Saṃvarta’s Stotra to Śiva

This is a stotra of about a hundred names of Rudra (Bhagavān Śiva). The ṛshi Saṃvarta teaches it to King Marutta at Muñjavanta, a peak of the Himālaya. It is the way to get the great store of gold (suvarṇa) hidden on that slope, for use in Marutta’s yajña. It is found in the Mahābhārata, Aśvamedhika Parva, chapter 8.

For its first part the names are in the dative case, as bows (namaḥ, “bow to so-and-so”). For its closing part they are in the accusative case, as a call to worship and to take refuge. The ṛshi of the stotra is Saṃvarta. Its devatā is Ugra Hiraṇyabāhu (Śiva as the “golden-armed, fierce one”), and its chandas is Anushṭup.

The setting

The stotra comes in the Saṃvarta-Maruttīya account (ākhyāna). Saṃvarta agrees to be Marutta’s yājaka (priest for the yajña), against both his own brother Bṛhaspati and Indra. He then tells the king of a peak on the flank of Himavat named Muñjavanta.

On that peak Bhagavān Umāpati (Śiva) lives for ever with Umā Devī. Around him are the Rudras, Sādhyas, Viśvas, Vasus, Yama, Varuṇa, Kubera with his gaṇas, the bhūtas, piśācas, the Aśvins, the gandharvas, apsarases, Ādityas and Maruts.

Saṃvarta then teaches Marutta this stotra as the only way by which the hidden gold of that place can be safely taken.

The names (the part with namaḥ)

Saṃvarta says that each name be said with “Oṃ” before it and “namaḥ” after it (Oṃ ___ namaḥ). The names are:

Śarva · Vedhas · Rudra · Śitikaṇṭha · Purusha · Suvarcas · Kapardin · Karāla · Haryaksha · Varada · Tryaksha · Pūshṇaḥ-daṃta-bhid (the breaker of Pūshan’s teeth) · Vāmana · Śiva · Yāmya · Avyaktarūpa · Sadvṛtta · Śaṅkara · Kshemya · Harikeśa · Sthāṇu · Purusha · Harinetra · Muṇḍa · Kruddha · Uttaraṇa · Bhāskara · Sutīrtha · Devadeva · Raṃhas · Ushṇīshin · Suvakta · Sahasrāksha · Mīḍhush · Giriśa · Praśānta · Yati · Cīravāsas · Bilvadaṇḍa · Siddha · Sarvadaṇḍadhara · Mṛgavyādha · Mahat · Dhanvin · Bhava · Vara · Somavaktra · Siddhamantra · Cakshus · Hiraṇyabāhu · Ugra · Diśāmpati · Lelihāna · Goshṭha · Siddhamantra · Vṛshṇi · Paśūnāṃ-pati · Bhūtānāṃ-pati · Vṛsha · Mātṛbhakta · Senānī · Madhyama · Sruvahasta · Pati · Dhanvin · Bhārgava · Aja · Kṛshṇanetra · Virūpāksha · Tīkshṇadaṃshṭra · Tīkshṇa · Vaiśvānaramukha · Mahādyuti · Anaṅga · Sarva · Viśāmpati · Vilohita · Dīpta · Dīptāksha · Mahaujas · Vasuretas · Suvapus · Pṛthu · Kṛttivāsas · Kapālamālin · Suvarṇamukuṭa · Mahādeva · Kṛshṇa · Tryambaka · Anagha · Krodhana · Anṛśaṃsa · Mṛdu · Bāhuśālin · Daṇḍin · Taptatapas · Akrūrakarma · Sahasraśiras · Sahasracaraṇa · Svadhāsvarūpa · Bahurūpa · Daṃshṭrin.

The call to take refuge (the second part)

After the bows by these names, the stotra turns to a second run of names in the accusative. It is a call to worship Bhagavān Śiva and to take refuge in him.

It calls on:

  • the Pinākin (the bearer of the Pināka bow), Mahādeva, Mahāyogī, Avyaya (the unchanging, always of one form), the bearer of the trident, the giver of varas, the master of all the worlds;
  • the destroyer of the three cities of the asuras, the three-eyed, the master of the three worlds, of great bodily strength, the cause of the birth of all beings, the one who holds up all beings, the bearer of mountains;
  • the master of all, the giver of maṅgala (good fortune), Sarva, Bhava, Umāpati, Paśupati, Viśvarūpa, Maheśvara;
  • Virūpāksha, the ten-armed, he whose banner bears the divine bull, Ugra, Sthāṇu, Śiva, Raudra, Śarva, Gaurīpati, Īśvara;
  • Śitikaṇṭha, Aja, Śukra, Pṛthu, Pṛthuhara, Vara, Viśvarūpa, Virūpāksha, Bahurūpa, Umāpati;
  • the deva who burned up the body of Manmatha, Hara, the one worthy to be taken as refuge, Mahādeva, the four-faced Parameśvara.

The phalaśruti

Saṃvarta tells Marutta: “Take refuge in this Bhagavān Mahādeva, the great one (mahātmā), the swift (vegavān), and bow to him. O king, you will then get that gold. Let all your people go there to bring it.”

Marutta’s men, among them the grandsons of Karandhama, went to Muñjavanta as he told them. Marutta’s craftsmen made from that gold thousands of vessels, of a beauty and number beyond what men can ordinarily make. They were enough to furnish the whole of his great yajña.

So the fruit of the stotra in this account is the safe finding and taking of the hidden wealth of a mountain. It is also an act of taking refuge (śaraṇāgati) in Rudra, in his fierce, golden-armed (Hiraṇyabāhu) form. Later in the Mahābhārata, Vyāsa tells Yudhishṭhira to bring this same wealth for his own Aśvamedha.

Sources

  • Mahābhārata, Aśvamedhika Parva, chapter 8