Vishṇu’s and Brahmā’s Stotras to Śiva
The Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, in the ninth and tenth chapters of the Pūrvārdha, gives two great stotras to Parameśvara Śiva, offered at the time of the Rudra-sṛshṭi (the creation of the Rudras). The first is the reply of Bhagavān Vishṇu to Śiva, followed by Śiva’s declaration that Brahmā, Vishṇu and Rudra are one. The second is the stotra of Brahmā to Bhagavān Śiva after he sees the glory of the Rudras who have just been created.
The setting
After the great dissolution Brahmā came out of the navel (nābhi) of Vishṇu and began to perform tapas (austerity) for creation (sṛshṭi). Vishṇu told him to remember Śambhu. Then Bhagavān Śiva appeared before Brahmā and Vishṇu together.
Brahmā asked for a son equal to Śiva, or for Śiva himself as his son. Śiva was pleased and agreed. He then spoke to Vishṇu. When Vishṇu answered, Śiva asked him to choose a vara (a boon). Vishṇu replied, and Śiva made his great declaration of oneness with Vishṇu (chapter 9).
Later the Rudras were created from Brahmā. Brahmā saw their divine glory, and he offered his own stotra to Śiva (chapter 10). (Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, chapters 9–10)
Vishṇu’s reply when asked to choose a vara
Śiva asked Vishṇu to choose a vara. Bhagavān Vishṇu said:
“O Parameśvara! I am seeing you. This itself is my praiseworthy vara. May I have bhakti in you, O Mahādeva.”
Śiva agreed and said “Tathaiva astu” (so be it). Then he spoke again to Vishṇu.
Śiva’s declaration to Vishṇu
Bhagavān Śiva said:
“You are the doer of all deeds (kāryas). I am the adhidevatā (the presiding deva). This whole world is your form and my form. There is no doubt of this.
You are the moon; I am the sun. You are the night; I am the day. You are the unmanifest prakṛti; I am the purusha. You are jñāna (knowledge); I am the knower (jñātā). You are of the nature of māyā; I am the Īśvara. You are the śakti whose nature is vidyā; I am the Īśvara who has the śakti (śaktimān). The brahmavidins (knowers of brahman) call us both the same.
O Viśvātman! No yogī can reach me without passing through you. Rule this universe of devas, asuras and men (manushyas).”
Then Śiva went to his own transcendent dhāma (abode). (Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, chapter 9)
Brahmā’s stotra to Śiva at the Rudra-sṛshṭi
The Rudras had been created, and Brahmā saw their great glory. With the eye of knowledge (jñāna-dṛshṭi) he understood the highest state (bhāva) that belongs to Parameśvara. He clasped his hands above his head and offered this stotra:
“O Mahādeva! O Parameśvara! Namaskāra.
Namaskāra to Śiva, the Brahmarūpī (whose form is brahman). Namaskāra to the Maheśa. Praṇāma to the Śānta (the peaceful), the Kāraṇabhūta (the cause).
Namaskāra to you, the Pradhāna-purusha, the Īśa, the Yogādhipati (master of yoga). Vandana to you, the Kāla (Time), the Rudra, the Mahābhoji, the Śūladhārī (bearer of the trident).
Namaskāra to the bearer of the Pināka, the three-eyed. Vandana to you, the Trimūrti-svarūpa, Brahmā, Pitā (father).
Namaskāra to the master of the knowledge of Vedānta (Vedāntavidyādhipati), the teacher of the knowledge of brahman (Brahmavidyopadeshṭā), the bearer of the secret truth of the Vedas, the Kāla of Kāla (the Time of Time).
Namaskāra to the very essence of the essence of Vedānta (Vedāntasāra-sārabhūta), the Veda-svarūpa (whose form is the Veda), the Buddharūpa, the Guru of yogis, the Rudra.
Vandana to you, surrounded by the many Bhūtagaṇas who are free from grief. Namaskāra to you, the Brahma-hita-Deva (the deva who does good to Brahmā), the Brahmādhipati.
Vandana to the Trilocana (three-eyed), the Ādideva, the Parameshṭhī. Namaskāra to the Digambara, the Daṇḍadhārī (bearer of the staff), the Sannyāsī.
Namaskāra to the Anādi (without beginning), the Nirmala (spotless), the one who is known through knowledge (Jñānagamya). Vandana to the Tīrtha-bhūta (who is himself a tīrtha), the root of the growth of yoga (Yoga-vṛddhi-mūla), the Praṇavarūpa (whose form is Oṃ). Namovākam (a salutation) to the one who is reached through the purushārthas beginning with dharma, the one who is gained through yoga (Yogasādhya), the one beyond the world of appearances (Prapañcātīta), the one without error (Bhrāntirahita).
Namaskāra to the one whose form is the world of appearances (Prapañca-svarūpa), the Paramātman, the Brahman. This whole universe has been created by you alone. All is established in you alone.
O Lokamaya! This world is being dissolved by you. You are Mahādeva, the Master (Prabhu Śiva), of the nature of Parabrahma, Maheśvara.
You are Parameshṭhī, Śiva, of peaceful form, the Purusha without difference (Bhedārahita), Hara, of great splendour that never perishes, of the form of Time, Parameśvara.
You alone are the Anantapurusha, the Pradhānatattva, the form of Prakṛti. Earth (bhūmi), water (jala), fire (agni), air (vāyu), space (ākāśa) and ahaṃkāra (the sense of ‘I’): all are you.
Namaskāra to your form named Brahma, to you as the Virāṭ-purusha, with svarga as your head, the earth as your feet, the directions as your arms and ākāśa as your belly.
Vandana to you, the form of the Sun (Sūryarūpa), who light up all directions with your tejas (radiance), who fill the universe with the light that is the tejas of brahman.
Vandana to you, the Agni who bears the havya (the offering to the devas) of Rudra’s body, who carries the kavya (the offering to the pitṛs, the fathers) to the pitṛs.
Namaskāra to you, the Candra (Moon), who delight the whole universe with your tejas, who are drunk by the host of devas.
Vandana to you, the Vāyu, the śakti of Maheśvara, who pervade and support all beings (bhūtas).
Namaskāra to you, the four-faced Brahma-svarūpa, who create this whole universe according to the karma of each jīva, and who exist independently.
Namaskāra to you, the Vishṇurūpa, who rest on the bed of Śesha (Śesha-śayyā), who cover the world with māyā, and who rest in the yoga of the experience of the self (ātmānubhava-yoga).
Vandana to you, the serpent Śesha, who carries for ever the brahmāṇḍa (the cosmic egg) of fourteen worlds.
Namaskāra to the Rudrasvarūpa of endless greatness, who dances alone at the time of pralaya (dissolution) with only Devī as witness.
Vandana to you, whose form is water (jalasvarūpa), in whose hair (romas) the clouds live, in whose joints the rivers live, in whose belly (udara) the four oceans gather.
Namaskāra to you, the Sarvātman (self of all), the Prapañcavyāpī (who pervade the world of appearances).
Vandana to the one whose nature is yoga (yogātmaka), to whom come, in their yogic trance, the yogis who have given up sleep, conquered prāṇa and see all alike.
Vandana to the Vidyārūpa (whose form is knowledge), through whom the yogī, crossing māyā after making pāpa (sin) dissolve, crosses the ocean of saṃsāra.
I take refuge in that highest truth (paramatattva), which belongs to Parameśvara, joined to eternal bliss, without support, without division (bhedasūnya), the best, of auspicious form.
I take refuge in you, the Paramātman, the Parameśvara.” (Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, chapter 10)
Śiva’s answer to Brahmā, and Vishṇu’s words
After this stotra Bhagavān Śiva was moved by Brahmā’s devotion. He gave him great yoga, the knowledge of brahman (brahmatattva), good conduct (śīla) and vairāgya (detachment). He touched him gently with his hand and taught him.
Then Bhagavān Vishṇu smiled and spoke to Brahmā. He affirmed their relation to one another and the truth of the three forms (Trimūrti-tattva):
“I, Brahmā and Śiva have taken three different forms, through creation (sṛshṭi), keeping (sthiti) and dissolution (saṃhāra) respectively. Brahmā is the creator, Vishṇu the protector, Rudra the destroyer. Śaṅkara alone exists as the One without parts (aṃśa-rahita), without a second (advaita), unmoving (niścala), of transcendent form, with the three-eyed śakti that belongs to Maheśvara, whose own form includes the three Mūrtis (Trimūrti-ātmaka). Know me, Vishṇu, as another form of his body, O Pitāmaha.” (Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, chapter 10)
The teaching of the two stotras
The Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa teaches the oneness of the three Mūrtis (Trimūrti-aikya) through these two stotras. Vishṇu says that seeing Śiva is his vara. Śiva then says to Vishṇu, “You are I, and I am you”. Brahmā’s stotra names Śiva as the sun, fire, water, wind, moon, Vishṇu, Śesha and Rudra, all in one.
The Purāṇa’s teaching is that Brahmā, Vishṇu and Rudra are three aspects of the one Parameśvara. He is nishkala (without parts) and ādimadhyāntarahita (without beginning, middle or end), and no being can fully describe his greatness (mahimā). The same teaching appears in Kṛshṇa’s stotra at Upamanyu’s āśrama. (Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, chapters 9–10)
Sources
- Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, chapter 9 (Vishṇu’s reply and Śiva’s declaration)
- Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, chapter 10 (Brahmā’s stotra and Śiva’s answer)