Shiva Manasa Puja Stotram

शिवमानसपूजास्तोत्रम्

Śivamānasapūjāstotram

All 5 verses

Verse 1

रत्नैः कल्पितमासनं हिमजलैः स्नानं च दिव्याम्बरं नानारत्नविभूषितं मृगमदामोदाङ्कितं चन्दनम् । जातीचम्पकबिल्वपत्ररचितं पुष्पं च धूपं तथा दीपं देव दयानिधे पशुपते हृत्कल्पितं गृह्यताम् ॥१॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

Word breakdown

रत्नैः कल्पितमासनं हिमजलैः स्नानं च दिव्याम्बरं: A seat fashioned of jewels, a bath with icy water, and divine garments.
नानारत्नविभूषितं मृगमदामोदाङ्कितं चन्दनम् ।: Sandal paste fragrant with musk, adorned with many jewels.
जातीचम्पकबिल्वपत्ररचितं पुष्पं च धूपं तथा: Flowers made of jasmine, champaka, and bilva leaves, and incense as well.
दीपं देव दयानिधे पशुपते हृत्कल्पितं गृह्यताम्: A lamp, O Lord, O ocean of mercy, O Pashupati; accept what the heart has imagined.

Mental worship transforms the imagination into an offering when the heart knows the Lord is not elsewhere. What the mind pictures with devotion becomes as real as outer ritual to one who sees Shiva in all.

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Verse 2

सौवर्णे नवरत्नखण्डरचिते पात्रे घृतं पायसं भक्ष्यं पञ्चविधं पयोदधियुतं रम्भाफलं पानकम् । शाकानामयुतं जलं रुचिकरं कर्पूरखण्डोज्ज्वलं ताम्बूलं मनसा मया विरचितं भक्त्या प्रभो स्वीकुरु ॥२॥

Study note

Editorial Advaita reflection

Word breakdown

सौवर्णे नवरत्नखण्डरचिते पात्रे घृतं पायसं: In a golden bowl set with nine jewels, ghee and sweet rice pudding.
भक्ष्यं पञ्चविधं पयोदधियुतं रम्भाफलं पानकम् ।: Five kinds of food with milk and curd, plantain fruit and a sweet drink.
शाकानामयुतं जलं रुचिकरं कर्पूरखण्डोज्ज्वलं: Ten thousand vegetables, savoury water bright with camphor lumps.
ताम्बूलं मनसा मया विरचितं भक्त्या प्रभो स्वीकुरु: Betel leaves prepared by me in the mind with devotion; accept them, O Lord.

Food offered in the mind nourishes the conviction that the Lord accepts the devotee's intent, not merely the substance. The golden bowl is the purified intellect in which every experience is offered back to the source.

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Verse 3

छत्रं चामरयोर्युगं व्यजनकं चादर्शकं निर्मलं वीणाभेरीमृदङ्गकाहलकला गीतं च नृत्यं तथा । साष्टाङ्गं प्रणतिः स्तुतिर्बहुविधा ह्येतत्समस्तं मया सङ्कल्पेन समर्पितं तव विभो पूजां गृहाण प्रभो ॥३॥

Study note

Editorial Advaita reflection

Word breakdown

छत्रं चामरयोर्युगं व्यजनकं चादर्शकं निर्मलं: A canopy, a pair of fly-whisks, a fan, and a spotless mirror.
वीणाभेरीमृदङ्गकाहलकला गीतं च नृत्यं तथा ।: The arts of vina, kettle-drum, mridanga, and horn, song and dance as well.
साष्टाङ्गं प्रणतिः स्तुतिर्बहुविधा ह्येतत्समस्तं मया: Eight-limbed prostration and manifold hymns; all this by me.
सङ्कल्पेन समर्पितं तव विभो पूजां गृहाण प्रभो: Offered by resolve to you, O all-pervading one; accept the worship, O Lord.

Song, dance, and prostration offered by resolve are the celebration of life when every action is dedicated to the Lord. The mirror without blemish reflects the Self that witnesses all performance yet remains unstained.

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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 ॥४॥

Study note

Editorial Advaita reflection

Word breakdown

आत्मा त्वं गिरिजा मतिः सहचराः प्राणाः शरीरं गृहं: You are the Self; Girija the mind; the pranas your attendants; the body your temple.
पूजा ते विषयोपभोगरचना निद्रा समाधिस्थितिः ।: Worship of you is the arrangement of sense-enjoyments; sleep is the state of samadhi.
सञ्चारः पदयोः प्रदक्षिणविधिः स्तोत्राणि सर्वा गिरो: Walking is circumambulation of your feet; all words are your hymns.
यद्यत्कर्म करोमि तत्तदखिलं शम्भो तवाराधनम्: Whatever act I perform, all of it is worship of you, O Shambho.

This verse is the heart of Advaita bhakti: the Lord is not an object of worship but the Self of the worshipper. When every function of body and mind is seen as his service, bondage to doership falls away.

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Verse 5

करचरणकृतं वाक्कायजं कर्मजं वा श्रवणनयनजं वा मानसं वापराधम् । विहितमविहितं वा सर्वमेतत्क्षमस्व जय जय करुणाब्धे श्रीमहादेव शम्भो ॥५॥

Study note

Editorial Advaita reflection

Word breakdown

करचरणकृतं वाक्कायजं कर्मजं वा: Wrong done by hand and foot, born of speech and body, or of action.
श्रवणनयनजं वा मानसं वापराधम् ।: Or wrong born of ear and eye, or of the mind.
विहितमविहितं वा सर्वमेतत्क्षमस्व: Whether ordained or forbidden, forgive all of this.
जय जय करुणाब्धे श्रीमहादेव शम्भो: Victory, victory, O ocean of mercy, O glorious Mahadeva, O Shambho.

Forgiveness sought from the ocean of mercy is the final surrender of the ego that claims authorship of sin. When the Lord is known as the Self, wrong and right are seen as movements in consciousness, not stains on the witness.

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