Kaśyapa’s Rakshā Stotra to Śiva (Brahma Purāṇa)
Kaśyapa Kṛta Śiva Rakshā Stotra · kaśyapa kṛta śiva rakshā stotra, “the stotra of protection to Śiva sung by Kaśyapa”
Kaśyapa‘s Rakshā Stotra, the stotra of “Protect”, is the praise that Kaśyapa Prajāpati offered to Bhagavān Śiva on the bank of the Gautamī, when he came to set right all that had followed from Indra‘s entry into Diti‘s womb. It is found in the Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 54 (verses 95–100), where Brahmā tells it to Nārada. Every line begins with “Protect”, and in it Kaśyapa calls on Śiva as Śaṅkara, ruler of the devas, seated on the bull, destroyer of the three cities, crescent-crested, master of the Siddhas, and at the last as the ocean of mercy, the only refuge of beings lost in the forest of saṃsāra. Bhagavān Śiva appeared, made the forty-nine Maruts immortal and Indra’s companions, and at Diti’s request made the place Putratīrtha. Śiva himself named this stotra the prayer of that tīrtha: recited there with the bath, it gives a son, and recited anywhere, it gives a son within six months.
The setting
Brahmā tells Nārada that the sons of Diti and of Danu had grown weak while the sons of Aditi flourished. Diti, grieving, pleased her husband Kaśyapa and asked for a son who would conquer the universe. Kaśyapa taught her a twelve-year vrata and, when it was complete, made her pregnant, giving her rules to keep: not to sleep at dawn or dusk, not to lie with her head to the north, and others. Diti stayed in the āśrama of Agastya. The daitya Maya, Indra‘s friend, told Indra of the child, gave him his Māyā and counselled him to serve Diti and cut the child in the womb. One dusk Indra found Diti asleep with her head to the north, entered her womb holding the vajra, and though the child pleaded with him as a brother, he cut it again and again until there were forty-nine pieces, each with hands, feet and life. When they wept he said “Do not cry” (mā rudaḥ), and so they became the Maruts.
Agastya pronounced a śāpa on Indra: “Your enemies will always see your back on the battlefield.” Diti too pronounced a śāpa: “You will be humiliated by women and driven out of your kingdom.” Kaśyapa returned, called Indra out of the womb, and went with the guardians of the quarters to Brahmā, asking how Diti’s womb might be restored, Indra freed from the śāpas, the Maruts made his friends and kept free of illness, and Agastya’s śāpa made of no effect. Brahmā said: “Go at once to the Gautamī with Indra, the Vasus and the guardians of the quarters. Bathe there and with everyone praise Maheśāna. By the grace of Śiva everything for your welfare will come to pass.” For the removal of all miseries, Brahmā says, two are well known: the sacred river Gautamī and Śiva the compassionate. Kaśyapa went to the Gautamī, bathed, and praised the ruler of the devas with these words.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 54
The stotra
Every line of the stotra begins “Protect”:
- Protect, O Śaṅkara, O ruler of the devas.
- Protect, O Īśa, bowed to by the worlds.
- Protect, O sanctifier.
- Protect, O master of speech, with serpents for ornaments.
- Protect, O virtuous one, seated on the bull.
- Protect, O Īśa, with the three Vedas for eyes.
- Protect, O upholder of the earth.
- O master of wealth and glory.
- Protect, O Śarva, with the elephant’s hide for a garment.
- Protect, O Īśa, destroyer of the three cities.
- Protect, O crescent-crested one.
- Protect, O master of yajñas.
- O master of Soma.
- Protect, O Īśa, giver of all that is cherished.
- Protect, O abode of mercy.
- Protect, O giver of auspiciousness.
- Protect, O origin of everything.
- Protect, O protector.
- O supreme ruler (Indra), master of wealth.
- Protect, O brilliant one.
- Protect, O master of wealth, bowed to by Brahmā.
- Protect, O ruler of the universe.
- Protect, O master of the Siddhas.
- Protect, O perfect one; namaskāra to you.
The closing verse: “O Śiva, O ocean of mercy, you alone are the refuge of embodied beings whose minds are worn out from wandering through the terrible forest of saṃsāra.”
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 54
Śiva’s varas
Even as Kaśyapa was praising him, Bhagavān Śiva, whose banner bears the bull, appeared and asked him to choose a vara. Kaśyapa told him everything: Indra‘s deed, the śāpas, the cutting of the sons and the enmity it had caused. Śiva said: “The forty-nine Maruts, your sons, shall be fortunate and shall take their shares in the yajñas, always with Indra and always joyous. Wherever Indra has a share of havis, the Maruts shall have priority. No one will ever conquer Indra when he is with the Maruts; he will always be victorious.” He ordained that those who unjustly kill a brother shall meet the destruction of their family. He told Agastya, “Muni, do not be angry with the husband of Śacī; be calm. The Maruts have become immortal.” And, delighted, he told Diti that her tapas had borne fruit in splendid, heroic sons, and asked her to choose other varas.
Diti bowed to Śambhu and asked that whoever takes a holy bath at that place should be granted a virtuous son, the blessing living beings value above svarga, moksha or even the place of Parameshṭhin.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 54
The phalaśruti
Granting Diti‘s request, Bhagavān Śiva ordained the rites of Putratīrtha and named this stotra its prayer:
- A barren woman or an impotent man who bathes there, offers fruits and recites this prayer, with the bath and dāna kept for three months, obtains a son.
- A pregnant woman who, within three months of conceiving, bathes there devoutly, offers fruits, has darśana of Śiva and praises him with this prayer gives birth to a son equal to Indra.
- One who bathes at the confluence of Diti and Gaṅgā, worships Bhagavān Siddheśvara every day with all the upacāras, with bhakti and with the senses controlled, praises Śiva with this prayer on the ashṭamī and caturdaśī of the fortnight, gives gold according to his means and feeds brāhmaṇas, obtains a hundred sons, and after gaining every cherished desire goes at death to Śivapura.
- “Whoever praises me with this prayer, wherever he may be, shall have a son within six months; without doubt it is so even for a barren woman.”
Siddheśvara, whom this rite worships, is described there as without beginning, unageing, all-pervading, of the nature of existence, knowledge and bliss, served by the chiefs of the devas, the ṛshis, Siddhas, Gandharvas and Yogins, present in the form of a radiant liṅga.
Saying “All will happen”, Bhagavān Śiva withdrew from sight. From then on the place is called Putratīrtha; there too are Mitratīrtha, Śakratīrtha and Kamalatīrtha, and a hundred thousand tīrthas that give puṇya.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 54
Sources
- Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 54