Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Nataraja Stotra (charana shrunga rahita)


By Sage Patanjali

charana shrunga rahita naTaraaja stotram

sadanchita-mudanchita nikunchita padam
jhala jhalam-chalita manju kaTakam
patanjali-druganjana-mananjanamanchachalapadam
janana-bhanjanakaram |
kadambaruchi-mambara-basam paramamambuda
kadambaka-viDambakagalam
chidambudhimaNim budhahrudambujaravi
parachidambaranaTam hrudi bhajey || 1 ||

Heartily resort to the great dancer Shiva, residing in the holy place, Chidambaram. He is called Hara who smashed the three cities. He is worshipped by good people. While dancing he has lifted one foot which is bent. His lovely bracelets are set in motion of dance movements and hence are making a jingling sound. He is like ointment to the eyes of Patanjali by whose application the vision gets clear for receiving knowledge. However, he is free from contamination of any kind. He destroys the cycle of birth (and death). He possesses the loveliness of Kadamba tree; wears the sky as garment. His throat is dark like the multitude of rainy clouds. He is the jewel in the ocean of consciousness. He is the the Sun blossoming the lotus- heart of wise persons.
haram tripura-bhanjana-manantakruta-kankaNam
akhanDadayam antarahitam
virichisura-samhati-purandaravichintatapadam
taruNachandra makuTam |
param pada-vikhanDitayamam bhasitamnDitatanum
madanavanchana-aram
chirantanam amum praNava sanchita nidhi
parachidambaranaTam hrudi bhajey || 2 ||

Heartily resort to the great dancer, Shiva, residing in the holy place, Chidambaram. He is the destroyer of the world, Who destroys sin and grants emancipation. He has destroyed the three cities of demon Tripura, representing the three types of sorrows. He is wearing the great serpent, ananta, like a bracelet. He is incessantly showering compassion and is endless. God Brahma, Indra and the other devatas meditate upon his feet. The crescent moon adorns his crown. The great one has crushed Yama by his feet. His body is decorated with ash. He is inclined to brush aside cupid. His preciousness is saturated in the syllable - AUM.
anantam akhilam jagada bhanga guNatungamamatam
dhrutavidhum surasarit
taranganikuramba-dhrutilampaTa-jaTam
shamanaDambasuharam bhavaharam |
shivam dashadigantara-vijrumbhitakaram
karalasanmrugashishum pashupatim
haram shashi-dhananjaya-patanganayanam
parachidambaranaTam hrudi bhajey || 3 ||

Heartily resort to the great dancer, Lord Shiva, residing in the holy place, Chidambaram, Who protects all the world . His lofty place is due to the indestructible good qualities . It is difficult to grasp his nature. He has held crescent moon in his forehead . His matted hair is covetous of holding the multitude of waves of the divine river, Ganga . He has dispelled the vanity of Yama and is capable of delivering men from the pangs of worldly life . The Lord of creatures, the auspicious God, in whose hand a young deer is dancing, has spread his hands in all ten quarters. The great Destroyer has moon, fire and sun as his eyes.
ananta-navaratnavilasat-kaTaka-kikiNijhalam-
jhala-jhalam jhala-ravam
mukunda-vidhi-hasta-gata-maddala-

layadhvanidhimiddhimita-nartanapadam |
shakuntaratha-barhiratha-

nandimukhabhRungiriTasangha-nikaTam
sananda-sanaka-pramukha-vandita-padam
parachidambaranaTam hrudi bhajey || 4 ||

Heartily resort to the great dancer, Shiva residing in the holy place, Chidambaram. The tiny bells attached to his bracelets which are shining with innumerable gems of nine kinds are making a sweet jingling sound. The dancing movements of his feet are accompanied by the drum in the hands of Mukunda (vishnu) and vidhi (brahma). He is closely surrounded by Vishnu, riding a chariot to which a bird (Garuda) is yoked, by kartikeya, riding a charior to which a peacock is yoked, by a troupe of Gana-s consisting of Srngi, Riti, Bhrngi etc headed by Nandi . Prominent sages like Sananda and Sanaka are saluting his feet.
anantamahasam tridashavandyacharaNam
munihrudantara-vasanta-mamalam
kabamdha-viyadindvavani-gandhavahavahnimakhabandhu-
ravimanju-vapuSham |

anantavibhavam trijagadantaramaNim
trinayanam tripurakhanDanaparam
sanandamuni-vanditapadam sakaruNam
parachidambaranaTam hrudi bhajey || 5 ||

Heartily resort to the great dancer, Lord Shiva, residing in the holy place called Chidambaram. His lustre is beginningless and endless. His feet are revered by the gods. The pure one who is free from all blemishes  resides in the interior of sages hearts. He wields a lovely body made up of the following components - water, sky, moon, earth, wind, fire, sacrificer (atman) and Sun. His riches are infinite; he is the jewel of the three worlds having three eyes, he is incline to smash the three cities of Tripura. The god who takes pity (on the distressed) is saluted by Sage Sananda.
achintyamaLibrunda-ruchibandhuragaLam
kuritakundanikurumba-dhavaLam
mukundrusurabrunda-balahantru-krutavandalalasanta-
mahikunDala-dharam |
akampam anukampitaratim sujanamangalanidhim
gajaharam pashupatim
dhananjayanutam praNataranjanaparam
parachidambaranaTam hrudi bhajey || 6 ||

Heartily resort to the great dancer, Shiva, residing in the holy place, Chidambaram. His dark colored throat is attractive with its resemblance to the colour of a multitude of bees. His complexion is white like a bunch of blooming Kunda flowers . He wears a glittering appearance when saluted by Vishnu, gods, and Indra, the killer of the demon Bala. His ear ornament consists of serpent. He is free from fear and hence unmoved. However, he took pity on Rati. He is a reservoir of all auspicious things for good persons. The destroyer of Gajasure is the Lord of creatures, praised by Arjuna. He is inclined to be delightful to persons who bow down to Him.
param suravaram puraharam pashupatim
janita-dantimukha-shaNmukham amum
mruDam kanaka pinglajaTam sanaka-pankaja-ravi
sumanasam himaruchim |
asangamanasam jaladhijanmagaralam
kabalayamtam atulam guNanidhim
sanandavaradam shamitam induvadanam
parachidambaranaTam hrudi bhajey || 7 ||

Heartily resort to the great dancer Shiva residing in the holy place Chidambaram. He is the best among gods, destroyer of the three cities for the benefit of the world. That Lord of creatures has given birth to elephant-headed Ganesha for warding off obstacles and to six-faced Kartikeya for leading divine army. The benevolent God has hair that is brownish like gold . He is like Sun who causes the blooming of the lotus in the form of sage Sanaka . Having a mind kind to all, He weilds the lustre of snow. His mind is not attached to anything, even to Parvati . He has swallowed poison arising out of ocean in order to save the world from its adverse effects . He is a store-house of quailities, not comparable to anyone else . He has given boons to sage, Sananda . Having a face which is delightful like the moon, he has attained the blissful state.
ajam kshitiratham bhujangapungavaguNam
kanakashrungidhanusham karalasat
kurangapruthu-Tanka-parashum ruchirakumkumaruchim
Damarukam cha dadhatam |
mukunda-vishikham namadavandhayaphaladam
nigamabrundaturagam nirupam
sachanDikamamum jhaTiti samhrutapuram
parachidambaranaTam hrudi bhajey || 8 ||

Heartily resort to the great dancer, Lord Shiva, who resides in the holy place, Chidambaram, and He is without birth. The Earth itself is his chariot. The great serpent, Vasuki is his bowstring. The golden peaked Meru is His bow. In His hands shines a deer, a big sword and an aze. He weilds a damaru which has the color of lovely kumkuma. Mukunda himself is his arrow . He effectively grants the desire to those who salute him. The multitude of Vedic texts are his horses (or mind). The incomparable God accompanied by Chandika has quickly destroyed the cities of demon Tripura.
ananga-paripanthinam ajam kshitidhurandhara
karuNayantam akhilam
jvalantam analam dadhatam antakaripum
satatam indrasura vandita padam |
udancha-daravindakula-bandhushata
bimbaruchi-samhati-sugandhi-vapusham
patanjalinutam praNavapanjarashukam
parachidambaranaTaM hrudi bhajey || 9 ||

Heartily resort to the great dancer, Lord Shiva, who resides in the holy place, Chidambaram. Birthless, He is an enemy of Cupid . He bears the burden of the earth, He is intensely compassionate to all. The killer of demon Andhaka is capable of holding buring fire. Gods headed by Indra are constantly falling at His feet. He is having a body which has got the lustre of a group of hundred rising suns and is fragrant. He is praised by Patanjali and is like a parrot in the cage of the syllable Omkara.
iti stavam amum bhujagapungavakrutam
pratidinam paThati yah krutamukhaha
sadah prabhu-padadvitaya-darshanapadam
sulalitam charaNashrungarahitam |

sarah prabhava-sambhava-haritpatiharipramukha-
divyanuta-shankarapadam
sa gacChati param na tu janurjalanidhim
parachidambaranaTam hrudi bhajey || 10 ||

Here ends the praise song composed by Patanjali who is an incarnation of the great serpent Shesha. One who learns it by heart and recites it will find a seat in the assembly of Gods . The praise song is charming . The words in it lead to the perception of the the Lord's pair of feet. It flows on, being beginning-less and endless (composed of the meter charana shrunga rahita). One who recites this hymn,quickly reaches the highest goal and does not steep into the ocean of worldly existence which causes great sorrow and sinfulness.
|| iti shree patanjali maharshi kruta
shree charaNa shrunga rahita naTaraaja stotram sampoorNam ||


OM NAMAH SHIVAYA

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