In this excerpt, from the Hymns to Shiva, Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali, Swamiji takes us to the heart of Utpaladeva, as the author gives Lord Shiva the choice to bless him now or have it done automatically because “I will be blessed because I am craving for that (blessing)!” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
Chapter 4 (13:07)
शिव शिव शम्भो शङ्कर
शरणागतवत्सलाशु कुरु करुणाम्।
तव चरणकमलयुगल-
स्मरणपरस्य हि सम्पदोऽदूरे ॥४॥
śiva śiva śambho śaṅkara
śaraṇāgatavatsalāśu kuru karuṇām /
tava caraṇakamalayugala-
smaraṇaparasya hi sampado’dūre //4//
O Lord Śiva, O Śambho, O Śaṅkara, O Śaraṇāgatavatsala, O [You who are] dear to those who have sought Your refuge (that is śaraṇāgatavatsala), āśu kuru karuṇām, keep Your karuṇā (dayā), keep Your grace on me in a speedy way. Don’t hesitate, don’t hesitate to bless me. Bless me soon, and now, āśukuru karuṇām, because, if You don’t bless me soon, I will be blessed automatically.
I’ll be blessed automatically because I have got so much craving to get blessings from You that I can’t remain without it. I can’t live without Your grace! So, if You want to maintain Your honor and prestige, then You must bless me as soon as You can. Otherwise, I will be blessed naturally. I will be blessed because I am craving for that!
There is no way out because, tava caraṇa kamala yugala smaraṇaparasya, I am bent upon remembering Your nature. I am bent upon remembering and reciting Your mantra. I am bent upon . . . I have diverted my whole attention towards Thy form, Thy divine form. Sampado udūre, because those glories of being with You are very near to me, [they] have come very near to me, so it is for You to decide if You [will] do it Yourself or have it done automatically.
Source: Hymns to Shiva, Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali
revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo
Copyright © John Hughes
