Rudra Namakam Chamakam translation

[Guest guest]

Friends,

 

There has been some discussion regarding the Rudra Namakam Chamakam.

I found the site of Swami Krishnananda, of the Sivananda Ashram,

which has an excellent translation of this glorious hymn. The

language and the sentiments expressed beautifully depict a feel for

the Sanskrit original.

http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/invoc/in_sat.html

 

Swamiji eloquently brings out the key message of this prayer – that

God is everything, and the "pair of opposites" is only human

perception, and not the ultimate reality.

 

The form of Lord Shiva itself depicts this dichotomy in so many

different ways. He is the peaceful Yogiswara, ever absorbed in

Samadhi, and yet he is also Rudra, the force and fury of the

universe. He resides in the pure, cold snows of the Himalayas, and

also in the burning fires of the cremation grounds. He is the

Destroyer, and also the Linga, the creator of all. He is seated in

meditation and also dances as Nataraja, being the very essence of the

principle of motion in the Universe. He is the Muni, the silent one,

teaching all wisdom through silence, as Guru Dakshinamurthy and He is

also Omkareswara, the reverberation of Om, the basis of all sound. He

is Eeswara, the giver of all Eiswarya, i.e. wealth in all its forms,

and he is also the Aadi Bhikshu, with a begging bowl. He is

Kameswara, the most handsome youth – Kaama, i.e. Manmadha is

irresistibly handsome, and Lord Shiva is glorified as the Master of

this Kaama! But, this handsome Lord smears his body with ashes from

the funeral pyre, leaves his hair matted and unkempt, wears the skin

of an elephant, and has snakes and rudraksha beads as ornaments! He

holds in his throat, the most potent poison of Haalahala, and has

poisonous snakes encircling his body, but He is also the Divine

Physician, and even the Conquerer of Death, Mrityunjaya! His name

Shiva itself means auspiciousness, and holds the very symbol of

purity, Mother Ganga in his hair knot, and yet he wanders in the pure

white snows of the mountains and the inauspicious funeral grounds

with the same detachment. He is the Aadi Purusha, and also the Ardha

Naareeswara, holding his beloved Shakti in the left half of his body.

After being inundated with his various forms, aspects, ways and

actions, the poor overwhelmed human mind can only conclude that He is

way past all that the mind can comprehend, and true understanding

starts to dawn….. This must be the Compassionate One's idea all

along, and is most beautifully conveyed by our Rishis that composed

these various descriptions of this indescribable One.

 

Of course the same idea is in the forms of other deities too – Vishnu

is the charming Krishna, the compassionate Rama, the furious

Naarasimha, the generous Venkateswara …. The various beautiful forms

of the Devi are too numerous to even try to enumerate, leave alone

describe…

 

Sincerely,

Sreelatha