(Eight prayers glorifying Lord Shiva, spoken by Sriman Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Recorded in Murari Gupta’s “Sri Caitanya Carita Mahakavya”)
Namo namaste tri-dasheshvaraya
bhutadi nathaya mridaya nityam
gagga-taraggotthita-bala-chandra-
chudaya gauri-nayanotsavaya
“I repeatedly offer my obeisances unto you, the controller of the thirty primal demigods; unto you, the original father of all created beings; unto you, whose character is gracious; unto you, whose head is crested by the sickle moon arisen from the waves of the Ganga and unto you, who are a festival for the eyes of the fair goddess Gauri.”
Sutapta chamikara-chandra-nila-
padma-pravalambuda-kanti-vastraih
sa nritya-raggesta-vara-pradaya
kaivalya-nathaya vrisa-dhvajaya
“I offer my obeisances unto you, who are dressed in garments resembling molten gold, the moon, blue lotuses, coral, and dark rain clouds; unto you, who bestow the most desirable boons on your devotees by means of your delightful dancing; unto you, who are the master of the impersonalists and unto you, whose flag bears the image of the bull.”
Sudhamzu-suryagni-vilochanena
tamo-bhide te jagatah shivaya
sahasra-shubhramshu-sahasra-rashmi
sahasra-sajjit-tvara-tejase’stu
“I offer my obeisances unto you, who dispells darkness with your three eyes – the moon, the sun and fire; unto you, who causes auspiciousness for all the living entities of the universe and unto you, whose potency easily defeats that of thousands of moons and suns.”
Nageza-ratnojjvala-vigrahaya
shardula-charmamzuka-divya-tejase
sahasra-patropari samsthitaya
varaggada-mukta-bhuja-dvayaya
“I offer my obeisances unto you, whose form is brilliantly illuminated by the jewels of Ananta, the king of snakes; unto you, who are clothed by a tiger-skin and thus radiate divine effulgence; unto you, who sits upon a thousand-petalled lotus and unto you, whose two arms are adorned bylusterous bangles.”
Su-nupura-ragjita-pada-padma
ksarat-sudha-bhritya-sukha-pradaya
vichitra-ratnaugha-vibhusitaya
premanam evadya harau videhi
“I offer my obeisances unto you, who brings happiness to your servitors, as you pour on them the liquid nectar from your two reddish lotus feet, which ring with charming anklebells. Obeisances unto you, who is adorned with an abundance of gems – please endow me with pure love for Lord Hari.”
Sri rama govinda mukunda shaure
sri krishna narayana vasudeva
ity-adi namamririta-pana-matta
bhriggadhi-payakhila-dukha-hantre
“O Shri Rama, O Govinda, O Mukunda, O Shauri, O Shri krsna, O Narayana, O Vaasudeva!’ I offer my obeisances unto you, Lord Shiva, the monarch of intoxicated bee-like devotees, maddened by drinking the nectar of these and other holy names of the Lord. Obeisances unto you, the destroyer of all grief.”
Sri naradadyaih satatam sugopya
jijjasita-yashu vara-pradaya
tebhyo harer bhakti-sukha-pradaya
shivaya sarva-gurave namo namaha
“I offer my respectful obeisances again and again unto you, who is forever enquired of confidentially by Shri Narada and other sages; unto you, who also grants favors to them very quickly; unto you, who bestows the happiness of Hari-bhakti; unto you, who creates auspiciousness and unto you, who is the guru of everyone.”
Sri gaura-netrosava-maggalaya
tat-prana-nathaya rasa-pradaya
sada samutkantha-govinda-lila
gana-pravinaya namo’stu tubhyam
“I offer my obeisances unto you, who are a festival of auspiciousness for the eyes of Goddess Gauri; unto you, who is the monarch of her life-breath; unto you, who is capable of bestowing transcendental rasa and unto you, who is expert in forever singing songs of the pastimes of Lord Govinda with great longing.”
Etat shivasyastakam adbhutam mahat
shrinvan hari-prema labheta shighram
jjanam ca vijjanam apurva-vaibhavam
yo bhava-purnah paramam samadaram
“A person, filled with loving feelings, who hears with rapt attention this wonderful eight-fold prayer to Lord Shiva, can quickly gain Sri Hari-prema as well as transcendental knowledge, the realization of that knowledge, and unprecedented powers.”