Anuvāka 9

This Anuvāka has 19 mantras

नम इरिण्याय च प्रपथ्याय च

nama iriṇyāya ca prapathyāya ca (9:1)

Meaning:

Salutations to the One, who is in the form of barren land of deserts and other paths/roads.

Notes:

Those who have capacity to endure difficulties and pains alone can traverse through hot desert sands. Yogis are subtly conveyed here. The mantra says that He is in the form of both yogis and devotees.

नमः किशिलाय च क्षयणाय च

namaḥ kiśilāya ca kṣayaṇāya ca (9:2)

Meaning:

Salutations to Him who is in the stony places and in the places of normal human habitation.

Notes:

Stony places refers to the path full of stones and difficult to traverse. Only yogis who can endure all types of difficulties can walk through these paths. Normal habitable land means the land of paśu-s or spiritually ignorant people. He is Paśupati.

नमः कपर्दिने च पुलस्तये च

namaḥ kapardine ca pulastaye ca (9:3)

Meaning:

Salutations to the who One has matted hair and to the One who has straight and smooth hair.

Notes:

Matted hair comes naturally to those who do not care for their hair. Sages and saints are examples. Shiva has matted hair known as jaṭa. Pulasti means wearing the hair straight or smooth. It is also said that pulasti means appearing before a person. This means that He appears in person before a true devotee.

नमो गोष्ठ्याय च गृह्याय च

namo goṣṭhyāya ca gṛhyāya ca (9:4)

Meaning:

Salutations to the One who is in the cowshed and in homes.

Notes:

He is addressed in cowshed because He is the one who protects cows from rain and sun. His omnipresence is emphasized.

नमस्तल्प्याय च गेह्याय च

namastalpyāya ca gehyāya ca (9:5)

Meaning:

Salutations to the One, who is reclining in a cot and who lives in a mansion.

Notes:

It can also be said that He is in the form of bed and in the form of mansion. Comfortable sleep is His Grace.

नमः काट्याय च गह्वरेष्ठाय च

namaḥ kāṭyāya ca gahvareṣṭhāya ca (9:6)

Meaning:

Salutations to the One, who is in thorny forests and in deep caves in mountains.

Notes:

These are the places chosen by sages and saints so that they can meditate on Him without any disturbance from the material world. Undisturbed tapas reveals Him to us.

नमो हृदय्याय च निवेष्प्याय च

namo hṛdayyāya ca niveṣpyāya ca (9:7)

Meaning:

Salutations to the One who is in deep waters and to the one who is in morning dews.

Notes:

Deep waters mean saṁsāra. He prevails in all the activities of normal human life. Niveṣa is also explained as celibacy. This mantra can be explained like this. “He is present in those who lead normal family life and in those who follow celibacy.”

Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gītā (VIII. 11- 14), “I shall declare in brief, what the knowers of Vedas say as Immutable, That, into which ascetics wish to enter for which celibacy is practiced.  Having closed all the doors of the senses, holding the mind in the heart, fixing prana in the head and remaining steadfast in yoga, he who leaves the body uttering OM, the symbol of the Brahman, remembering Me in My attributeless form, attains the Supreme Goal.  Arjuna, I am easily attainable by those, who constantly think of Me with focused mind.”

नमः पासव्याय च रजस्याय च

namaḥ pāsavyāya ca rajasyāya ca (9:8)

Meaning:

Salutations to the One, who in in the form of visible and invisible dusts.

Notes:

Kaṭha Upaniṣad (I.ii.20) says, “aṇoraṇīyān mahato mahīyān” which means He is smaller than the smallest and bigger than the biggest. The Brahman has to be this way, as He is omnipresent. Everything is His creation and all that exists, are His reflective images.

नमः शुष्क्याय च हरित्याय च

namaḥ śuṣkyāya ca harityāya ca (9:9)

Meaning:

Salutations to the One, who is in both wet logs and dry logs.

Notes:

This could also mean that He is present in both wet and dry lands.

नमो लोप्याय चोलप्याय च (नमो लोप्याय च उलप्याय च)

namo lopyāya colapyāya ca (namo lopyāya ca ulapyāya ca) (9:10)

Meaning:

Salutations to Him, who is in the dense bushes and in soft grass.

Notes:

Dense bushes subtly means material life and soft grass means spiritual life. Material life is always painful with actions and reactions.

नम ऊर्व्याय च सूर्म्याय च

nama ūrvyāya ca sūrmyāya ca (9:11)

Meaning:

Salutations to the one who is earth and in the rivers with waves.

Notes:

Subtly it conveys sub-marine fire (below the surface of the sea) or the fire that always burns below the earth and mountains as volcanic rock. This mantra emphasises that He prevails through the length and breadth of the universe. It could also mean that he is in the form of aquatic animals.

नमः पर्ण्याय च पर्णशद्याय च

namaḥ parṇyāya ca parṇaśadyāya ca (9:12)

Meaning:

Salutations to the one who is in (green) leaves and in dry leaves.

Notes:

He is present in bilva leaves. In the back of bilva leaves we can find distinct nerves. When we place bilva leaves on Shiva liṅga, only the side which has nerves (back side) should be touching the liṅga. Mahālakṣmī is said to reside in these nerves.

नमोऽपगुरमाणाय चाभिघ्नते च (नमः अपगुरमाणाय च अभिघ्नते च)

namo'paguramāṇāya cābhighnate ca (namaḥ apaguramāṇāya ca abhighnate ca) (9:13)

Meaning:

Salutations to the One, who has raised weapons (threatening) and who smites severely.

Notes:

He has several weaponries and He uses them to destroy sinners. In reality, He does not need any arms. Being the Self, He only witnesses all the actions that happen in the universe. Symbolically it is said that He raises His weapons and smite the sinners. Sinners can never escape from His law book called “Law of Karma” which is also known as “Law of the Lord”.

नम आक्खिदते च प्रक्खिदते च

nama ākkhidate ca prakkhidate ca (9:14)

Meaning:

Salutations to the one who lightly afflicts and also seriously afflicts.

Notes:

Seriousness of afflictions depends upon one’s karma. Those who have bags of bad karmas suffer endlessly and those who have moderate karmas suffer moderately. There is no escape from karmas.

It is also said that mantras 13 and 14 refer to four types of Rudras - Apaguramāṇāya, Abhighnate, Ākkhidate and Prakkhidate.  Some of them simply carry arms, some of them cause mild inflictions, and others cause serious inflictions including death.

For the purpose of benefits mentioned at the beginning of anuvāka 8 {Recitation of this anuvāka (8^th) and the next anuvāka (9^th)  makes one to reach Shiva’s world, royal authority and wealth. This anuvāka mainly praises His glories} mantras in anuvāka 9 are counted only up to this mantra 14. The next five mantras, which are considered as one mantra, refer to Rudragaṇa-s not perceived by normal human beings and can be perceived only by gods and highly elevated souls. These Rudragaṇa-s torture sinners ferociously. From these mantras onwards, च (ca) is used rarely.

नमो वः किरिकेभ्यो देवावा हृदयेभ्यः

namo vaḥ kirikebhyo devāvā hṛdayebhyaḥ (9:15)

Meaning:

Salutations to those who shower wealth and those who dwell in the hearts of gods.

Notes:

These Rudragaṇa-s are known only to devata-s. They are said to be in destructive and fierce forms. They are all powerful and are capable of showering auspiciousness to Rudra’s devotees and do not hesitate to torture perpetual sinners.

नमो विक्षीणकेभ्यः

namo vikṣīṇakebhyaḥ (9:16)

Meaning:

Salutations to those who do not decay, in the hearts of gods.

Notes:

These Rudragaṇa-s cause incurable and painful diseases, fear of death, etc. in the minds of those who are not sincere devotees. Sincere devotee is the one, who perpetually contemplates Rudra.

नमो विचिन्वत्केभ्यः

namo vicinvatkebhyaḥ (9:17)

Meaning:

Salutations to those who discriminate.

Notes:

These Rudragaṇa-s are capable of recognising sinners and virtuous. They shower all kinds of auspiciousness to those who are virtuous and cause serious inflictions on the perpetual sinners. These Rudragaṇa-s are capable of knowing acts of dharma and adharma.

नम आनिर्हतेभ्यः

nama ānirhatebhyaḥ (9:18)

Meaning:

Salutations to those from whom one cannot escape.

Notes:

These Rudragaṇa-s implement “Law of Karma” also known as “Law of the Lord”. No one can escape from them, as they constantly keep vigil on every action we do.

नम आमीवत्केभ्यः॥

nama āmīvatkebhyaḥ || (9:19)

Meaning:

Salutations to those who are unfriendly and cause pain to the wrong doers.

Notes:

It is also said that this refers to Shiva’s invisible followers, who do not proclaim themselves as the followers of Shiva. Salutations to those invisible followers. Though salutations are made to Rudragaṇa-s, it actually refers to Rudra-Shiva only, as He alone is omnipresent.

End of anuvāka 9