Prayers to different Gods inside a Temple of Lord Shiva

Prayers  to different  Gods  inside  a Temple  of Lord Shiva

Translation of prayers ,

By

P.R.Ramachander

      ( I  got these prayers  from a book  published by Giri traders and my grateful acknowledgements to them . I  also have translated  those prayers   and added some notes on etiquettes to be observed  inside  the Shiva Temple .I would be grateful  if the readers  can point out  the  mistakes I have committed as my knowledge  in this aspect is only peripheral. )

You have to enter  the temple of Lord Shiva   with a clean body and mind .Before entering the temple outside the flag pole  offer salutations to the God  by prostrating on the ground .(This should never be done  in side the temple because  you would be showing  your back to some Gods.) If possible do three Pradakshinas  outside the temple . Before you enter the Shiva temple  touch the raised threshold with your  right hand   and enter  in to the temple placing right  foot first.The first God   you will  see is Lord Nandikeswara  who is the  Vahana  of  Lord shiva.  Put the left  middle and thumb   on the two horns of the Nandi, with your right hand pet his tails and look through the horns of Nandi and see  the shiva lingam. Then pray Nandfikeswara.Please also determine the proper method  of Pradakshina  in the Shiva temple  you enter.Once you enter  in side the  temple, in some temples, the pradkshina stops at the  point where Abhisheka Theertha  is going out   from the Shiva temple.Then the devotee turns back  and  walks  in the opposite  direction till they reach the same point.

1.Prayer before  Nandikeswara

Nandikesa  Mahabhaga  , shiva  dhyana parayna,

Uma  Sankara  sevartham  anujnaan  dathumarhasi

Oh Lord Nandi , Oh great one  who always  meditates on Lord Shiva,

I request  your permission    for the service  of  Lord  Shiva and  Goddess  Uma.

After reciting this enter the temple , visit the  following temples in the same order chanting the stotras given before the Gods.

2,Prayer  before  Lord Ganesa

     (It is the custamory  to knock  with both your fists  on the forehead before Lord Ganesa. Some people stand crossed leg, catch the ears and bobbing up nd  down before Ganesa)

Omkaranilayam  devam , Gajavakthram  , chathurbujam,

Pichandila , maham  Vandhe Sarva  Vighnopasanthaye

Oh God  who stays in OM , who has elephant’s head  , who has  four hands,

And who  has a pot belly  , I salute  you and pray you to remove all obstructions .

3.Prayer  before  Lord Subrahmanya

Uma Komala hasthabja sambhavitha  lalatakam ,

Hiranya  kundalam vandhe  Kumaram  pushkarasrajam.

Salutation to the Lord wearing a  lotus wreath , golden ear rings  ,

Who has foreheads brought  together  by the lotus like  hands of Goddess  Uma.

4.Prayer before  the  Goddess

(In most of Shiva temples the Goddess  would not be in same sanctum as Shiva  but will have a separate temple)

Sarva mangala mangalye  shive saravartha sadhike,

Sharanye  tryambike devi  Narayani  namothuthe.

My salutations to the goddess Narayani,

Who is the auspiciousness  of all auspiciousness ,

Who is consort of Shiva , Who grants all desires,

Who can be  relied  upon and who is the  trinity of Goddesses.

5.Prayer  before  God Shiva

Anyadha Saranam  nasthi, thwameva  Saranam mama,

Thasmath Karunya bhavena  Raksha Raksha Maheswara

I don’t have anybody to seek refuge,

Except thee , Oh great God,

So please have mercy upon me,

And protect me again and again.

6.Prayer  before Dakshinamurthi

  (Normally Dakshinamurthy temples   would be in the inner periphery of the temple , with God facing south ,It would wonderful if you can sit   and meditate before him as he  is the teacher.)

Gurave Sarva LOkanam , bhishaje bhava roginam,

Nidhaye sarva vIdhyanam, Sri Dakshinamurthaye nama

Salutations to God Dakshinamurthy, who is the Guru of the entire world,

Who is the doctor to disease birth-death cycle and a treasure house of all knowledge.

7.Prayer  to Goddess Durga

   (Durga  is a ferocious form of Goddess  Parvathi in many cases  facing the north.)

Sarva roope sarvesi, sarva shakthi samanvithe ,

Bhayebhya sthrahino devi, Durge Devi Namosthuthe

Oh Goddess who takes all forms, who is the Goddess of all, Who is filled  with all powers,

Please save  us from fear Oh Goddess, I salute to the Goddess  Durga.

8.Prayer to Lord  Nataraja

   (E=when Nataraja , Shiva  in the dancing pose  is not the main God  , he would  be in the inner periphery.)

Krupa samaudram, sumukham, trinethram,

Jadadaharam, Parvathi vama bhagam,

Sada shivam, rudramanantha roopam,

Chidambaresam hrudhi bhavayami.         

I meditate on that Lord of Chidambaram,

Who is the ocean of mercy,

Who has a pleasant mien,

Who has three eyes,

Who has matted locks,

Who keeps Parvathy on his left side,

Who is ever peaceful,

And who is limitless and angry.

9.Prayer   to Lord Vishnu

  (Most of the huge temples  of Tamil Nadu also have  temples  for Lord  Vishnu inside the Shiva temple

Sasankha chakram sakireeta  kundalam sappeethavastram saraseruhekshanam,

Sahara vaksha sthala shobhi kousthubham  namai Vishnum sirasa chaturbhujam    

I bow before the God Vishnu,

Who has four arms,

Who has a conch and wheel in his hands,

Who wears a crown and ear globes,

Who wears yellow silks,

Who has lotus like eyes,

Who shines because of Kousthbha ,

Worn in his garlanded chest.

10,Prayer to Goddess  Lakshm-Saraswathi

Sridevi amruthothbhutha, Kamala Chandra Shobhana ,

Vishnu pathni vaishnavi  cha varoraha cha Sarngini,

Hari  priya deva devi Mahalakshmi cha  Sundari,

Bhashyadhi sarva shastrani ye cha anyai niyamasthadhaa,

Aksharani  cha sarvani thwam thu devi namosthuthe.

Oh Goddess Lakshmi born along with Nectar, who  sits on lotus , shines like moon,

Oh Consort of Lord  Vishnu who worships Lord Vishnu, who has pretty hips  and holds the Sarnga bow,

Oh Goddess  dear to Hari, The goddess of all gods, The Mahalakshmi  and the pretty one ,

Oh Goddess  who is all the  commentaries , all the Sasthras and  all other Laws,

And who is also   all the alphabets , You are our Goddess  and I salute  you.

11.Prayer to Chandikeswara

  (It is common to clap hands or make sound   with fingers before  Chandikeswara  temple,He is supposed to be the one who keeps the account of our visits  to the Shiva temple. By making sound we are informing him that  we have  visited Lord Shiva, as Chandikeswara is always in deep meditation,Some people are of the opinion that  we should only rub our hands before him  , showing him that  we are not even taking the dust from the temple.)

Neela kanda padambhoja parisphuritha manasa,

Shambho seva  balam dehi Chamdeswara Namosthuthe.

Oh Lord   who opens his mind to the lotus  like feet of Lord Neelakanda,

Give us the results  of Serving Lord Shiva and I salute you Chandeswara.

12.Prayer to Lord Bhairava

 (This very angry looking God  is a great devotee  of Lord Shiva, who takes care  of  Lord Shiva  and his temple.If his temple is there in a shiva temple , it is a must to go and salute him.)

Athikroora mahakaya Kalpantha  dahanopama ,

BHairavaya namasthubhyam  Anujnam Dhatum arhasi

I salute that Bhairava   who is very cruel, who has a huge body,

Who is similar  to the destruction at deluge, I need to take your permission.

13.Prayer to Lord  Hanuman

     (It is very rare  to find a Hanuman temple  in side  the Shiva temple .Many devotees consider  Hanuman as  the son oof Lord  Shiva also.)

BUdhirbalam   dharyam   nirbhayathwa marogatha.

Ajadyam vaak  paduthwam  cha  Hanumath  smaranath bhaveth

By meditating on Hanuman  , you get intelligence , strength, courage  ,

Fearlessness , freedom from disease, freedom from laziness  and command of language .

14.Prayer to Nine planets

   (Most of the Hindus firmly believe   that  it is  the nine planets that  cause  problems or luchk to them. In most of the Shiva temples  there  would be a Navagaraha  SAnnidhi where  all the nine planets   would be placed together. It is important  to worship them before  coming out of the temple)

Aarogyam dadadathu  no Divakara, Chandro Yaso nirmalam,

Bhoothim Bhoomi sutha, Sudhamsu thanaya prajnam , Guru Gauravam,

Kavya  KOmala vaak vilasamathulam  , mandho mudham sarvadhaa.

Rahur Bahu balam , Virodha  samanam Kethu Kulosyonnathim

The Sun gives us health , The moon pure fame  ,

Mars gives us well being , Wisdom is given by Budha(son of moon)

Guru gives us respect, Shukra   gives up pretty incomparable speech,

Saturn always  gives us happiness, Rahu  power and strength  and Kethu the greatness of  our family.

15.Sit  in a  place outside the main temple  tell the following  stotra  addressed  to the Shiva Ganas

Maha Bala pradha  sarve, Shivajna paripalaka,

Maya samprathithaa  yooyam Gachathwam  Shiva sannidau.

Oh servants  of Lord Shiva   who are  the very strong Pradhas,

Please go  in front of Lord Shiva   and inform him  about all my  prayers

16.Mediate   on the  two manthras  given below for  some time  before leaving  the temple

I.Mrutyunjaya manthram

 Tryambakam yajamahe                                    

Sugandhim pushtivardhanam

Urvarurkamiva bhandhanam

Mrityor mukshiya ma -mrtat.

We salute and respect,

Him who is naturally scented,

Him who looks after his devotees with mercy,

And him who has three eyes.

And pray and request,

To move us away from the catch of death,

Like the cucumber separated from its stalk,

And firmly put us in the path of salvation.

II.EEsana manthram

Eesana sarva Vidhyanam  , Easwara  sarva bhoothanam,

Brahmadhipathi, Brahmanoadhipathi,

Brahma Shivo may   asthu Sada  shivam

Possessing  all the  knowledge , God of all beings ,

The Lord  of Brahma , The Lord  of Brahmanas,

Sadashiva  exists as  Shiva as well as Brahma

   It is believed  that , nothing belonging  to the temple of Lord Shiva   should be  brought  out  of the Temple of Shiva.  This includes   the  dust in the temple of Shiva