Sadasiva Ashtakam

Sadasivashtakam
By Sage Patanjali
Translated by P. R. Ramachander

[This Stotra is from Halasya Puranam, (i.e. the story of the city of Maduraiin Tamil Nadu) and is a prayer to Sundareswarar (the pretty god) ofMadurai. This is written by Sage Pathanjali. This sage was one of thosefor whom Lord Shiva danced in Chidambaram. Since his feet consideredproper for salutation he was called Patanjali. His greatestcontributions are his commentary to Sanskrit Grammar by Panini and hisbook on Yoga called Yoga Sutra.)

Suvarna padmini thatantha divya harmya vasine,
Suparna vahana priyata soorya koti thejase,
Aparnaya viharine phana darendra dharine,
Sada namashivaya they sadashivaya shambhave. 1

Forever salutations to the peaceful one,
Who blesses us with prosperity and who is ever peaceful,
Who resides in the holy building near the tank of golden lotus*,
Who is as brilliant as billions of suns,
Who is liked by he who rides on a bird,
Who lives with Parvati,
And who wears the snake on his head.
[*The temple pond in the city of Madurai is called the pond of the golden lotus.]

Sathunga bhanga jahnuja sudhamsu ganda moulaye,
Pathanga pankaja suhruth krupeeta yoni chakshushe,
Bhujanga raja kundalaya, punya shali, bhandhave,
Sada namashivaya they sadashivaya shambhave. 2

Forever salutations to the peaceful one,
Who blesses us with prosperity and who is ever peaceful,
Who has on his head the river which fell from the sky [Ganges],
And the piece of moon shedding nectar,
Who has moon, friend of lotus and fire as eyes,
Who wears snakes as ear studs,
And who is the friend of all who do good deeds.

Chathur mukhanana aravinda veda geetha bhoothaye,
Chathurbhujanuja sareera shobha mana murthaye,
Chathurvidartha dana sounda thandava swaroopine,
Sada namashivaya they sadashivaya shambhave. 3

Forever salutations to the peaceful one,
Who blesses us with prosperity and who is ever peaceful,
Who is praised by the four Vedas sung by four faces of Brahma,
Who shines because of his merger with the sister of the four armed,
Who blesses us with just duty, assets, love and salvation,
And who has a form of the vigorous male dancer.

Saran nisakara prakasa manda hasa manjula,
Dhara pravala bhasa mana vakthra mandala sriye,
Karasphurath kapalamuktha Vishnu raktha payine,
Sada namashivaya they sadashivaya shambhave. 4

Forever salutations to the peaceful one,
Who blesses us with prosperity and who is ever peaceful,
Who is very pretty like the autumn moon with a smile,
Who shines with the luster to his face added by his red lips,
Who holds a skull in his one free hand,
And who has got the sister of Lord Vishnu.

Sahasra pundareeka poojanaika soonya darshanath,
Sahasra nethra kalpitharchanachyuthaya bhakthitha,
Sahasra bhanu mandala prakasa chakra dhayine,
Sada namashivaya they sadashivaya shambhave. 5

Forever salutations to the peaceful one,
Who blesses us with prosperity and who is ever peaceful,
Who gave the holy wheel with the brilliance of thousand solar systems,
To Him who took his own eye to offer to Him,
When he found that one flower was less out of thousand lotuses .
[When Lord Vishnu was trying to do pooja with Shiva Sahasranama, one flower was missing. He plucked his eye and offered it.]

Rasaradhaya ramya pathra bruthradanga panaye,
Rasa darendra chapa sinjani krutha nilasine,
Swasaradhi kruthabja yoni nunna veda vajine,
Sada namashivaya they sadashivaya shambhave. 6

Forever salutations to the peaceful one,
Who blesses us with prosperity and who is ever peaceful,
Who travels in the pretty chariot of earth,
Who uses Lord Vishnu as powerful arrow,
Who has a bow made of the Mountain Meru,
For which the great snake has been tied as string,
Whose chariot is driven by Brahma,
With the four holy Vedas as horses.

Adhiprakalbha veerabhadra simha nada garjitha,
Sruthi prabheetha daksha yaga bhaginaga sadmanaam,
Gathi pradhaya garjithakhila prapancha sakshine,
Sada namashivaya they sadashivaya shambhave. 7

Forever salutations to the peaceful one,
Who blesses us with prosperity and who is ever peaceful,
Who gave protection to those who attended the Yaga of Daksha,
Whenthey started trembling before efficient Veerabhadra [who was sent byLord Shiva to destroy the fire sacrifice of Daksha] with his lion likeroar,
And who was the witness to the billions of the universe who heard the roar

Mrukandu soonu rakshana vadhootha danda panaye,
Suganda mandalasphurath prabha jithamruthamsave,
Akhanda bhoga sampadartha loka bhavithathmane,
Sada namashivaya they sadashivaya shambhave. 8

Forever salutations to the peaceful one,
Who blesses us with prosperity and who is ever peaceful,
Who took the punishing stick to save the son of Mrukandu from dying,
Whose pretty neck further shines because of the crescent moon,
And who blesses all those who pray for pleasure, wealth and salvation.

Madhuripu vidhi shakra mukhya devaii,
Api niyamarchitha pada pankajaya,
Kanaka giri sarasanaya thubhyam,
Rajatha sabha pathaye, namasivaya. 9

Salutations to the ever peaceful God,
Whose lotus like feet are worshipped
By enemies of Madhu and other devas,
Who has the golden mountain as his bow,
And who is the lord of the silver hall [Rajatha Sabhai in Madurai Temple].

Halasya nadhaya maheshwaraya,
Hala halalankrutha kandharaya,
Meenekshanaya padaye shivaya,
Namo nama Sundara thandavaya. 10

Salutations and salutations to the handsome dancer,
Who is the great god and lord of town of Madurai,
Who stopped the poison called halahala in his neck,
And who is the lord of the devi with eyes like fish.

Ishwara Uvacha:-
Thwaya krutham idham sthothram ya padeth bhakthi samyutha,
Thasya ayur deergam arogyam sampadascha dadamyaham.

God told:-
He who reads this prayer composed you with devotion,
Will be given long life, health and wealth by me.