ശിവാനന്ദ ലഹരി

May this salutation be to the two who are adorned with the crescent moon as a crest ornament, who are the fruit of their own austerity, who reveal the fruit to devotees, who are auspicious to the three worlds without exception, and who again and again in the heart are the source of becoming and whose bliss is a thrilling experience. ^AI

O Shambhu, may this wave of Shiva's bliss, flowing from the river of your deeds, destroying the dust of sin, falling upon the paths of the channels of the intellect, victorious, granting the alleviation of the torment of wandering in worldly existence, and dwelling in the lake of my mind, prevail. ^AI

I worship in my heart Shiva, who is known by the three Vedas, who is pleasing to the heart, who is the destroyer of the three cities, who is the first, who has three eyes, whose matted hair is abundant, who has a moving serpent as a garland, who holds a deer, who is the great god, who is divine, who has a compassionate disposition toward me, who is the lord of creatures, who is the support of consciousness, who is with the Mother, and who is free from all mockery. ^AI

There are thousands of gods in the world who grant petty fruits. I do not think that following them, even in a dream, yields that fruit. I long for the service of your lotus feet, O Shambhu, O Shiva, which is difficult to obtain even for Hari, Brahma, and others who are near to you. ^AI

I am unskilled in memory, scripture, medicine, the sounds of birds, poetry, and song, in the Puranas, in mantra, or in praise, dance, and laughter. How can I find favor with kings? Who am I, O Lord of creatures? O all-knowing one, O Lord, protect me, a beast, by your renowned compassion. ^AI

Whether it is a pot or a lump of clay, or an atom or smoke or fire or a mountain, or a cloth or a thread—what does it remove of the terrible? You uselessly bear the agitation of your throat with the swift words of logic. O wise one, worship the lotus feet of Shambhu and attain the highest happiness. ^AI

May my mind dwell at your lotus feet, my speech in uttering praises, my hands in worship, and my hearing in listening to your stories. May my intellect be in meditation on you, and my pair of eyes in the manifestation of your form. O supreme Shiva, by what means should I know the supreme beyond other scriptures? ^AI

Just as the intellect sees silver in mother-of-pearl, a jewel in glass, water in a mirage, milk in a paste of flour, so the ignorant person, through the error of divinity, worships another than you, O Lord of creatures, not having known you, the great god, in his mind. ^AI

The dull-witted person enters a deep lake or a lonely dreadful forest, or wanders over a vast mountain in search of flowers. Having offered his single lotus-like mind to you, O Lord of Uma, he does not know how to remain in happiness here. What a wonder! ^AI

Whether one has the state of a human, a god, a mountain-dwelling animal, a mosquito, an animal, an insect, or birth as a bird and so on—if the heart is ever attached to the play of the supreme bliss-wave of remembering your lotus feet, then what need is there for this body here? ^AI

Whether one is a student, a householder, a wandering ascetic, a matted-haired ascetic, or any other person—what does it matter? If his lotus heart is dependent on you, O Lord of creatures, then you become his, O Shambhu, and he bears the burden of worldly existence. ^AI

Whether one lives in a cave, in a house, outside in a forest, on a mountain peak, in water, or in fire—tell me, what is the fruit of dwelling there? If one's inner organ is always fixed on your feet, O Shambhu, then he is a yogi, he is a supreme yogi, and he is happy. ^AI

In this worthless world, far from devotion to you, I wander with a dull mind, blind. It is fitting that you protect me with your supreme compassion. Who else is as wretched as I? You are uniquely skilled in protecting the wretched; who else in the three worlds is a refuge other than you, O Lord of creatures? ^AI

You are the lord of the wretched, indeed the supreme kinsman, O Lord of creatures. I am the foremost among them; what then of the kinship between us two? All my offenses, O Shiva, must be forgiven by you alone. By effort, protection of me must be done—this is the way of kinsmen. ^AI

If you do not disregard me, why do you not remove me, who am averse to meditation on you and full of evil desires? If you are unable to alter the writing of fate, then that head of Brahma—is it not indeed well-rounded? How is it that it was effortlessly shattered by the tip of your fingernail, O Lord of creatures? ^AI

May Brahma have long life; his four heads are to be protected by you—he indeed wrote misery on the earth. What consideration is there? O Shiva, your glance alone, clear with compassion, protects me; it itself is devoted to protecting the wretched. ^AI

O Lord, even if You are pleased with me, whether through the fruit of my merits or through Your compassion, how can I behold Your spotless pair of lotus feet? For I am obstructed by the rows of gods who are eager with their own crowns of gold and rubies as they bow in salutation. ^AI

You alone are the supreme giver of the divine state to all worlds. Those who bear Your name, such as Hari and others, again worship You alone. O Shiva, how great is Your kindness, and how great is my hope? When will You, with a glance filled with compassion, bear my protection? ^AI

In this boundless world, which is full of evil desires, which is a doorpost to the houses of wicked rulers, which is endless, which is a home of sins, and which generates suffering, why do You not remove my weariness? For whose benefit? If I may speak of Your love, O Shiva, then we are indeed blessed. ^AI

Always wandering in the forest of delusion, on the mountain of women's breasts, the monkey of my mind dances, and the branches of desire suddenly and freely leap about in all directions. O Kapalin, O mendicant, O Shiva, O Lord, bind firmly with devotion this extremely fickle monkey of my heart and make it subject to You. ^AI

O enemy of Smara, having obtained my mind, which is like a clear, bright piece of cloth—supported by the pillar of fortitude, bound by the strong threads of good qualities, moving along, wonderful, rich with lotuses, and established daily on the good path—conquer it, O Lord, together with Shakti, O Shiva, O Lord served by the ganas. ^AI

O lord of thieves, this mind, being dependent on the stealing of wealth through greed and other means, and being intent on entering the houses of the rich, wanders in many ways. How can I tolerate this thief of a mind here, O Shankara, O Lord? Make it subject to You and show compassion to me, who am innocent. ^AI

I perform Your worship; O Lord, be quickly pleased and grant me happiness. You indeed bestow the state of Brahma and the state of Vishnu as its fruit. And again, to see You, I would have to take birth as a bird or beast in heaven or on earth; not seeing You, how can I bear that sorrow here, O Shankara, O Lord? ^AI

When will I, dwelling with the ganas in Kailasa, in a palace of gold and jewels, before Shambhu, with my head and folded hands clearly joined, saying 'O Lord, O Samba, O Master, O Supreme Shiva, protect me!'—spend countless aeons of Brahma as if they were a moment, happily? ^AI

When will I see you, who are praised by the hymns of Brahma and others, by the cries of victory from the sages, and by the playful acts of your attendants on the hump of your rutting great bull; you who are blue-throated, three-eyed, whose body is embraced by Uma, holding a deer in your hand and a hatchet? ^AI

O Lord of the mountain, when will I, having seen you, take your auspicious pair of feet in my hands, place them on my head, carry them to my eyes and chest, embrace them, and smelling the clear fragrance of the lotus, experience joy in my heart along with Brahma and the other gods? When the golden mountain is in your hand, the lord of wealth is near you, the daughter of the gods is in your house, the divine cow and the wish-fulfilling gems are in your possession, the moon is on your head, and all auspiciousness is at your feet, what shall I give? Let my mind be for you. ^AI

O Shiva, in worshipping you, I attain similarity of form; in singing your praises as Mahadeva, I attain nearness; in associating and conversing with the company of devotees who are foremost in devotion to Shiva, I attain the same world; in meditating on your body that comprises the moving and unmoving, O husband of Bhavani, I attain union with you. This is accomplished for me here, O Lord; I am fulfilled. ^AI

I worship your lotus feet; I meditate on you, the supreme, daily; I take refuge in you, the Lord, with my words; I beg you alone, O all-pervading. Bestow on me a compassionate glance of your eyes, which the gods have long prayed for. O Shambhu, teacher of the world, instruct my mind in happiness. ^AI

If I have the state of a thousand-rayed sun in washing your clothes, the state of Vishnu in offering flowers, the state of the wind-god in fragrance, the state of the lord of the sacrificial priests in cooking food, and the state of the golden womb in the vessel, then, O wearer of the crescent moon, I shall render service to you, O Lord of creatures, teacher of the three worlds. ^AI

Is this not the greatest benefit for the lord of creatures? Seeing the hosts of moving and unmoving beings within your belly and those outside, you protect them. The terrible poison, which is the medicine for the flight of all gods, extremely blazing and frightening, was placed in your throat—you neither swallowed it nor spat it out. ^AI

How did you see the terrible, blazing poison that frightens all the enemies of the gods? What did you hold in your hand? Was it a ripe jambu fruit in your palm? Or is it a magical pill placed on your tongue, or a blue gem worn on your neck as an ornament? Tell me, O Shambhu, great soul. ^AI

Is it not enough, O Lord, to serve You even once, or to bow to You, or to praise You, or to worship You, or to remember You, or to hear Your stories, or even to behold You, for people like me? O Master, what is gained by the effort of following unstable deities? What liberation is there from that? Whence does it come? What then should be prayed for? ^AI

What shall we say of Your daring, O Pashupati? Who else has such courage, O Shambhu? How can this state of Yours be attained by others? Seeing the hosts of gods falling, the hosts of sages trembling, and the world perishing and dissolving, You alone, free from fear, roam about, intensely blissful. ^AI

For You, who uphold the welfare and security of all, who strive to bestow all auspiciousness, who instruct through both seen and unseen means, who pervade outside and inside, who are all-knowing and compassionate—what is there for me to know? O Shambhu, I remember in my mind every day that You are the supreme inner self. ^AI

O Samba, having placed Your pair of tender feet in the pitcher of my mind, which is filled with the nectar of joy and covered by the quality of devotion, and having placed the fruit of consciousness there, uttering the sacred mantra, and maintaining purity of my own body as a temple, I make manifest a auspicious day, bringing about beautiful welfare. ^AI

The hosts of good-minded people, with reverence, having made the ocean of the Vedas the churning rod, along with the rope of firm devotion, and having churned it, then churn out the moon, the wish-fulfilling tree, the divine cow, and the wish-fulfilling gem for the wise; they continually spread the eternal bliss nectar and the fortune of uninterrupted Lakshmi. ^AI

When the mind is illumined by the lotus, then Shiva, who is the embodiment of nectar shown by the mountain of past merit, who is serene, who is accompanied by the moon and attended by good hosts, who holds the deer, who is full and the remover of darkness, becomes the ocean of bliss; then the intellect of the good expands with boldness and their activity arises. ^AI

For me, dharma has four feet and is well practiced; sin has gone to destruction; desire, anger, pride, and the rest have melted away; times have become pleasant; the great medicine of knowledge and bliss has borne fruit, always, when the Lord of Kaivalya, the revered one, is seated in the city of the lotus of my mind, as the crest jewel of kings. ^AI

By the churning machine of the intellect, with the pitcher of speech, through the streams and rivulets of poetry, bringing the divine nectar of the ocean of the deeds of Sadashiva, the rice plants of devotion in the field of my heart yield fruit. O Lord, Lord of the universe, what fear is there for me, Your servant, from famine? ^AI

For the removal of sins and calamities, for radiant prosperity, O Conqueror of Death, I pray to you with tongue, mind, head, feet, hands, eyes, and ears, through praise, meditation, salutation, circumambulation, service, seeing, and hearing. Command me; instruct me again and again; do not say 'not me' to me. ^AI

Profundity is the moat, firm courage is the rampart, and the host of rising virtues is the acquired strength; the dense senses are the gates situated in the body. Knowledge and abundance of substance—thus, O Lord dear to the fort, who are always endowed with all these requisites, make your dwelling in the fort of my mind. ^AI

Do not go here and there, O Lord of the Mountain; make your dwelling in me alone. O Master, O Primeval Hunter, within the forest borders of my mind, there are many deer possessed of pride, jealousy, delusion, and so on. Having killed them, you will obtain the delight of hunting and gain. ^AI

He who has a deer caught in his hand, who broke the lord of elephants, who shattered the fierce tiger, who destroyed the animals—the Lord of the Mountain, of radiant form—the five-faced one is in the cave of my heart; why should I fear? ^AI

In the eternal tree served by the best of twice-born birds, adorned with the branches and twigs of Vedic meters, which brings happiness, removes sorrow, and is illuminated by fruits that are the essence of nectar—O crest-jewel bird of the mind, abandon vain wandering; enough of other things. Always, O Shankara, sport in the nest that is the pair of lotus feet. ^AI

In the lake filled with the splendor of the radiance of toenails, with the majesty of rising nectar, though it is bright and adorned with rubies, and resorted to by flocks of swans—always sport at will in private with the hosts of devoted women, O swan-king of the mind, having stayed within the palace of the feet of the Lord of Girija. ^AI

In the garden of the heart, which is the spring companion of meditation on Shambhu, the withered leaves of sin are the fallen clusters of the creeper of devotion, which are adorned and supported by the sprouts of merit. The buds of virtues shine, the flowers are words of prayer, good tendencies are the nectar, and the wave of the nectar of the bliss of knowledge is the elevation of the fruit of consciousness. ^AI

The lake of meditation on Shambhu is the abode of eternal bliss, the refuge of the lotus hearts of gods and sages, pure, served by good twice-born, and the good tendencies that remove the impurities of the heart are its expanded lotuses. O mind, go to that lake, which is steady and adorned with ornaments. Why will you get the fatigue born of wandering in the small puddles that are the refuge of the petty? ^AI

Filled with the nectar of bliss, eager to clasp the lotus feet of Hara, the creeper of devotion, having reached the support of steadiness, joined with branch after branch, having climbed over the multitude of the mind and body, free from all blemishes, ever granting the desired fruit — may it, fostered by my good deeds, be mine. ^AI

I serve the great linga of Mallikarjuna on Shri Shaila, which is embraced by Shiva — expanding like the blossoming of twilight, stationed in the abode that is the crown of the Vedas, delightful with loving bees, ever adorned by good tendencies, adorned by the king of serpents, worshipped by all the gods, and made manifest by its virtues. ^AI

May the lord who dwells on Shri Shaila, the king of bees, who is eager to dance at the desire of the bee (Bhringi), who playfully grasps the hand, who is radiant and delightful as Madhava, who is accompanied by sound, whose body is very white, who is honored by the five arrows (of Kama), who has good wings, sport in the lotus of my mind in the garden of flowers. ^AI

O Shambhu, my mind, like a chataka bird, ever longs for you, O blue-throated one — you who shower the nectar of compassion, who are skilled in destroying the summer of dense calamities, who are served by the good-minded for the fruition of the seed of knowledge, who assume forms at will, who dwell on the mountain with dancing peacock-like devotees, and whose matted locks tremble. ^AI

I worship that blue-throated one, who is sung as 'peacock' by the sounds of the Pranava instruction, who is the peacock of all serpents, whose eyes are the peacock's tail, who is bowed to and who graces those who bow, who, seeing the dark mountain-born one (Parvati) with cloud-like radiance, dances with joy, and who delights in sporting in the garden of Vedanta. ^AI

I worship that blue-throated one, in whom the twilight, the passing of the hot day, the loud sound of the drum struck by Hari's hand, the roaring of the rain-clouds, the restless glance of the gods, and the stream of tears of satisfaction of the devotees — a shower of peahens — shine forth in brilliant Tandava dance. ^AI

This salutation be to Shambhu, the matted-haired one, who is the first, of immeasurable splendor, who is to be known by the words of the Vedas, who is to be attained, whose self is made of the bliss of knowledge, who is engaged in protecting the three worlds, who is to be meditated upon by all yogis, who is to be sung by the hosts of gods, who is the magician, and who is engrossed in the proper Tandava dance. ^AI

This salutation be to Shambhu, the matted-haired one, who is eternal, whose self is the three gunas, who is the conqueror of the cities, who is the welfare of Katyayani, who is truth, who is the primordial householder, who is the directly perceptible consciousness-form in the minds of sages, who is the three worlds created by maya, who moves within all the Vedas, and who is engrossed in the evening Tandava dance. ^AI

Always, for the sake of filling my own belly, I wander about uselessly, desiring wealth and aiming at all things; I do not know how to serve you, O Lord. By the power of the ripening of merit from my past births, you, O Shiva, exist as the inner self of all; therefore, O Pashupati, I am to be protected by you. ^AI

Alone, the sun, though he is the friend of the lotus, having pierced the darkness that pervades earth and sky, becomes visible to the eye; you are radiant with the splendor of a million suns. Why do you not become knowable? Alas, how dense would my darkness be! Having removed all that, O Pashupati, be directly pleased with me. ^AI

As the swan desires a lotus grove, as the chataka bird desires a dark rain cloud, as the chakravaka bird daily desires the red lotus, and as the chakora bird desires the moon, so my mind desires, O Pashupati, the path of consciousness that is to be sought, O Lord, O Lord of Gauri, your pair of lotus feet that grant the bliss of liberation. ^AI

As a traveler seized by water in a flood, exhausted, goes to the shade of a tree; as one frightened by rain goes to his own comfortable home; as a guest, wretched, goes to a righteous master; as one surrounded by darkness goes to a lamp; as one overcome by cold goes to fire—so, O Shiva, let your mind go happily to the lotus feet of Shiva, which remove all fear. ^AI

As the ankola tree (to its seeds), as the loadstone to iron filings, as the needle (to the magnet), as a virtuous wife to her own husband, as a creeper to a tree, as the ocean to rivers—just as these attain their beloved, so the mind, having approached the pair of lotus feet of Pashupati, remains always; that is called devotion. ^AI

With tears of joy she causes horripilation; with purity she covers (the child); with words placed in the conch-like mouth she fills the belly with the nectar of your deeds; with rudraksha beads and with laughter she protects the body of the god; having placed the child-devotee on the bed of contemplation of you, the mother of devotion protects him. ^AI

The sandals turned around on the path become a head-rest for the body of Pashupati; the sprinkling of water from rinsing the mouth becomes a divine ablution for the destroyer of cities; the leftover morsel of food from eating a little meat becomes a new offering; what does devotion not do? Indeed, a forest-dweller becomes an ornament of devotion. ^AI

Striking the chest of Death, crushing the hard epilepsy (of Yama), wandering over the earth, and grinding against the crowns of the heads of the gods who bow to you — this is the deed of your soft pair of feet; what can I say of it? O Shambhu, always accept the wandering of the jewel-footwear of my mind. ^AI

Through fear of the striking of your chest, Yama has fled, and the gods perform the waving of lamps with clusters of gems shining on their crowns. Seeing this, the bride of liberation offers a secret embrace. O Lord of Bhavani, what is difficult here for one whose mind worships your lotus feet? ^AI

For play you create the entire universe; people are your play-deer. Whatever action is performed by me, that indeed becomes for your pleasure. O Shambhu, my activity is certainly the making of your own amusement; therefore, O Pashupati, protection of me must indeed be done by you. ^AI

I take refuge in the contemplation of the supreme Sadashiva, which is a beautiful realm of enjoyment marked by the clear thrill of horripilation and floods of tears of manifold satisfaction, and which is served by those who long for the fruit of long-standing feet. ^AI

O compassionate Pashupati, protect my single cow of devotion, which repeatedly yields the nectar of boundless joy, which dwells in the pure cow-pen of your feet, and which is the ripening of great merit. ^AI

O God, there is no dullness, no animal nature, no stain, and no crooked conduct in me. If there is any, O crest-jewel of kings, am I not fit to be your ornament? ^AI

He is easily attainable to serve in secret and in private with an independent mind; his form is serene. My Lord, the giver of countless fruits, the crest-jewel of kings, greater than the world, is present in my heart. ^AI

Having conquered the enemies of sin with the unfailing arrows of the remembrance of Shiva, joined with the bow of devotion bent by the qualities of devotion, the wise one, victorious, happily brings stable royal fortune. ^AI

Having seen the region of darkness with the collyrium of meditation, and having split it with the mighty mantras of the names of the Lord, those who bear the divine lotus feet of the Lord adorned with serpents—O Shiva, they are fulfilled. ^AI

Since by desiring her, the earth became his wife, what then is the need of the earth? O wise one, therefore obtain the worship of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, which is the field yielding the great herbs of liberation. ^AI

May the lotus feet of the Lord, which are like a garment of hope, make my mind, which is like a box, fragrant with divine and abundant fragrances that are engaged in destroying the afflictions of the noose of hope and evil tendencies. ^AI

Having mounted the horse of the mind, which is auspicious, of beautiful variegated gait, swift, knower of all intentions, sinless, and endowed with the marks of a good horse, O enemy of Smara (Shiva), O rider of the bull, roam about as the leader of all the worlds. ^AI

Devotion dwelling in the lotus feet of the great Lord, like a cloud, showers contentment. The pond of the mind of him who is filled by it—his entire life-crop becomes fruitful, and not otherwise. ^AI

The intellect, to become steady, is attached to the lotus feet of the Lord, like a woman separated from her husband always remembering him. I seek, as if bewildered, by the repetition of the mantra of Shiva, along with good thoughts, remembrance, seeing, and singing, etc. ^AI

O Lord, uplift this intellect of mine, which is instructed in the rules of good conduct, humble, friendly, and dependent on you, as a newly married bride is uplifted by a boon of good qualities. ^AI

O Shambhu, your stride is always capable of moving in the lotus-pond of the minds of yogis. How then is there a breaking of the chest-door of the hard king of death? Your pair of feet is extremely soft; alas, my mind thinks of this. O Lord, make this visible to my eyes and massage it with your hand. ^AI

This mind of mine will go to a future birth; it is hard, and so, thinking 'it will dance on that,' for my protection, a soft placement of the foot was practiced beforehand on the mountain's edge. If not, in divine inner chambers, on flower beds, on altars and the like, among good people generally, on stone surfaces — O Shambhu, what is the purpose of your dancing? ^AI

For some time by worshipping your lotus feet, O Uma's great lord; for some time by meditations and deep absorption; for some time by prostrations; for some time by listening to your stories; for some time, little by little, by glances and by hymns — he who with joy attains such a state, with his mind offered to you, is indeed liberated while living. ^AI

He assumed the form of an arrow, of a bull, of half a body as your wife, O lord of the noble lady; of a nose, of a friend, of one carrying a drum — and so on. Hari offered his eyes to your feet and became part of your body. He alone is more worshipful than the worshipful; if not, who else is greater than he? ^AI

For those joined with birth and death, by serving the gods there is not even a bit of happiness; there is no doubt about that. Those who worship the unborn, deathless-formed Shambhu, the Lord, they indeed attain supreme happiness here; they are blessed. ^AI

O Shiva, for the sake of your service and presence, I shall give you the daughter of intellect, who bears the burden of my qualities, O Gauri. O friend of all the worlds, O ocean of existence, consciousness and bliss, O compassionate one, always dwell in the home of my heart. ^AI

I am not skilled in churning the ocean, nor a piercer of the netherworld; nor am I greedy or expert in hunting in the forest. Tell me, O moon-crested one, how I can arrange for you worship with food, flowers, ornaments, clothes and the like. ^AI

The materials for worship are abundantly prepared — how shall we perform the worship? I have not obtained even the state of a bird or of an insect — that is difficult for me. I know your head and your tender feet, O Uma, but I do not know you, O Lord. It was not known in truth by Grandfather Brahma or by Hari, who is of that form. ^AI

Food is poison, the serpent is a garland, clothing is a hide, and the great bull is a vehicle. What will you give me? What is there, O Shambhu? Give me only devotion to your lotus feet. ^AI

O Bhavani, when you have built a bridge across the ocean and placed the king of mountains under the palm of your hand, and when the lotus-born Brahma has been surpassed by you, then one is capable of meditating on the hymn of worship to Shiva. ^AI

O Lord, you are not pleased by prostrations, by hymns of praise, by acts of worship, or by meditation and absorption. Tell me what would please you, whether it be with a bow, a pestle, or stones, and I will do accordingly. ^AI

With my speech I speak of the deeds of Shambhu, but I am not engaged in efforts for you. With my mind I serve the form of Ishvara, and with my head I bow to Sadashiva. ^AI

The primordial ignorance that was in my heart has departed, and by your grace the delightful knowledge has entered my heart. O crest-jewel of kings, I always serve your lotus feet, which bring prosperity and are a vessel for the liberation of the mind. ^AI

O Lord of Gauri, with your gracious glances, uplift me here, who has been freed from sins, from harsh words, from misfortune, sorrow, wicked pride, and evil speech, and who is drinking deeply the essence of your deeds. ^AI

May my heart forever delight in the Lord, the husband of Girija, who bears the crescent moon on his crown, who has a soft, dense neck, and who is of great splendor. ^AI

That alone is a tongue, those alone are eyes, those alone are hands, and that alone is a person who has fulfilled their purpose: the one who speaks of Bharga, who sees him, and who always remembers him with worship. ^AI

My feet are very soft, O Lord of Bhavani, but your mind is very hard. ^AI

With the goad of patience, draw back the elephant of my mind that is uncontrolled, and with the chain of devotion, O Destroyer of Tripura, bind it firmly to the post of your feet, using the ropes of consciousness. ^AI

This great elephant of the mind roams about with bold impudence, intoxicated with pride. Seizing it with the straight rope of devotion, lead it by the path to your firm, supreme, unchanging state. ^AI

O God, beloved of Gauri, accept my daughter of poetry, who is adorned with all ornaments, possessed of simple words, of virtuous conduct, golden in hue, praised by the good, endowed with sweet qualities, distinguished, rich in characteristics, resplendent with special adornments, endowed with humility, and whose meaning shines like a line of light—she is auspicious. ^AI

O Supreme Shiva, ocean of compassion, is this fitting for you? In order to see your feet and head, Hari and Brahma took the forms of a boar and a swan and wandered in heaven and on earth, becoming weary. O Shambhu, my Lord, tell me, how are you to be known by me who stands before you? ^AI

I praise you with this hymn—not falsely, O God. When the time comes to count those who are worthy of praise, Brahma and the other gods know you as the foremost. In the matter of considering the foremost of greatness, your servants, O Shambhu, know you to be the highest of the highest fruit, as chaff is separated from grain. ^AI