salutations to the caretaker of all the worlds.
४७) ॐ अंतर्हितात्मने नमः।
Aum Antarhitaatmane namaha)
Salutations to Him, who is hidden(antarhita)
within us. As the Katha Upanishad puts it (3-12), ‘esha sarveshu bhooteshu gooDhaha
na prakaashate”( He is hidden within all beings and hence, is not obvious).
४८)ॐ प्रसादाय नमः।
Aum Prasaadaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is always serene and gracious.(no.237 in VSN is Prasannaatmaa).The ‘prasaada’ we receive in a temple is a symbol of His grace and serenity. Receiving prasaada in a temple or a Math should not be a casual, dull and mechanical affair. We should partake of it with full faith that it will fill our lives with peace and equanimity and empower us to
face the onslaught of misfortune
४९) हयगर्दभये नमः।
Aum Hayagardabhaye namaha
Salutations to Him, whose chariot was drawn
by the mules(hayagardabha). In one of
His manifestations at sometime somewhere, His chariot was drawn by mules.
The reference here is to some obscure legend.
५०) ॐ पवित्राय नमः।
Aum Pavitraaya namaha
(no.62 in VSN)
Salutations to the ever Pure and the Purifier.
“pooyate anena iti pavitram”.
The scriptures hail God as “pavitraaNaam pavitram cha mangalaanaam cha mangalam”..
५१) ॐ महते नमः।
Aum Mahate namaha
(no.841 in VSN).
Salutations to the Most Worthy.”mahyate
poojyate iti mahaan” ( He is adored).
An Upanishadic sage exclaims in ecstasy: “vedaahametam purusham mahaantam aaditya varNam tamasah parastaat”
(I now know Him, the great Purusha, luminous like the sun and who is beyond darkness),
AS comments: शब्दादिगुणरहितत्वात् निरतिशयसूक्ष्मत्वात् नित्यशुध्दसर्वगतत्वात्अत एव महान्।(He is devoid of attributes like sound, He is exceedingly subtle and is always pure and omni present. Hence, He is mahaan).
५२) नियमाय नमः।
Aum Niyamaaya namaha.
(no.161 in VSN)
Salutations to Him, whose Rules(niyama) are writ large in the universe. Nothing is
capricious in Nature. His rules for us are
spelled out in the Vedaas. They constitute our Dharma. In this name, Shiva is identified with the laws.
५३)नियमाश्रिताय नम:।
Aum Niyamaashritaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who is the support and shelter of the myriad laws governing the universe.
५४) सर्वकर्मणे नमः।
Aum SarvakarmaNe namaha
Salutations to Him, whose all (sarva) tasks (karma) are five as we have seen earlier. Even a blade of grass moves
not without Him (tena vinaa triNamapi na chalati).
५५) ॐ स्वयंभूताय नमः।
Aum Svayambhootaaya namaha.(no.985 in VSN is Aatmayoni).
Salutations to the self-born. He has no origin,
no parents as we have. He has manifested by Himself.
५६) ॐ आदये नमः।
Aum Aadaye namaha
Salutations to Him, who is the beginning,(aadi) of creation,
५७) ॐ आदिकराय नमः।
Aum Aadikaraaya namaha
Salutations to the first(aadi) doer(kara). He is the mainspring of all activity.. Under His
supervision, other workers – deva, devataas – come into the picture.
५८)ॐ निधये नमः।
Aum Nidhaye namaha
Salutations to the Treasure.(no.30 in VSN).
God is the Supreme Treasure we can take with us to the Great Beyond. In our daily prayer se refer to Him as ‘draviNam’, the
wealth(tvameva vidyaa draviNam tvameva).
५९)ॐ सहस्त्राक्षाय नमः।
Aum Sahasraakshaaya namaha (no.226 in VSN)
Salutations to Him with a thousand eyes.
The famous Purusha Sookta refers to God as
Sahasraaksha. Here ‘sahasra’ means countless, innumerable. All eyes are His, all feet are His and so on.
६०) ॐ विशालाक्षाय नमः।
Aum Vishaalaakshaaya namaha
Salutations to Him with broad eyes.. This
name implies that we are perpetually under His unblinking gaze..
६१)ॐ सोमाय नमः।
Aum Somaaya namaha
(no.505 in VSN)
Salutations to Him, who is Soma. Soma here means ‘with Umaa'(Umayaa sahitaha somaha). Soma also symbolises yajna, where somarasa is offered. Shiva is yajnapriya.
In the following 9 names, Shiva is identified with the stars and the planets who a re perceived as His own manifestations.
६२) ॐ नक्षत्रसाधकाय नमः।
Aum Nakshatra-
saadhakaaya namaha(no.440, 441 in VSN).
Salutations to Him, who has chiselled out the stars.
६३) ॐ चंद्राय नमः।
Aum Chandraaya namaha(no.281 in VSN).
Salutations to Shiva, who manifests as the moon. The moon is one of His 8(ashTa) moortis(Aum Mahaadevaaya Chandramoortaye namaha – during Shivapoojan).
६४) ॐ सूर्याय नमः।
Aum Sooryaaya namaha(no.883 in VSN).
Salutations to Shiva, who manifests as the sun.
The sun is one of the 8(ashTa) moortis(Aum
Ishaanaaya sooryamoortaye namaha – Shiva
-poojan).
६५)ॐ शनये नमः।
Aum Ketave namaha
Salutations to Shiva in the form of Ketu.
६६)ॐ केतवे नमः।
Aum Ketave namaha
Salutations to Shiva in the form of Ketu.
६७) ॐ ग्रहाय नमः।
Aum Grahaaya namaha
Graha here means Raahu:
“chandraarkou grihNaati iti graho raahuh”(Raahu seizes sun and the moon).
He is also a manifestation of Shiva.
६८) ॐ ग्रहपतये नमः।
Aum Grahapataye namaha
Salutations to Mars(Angaaraka or Kuja).
Grahapati is a synonym of Mangala(mars).
६९) ॐ वराय नमः।
Am Varaaya namaha
Salutations to Guru(Brihaspati) and Shukra whose synonym is vara. Both are refered to as vara in astrology.
७०) ॐ अत्रये नमः।
Aum Atraye namaha
Salutations to Budha whose synonym is Atri.
७१) अत्र्या: नमस्कर्त्रे नम:।
Salutations to Him, who bowed down to Anasooyaa(Atree).The trinity
(Brahmaa, VishNu and Shiva) had paid a visit to Anasooya(prior to Datta-janma).
७२) ॐ मृगबाणार्पणाय नमः।
Aum Mriga-baaNaarpaNaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who targeted His arrow at a stag.
Our fickle mind is the deer which is in His hand(Aum Mrigadharaaya namaha). When it
tries to go scot-free, His one glance(arrow) is enough to bring it back
७३) ॐ अनघाय नमः।
Aum Anaghaaya namaha
(no.146, 831 in VSN).
Salutations to the Sinless (anagha) Shiva.
Brahman is nitya shuddha, buddha and mukta swaroopi.
७४) ॐ महातपसे नमः।
Aum Mahaatapase namaha(no.122 in VSN)
Salutations to the Great Ascetic.
७५) ॐ घोरतपसे नमः।
Aum Ghoratapase namaha
Salutations to Him, who practised severe
(ghora) penance.
Tapas means many things in the Upanishads. PraaNaayaam is tapas
(praaNaayaamah param tapaha).
Concentration of mind and senses is tapas
(manasascha indriyaaNaam cha ekaagryam paramam tapaha).
Deep reflection is tapas and it is stated in the Upanishads that God deeply reflected
(sa tapoऽ tapyata) before creation. We, mere mortals, think and plan before doing anything. Creation of the universe also makes God reflective. In the AghamarshaNa Sookta(in Sandhyavandan) we read that
God did tapas and Truth(satyam) and
Righteousness(ritam) emanated from Him.
७६) ॐ अदीनाय नमः।
Aum Adeenaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who is never helpless.
Feeling helpless is the malaise of the mortal
man. God is JishNu, the ever victorious. His
shakti, too,is Aparaajitaa, indefeatable. In fact, the devotee never feels ‘deena’ being ever conscious of the divine presence in him. Did Hanuman feel ‘deena’ in the court of RaavsNa? Not at all. He thundered: I am the servant of the King of Kosala(daasoham Kosalendrasya). For a few moments, Swami
Vivekananda felt a bit diffident before he spoke in the Parliament of Religions, but, then the conviction that he is the ‘daasa’ of Thaakur Sri RamakrishNa got the better of his diffidence and what followed is history.
Our dear Lord Bhavanishankar never lets
us feel ‘deena’.
७७)ॐ दीनसाधकाय नमः।
Aum Deena-saadhakaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who fulfills the wishes of
the helpless devotees.
Initially, we feel helpless against the onslaught of trials and tribulations of samsaara. We become ‘aarta'(distressed) and ‘deena'(helpless) and this makes us turn to God. Once we seek Him in all sincere
faith, He accomplishes(saadhaka) for us what we need.
७८) ॐ संवत्सराय नमः।
Aum Samvatsaraaya namaha(no.91, 422 in VSN)
Salutations to Him, who spins the Wheel of Time(kaala-chakra-pravartaka).
AS comments:’kaalaatmanaa sthitaha iti …’
(He is Time).’samvasanti bhootani asmin iti ..'(All -animate and inanimate – are nicely embedded in Him, so He is …).
७९)ॐ मंत्राय नमः।
Aum Mantraaya namaha (280 in VSN)
Salutations to Him, who pervades the mantra (holy chant).
AS says: ‘rigyajuh saama-lakshaNo mantraha'(The four Vedaas constitute Mantraas and they are His form). ‘mantra bodhyatvaat vaa’ (He is the purport of the. mantraas).
A prayer says: ‘samasta mantra-roopaaya
vishvaika-pataye namaha’ ( Salutations to the
One Lord of the universe who embodies all
mantraas).In Shiva Kavacha, we pray: Aum
namo bhagavateSadaashivaaya…. .. ..sarvamantra svaroopaaya…..
८०)ॐ प्रमाणाय नमः।
Aum PramaaNaaya namaha(no.428, 959 in VSN)
Salutations to Him, who is Self-evident.
AS says: ‘samvidaatmanaa pramaaNam (He is the witnessing consciousness, so He is …).’pramitihi samvit, svayamprabhaa pramaaNam’ ( He is Self-luminous and
Self-evident witnessing consciousness and so……)
८१)ॐ परमतपसे नमः।
Aum Paramatapase
namaha(no.122 in VSN is Mahaatapaa) Salutations to Him, whose penance(tapas) was very severe(parama). Mundaka Upanishad says”yasya jnaanamayam tapaha”(1-1-9). creation, preservation and dissolution are acts of knowledge and not erratic impulse on the part of God. The AghamarshaNa Sookta of Sandhyaavandan(8-8-48 RgVeda) says that Truth and Righteousness emanated from God when He was in Tapas. No doubt, the scriptures look upon creation etc as God’s play(leelaa). But, being playful does not mean bidding farewell to knowledge and intelligence.
८२)ॐ योगिने नमः।
Aum Yogine namaha
(no.849 in VSN)
Salutations to the Yogi.Shiva is the paragon of dispassion(vairaagya). He is Mahaayogi AS says: HE is accessible through Yoga and is always revelling inHimself( aatmaaraama). Hence, He is a Yogi
८३)ॐ योज्याय नमः।
Aum Yojyaaya namaha
Salutations to Him who is worthy of being sought through Yoga.
८४) ॐ महाबीजाय नमः।
Aum Mahaabeejaaya
namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is the primary seed
of the universe. The seed expands into the tree.. The universe is His expansion.
८५)ॐ महारेतसे नमः।
Aum Mahaaretase namaha (no.174 in VSN is Mahaaveerya).
Salutations to Him, the Great(mahaa) Creative Energy(retas) originating the universe.
८६) ॐ महाबलाय नमः।
Aum Mahaabalaaya
namaha(no.172 in VSN)
Salutations to Him with great strength.
८७) ॐ सुवर्णरेतसे नमः।
Aum SuvarNaretase
namaha Salutations to Him who wields Maayaa..She is the Golden(suvarNa) Energy(retas).
८८)ॐ सर्वज्ञाय नमः।
Aum Sarvajnaaya namaha
(no453, 815 in VSN)
Salutations to the Omniscient Shiva.
८९) ॐ सुबीजाय नम: ।
Aum Subeejaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is the excellent (su)
seed(beeja) – cause – of the universe..
He is a unique seed because unlike the
ordinary seed which gives rise to a specific plant only, the seed that is Shiva gives rise
to a mind-boggling variety. When the seed
becomes plant, the original seed disappears. But, in the case of Shiva, the seed is intact despite its giving rise to the variegated universe!
९०) ॐ बीजवाहनाय नमः।
Aum Beejavaahanaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, the Carrier(Vaahana) of the seed(beeja). Really speaking, the seed is Maayaa, the direct Cause. He wields Maayaa, the seed of the. Universe. He is the(paroksha) indirect Cause He is the Carrier (vaahana) of Maayaa.(beeja).
९१)ॐ दशबाहवे नमः।
Aum Dashabaahave namaha
Salutations to Him, with ten arms and shoulders.
Shiva has five faces and correspondingly ten arms and shoulders.
९२) ॐ अनिमिषाय नमः।
Aum Animishaaya namaha(no215 in VSN)
Salutations to Him, who does not wink(nimisha).AS says:’nitya prabuddha-svaroopatvaat animishaha’
This is to say He is an ever Wakeful Witness
(saakshi) (overseeing our thought, speech and deed).
९३)ॐ नीलकण्ठाय नमः।
Aum NeelakaNThaaya namaha
Salutations to Him with a blue throat(neck).
Fourteen precious articles emerged during the legendary samudra manthan. Gods and the demons were vying with each other for a grab, but, there were no takers for the deadly Haalaahala poison. It was Shiva who dared to gulp it and block it in the throat. This myth
highlights His compassionate nature.
९४)ॐ उमापतये नमः।
Aum Umaa-pataye namah
Salutations to Umaa’s consort.
Umaa is Shakti of Shiva. They are inseparable like word and its meaning.
(vaagarthaaviva sampraktou).
९५) ॐ विश्वरूपाय नमः।
Aum Vishvaroopaaya namaha
Salutations to Him whose form is the universe. The first name of VishNu in the VSN is Vishvam. The world IS God.
९६)ॐ स्वयंश्रेष्ठाय नमः।
Aum Svayam ShreshThaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who is innately(svayam) excellent and superior..
His excellence and superiority are neither accidental nor incidental. They are His
svabhaava, intrinsic nature.
९७) ॐ बलवीराय नमः।
Aum Balaveeraaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who is strong(bala) and full of valour.(veera).
९८)ॐ अबलाय नमः।
Aum Abalaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who gets no strength from others.The literal translation is “He has no strength”.This makes no sense and is,
therefore, unacceptable.
Apparently this name is the contrary of no.97. In Shiva-poojan, we hail Shiva as ‘niraadhaara’ and ‘niraashraya’. He is the support and shelter for us. He has no support and shelter. Likewise, He imparts
‘bala’ (strength) to us. None gives Him ‘bala’
because they simply can’t, being themselves the beneficiaries.
During conducted meditation, Poojya Shrimat Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji
recites an invocatory verse: प्रकाशमानां प्रथमे
प्रयाणे …..and the concluding words are ‘abalaam prapadye’. Here, too, the word ‘abalaa’ means the same as above. In this verse, it refers to Shakti whereas no.98 refers to Shiva.
९९) ॐ गणाय नमः।
Aum GaNaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who has given rise to many groups.
The universe is a hierarchy of several clusters(gaNa) in an ascending order – five cosmic elements, five sensory organs, five motor organs etc etc.
१००)ॐ गणकर्त्रे नमः।
Aum GaNakartre namaha
Salutations to the Maker of the gaNaas.
Shiva is the Maker(kartaa), the Architect of the gaNaas.
१०१)ॐ गणपतये नमः।
Aum GaNapataye namaha
Salutations to the Lord of the gaNaas.
१०२)ॐ दिग्वाससे नमः।
Aum Digvaasase namaha
Salutations to Him, who has pervaded (vaasase) all the directions(dik). A way of saying Shiva has cosmic consciousness.
१०३)ॐ कामाय नमः।
Aum Kaamaaya namaha
(no.297 in VSN)
Salutations to Him who is present in us as Desire. Desire stems from Icchaa Shakti which, together with Jnaana-shakti and Kriyaa-shakti, are the attributes of God as well as man. Desire is not an evil in itself. It is perverse desire that is evil. In the Geetaa, the Lord says: “I am the desire that is not contrary to Dharma”( 7-11). One should be satyakaama, mokshakaama and Aatmakaama, say the saints.
Dharma, Artha(wealth), Kaama and Moksha are the four primary goals(purushaartha) of
life. The ideal held up for us is that the Artha
should be pressed in the service of Dharma while Kaama(desire) should be for Moksha.
AS says: ‘kaamyate purushaarthibhih kaankshibhih”(He is sought after by those who wish to fulfill the primary objective of life.)
१०४)ॐ मंत्रविदे नमः।
Aum Mantravide namaha
Salutations to Him, who knows(understands)
the Mantraas. God is Sarvajna and so, He knows the Vedaas too.In fact, God Himself is the purport of the Vedaas(Geeta 15-15).
१०५) ॐ परमाय नमः।
Aum Paramaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who is the Supreme. He is supreme in all respects: supreme goal, supreme attainment, supreme support, supreme shelter, supreme joy and supreme peace. As the Geeta puts it: “after attaining whom, one aspires for no other gain”( 6-22)…
१०६) ॐ मंत्राय नम:।
Aum Mantraaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who inspires us with good counsel.
No.79 was also same name, but, there it stood for the chants we call as Mantraas.
Here, Mantra means advice, counsel or deliberation. A minister is called as Mantri for this very reason. A devotee receives good
counsel from within himself while coping with difficult situations. We call it the still small voice of conscience. It is the voice of Shiva.
१०७) ॐ सर्वभावकराय नम:।
Aum Sarvabhaava
karaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who brings about the six
modifications in us.
Every creature who is born undergoes six
modifications(shaD bhaava) and behind them is the unseen hand of Shiva. These are:
asti(isness, a child IS in the womb), jaayate(birth), vardhate(grows in time),
vipariNamate(has physical andl/glandular changes at the onset of youth), apaksheeyate (feebleness of our organs sets in like hardness of hearing, cataract, memory loss etc) and lastly nashyati(death). Physically, we all have to go through these acts in the drama called life and Shiva is the sootradhaara. Our Atman is, however, beyond these six modifications.
१०८) ॐ हराय नम:।
Aum Haraaya namaha
No.18 is also this name. Hara means to wipe out, to remove, to redress. There it
meant Shiva who dispels our sorrow. Here this name means He, who dissolves everything in Himself at the time of PraLaya.
१०९) ॐ कमंडलुधराय नम: ।
Aum KamaNDaludharaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who carries the bowl
called KamaNDalu.
The kamaNDalu is a multi-purpose bowl used by wandering monks for drinking, collecting alms etc. Shiva had to atone for His uprooting one face of Brahmaa because he uttered a lie. This atonement made Shiva a mendicant for a year.
११०) ॐ धन्विने नम:।
Aum Dhanvine namaha
(no.76 in VSN) (VishNu’s bow is called Shaarnga).
Salutations to Him, who holds the bow(dhanu). Shiva is hailed as the original hunter(aadi kiraata) in the Vedaas. But, what He hunts are the wild beasts within us(see no. 43 in Shivaanandalahari). The Rudra-adhyaaya(chanted during abhisheka)
begins with salutations to Rudra’s holy wrath
(manyu), arrow, bow and shoulders.
१११) ॐ बाणहस्ताय नम:।
Aum BaaNahastaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who has the arrow in His hand.
Explained vide no.110 above.
११२) ॐ कपालवते नम:।
Aum Kapaalavate namaha
Salutations to Him, who has the skull in hand.
The skull is Brahma-kapaala which Shiva used as a KamaNDalu. Please see no.109 above.
११३) ॐ अशनिने नमः।
Aum Ashanine namaha
Salutations to Him, who wields the thunderbolt.
११४) ॐ शतघ्निने नमः।
Aum Shataghnine namaha
Salutations to Him, who wields a weapon called Shataghni(capable of killing 100 at one go).l
११५) ॐ खङ्गिने नमः।
Aum KhaDgine namaha
Salutations to Him, who wields the sword.
११६) ॐ पट्टिशिने नमः।
Aum Pattishine namaha
Salutations to Him, who wields a spear.
११७) ॐ आयुधिने नमः।
Aum Aayudhine namaha
Salutations to Him, who wields weapons.
This graphic depiction of Shiva in full military gear is the PauraaNic way of highlighting that Shiva is fully equipped to tackle the menace of the ungodly and the unrighteous
and afford protection to the good and the righteous(paritraaNaaya saadhoonaam).
In Durgaa Saptashati also we come across several weapons with highsounding names
wielded by Devi and Her comrades-in-arms.
११८)ॐ महते नमः।
Aum Mahate namaha
(no.841 in VSN)
Salutations to Him, who is Great.This name
occured at no.51 also, but, the meaning is different. Here it means colossal, bigger than the biggest. “aNoraNeeyaan mahato maheeyaan” runs the Vedic mantra. He is
smaller than the smallest and larger than the largest.
“Looking upon the Self as great and all-pervading, the bold Saadhaka grieves not”.(KaThopanishad 1-2-21).says Yama.
In recent times, Swami Vivekananda strove to open our eyes to this grand vision of the
Atman.
११९) ॐ स्रुवहस्ताय नमः।
Aum Sruva-hastaaya namaha
Salutations to Him with the sacrificial vessel in hand. Sruva is a Yajna-paatra. There are four vessels and Sruva is one of fhem. This name highlights the importance of Yajna., which is central to our Sanaatana Dharma.The creation itself is visualised as a Yajna iin Purusha Sookta. The 4th chapter of Geetaa unravels for us the concept of Yajna, varieties of Yajna etc.
१२०)ॐ सुरूपाय नमः।
Aum Suroopaaya namaha
(no.791 in VSN is Sundara).
Salutations to the Beautiful Shiva. God is
Satyam, Shivam and Sundaram. He is called Vaamadeva for this very reason.
१२१) ॐ तेजसे नमः।
Aum Tejase namaha
Salutations to Him, full of lustre.
“By His lustre, all this shines”(tasya bhaasaa sarvam idam vibhaati) says the Upanishad.
In the Geetaa, too, we find the same words
from Shri KrishNa. “The lustre in the sun, in fhe moon and in the fire – know it is all Mine”
(XV-12).
१२२) तेजस्करनिधये नमः।
Aum Tejaskaranidhaye
namaha.
He is the Treasurehouse (nidhi) of lustre and He also imparts(kara) the divine lustre to His devotees. We invoke our Sadgurus in the Deepanamaskaara Stotra with the words:
“shivaaya brahmatejase”.
१२३) ॐ उष्णीषिणे नमः।
Aum UshNeeshiNe namaha.
Salutations to Him, who wears a turban. We come across this epithet in Rudraadhyaaya also ( namah ushNeeshiNe giricharaaya ) in the 3rd Anuvaaka of Namakam). God is all,, so He is in him, the wearer of turban too. Our ancestors never went out without a headgear. Turban was always there. Look at the portraits of our illustrious Shri Shripad S.Talmaki or Shri Shamrao V. Kaikini.
१२४) सुवक्त्राय नमः।
Aum Suvaktraaya namaha.
Salutations to Him with a beautiful(su) face(vaktra). This name also means One who spoke truly and sweetly(satyam priyam hitam cha).
१२५) ॐ उदग्राय नमः।
Aum Udagraaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is above(ut) all and foremost(agra) in all respects.
Self-explanatory and needs no annotation.
१२६)ॐ विनताय नमः।
Aum Vinataaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who is humble. Though
He is Udagra(no.125), He is yet very humble.Avataars like Raama and KrishNa were both Udagra and Vinata. There is a moral for us in this.
१२७) ॐ दीर्घाय नमः।
Aum Deerghaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who is beyond the reach of our senses, mind and intellect.
Deergha literally means ‘long’. Here it means ‘too tall for our senses etc to grasp’.
१२८)ॐ हरिकेशाय नमः।
Aum Harikeshaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who has green hairs.
This name is also in the 8th Anuvaaka of Namakam in Rudraadhyaaya.
The late Paramaachaarya of Kaanchi gives a
very original interpretation. He says that every tree with its green foliage is Harikesha and is doing for us what Shiva did to save the world from Haalaahala poison.. Shiva
bottled it up in the throat thereby becoming
NeelakaNTha. The tree swallows the carbon
dioxide exhaled by us and gives us in return
the elixir of life, oxygen. So, the salutation is to Shiva, manifest in every tree.
१२९)ॐ सुतीर्थाय नमः।
Aum Suteerthaaya namaha. (no.691 in VSN is Teerthakara).
Salutations to Shiva, who helps us well(su) to tide over samsaara. Teertha is that whereby we cross over(teeryate anena iti teertham) samsaara. Sacred rivers, sacred spots of pilgrimage are called ‘teertha’ for this reason. Satsang is called as a great ‘teertha’ in Bhaagavatam. It is a mighty cleanser. We refer to the Guru and the parents as ‘teertha-roopa’. Saints sanctify
even the socalled teerthakshetraas, says
Shrimad Bhaagavatam: “teertheekurvanti teerthaani saadhavaha”.
१३०) ॐ कृष्णाय नमः।
Aum KrishNaaya namaha
(no.57 and 550 in VSN)
Shiva is called as KrishNa because He pulls(karshati) at our heart-strings. KrishNa also means dark. God is a dark mystery to
the probing intellect.
१३१) ॐ शृगालरूपाय नमः।
Aum Shrigaalaroopaaya namaha.
Shrigaala is a jackal. The reference is to an obscure legend wherein Shiva turns into a jackal and comes to the rescue of a Braahmin.
१३२) ॐ सिध्दार्थाय नमः।
Ahm Siddhaarthaaya namaha(no.252 in VSN).
Salutations to the ever-accomplished Shiva.
He has no wants. He is ever fulfilled. Desire as we know it, is not for Him.
AS says He is Satya-sankalpa. Though He has no desire for Himself, whatever He desires (artha) for us turns into reality(siddha) at once.
१३३) ॐ मुंडाय नमः।
Aum MuNDaaya namaha
Salutations to Him with a bald head.. We saw that Shiva is present in him, who sports a turban (no.121).In the Namakam(of Rudraadhyaaya), in the 5th Anuvaaka, instead of ‘munda’ the word used is ‘vyuptakesha’ which means the same thing
i.e.bald head.
१३४) ॐ सर्वशुभंकराय नमः।
Aum Sarva-shubhamkaraaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who does all(sarva) that is auspicious to all (sarva) His creation.
१३५) ॐअजाय नमः।
Aum Ajaaya namaha
(no.95, 204 and 521 in VSN).
Salutations to the Unborn(aja). God is beyond birth and death. So is our soul too.
१३६) ॐ बहुरूपाय नमः।
Aum Bahuroopaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who assumes many(bahu) forms(roopa). All the names and forms are His.
RgVeda says: “Indra employs his Maayaa and assumes multiple forms”(Indro maayaabhih pururoopa eeyate)(6-47-18).
१३७) ॐ गंधधारिणे नमः।
Aum GandhadhaariNe namaha
Salutations to Him, who has fragrance.
God exudes fragrance in the form of godly
qualities(daivi sampat of Gita). In the
Mrityunjaya Mantra we refer to Him as
‘sugandhim’. As our devotion to God deepens, our thought, speech and deed also
turn fragrant. In Shree Sookta, Lakshmi is invoked as ‘gandhadvaaraam” (gandha, fragrance, is Her door. Daivi-sampat leads us unto Her).
१३८) ॐ कपर्दिने नमः।
Aum Kapardine namaha.
Salutations to Him, with matted locks. Shiva’s jaTaa curbed(dyati) the speed of the the onrushing Gangaa. So, it is called
Kaparda. Kapara means flow, pravaaha. It acted as a speedbreaker.
This name iccurs in the first Anuvaaka of Namakam of Rudraadhyaaya also.
१३९) ॐ ऊर्ध्वरेतसे नमः।
Aum Oordhva-retase namaha
refer to a celibate who
observes continence(brahmacharya). A celibate sublimates(oordhva, upward) his
sexual energy. These epithets are given to Shiva because He is a Mahaayogi, lost in
meditation.
१४०) ॐ ऊर्ध्वर्लिंगाय नमः।
Aum Oordhvalingaaya namaha
refer to a celibate who
observes continence(brahmacharya). A celibate sublimates(oordhva, upward) his
sexual energy. These epithets are given to Shiva because He is a Mahaayogi, lost in
meditation.
१४१) ॐ ऊर्ध्वशायिने नमः।
Aum Oordhvashaayine namaha.
refer to a celibate who
observes continence(brahmacharya). A celibate sublimates(oordhva, upward) his
sexual energy. These epithets are given to Shiva because He is a Mahaayogi, lost in
meditation.
१४२) ॐ नभःस्थलाय नमः।
Aum Nabhasthalaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, whose abode is the sky, who pervades the sky.
१४३) ॐ त्रिजटाय नमः।
Aum TrijaTaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, whose jaTaa is plaited in
three strands. Prakriti has three strands – satva, rajas and tamas. She is the trijaTaa whom He wields.
१४४) ॐ चीरवाससे नमः।
Aum Cheeravaasase namaha.
Salutations to Him, whose garment is just a
strip(cheera). Cheera means the bark of a tree used by ascetics and the inmates of a
hermitage to serve as minimum clothing in the olden days.It means also a rag, a small piece. The garment of Shiva is a piece of hide, of the elephant or the tiger.
१४५) ॐ रुद्राय नमः।
Aum Rudraaya namaha
(no.114 in VSN)
Salutations to Him, who makes us weep
(rodayati) by His nigraha, punishment) and dissolves our sorrow (ruth draavayati, as
DakshiNaamoorti, anugraha).
Entire Rudraadhyaaya is devoted to Rudra.
१४६) ॐ सेनापतये नमः।
Aum Senaapataye namaha.
Salutations to the army commander.. This name occurs in the fourth Anuvaaka of Namakam. Rudraadhyaaya portrays Rudra as indwelling all types of professionals and artisans like carpenters, potters etc etc. The army and army commanders also are His.
१४७) ॐ विभवे नमः।
Aum Vibhave namaha
Salutations to Him, who is everywhere assuming a variety of names and forms
(vividham bhavati).
१४८)ॐ अहश्चराय नमः।
Aum Ahascharaaya namaha.(no.90 is अह: in VSN).
Salutations to Him, who moves around
during the day and is also indwelling all who move around during the day.
१४९)ॐ नक्तंचराय नमः।
Aum Naktancharaaya
namaha.
Salutations to Him, who moves around at night.(,ref.3rd Anuvaaka of Namakam).
He is in everyone who moves around, be it day or night. Robbers, thieves and such other shady characters shun daylight. Owls, tigers, lions etc on the prowl also love darkness. They are all ‘naktanchara’ and in them, too,
glistens the flame of samvit that is Shiva.
१५०) ॐ तिग्ममन्यवे नमः।
Aum Tigmamanyave namaha
Salutations to Him, whose anger is sharp.
Rudraadhyaaya opens with salutations to
His holy wrath.(namaste Rudra manyava utota ishave namaha).
१५१) ॐ सुवर्चसे नमः।
Aum Suvarchase namaha
Salutations to Him, who has excellent(su) lustre(varchas). In our hymns we hail God as
‘sooryakoTi-samaprabha’, endowed with the lustre of crores of suns.
१५२) ॐ गजघ्ने नमः।
Aum Gajaghne namaha
Salutations to Him, who has killed Gajaasura
(elephant-demon).This demon came to destroy the city of VaaraNaasi.
१५३)ॐ दैत्यघ्ने नमः
Aum Daityaghne namaha
Salutations to the slayer of the demons.The demons are within us as well as without.
१५४)ॐ कालाय नमः।
Aum Kaalaaya namaha
Salutations to Him who is Time. So, we have to treat time with respect .and make the best
possible use of it.
Kaala also means Death. Shiva handles ‘laya’
or dissolution, hence He is Kaala.
१५५)ॐ लोकधात्रे नमः।
Aum Lokadhaatre namaha.
Salutations to Him, who upholds the worlds.
१५६)ॐ गुणाकराय नमः।
Aum GuNaakaraaya namaha.(no.839 in VSN is GuNabhrit).
Salutations to the repository(aakara) of all
excellences(guNa).
१५७) ॐ सिंहशार्दूलरूपाय नमः।
Aum Simha
shaardoolaroopaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, whose forms are lions
and tigers too..Shiva is all, be they saatvic, raajasic or taamasic.
१५८) ॐ आर्द्रचर्माबरावृताय नमः।
Aardra-charmaambara-aavritaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who wears wet (aardra) hide as His garment.
The story in Skanda PuraaNa says that the demon, Gajaasura, died at the hands of Shiva. The demon had come to kill the devotees of Shiva in Kaashi. While he
breathed his last, he made a request to the
Lord to wear his blood-soaked hide as a garment. Hence this name.
१५९) ॐ कालयोगिने नमः।
Aum Kaalayogine namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is, at all times, in
Yoga.
Yoga means ‘to join’. Shiva, a Mahaayogi that He is, always in meditation, is in Yoga all the time. This name has a message for us: Kaala is too precious to be wasted in trifles. We can never recover a moment that has slipped away. We have, therefore, to employ it in the pursuit of Yoga, be it of Karma, Bhakti or Jnaana.
१६०)ॐ महानादाय नमः।
Aum Mahaanaadaaya namaha.
Salutations to the Great Sound. AUM is that cosmic sound identified with Brahman
(Aum iti ekaaksharam Brahma)..
१६१) ॐ सर्वकामाय नमः।
Aum Sarvakaamaaya namaha.(no.851 in VSN is ‘sarvakaamadaha).
Salutations to Him, attaining whom is the
consummation of all(sarva) our desires(kaama).He is THE DESIRE that puts
an end to all our desires.
१६२) ॐ चतुष्पथाय नमः।
Aum Chatushpathaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is accessible through four paths – Karma Yoga, Raaja Yoga,
Bhakti Yoga snd Jnaana Yoga.
१६३) ॐ निशाचराय नमः।
Aum Nishaacharaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who moves around at night.
No.147 was identical(Aum Naktancharaaya namaha). Here, it refers to ghosts(vetaala) etc. Shiva does not exclude them from His benevolent gaze.
१६४) ॐ प्रेतचारिणे नमः।
Aum PretachaariNe namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is with the dead. None is left out of His love and concern. This is how we should muse over such names. Bare reading of translation does not satisfy us. Like Shiva, Devi, too, does not exclude anyone, dead or alive, from Her love. In Devi Kavacha, verse 9, we read
‘preta-samsthaa cha ChaamuNDaa’. She abides in the ‘preta’ too!
१६५)ॐ भूतचारिणे नमः।
Aum BhootachaariNe
namaha.
Salutations to Him, whose companions include goblins and such other weird beings.
Shiva is a Universal Friend. He casts His net of love and compassion far and wide. It is so all-inclusive. When the Upanishad proclaims “All this is Brahman”(sarvam khalu idam Brahma), that ‘sarvam’ includes bhoota, preta, pishaacha etc too.That’s why we say Love is God.
१६६)ॐ महेश्वराय नमः।
Aum Maheshvaraaya. namaha
Salutations to the Great Lord.
१६७) ॐ बहुभूताय नमः।
Aum Bahubhootaaya
namaha.
Salutations to Him, who has become(bhoota) many(bahu). God was all alone and then, He willed: I am One, let Me be many(ekoham bahu syaam), says the Chaandogya Upanishad.
१६८) ॐ बहुधराय नमः।
Aum Bahudharaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who upholds the many.
He not only gives rise to many, but, takes care of them too.
१६९) ॐ स्वर्भानवे नमः।
Aum Svarbhaanave namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is self-luminous like the sun. To see the sun, we need no lamp.
God, too, is svayam-prakaashaka.(ekah
shuddha svayam jyotih).
१७०) ॐ अमिताय नमः।
Aum Amitaaya namaha.
(no.516 and 641 in VSN is Amitavikrama
and no.372 is Amitaashana)
Salutations to Him, who is limitless(amita) and immeasurable.
His powers and potencies are limitless.
१७१) ॐ गतये नमः।
Aum Gataye namaha
(no.566 is Gatisattama).
Salutations to Him, who is our supreme Goal
(gati).. When someone passes away, we pray for his/her sadgati
Gati also means movement. Even for a blade of grass to move, the impetus should come from Him(tena vinaa triNamapi na chalati).
१७२) ॐ नृत्यप्रियाय नमः।
Aum Nrityapriyaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is fond of dance.
He is NaTaraaja. Creation is His dance.
१७३)ॐ नित्यनर्ताय नम:।
Aum Nityanartaaya namaha.
Salutations to the perpetual dancer.
१७४) ॐ नर्तकाय नमः।
Aum Nartakaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, whi makes others dance.
The talent of the dancer or danseuse is a gift from Him. In fact every artistic impulse is His gift. So, too, our creativity in the field of
literature. This is the philosophy underlying
our AshTaavadhaana Sevaa.
१७५) ॐ सर्वलालसाय नमः।
Aum Sarva-laalasaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him,who is a Universal Friend.
(laalasaa means fondness.) His ‘laalasaa’ extends to the ‘lost souls’ like bhoota, preta, pishaacha etc etc.also as we have seen.
१७६) ॐ घोराय नमः।
Aum Ghoraaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who can be furious(,ghora) if need be.
१७७)ॐ महातपसे नमः।
Aum Mahaatapase namaha.
Salutations to the Most Austere Shiva.
१७८) ॐ पाशाय नमः।
Aum Paashaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who binds(paashayati) all with His Maayaa.
१७९)ॐ नित्याय नमः।
Aum Nityaaya namaha.
Salutations to the Eternal Shiva.
१८०) ॐ गिरिरुहाय नमः।
Aum Giriruhaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him,who resides in the Mount(giri) Kailaasa.
१८१) ॐ नभसे नमः।
Aum Nabhase namaha
Salutations to Him, who is detached(alipta, asanga) like the sky(nabhah).
Samartha Raamadaas says: The form of Raaghava is like the sky(nabhaa saarikhe roopa yaa Raaghvaache)(Manaache Shloka
no.197). Sky is One, but, it is spoken of variously like Mahaakaasha(vast sky in general), MaThaakaasha(space enclosed within four walls of a MaTha) and GhaTaakaasha(space within a vessel). So is Brahman.
१८२)ॐ सहस्रहस्ताय नमः।
Aum Sahasra-hastaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him with a thousand hands.
Sahasra here means countless. As Purusha Sookta and Geeta teach us, all hands and feet in the world are His.
१८३) ॐ विजयाय नमः।
Aum Vijayaaya namaha.
(no.147 in VSN).
Salutations to the Victorious Shiva. Victory and God are synonymous. As Sanjaya says in the concluding verse of Geetaa, victory
happens as a matter of course when Arjuna(Jeeva) and KrishNa(God) come
together. In Argala Stotra, we beseech Devi to confer victory(jayam dehi). As Uma taught the gods(in the Kenopanishad story) their
socalled victory, over which they were gloating, was Her gift, but, the vainglorious gods had forgotten this truth.
१८४) ॐ व्यवसायाय नमः।
Aum Vyavasaayaaya namaha.(no.384 in VSN).
Salutations to Him, who manifests in us as the faculty of one-pointed determination.
Geetaa speaks of Buddhi which is imbued with ‘vyavasaaya'(2-41).
१८५) ॐ अतंद्रियाय नमः।
Aum Atandriyaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is never lazy.
In the Geetaa(III-24) the Lord says that if He were not to act for even a moment, the whole world-order will collapse.
A Vedic text says: “look at the sun, who is never lazy. Therefore, keep moving, keep moving.”(sooryasya pashya karmaaNam
yo na tandrayate sadaa, charaiveti, charaiveti).
१८६) ॐ अधर्षणाय नमः।
Aum adharshaNaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is never aggressive.
His nature is love and compassion and these are the very qualities the Lord tells us in the Geetaa to cultivate(XII-13 to 20). He says these qualities make us dear(priya) to Him.
१८७) ॐ धर्षणात्मने नमः।
Aum DharshaNaatmane namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is aggressive. This name looks the very opposite of no.186.
What it means is that when occasion demands(such as the scourge of demons), the ‘aghora’ Shiva becomes ‘ghora’ and ‘ghora
-tara’. For protection of the good and punishment of the evil-minded(Geeta IV-8)
Shiva turns aggressive as, indeed, the Devi too while battling thd demons.
As the poet Bhavabhooti said; “the minds of the noble ones are harder than the diamond and softer than the petals of the flower” when occasion demands(वज्रादपि कठोराणि मृदूनि कुसुमादपि।लोकोत्तराणां चेतांसि को नु विज्ञातुमर्हति।।)
१८८) ॐ यज्ञघ्ने नमः।
Aum Yajnaghne namaha
Salutations to the destroyer of sacrifice
The reference is to the Yajna performed by
Daksha, not so much inspired by faith, but, to taunt and humiliate Shiva by denying Him an
invitation. Such ‘faithless’ rituals are futile and do not benefit the performer here or
hereafter in the Great Beyond, says Geetaa
(XVII-28).
१८९) ॐ कामनाशनाय नमः।
Aum Kaamanaashanaaya namaha.
Salutations to the destroyer of Cupid(Kaama).
Cupid(Kaamadeva) was reduced to ash by Shiva because he dared to disturb the latter.
But, this myth has a profound spiritual import. As we move closer and closer to God, our desires(kaama) recede farther and farther until we exclaim one day, like Tukaaraam, ‘O God, I desire nothing. All joy
and happiness are nestling in Your lotus feet’.
१९०) ॐ दक्षयागापहारिणे नमः।
Aum Dakshayaaga
ApahaariNe namaha.
Salutations to Him, who spirited away the
sacrifice by Daksha.
No.188 already refered to Daksha’s sacrifice, so here, we need to construe the name differently. Daksha refered to Daksha Prajaapati earlier, but, here it means ‘kriyaa daksha’, very efficient. One may perform a ceremony or a ritual or a Poojaa etc on a grand scale, paying meticulous attention
to every tiny detail. But, if devotion and faith are absent, no spiritual merit will accrue to
the performer. As the Lord says in Geetaa, He will be more than content with just a leaf, a flower, a fruit or plain water offered with pure devotion(IX-26).
१९१) ॐ सुसहाय नमः।
Aum Susahaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, whose forbearance
(sahana shakti) is excellent(su).
Shiva could consume the deadly Haalaahala
poison without losing His cool.
The 3rd Anuvaaka of Namakam says: ‘namah sahamaanaaya’.
१९२) ॐ मध्यमाय नमः।
Aum Madhyamaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is impartial. He prefers the golden mean(suvarNa madhyama) rather than extremes..He does not have prejudice or predilection, but, does what is just and proper in a given situation.
The 6th Anuvaaka of Namakam employs this name differently. Rudra is in the eldest, in the youngest as well as the middle one(among children in a family).
१९३) ॐ तेजोपहारिणे नमः।
Aum TejopahaariNe namaha.
Salutatiins to Him, who ‘steals’ the lustre(teja).
Everything happens due to Shiva-sankalpa.
In the world we sometimes see even mediocre people in the limelight day in and day out. They hog the headlines and they become the talk of the town as it were. But, all of a sudden, the sheen wears off and they fade out of public memory and fall by the wayside. One should, therefore, be always humble. Who knows what is in store for the morrow?
Another meaning is that, like all phenomena,, even the eclipses take place due to His Will.
An eclipse is ‘teja apaharaNa’ of either the sun or the moon. Eclipse dims their lustre for us.
१९४) ॐ बलघ्ने नमः।
Aum Balaghne namaha.
Salutations to Him, who quells the strength
(of the wicked and the vicious).
In our Bhasma-dhaaraNa mantraas we say:
‘bala-pramathanaaya namo’..
१९५) ॐ मुदिताय नमः।
Aum Muditaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who is pleased and happy. The Divine whose dhyaana we do has always a cheerful and pleasant look. In our
prayer we say: PRASANNA VADANAM DHYAAYET SARVA VIGHNOPASHAANTAYE..
Being always cheerful and happy is a godly
quality. Our Tukaaraam rates this quality as the highest siddhi. Says he: “mana karaare prasanna sarva siddheenche kaaraNa”.
१९६) ॐ अर्थाय नमः।
Aum Arthaaya namaha.
(no.430 in VSN).
Salutations to Him, who is the meaning of scriptures. He is the meaning of life as well.
Artha also means wealth, property. God is our ‘parama artha’. and hence, we invoke Him as ‘draviNam tvameva’.
१९७) ॐ अजिताय नमः।
Aum Ajitaaya namaha
(no.549 in VSN).
Salutations to the Indefeatable Shiva. Like Him, Devi is also Aparaajitaa.
१९८) ॐ अवराय नमः।
Aum Avaraaya namaha
Salutations to Him, than whom there is none
more desirable(varaNeeya).
१९९)ॐ गंभीराय नमः।
Aum Gambheeraaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is solemn, profound and awe-inspiring.
२००) ॐ गभीराय नमः।
Aum Gabheeraaya namaha(no.543 in VSN).
Salutations to Him, who is inscrutable
,(difficult to be understood). He is the secret
of secrets(guhyaatiguhya), tucked away in the innermost recesses of the heart.
२०१) ॐ गंभीरबलवाहनाय नमः।
Aum Gambheera-bala-vaahanaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, whose vehicle(vaahana) has unfathomable strength(gambheera bala).
Shiva’s vehicle is the bull, which symbolises Dharma(vrisho hi bhagavaan dharmaha).Dharma is always victorious(yato dharmastato jayaha). The strength of Dharma is refered to here as ‘gambheera bala ‘.
२०२) ॐ न्यग्रोधरूपाय नमः।
Salutations to Him, whose roots are above and branches grow(rodha) below(nyak). The first verse of chapter 15 of Geetaa describes creation as
‘oordhvamoolam adhahshaakam’. ‘The word ‘above’ refers to Brahman.
२०३) ॐ न्यग्रोधाय नमः।
Aum Nyavrodhaaya namaha.(no.822 in VSN).
Salutations to the banyan tree. Shiva is
identified with the banyan tree because, as
DakshiNaamoorti, He sat under it. The banyan tree gives shade and shelter
and so does God. “Come unto me, ye who are weary and heavy-laden, come unto me and I will give you rest” says He. Sri RamakrishNa blessed Swami Vivekananda to be like a
banyan tree, affording shade, shelter and solace to those who need his guidance.
२०४) ॐ वृक्षकर्णस्थितये नमः।
Aum VrikshakarNa-
sthitaye namaha.
Salutations to Him, who rested on a banyan leaf. A leaf is called as ‘,vrikshaKarNa’
and it is VishNu, as BaalaMukunda, who rested on a banyan leaf(vaTapatra-shayana)..
By invoking Shiva with this name, the identity
of Shiva and VishNu is highlighted.
२०५)ॐ विभवे नमः।
Aum Vibhave namaha.
Salutations to Him, who appears as this
variegated(vi means vividhataa, vichitrataa)
universe of names and forms.
He also assumes many names and forms of various gods and goddesses who are the ishTa-devataas of devotees. This is in keeping with the assurance of the Lord in
Geetaa(ye yathaa maam prapadyante taan tathaiva bhajaamyaham. IV-11) and “yo yo yaam yaam tanum….VII-21)
२०६) ॐ सुतीक्ष्णदशनाय नमः।
Aum SuteekshNa-
dashanaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, with very(su) sharp,(teekshNa) teeth(dashana). This was the vision Arjuna had when he was granted
Vishvaroopa Darshan(Geetaa XI-27).
२०७) ॐ महाकायाय नमः।
Aum Mahaakaayaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him with a gigantic body.
No.207 and 208 correspond to Vishvaroopa
Darshan in Geetaa.
२०८) ॐ महाननाय नमः।
Aum Mahaa Aananaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him with a huge face.
No.207 and 208 correspond to Vishvaroopa
Darshan in Geetaa.
२०९)ॐ विष्वक्सेनाय नमः।
Aum Vishvaksenaaya namaha.(no.125 in VSN).
At the sight of the warrior Shiva, the armies(senaa) of the demons ran heltsr-skelter in all directions(vishvak).
२१०) ॐ हरये नमः।
Aum Haraye namaha.
(no.650 in VSN).
Salutations to Hari. Shiva is refered to as Hari. This shows God is One, call Him Hari or Shiva. This is called Hariharaadvaita.
Shiva removes(harati) ignorance(avidyaa), the rootcause of samsaara.
२११) ॐ यज्ञाय नमः।
Aum Yajnaaya namaha
(no.445 and 971 in VSN).
Salutations to the recipient of sacrifice.
It is said: Yajno vai VishNuhu. VishNu and Shiva are both Yajnaswaroopa. Here Yajna should be construed in the sense of any type of worship(Aaraadhanaa, Upaasanaa, Poojaa).
२१२) ॐ संयुगापीडवाहनाय नमः।
Aum SamyugaapeeDavaahanaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, whose vehicle(vaahana) was pained(peeDaa) in battles(samyuga).
When Shiva faces His foes, the demons, He faces the onslaught of so many missiles. Poor Nandi also bears the brunt, but, does not give up its loyal service of its Master.
Let us recall the loyal service rendered by
Raama, the bull from Shirali, during the
momentous Gurujyoti Yaatraa. He, too, must have felt the stress and the strain of the long
journey, but, braved on till the glorious conclusion.
२१३) ॐ तीक्ष्णतापाय नमः।
Aum TeekshNataapaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, whose nature is intense heat.
TeekshNataapa means Fire. Vedaas say that Rudra is Agniswaroopa(Rudro vaa eshaha agnihi). This is the rationale of Abhisheka:
we douse fhe flame by pouring water along with the chant of Rudra-mantraas.
Not only Shiva, but, Devi Durgaa also is firy. That’s why we hail Her in the Dhyaana-shloka in Devi-poojan as ‘analaatmikaa'( anala means fire).
During Shiva-poojan we say: Aum Rudraaya AgniroopiNe namaha. Agni is one of the AshTamoortis.
२१४) ॐ हर्यश्वाय नमः।
Aum Haryashvaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is before us as the. sun. Haryashva(having green horses) is one of the names of the Sun. Sun is one of the
AshTa(8) moortis. During Shiva-poojan we say: “eeshaanaaya sooryamoortaye namaha”. Eeshaana is Shiva identified with fhe Sun. Chlorophyl, the green element in the leaves, responds to sunlight. Responding to the ‘green’ in the sun?
२१५) ॐ सहायाय नमः।
Aum Sahaayaaya namaha.
Salutations to the Companion.. God is our eternal companion, the one who is with us even in the Great Beyond. In our daily prayer,
we say: ” tvameva bandhuscha SAKHAA tvameva”. Tukaaraam sang: ” Wherever I go , You are with me and you show me the way,
holding my hand”(jete jaato tethe too maajhaa saangaati…”). God’s offer of ‘sahaaya'(help) is timeless. It is a standing offer. The pity is we fall short woefully and don’t avail His offer!
२१६)ॐ कर्मकालविदे नमः।
Aum Karma-kaalavide namaha.
Salutations to Him, who knows (vide) .what to do(karma) and when(kaala) to do. This is a mark of wisdom. even for us in mundane matters. What about God? Needless to say He knows well when to do srishTi, sthiti, laya etc.
२१७) ॐ विष्णुप्रसादिताय नमः।
Aum VishNu-
prasaaditaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who showered His Grace on VishNu.
The story goes that VishNu was gifted the
Sudarshana Chakra by Shiva. VishNu wished to worship Shiva by offering 1000 lotuses. To test His devotion, Shiva spirited away one lotus. Only 999 were left. So, VishNu plucked His lotus-eyes and completed the Poojaa.
Shiva was touched by this act of sacrifice and. manifested before VishNu and gifted Him the Sudarshana Chakra.
२१८) ॐ यज्ञाय नमः।
Aum Yajnaaya namaha
Salutations to Him, who is Yajna-swaroopa.
No.211 was also Yajna and stood for any form of worship. Here, Yajna is to be interpreted in the comprehensive way it is
interpreted in Gitaa. It stands for the spirit of
offering(samarpaNa). It represents give and take, live and let live and sharing and caring.
२१९)ॐ समुद्राय नमः।
Aum Samudraaya namaha.
Salutations to the Ocean. Shiva is the ocean of sat-chit-aananda. He is the ocean of love and compassion.Like everything else, ocean also is His manifestation.
We refer to samsaara as an infinite(ananta samsaara samudra madhye..) ocean. God is also an ananta samudra of joy, peace and love.
२२०) ॐवडवामुखाय नमः।
Aum VaDavaamukhaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is the submarine. fire called VaDavaanala. This fire lies dormant at the bottom of the ocean and flares up at the time of praLaya, the end of
the world. and consumes everything.
२२१) ॐ हुताशनसहायाय नमः।
Aum Hutaashana-
sahaayaaya namaha
Salutations to the Helper of fire.
Vaayu(wind) is the friend of fire. Vaayu is one of the AshTamoortis. During Shivapoojan we say: “Aum Ugraaya Vaayumoortaye namaha”. Wild forest fires become devastating because they are fanned by the wind.
२२२) ॐ प्रशांतात्मने नमः।
Aum Prashaanta atmane namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is supremely serene.
२२३) ॐ हुताशनाय नमः।
Aum Hutaashanaaya namaha.
Salutations to the sacrificial fire.
No.213 refered to fire jn general, but, here the reference is to the sacrificial fire which consumes(ashnaati) the oblation(huta) poured into it. In the Geetaa the Lord says He is the gastric fire, Vaishvaanara, that consumes the four types of food we eat. The food is Aahuti(oblation) into the gastric
‘hutaashana'(XV-14).
२२४) ॐ उग्रतेजसे नमः।
Aum Ugratejase namaha
Salutations to Him, whose lustre is too severe to bear. The mid-day sun is an example of ugra-tejas with his scorching rays.
२२५) ॐ महातेजसे नमः।
Aum Mahaatejase namaha.
Salutations to Him with stupendous splendour.
२२६) ॐ जन्याय नम: ।
Aum Janyaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is born. “God is unborn, and yet appears as if born variously”
says a Vedic text,(ajaayamaano bahudhaa vijaayate). Every birth is His birth. He becomes ‘sadyojaata’ with every
‘janana’ of each and every being.
२२७) ॐ विजयकालविदे नमः।
AumVijayakaalavide namaha.
Salutations to Him, who knows(vide) the right time(kaala) to snatch a victory.
God and Devi, as we have seen, are always victorious. The secret of that prowess is they are sure about the ‘vijaya kaala’, the most
opportune time to strike. This is the essence of military strategy: to strike when the enemies’ (demons) morale is low, when their ranks are in utter disarray etc.
२२८) ॐ ज्योतिषामयनाय नमः।
Aum Jyotishaam ayanaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is responsible for the precise movements(ayana) of luminaries(jyotishaam). Since time immemorial, the planets etc move in their orbit without collision or any other mishap.
Thank God, they never. tumble down. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. All this rhythm and system are not accidental or pure chance. The Vedaas say: ‘soorya
chandramasou dhaataa yathaa poorvam akalpayat’ The Great Ordainer has laid down the law in the beginning and the sun and the moon conform to His ordinance.
२२९) ॐ सिध्दये नमः।
Aum Siddhaye namaha
(no.98 in VSN).
Salutations to Him, who confers fulfilment
(siddhi) on us.
We endeavour to accomplish a goal, be it material or spiritual. We fret and fume to ensure success. But, unless His grace smiles
upon us, siddhi (success) will elude us. Why do we invoke GaNapati at the beginning of any act? To earn His grace for the siddhi. In fact, Riddhi(prosperity) and Siddhi are His
twin blessings. Gita(XVIII-14) spells out five
factors for sucess in any enterprise and the
fifth factor is His grace(daivam chaivaatra panchamam). The popular saying ‘panchamam kaaryasiddhi’ validates this. As Samartha Raamadaas says in Daasbodh:
सामर्थ्य आहे चळवळीचें। जो जो करील तयाचें।।
परंतु येथें भगवंताचें ।अधिष्ठान पाहिजे।।(20-4-26)
The eight miraculous powers(ashTasiddhi) like ANimaa, Garimaa,Laghimaa etc
attained by Yogis are also His gifts.
२३०) ॐ सर्वविग्रहाय नमः।
Aum Sarva-vigrahaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is in idols.
Various people have various chosen deities
(ishTa devataa) whom they worship in idols. Idols may be many, but, God is One.
Vigraha can also be construed in the sense of physical bodies(shareera). They may be
many, but, the Divine resident in them is One.
As Tukaaraam says: “je je bheTe bhoota, te te maanije bhagavanta”.
२३१) ॐ शिखिने नमः।
Aum Shikhine namaha
Salutations to Him, who has a tuft(sheNDi in Konkani).
२३२) ॐ मुंडिने नमः।
Aum MuNDine namaha
Salutations to Him, who has undergone tonsure( muNDana).
२३३) ॐ जटिने नमः।
Aum JaTine namaha
Salutatiins to Him, who has matted hair(jaTaa).
Shiva is in everyone, irrespective of his/her hairdo. As AS says in his Bhaja Govindam hymn, verse beginning with “jaTilo muNDee lunchitakeshah……” what matters is our devotion(bhajana) to God, call Him Govinda or Shiva, and not our hairdo or the garment we wear.
२३४) ॐ ज्वालिने नमः।
Aum Jvaaline namaha.
Salutations to Him, who is in the flame of
the fire. Both Shiva and Durgaa are firy
(analaatmaka).
No.213 refered to fire and here no.234 refers to flame. There is no difference . Says Swami
Swaroopaanand Mahaaraaj:
तरंग सागर एकचि साचार। तैसा विश्वाकार आत्ममय।।
ज्वाला आणि अग्नि एकचि संपूर्ण। भूतांसी अभिन्न आत्मतत्त्व।।
२३५) ॐ मूर्तिजाय नमः।
Aum Moortijaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who reveals Himself in the idol. No.230 refered to His presence in every idol and everybody. This name no.235
is not a repetition. It says we have to realise
Him in every idol including our own body here and now.. He REVEALS Himself (ja) not outside, but, within us..”deho devaalaya proktah devo jeevah Sadaashivaha” ” deha devaache devuLa”. The burning zeal of every true devotee is:
याचि देही याचि डोळा पाहीन मुक्तीचा सोहळा “I will witness the festival of my mukti in this very body and with these very eyes”.
To the saints an idol is a living entity. Sri
RamakrishNa spoke to his idol, his ‘bhava-
taariNi Maa’. When we bring the GaNapati idol home during Ganesha Chaturthi, Poojaa is not done straightaway. PraaNa-pratishTaa is done. Then, in the Moorti, divine chaitanya is generated(ja). Therefore, Aum Moortijaaya namaha.
२३६) ॐ मूर्धगाय नमः।
Aum Baline namaha
Salutations to Him, who is strong. In the Bhasma-dhaaraNa mantraas, we say: “balaaya namo bala pramathanaaya namo
sarva bhoota damanaaya namo…..”.
२३७) ॐ बलिने नमः।
Aum Baline namaha
Salutations to Him, who is strong. In the Bhasma-dhaaraNa mantraas, we say: “balaaya namo bala pramathanaaya namo
sarva bhoota damanaaya namo…..”.
२३८) ॐ वेणविने नमः।
Aum VeNavine namaha
Salutations to Him, who plays on flute. The reference is to KrishNa . Shiva is identified with KrishNa.
२३९) ॐ पणविने नमः।
Aum PaNavine namaha.
Salutations to Him, who plays the drum called PaNava.
२४०) ॐ तालिने नमः।
Aum Taaline namaha
Salutations to Him, who plays cymbals.
These various instruments must have been in play during the legendary TaaNDava dance.
२४१) ॐ खलिने नमः।
Aum Khaline namaha
Salutations to Him, who is present in threshing-floor(to separate husk from paddy etc). Khala also means granary. Shiva is in it too.
२४२) ॐ कालकटंकटाय नमः।
Aum KaalakaTankaTaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who conquers(kaTankaTa) death(kaala). He is
Mrityunjaya. Even a devotee of Shiva like
MarkaNDeya says: “kim no mrityuh karishyati?”(What can death do to us?) or
“kim karishyati vai Yamaha?”(What can Yama do ?)..
२४३) ॐ नक्षत्रविग्रहमतये नमः।
Aum Nakshatra-vigraha-mataye namaha.
(no.440 in VSN for Nakshatranemi and no441 for Nakshatri).
Salutations to Him, who monitors(vigraha mati) the movement of heavenly bodies like stars, planets etc.
२४४) ॐ गुणबुध्दये नमः।
Aum GuNabuddhaye namaha.(no.839 in VSN is GuNabhrit).
Salutations to Him, who is identical with the individual soul(jeeva). Jeeva is governed by the three guNaas(satva, rajas, tamas). Jeeva is guNabuddhi, but, essentially he is divine
(jeevo brahmaiva naaparaha).In the Geetaa, the Lord tells Arjuna : ” go beyond the three
guNaas, O Arjuna”(nihstraiguNyo bhavaarjuna)(II-45).
२४५) ॐ लयाय नमः।
Aum layaaya namaha.
Laya means tempo, the basis of rhythm(taala). There is an underlying rhythm in Nature.The universe is refered to as cosmos and not as chaos for this reason. Secondly, we call it UNIverse, and not as MULTIverse. All this is due
to Shiva.
२४६) ॐ अगमाय नमः।
Aum Agamaaya namaha.
Shiva, God, is beyond the reach of the various investigating tools He only has gifted us: our senses, speech, mind and intellect.
Unable to reach Him, they come back baffled, say the Upanishads. So, He is Agama.
२४७) ॐ प्रजापतये नमः।
Aum Prajaapataye namaha(no.69, 197 in VSN).
Salutations to the Universal Emperor. We are. all subjects(prajaa) under His benign rule.
He is the King of kings(राजाधिराजा).
२४८) ॐ विश्वबाहवे नमः।
Aum Vishvabaahave namaha(no.316 in VSN).
Salutations to Him, whose shoulders are everywhere.
२४९)ॐ विभागाय नमः।
Aum Vibhaagaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who has brought about
innumerable divisions(vibhaaga) into names and forms(naama-roopa) in creation..
Clay is one, but, pottery is variegated. Gold is one, but, the ornaments are many. Ocean is one, but, we distinguish in it ‘vibhaaga’ like waves, foam and bubbles.
२५०) ॐ सर्वगाय नमः।
Aum Prajaapataye namaha(no.69, 197 in VSN).
Salutations to the Universal Emperor. We are. all subjects(prajaa) under His benign rule.
He is the King of kings(राजाधिराजा).
२५१) ॐसर्वतोमुखाय नमः।
Aum Sarvatomukhaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, whose mouth is everywhere.
As Purusha Sookta says,: ‘vishvatah chakshuruta vishvatomukho vishvato baahuruta vishvatah paat'(His eyes, mouths,
shoulders and feet are everywhere). This is the description of the Viraat Purusha.
२५२) ॐ विमोचनाय नमः।
Aum Vimochanaaya namaha.
Salutations to Him, who releases us from
bondage. The jeevaas are bound by Maayaa.
As the Lord says emphatically in Geeta, we can secure release from Maayaa only when we surrender to Him( maameva ye prapadyante mama maayaam taranti te)(VII-14).