Rāma’s Stotra to Śiva (Brahma Purāṇa)
Rāma Kṛta Śiva Stotra · rāma kṛta śiva stotra, “the stotra to Śiva sung by Rāma”
Rāma’s Stotra to Śiva is the praise in twelve verses that Śrī Rāma offered to Bhagavān Śiva on the bank of the Gautamī, after his father Daśaratha had been freed from naraka by the piṇḍa Rāma offered there. It is found in the Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 53 (verses 195–206), where Brahmā tells it to Nārada. Rāma installed Maheśvara, worshipped him with the sixteen upacāras, and with joined palms bowed to him as Śambhu, the ancient Purusha, Rudra of endless power, Śarva, the consort of Umā and guru of the worlds, the seed of creation, the bearer of the Moon and of the Gaṅgā. Pleased, Bhagavān Śiva granted him four varas, the first being that whoever devoutly praises Śiva with this stotra shall see every undertaking come to a fruitful end. The place became Rāmatīrtha, to which, Brahmā says, no tīrtha anywhere is equal.
The setting
Brahmā tells Nārada that King Daśaratha, through three deaths of brāhmaṇas that came about in his life, was being cooked in naraka while Rāma went into exile. When Rāma came within five yojanas of the Gautamī, Yama ordered his servants to take the king out of naraka, for the Gautamī is the great Śakti joined to Śiva, and while the son stands near her the father cannot be tormented. The servants told Daśaratha that if Rāma, after bathing in the Gautamī, remembered him and offered piṇḍas, he would be freed of all pāpas.
Daśaratha came in his body of torment to the Gautamī, where Rāma, Lakshmaṇa and Sītā had bathed. Lakshmaṇa at first drew his bow against him, taking him for a rākshasa, until the king told them who he was. Sītā offered to take the first pāpa on herself and asked the brothers to take the other two, but Daśaratha said that the bath, dāna and piṇḍa at the Gautamī would free him. Finding nothing else to offer, Lakshmaṇa brought oil-cakes of iṅgudī; and when Rāma hesitated, a divine voice told him that the devatās are satisfied with the food the offerer himself eats. When the piṇḍa was placed on the ground, Daśaratha was freed from the three pāpas and rose in a vimāna among the Lokapālas, Rudras, Ādityas and Aśvins, shining like the sun. He blessed his son, and the devas said: “There is no river equal to the Gaṅgā, no son equal to you, no Īśvara equal to Śiva, no mantra equal to the Praṇava.”
Rāma, amazed at the greatness of the Gaṅgā, installed Maheśvara with great joy, worshipped Īśāna with the sixteen upacāras with great bhakti, and with joined palms praised Śaṅkara.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 53
The stotra
- “I bow to Śambhu, the ancient Purusha. I bow to the all-knowing Īśa of vast expanse. I bow to Rudra, master of never-ending power. I bow to Śarva. I bow with my head.”
- “I bow to that unchanging Maheśvara. I bow to the consort of Umā, the guru of the worlds. I bow to the one who destroys poverty. I bow to the one who dispels sickness.”
- “I bow to the Īśa who makes welfare, of unimaginable form. I bow to the Īśa who is the seed of creation. I bow to the Īśa who is the cause of the sustenance of this universe. I bow to the master of its withdrawal.”
- “I bow to the unchanging Īśa, beloved of Gaurī. I bow to the eternal Īśa who is one with the perishable and the imperishable. I bow to the Īśa whose form is knowledge, beyond comprehension, of immeasurable power. I bow with my head to the three-eyed Īśa.”
- “I bow to the Īśa merciful to living beings. I bow to the Īśa who is ever terrifying. I bow to the giver of desired things. I bow to the master of Soma, the husband of Umā, first of all.”
- “I bow to the Īśa whose eyes are the three Vedas. I bow to the Īśa beyond the three forms. I bow to the master of puṇya, beyond sat and asat. I bow to the destroyer of pāpas.”
- “I bow to the Īśa intent on the welfare of the universe. I bow to the Īśa of many forms, protector of the universe and creator of sat and asat. I bow to the ruler of the universe.”
- “I bow to the master of yajñas, who bestows the havya and kavya offerings. I bow to the Īśa who gives everything when worshipped, who is auspicious to the worlds and is the final goal. I bow to my beloved deva, who is fond of dāna.”
- “I bow to the master of Soma. I bow to the consort of Umā. I bow to the master of victory. I bow to the master of Vighneśvara and Nandi. I bow my head to the Īśa who is fond of his sons.”
- “I bow to the Īśa who destroys the sorrow and misery of saṃsāra. I bow to the bearer of the Moon. I bow to the bearer of the Gaṅgā. I bow to Īśa, worthy of pūjā. I bow to the husband of Umā, the best among the devas.”
- “I bow to the Īśa whose two feet are worshipped by devas and asuras, by Brahmā the first deva, by Vishṇu, Indra and the others.”
- “I bow to Soma, who is worshipped with a mixture of milk, sugar-candy, ghee, curds and honey; with fragrant dhūpa; with dīpas; with flowers of many colours; and with many kinds of naivedya.”
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 53
Śiva’s varas
Then Bhagavān Śiva said to Rāma and Lakshmaṇa: “Welfare to you. Choose varas.” Rāma asked the bull-bannered Bhagavān Śiva for four:
- “O Śaṅkara, best of devas, let the undertakings of those who devoutly worship you with this stotra come to a fruitful end.”
- “O Śambhu, let the pitṛs who have fallen into the ocean of naraka be purified by the offering of piṇḍas here, and go to svarga.”
- “Whatever pāpa one has committed since birth, by thought, word and deed, let it be destroyed at once merely by bathing here.”
- “If anyone devoutly gives here even a tiny particle to those who ask, let it be of everlasting (akshaya) benefit to the giver.”
Śaṅkara, delighted, said, “Let it be so,” and withdrew. From then on the tīrtha is called Rāmatīrtha.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 53
The phalaśruti
- Those who devoutly praise Bhagavān Śiva with this stotra see every undertaking come to a fruitful end.
- Rāmatīrtha destroys the pāpa of brahmahatyā, and its mere remembrance frees one from all pāpas. Where the Gaṅgā, purifier of the three worlds, touched the feet of Vishṇu and where Rāma bathed, that is Rāmatīrtha; there is no tīrtha anywhere equal to it.
- Nearby are Śavatīrtha, where the body fell, whose remembrance dispels the mahāpātakas; Bāṇatīrtha, where the arrow fell from the hand of the merciful Lakshmaṇa, which dispels all adversities; and Lakshmaṇatīrtha, where Lakshmaṇa bathed and worshipped Śaṅkara, and Sītātīrtha, which dispel pāpas of many kinds.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 53
Sources
- Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 53