Rama-caritabdhi-ratna of Nityananda Shastri
by Satya Vrat Shastri | 2005 | 75,230 words
This is the English translation of the Rama-caritabdhi-ratna by Pandit Nityananda Shastri. It is a distinguished Sanskrit Mahakavya (epic poem) that chronicles Lord Rama’s life in fourteen cantos, symbolic of the jewels yielded from the Milk Ocean when churned. His work showcases an extraordinary command of grammar, vocabulary, and rare poetic tech...
Appendix 5 - Eulogy of Siva by Rama
atha parisistamsah sriramamukhasampaditah sivastavah | tryaksibhavamstribhuvanam samamiksitum ki- mbandhyamiva sphutayitum bhiyamudhasarpah | kam gangamarcyamiva sucayitum svamurdhna yatnad dadhat sa giriso giri sobhatam nah || 1 || jajvalyamana iha manksu trtiyanetra'- mandanale madanavat pradahami yusman | he vyadhayah ! kuruta ma sma madam ya evam sukhyati gandhimukhapadmagatalisabdaih || 2 || gandho'pi ma sprsatu vah sujananitiva''- dhim vyadhimarthavighatam ca tatha'ntarayam | pustat trisuladharanannayate bhayam ya- stippanyapiha bhava ! sagarasetubandhah || 3 || hariharatmakasvarupam stauti- vande surupamabhirupakalevarasya'- rdhasthanamapitavato harimisvarasya | namnamyate tridasasindhudhiyaikato bha urvi yamasvasrdhiya paratasca yatra || 4 || 424
Eulogy of Siva by Rama: 1. May that Siva who puts on three eyes to have a look at the three worlds all at once as it were, who carries the snakes to reduce fear to be of no consequence as it were and who carries on his head the Ganga water in indication of the fact of its being sacred deliberately (lit. with effort) as it were shine in our speech! 2. O ye the ailments, I burn you (here) in a jiffy like Kama in the raging flaming fire, so you do not get puffed up, conveys he as it were through the humming of the bees hovering over his fragrant lotus-like mouth. 3. He who carries Trisula (Trident) causing fear to mental torment, physical ailment and obstacle which occasions obstruction in the (achievement of the) objectives so that they may not even touch the good people. O Siva, the common (illustration) here is the building of the causeway on the ocean [which did away with all the three above]. 4. I bow to the beautiful figure of Siva where Visnu occupies the half portion (in the form of Hari-Hara), the figure where in one part the widespread lustre in the form of Ganga and in the other part in the form of Yamuna is bowed to again and again. 5. Plunging into whose throat which for me is like Prayaga (the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna) in that the spreading dark hue of poison in it getting mixed with the streak of lustre of the pearl of the necklace of Uma gracing his half portion to the left my heart sheds the 425
ardhanarisvarasvarupam stauti- vamardhasamsphuraduma-suciharamukta- rukpanktiprkta-visaradvisakalakantim | kantham prayagamiva yasya vagahya hrd me atha parisistamsah mithyamalam tyajati so'rdhasivah sivo'vyat || 5 || vandyena bhoh subhavata bhavata prabho na- bandhityadahi madano madanodina drak | dhanvi krto'yamanito, manito'tha, tat tvam nancetu kah svayamamayamamatramayam || 6 || mrtyunjayastvamasi dosarujosca bhiti- tyornasanaya sutaram prabhavisnurisa | muktirmrterbhavati mantrajapena yasya ksiyeta tat smrtita eva ruja tvavasyam || 7 || yastigmagurhimagurambvapi nirjaradhya manyo'nilah sphutamila hutabhuk ca yasta | mrtyunjayo'statanurevamanastavarma phalasrutih tatkalikim dhiyamayam yamayantrako'ryyat || 8 || ramacandramukhacandravarsitam yah sivastutisudhamimam pibet | so'mrtasanavadatra modate, syat paratra ca tato'maro dhruvam || 1|| "
impurity, nescience, may that Siva one half of whom is Siva (Parvati) protect (me)! 6. O Lord, You the auspicious one and the remover of arrogance did not bind Kama, you killed him outright. Then this bow-man (Kama) you restored to life and he is the object of respect. Who would not then take recourse in you who are untouched by Maya but has infinite Maya (as evidenced by first burning and then reviving Kama). 7. O Lord, you are conqueror of death, you have all the power (lit. capacity) to destroy fear and natural visitation. By the silent recitation of your mantra there is release from death, by the very thought of you the disease would certainly go away. 8. He, the adorable one, has both the types of rays, hot and cold, (in the form of the sun and the moon), who is water, sky, the path without water [r and 1 being accepted as interchangeable, nirjara could be nirjala= without water], wind, earth and fire. He has eight forms with his body intact [an+asta is capable of double meaning; one, not eight antasta which would contrast with His being spoken of as astatanu of eight forms; the other, whose body is undestroyed, i.e. is intact. not worn off]. That conqueror of death who restrains Yama bestow on us understanding that works immediately. Phalasruti: 9. He who drinks the nectar of this eulogy of Siva showered by the moon-like mouth of Ramacandra, he feels happy in this world like a deity and becomes so surely in the other world. 427