Devotional Prayers to Lord Shiva

Shiva in the mountains of Kailash

by Jayaram V

1. Lord Maheswara, effulgent rays from your radiant eyes,
When swiftly glide to me and infuse me with devotion,
I feel blessed and uplifted, sacred and peaceful in my heart.
But when my devotion wavers and my imperfections wake up,
Forgive me the way you always forgive your blessed children.

2. O mighty Siva, worlds are indeed indebted to you.
So also gods and demons and all life in the universe.
Even Brahma the creator and Vishnu the preserver.
An act of supreme sacrifice, you continue till date,
As we churn the ocean of life, and face the poison
Of our karmic acts, knowing not what to do, where to go,
You take our burdens away and show us the perfect way.

3. Iswara, Father of all and the source of all knowledge,
You are forever in the hearts of all your devotees.
Mighty is your magnetic attraction and mightierstill,
Your Will, firm, ever forgiving, and sure of its movements.

4. Before the dawn breaks and the sun arises
Millions of your devotees in all the known and
Unknown worlds join hands and pour out their hearts
With complete devotion, chanting the eternal Mantra.
I too join them in this pilgrimage of words and emotions,
To celebrate the glory and beauty of your eternal charm.

5. Lord of Kailasa, dweller of the mountains,
Ruler of all realities and destroyer of all illusions,
The world in which I live is a world of reflections,
Where truth is hidden in a cave filled with smoke,
Where life rests in the lap of falsehood and desires.
In this chaotic world of shadows and spinning dreams,
Guide me, O Lord , towards Light and immortality.

6. If ever in my dreams I happen to see you by chance,
O Master of wisdom, fill my vision with Your brilliance,
My heart with the sweet vibrations of Your love and compassion,
My mind with the bliss of your consciousness.

7. Lord of the whole universe, manifest and unmanifest,
Who made the mighty river of everlasting bliss,
Flowing in the heavens beyond our thoughts,
To descend to the earth and sanctify the mortals.
Great Teacher, ever seated in meditation, omniscient,
Grant me the wisdom that I may choose the correct path,
In this world of confusing images and transient objects.

8. Master of the universe, Supreme, effulgent Being!
The false gods rule our lives and our troubled minds,
And drive us into the midst of deluding whirl pools.
Give me the wisdom to discern the path hidden from us,
By which your dearest devotees always reach you.

9. O dear Father Divine, beloved of Parvathi, universal Mother!
Worldly deeds, and earthly joys, bring us but little peace.
O Destroyer of unhappiness, cut asunder the bonds we build,
Hoping to secure what we cannot keep, keep that would not last.
Bind us to the path that leads us surely to your Eternal Abode,
To quench our thirst from the effulgent rivers of unending joy.

10. O Divine father of the mightiest Ganesha, the first God,
I search for dreams in the mirage of the deserts, and wisdom among fools.
I seek solace and comfort among heartless people and thoughts of envy and hatred.
In vain I search for Truth in the falsehood of ravines and forests of ignorance.
There is no real joy in the joy of earth, no true love in the love of mortals.
There is no freedom in their shackled minds and tortuous reason.
Give me the vision and the courage to unravel
The truth hidden behind the golden lid, and behold my real Self.

11. Mahashiva, beloved husband of mother goddess, Parvathi,
In my heart is the unending silence, the primeval silence of
The immense universe, hidden behind all sounds and life.
Let this silence pervade my whole being, and cleanse me, to be worthy of your service.

12. Lord of the universe, Jagadiswara, Hara Hara Mahadev!
Myriad are the ways of this illusion, ignorance its chief weapon.
The senses are its slaves and the snare its trick.
With your grace and love alone one can cross this forest.

13. Mallikarjuna, Lord of all creation, slayer of illusion,
Who knows the beginning and the ending of creation?
Who has seen the Creator and who can describe Him to me?
Who is the witness and who knows truly the Author?
The mortal minds cannot grasp the unknowable,
Express the inexpressible or measure the infinity.
O Destroyer of the worlds, the source of all knowledge,
The Author of our destinies and the scribe of our lives,
Let the wisdom descend upon me and dispel my ignorance.

14. Hidden in each man is the spark of the universal delight,
The eternal soul, shining brightly, but a mute witness.
Awake, yet unknown, in all sleeping hearts is the seed of eternal joy,
O Lord of Wisdom, awaken my heart to reach your Soul.

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