Mind-based Worship of Lord Siva
Sivamānasapūjā (शिवमानसपूजा)
In this small text consisting of five verses, Adi Shankaracharya describes how a devotee can perform the worship of the Lord in one’s mind, with items conceived by the mind.
Verse 1
रत्नैः कल्पितमासनं हिमजलैः स्नानं च दिव्याम्बरं
नानारत्न-विभूषितं मृगमदामोदाङ्कितं चन्दनम् ।
जाती-चम्पक-बिल्वपत्र-रचितं पुष्पं च धूपं तथा
दीपं देव दयानिधे पशुपते हृत्कल्पितं गृह्यताम् ॥ 1 ॥
Word meaning
रत्नैः — by precious stones, gems; कल्पितम् — made of, fabricated of; आसनम् — seat; हिमजलैः — by cold water; स्नानम् — bath; च — and; दिव्याम्बरम् — wonderful garment, apparel; नानारत्नविभूषितम् — decorated with different types of precious stones, gems; मृगमदामोदाङ्कितम् — with the fragrance of musk (मृगमद — musk; मोद — fragrance; अङ्कित — marked); चन्दनम् — sandalwood, sandal paste; जाती-चम्पक-बिल्वपत्र-रचितम् — arranged with jasmine and champaka flowers, and bilva leaves; पुष्पम् — flowers; च — and; धूपम् — incense; तथा — also; दीपम् — light; देव — O Lord; दयानिधे — O Treasure of mercy, O Compassionate One; पशुपते — O Lord of all creatures, O Lord Siva; हृत्कल्पितम् — conceived in my heart, mind; गृह्यताम् — please do accept.
Prose form of the verse
रत्नैः कल्पितं आसनं, हिमजलैः स्नानं, नानारत्नविभूषितं दिव्याम्बरं च, मृगमदामोदाङ्कितं चन्दनम्, जातीचम्पकबिल्वपत्ररचितं पुष्पं च, धूपं तथा दीपं, देव दयानिधे पशुपते हृत्कल्पितं गृह्यताम् ।
Meaning of the verse
O Lord, O Treasure of mercy,
O Compassionate One, O Lord of all creatures!
Kindly accept all these items conceived in my mind:
A seat made of precious stones and gems,
a bath with by cool water,
a wonderful garment decorated with various kinds of precious stones,
sandal-paste with the fragrance of musk,
arrangement of jasmine and champaka flowers, and bilva leaves, and
incense and light.
Verse 2
सौवर्णे नवरत्नखण्डरचिते पात्रे घृतं पायसं
भक्ष्यं पञ्चविधं पयोदधियुतं रम्भाफलं पानकम् ।
शाकानामयुतं जलं रुचिकरं कर्पूरखण्डोज्ज्वलं
ताम्बूलं मनसा मया विरचितं भक्त्या प्रभो स्वीकुरु ॥ 2 ॥
Word meaning
सौवर्णे — in gold; नवरत्नखण्डरचिते — studded with nine precious stones; पात्रे — in the vessel; घृतम् — ghee (clarified butter); पायसम् — sweetened milk with rice; भक्ष्यम् — food; पञ्चविधम् — of five varieties; पयोदधियुतम् — consisting of milk and curd; रम्भाफलम् — plantain; पानकम् — sweetened drink; शाकानाम् — of vegetables; अयुतम् — innumerable variety; जलम् — water; रुचिकरम् — tasty, appetizing; कर्पूरखण्डोज्ज्वलम् — blazing piece of camphor (कर्पूर — camphor; खण्ड — piece; उज्ज्वल — blazing); ताम्बूलम् — betel leaf; मनसा — by the mind; मया — by me; विरचितम् — have arranged, have together; भक्त्या — with devotion; प्रभो — O Lord; स्वीकुरु — please do accept.
Prose form of the verse
नवरत्नखण्डरचिते सौवर्णे पात्रे घृतं, पायसं, पयोदधियुतं पञ्चविधं भक्ष्यं, रम्भाफलं , पानकम् , शाकानां अयुतं, कर्पूरखण्डोज्ज्वलं, रुचिकरं जलं, ताम्बूलं मया मनसा भक्त्या विरचितं, प्रभो स्वीकुरु ।
Meaning of the verse
In vessels made of gold,
studded with nine precious stones,
I offer,
ghee (clarified butter), sweetened milk with rice,
five varieties of food consisting of milk and curd,
plantain, sweetened drink, innumerable variety of vegetables,
tasty water, and betel leaf.
I also offer a blazing piece of camphor.
All these have been mentally arranged by me, with devotion.
O Lord, kindly accept all these items conceived in my mind:
Verse 3
छत्रं चामरयोर्युगं व्यजनकं चादर्शकं निर्मलं
वीणा-भेरि-मृदङ्ग-काहल-कला गीतं च नृत्यं तथा ।
साष्टाङ्गं प्रणतिः स्तुतिर्बहुविधा ह्येतत्समस्तं मया
सङ्कल्पेन समर्पितं तव विभो पूजां गृहाण प्रभो ॥ 3 ॥
Word meaning
छत्रम् — umbrella; चामरयोः — of two chāmara (chowrie); युगम् — pair; व्यजनकम् — a fan; च — and; आदर्शकम् — a mirror; निर्मलम् — spotless, stainless; वीणा-भेरि-मृदङ्ग-काहल-कला — music of lute, kettledrum, mridanga (drum), and a large drum; गीतम् — singing, song; च — and; नृत्यम् — dancing, dance; तथा — also; साष्टाङ्गम् — with eight limbs; प्रणतिः — prostration; स्तुतिः — hymn of praises; बहुविधा — of many kinds, manifold; हि — indeed; एतत् — this; समस्तम् — all together; मया — by me; सङ्कल्पेन — with mind, mentally; समर्पितम् — offer; तव — to you; विभो — O all-pervading, omnipresent; पूजाम् — worship; गृहाण — please do accept; प्रभो — O Lord;
Prose form of the verse
विभो छत्रं , चामरयोः युगं, व्यजनकं च, निर्मलं आदर्शकं , वीणाभेरिमृदङ्गकाहलकला, गीतं च नृत्यं तथा, साष्टाङ्गं प्रणतिः, स्तुतिः, एतत् बहुविधा समस्तं हि मया सङ्कल्पेन तव समर्पितं । प्रभो पूजां गृहाण ।
Meaning of the verse
O Lord, I offer,
an umbrella, a pair of chowrie (chāmara),
a fan, a spotless mirror,
music of lute, kettledrum, mridanga (drum) and a large drum,
singing and dancing,
my prostration with eight limbs, and
hymns of praises.
All these of many varieties, conceived by my mind,
I offer mentally to You, O all-pervading one.
O Lord kindly accept this worship.
Verse 4
आत्मा त्वं गिरिजा मतिः सहचराः प्राणाः शरीरं गृहं
पूजा ते विषयोपभोगरचना निद्रा समाधिस्थितिः ।
सञ्चारः पदयोः प्रदक्षिणविधिः स्तोत्राणि सर्वा गिरो
यद्यत्कर्म करोमि तत्तदखिलं शम्भो तवाराधनम् ॥ 4 ॥
Word meaning
आत्मा — Self; त्वम् — you; गिरिजा — one born of the Himalayas, consort of Lord Siva (Pārvati); मतिः — intelligence; सहचराः — attendants; प्राणाः — life forces; शरीरम् — body; गृहम् — abode, home; पूजा — worship; ते — your; विषयोपभोगरचना — experiencing the sense objects of the world; निद्रा — sleep; समाधिस्थितिः — state of samādhi; सञ्चारः — moving about; पदयोः — of the two feet; प्रदक्षिणविधिः — the injunction of circumambulation; स्तोत्राणि — hymns in the praise of the Lord; सर्वाः — all; गिरः — speech; यत् यत् — whatever; कर्म — action; करोमि — I perform, do; तत् तत् — that ; अखिलम् — all; शम्भो — O Lord Shambhu; तव — your; आराधनम् — worship.
Prose form of the verse
आत्मा त्वं, मतिः गिरिजा, प्राणाः सहचराः, शरीरं (तव) गृहं, विषयोपभोगरचना ते पूजा, निद्रा समाधिस्थितिः, पदयोः सञ्चारः प्रदक्षिणविधिः, सर्वाः गिरः स्तोत्राणि , यत् यत् कर्म करोमि तत् तत् अखिलं शम्भो तव आराधनम् ।
Meaning of the verse
O Lord,
my Self is You,
my intelligence is Girijā (Pārvati, Your consort),
my life forces are Your attendants,
my body is Your abode,
experiencing the objects of the world is Your worship,
my sleep is the state of samādhi,
moving about in the world is circumambulation,
all speech and utterances are hymns in Your praise, and
whatever actions I perform,
O Lord Shambhu,
is Your worship.
Verse 5
करचरणकृतं वाक्कायजं कर्मजं वा
श्रवणनयनजं वा मानसं वापराधम् ।
विहितमविहितं वा सर्वमेतत्क्षमस्व
जय जय करुणाब्धे श्रीमहादेव शम्भो ॥ 5 ॥
Word meaning
करचरणकृतम् — done by the hand and feet; वाक्कायजम् — born of speech and the body (वाक् — speech; काय — body); कर्मजम् — born of action; वा — or; श्रवणनयनजम् — born of ears and eyes; वा — or; मानसम् — by the mind (in thought); वा — or; अपराधम् — mistake, transgression, sins; विहितम् — prescribed, enjoined; अविहितम् — forbidden; वा — or; सर्वम् — all; एतत् — this; क्षमस्व — please forgive me; जय — victory to Thee; जय — victory to Thee; करुणाब्धे — O Ocean of Mercy; श्रीमहादेव — O Lord Mahadeva; शम्भो — O Lord Shambhu.
Prose form of the verse
करचरणकृतं वाक्कायजं कर्मजं वा श्रवणनयनजं वा मानसं वा विहितं अविहितं वा अपराधम् एतत् सर्वं क्षमस्व करुणाब्धे । जय जय श्रीमहादेव शम्भो ।
Meaning of the verse
O Ocean of Mercy,
please forgive all my sins
committed by my hands and feet,
born of speech and the body,
born of action,
born of ears and eyes,
committed by the mind (in thought), or
those committed while performing
prescribed or forbidden actions.
O Ocean of Mercy, please forgive all these.
O Lord Mahadeva, O Lord Shambhu,
Victory to Thee, Victory to Thee.
