Sri Rudram – Namakam

(Chapter 16 of Yajur-Veda)

Anuvaka 1

Oh! Rudra Deva! My salutations to your anger and also to your arrows. My salutations to your bow and to your two hands.

Oh! Rudra! By favor of your arrow, bow, and quiver, which have shed their anger and turned auspicious, please render us happy.

Lord Rudra, you who dwell on Mount Kailas and who confer happiness, by that form of yours which is not terrible, which will not injure us, and which is highly auspicious, behold and illuminate us.

My Lord who dwells on Mount Kailas and confers gladness to all! You, who fulfills your vow of protecting all who serve you and take refuge in you; that arrow of yours which you hold ready to let fly, withhold it and make it tranquil and auspicious.

Lord of Mount Kailas of the Vedas! We pray to attain you by our auspicious words. We ask that for all our days, this entire world will be free from ills and discord, and that we may live in amity and concord.

Let Him intercede on my behalf and speak in my favor, even Rudra, that foremost one, held high in honor by the gods, the physician. Let him annihilate the enemies of mine like scorpions, snakes, and tigers, and the unseen enemies like the Rakshasas, spirits and demons.

This Sun who is copper-red when he arises, then golden-youllow, this highly auspicious and beneficent one is truly Rudra. These other Rudras who are quartered round about in all directions of this earth, may I ward off their anger by my praise.

The black-throated Rudra who has assumed the form of the sun that glows red when rising. Him the cowherds, the women carrying water, and all the creatures behold. He, who is seen by all, let Him send happiness to us.

Let my salutations be to the blue-throated one, who has a thousand eyes. I also bow to his followers.

Bhagavan Rudra, loosen the string from both ends of your bow. Remove out of sight the arrows from your hands.

You having a thousand eyes, and bearing a hundred quivers, after loosening your bow, kindly blunt the edges of your shafts. Assume your peaceful and auspicious Siva form and become well-intentioned towards us.

Let the bow of Kapardin, Rudra of the matted locks, be without its string. Let there be no arrows in His quiver. Let His arrows lose their capacity to strike and pierce. Let His scabbard contain little power.

You, Oh showerer of blessings, with your weapons and the bow in Your hand, completely protect us.

Let there be salutations to your sturdy and potent weapons, and also to both your hands and your bow.

Let the arrow of Your bow spare us in all ways. And place your quiver of arrows far away from us.

Let my salutations be to that great God who is the Lord of the universe; the great God who has three eyes and who destroys Tripura, the three Asura cities.To that God who is the Dandhya time when the three sacred fires are lit; who is Rudra the fire that consumes the universe; whose throat is blue; who has conquered death; the Lord of all; the ever auspicious one; salutations to that glorious and great God.

Om namo bhagavate rudraya

Namaste rudramanyavautota ishhave namahNamaste astu dhanvane bahubhyamuta te namah

Yata ishhuh shivatama shivam babhuva te dhanuhShiva sharavya ya tava taya no rudra mridaya

Yaa te rudra shiva tanu raghoraapapakashiniTaya nastanuva shantamaya girishantabhichakashihi

Yamishhum girishanta haste bibharshhyastaveShivam giritra tam kuru ma hisih purushham jagath

Shivena vachasa tva girishachchha vadamasiYatha nah sarvamijjagadayaxmasumana asath

Adhyavochadadhi vakta prathamo daivyo bhishhakhAhishcha sarvajnjambhayantsarvashcha yatudhanyah

Asau yastamro aruna uta babhruh sumangalahYe chemarudra abhito dixu Shritah sahasrashoavaishhaheda imahe

Asau yoavasarpati nilagrivo vilohitahUtainam gopa adrishannadrishannudaharyahUtainam vishva bhutani sa drishhto mridayati nah

Namo astu nilagrivaya sahasraxaya midhushheAtho ye asya satvanoaham tebhyoakarannamah

Pramuncha dhanvanastva mubhayo rartniyo rjyamhYashcha te hasta ishhavah para ta bhagavo vapa

Avatatya dhanustva sahasraxa shateshhudheNishirya shalyanam mukha shivo nah sumana bhava

Vijyam dhanuh kapardino vishalyo banava utaAneshannasyeshhava abhurasya nishhangathih

Ya te heti rmidhushhtama haste babhuva te dhanuhTayaasmanvishvatastva mayaxmaya paribbhuja

Namaste astvayudhayanatataya dhrishhnaveUbhabhyamuta te namo bahubhyam tava dhanvane

Pari te dhanvano heti rasmanvrunaktu vishvatahAtho ya ishhudhistavare asmannidhehi tamh

Namaste astu bhagavanh vishveshvaraya mahadevaya tryambakaya tripurantakaya trikagni kalaya kalagnirudraya nilakanthaya mrutyunjayaya sarveshvaraya sadashivaya shrimanmahadevaya namah

Anuvaka 2

Salutations to Lord Rudra with the golden arms, the leader of hosts, to the Lord of the four direction, salutations. Salutations to the trees tufted with green leaves; salutations to the Lord of the cattle.

Salutations to the trees tufted with green leaves; salutations to the Lord of the cattle. Salutations to Him who is light yellow-red tinged and radiant; to the Lord of the pathways, salutations. Salutations to Him who rides on the bull, to him who has the power to pierce all things, to the Lord of food, salutations. Salutations to Him who is always black-haired, who wears the yajnopavita (sacred thread); to him the Lord of the sleek, salutations. Salutations to Him the instrument that destroys Samsara (Ignorance); to the Lord of all the worlds, salutations. Salutations to Him who protects the world by the might of His drawn bow, to Rudra the destroyour of all miseries; to the Lord of the fields and sacred places, salutations. Salutations to the charioteer, He who cannot be overcome and slain. Salutations to the Lord of the forests.

Salutations to the red One, the Lord; to the Lord of trees, salutations. Salutations to the counselor of assemblies, the chief of traders, to the Lord of dense impenetrable clumps and clusters of thickets, salutations. Salutations to Him who has created the world and spread it broad, the creator of riches and lover of those who are devoted to Him; to the Lord of all vegetation, salutations. Salutations to Him of the fearsome war cry, who causes His enemies to weep. To the leader of the foot-soldiers, salutations. Salutations to Him who surrounds His enemies completely, and cuts off their retreat by running swiftly after the retreating stragglers; to the protector of the good who have taken refuge under Him, salutations.

Namo hiranyabahave senanye dishan cha pataye namonamo vrikshebhyo harikeshebhyah pashunam pataye namo

namah saspijncharaya tvishhimate pathinam pataye namonamo babhlushaya vivyadhineannanam pataye namonamo harikeshayopavitine pushhtanam pataye namonamo bhavasya hetyai jagatam pataye namonamo rudrayatatavine kshetranam pataye namonamah sutayahantyaya vananam pataye namo namah

Namo rohitaya sthapataye vrikshanam pataye namonamo mantrine vaanijaya kakshanam pataye namonamo bhuvantaye varivaskritayaushhadhinam pataye namonama uchchairghoshhayakrandayate pattinam pataye namonamah kritsnavitaya dhavate satvanam pataye namah

3rd Anuvaka

Salutations to Him who can not only withstand the shock of the onset of His enemies, but overpower them. He who can effortlessly pierce His enemies; the Lord of those who can fight on all sides, salutations to Him. Salutations to Him who stands prominent, the wielder of the sword; to the prince of thieves, salutations. Salutations to Him who holds a dart in His hand to fit in His bow, who has a quiver in His back; to the Lord of those who thieve openly, salutations. Salutations to Him who worming himself into the confidence of others and disillusions them occasionally, and He who cheats them systematically; to Him pretending to be an acquaintance takes away what belongs to them. Salutations to Him who moves about guardedly ever with intention to steal; to Him who moves amidst crowds and thronged places for pick-pocketing; to the Lord of forest thieves, salutations. Salutations to Him who is in the form of those who protect themselves in armor, who want to kill others; to the Lord of those who want to steal crops and wealth, salutations. Salutations to Him who is in the form of swordsmen who wander about at night; to the Lord of those who kill and seize others’ possessions, salutations. Salutations to Him who wears a turban, who wanders about the mountains; to the leader of the landlords, salutations.

Salutations to you who bear darts, who carry bows; to you salutations. Salutations to you who string your bows and you who fit arrows in them; to them my salutations. Salutations to you who pulls the bowstrings and let fly the shafts; to you salutations. Salutations to you who loosen the arrows and pierce the persons you aim at; to you salutations. Salutations to you Rudras who are seated and who are reclining, salutations. To you Rudras who are in the form of those who are asleep and awake, salutations. To you Rudras who are in the form of those who stand and those who run, salutations. To you Rudras who are in the form of those who sit as members of assemblies and those who preside over them, salutations. To you Rudras who are in the form of horses and those who command them, salutations.

Namah sahamanaya nivyadhina avyadhininam pataye namonamah kakubhaya nishhangine stenanam pataye namonamo nishhangina ishhudhimate taskaraanaam pataye namonamo vajnchate parivajnchate stayunam pataye namonamo nicherave paricharayaranyanam pataye namonamah srikavibhyo jighasadbhyo mushhnatam pataye namonamo asimadbhyo naktam charadhbhyah prakrintanam pataye namonama ushhnishhine giricharaya kulujnchanam pataye namo namah

Namo ishhumadhbhyo dhanvavibhyashcha vo namonama atanvanebhyah pratidadhanebhyashcha vo namonama ayachchhadhbhyo visrijadbhyashcha vo namonamo asyadbhyo vidhdhyadbhyashcha vo namonama asinebhyah shayanebhyashcha vo namonamah svapadbhyo jagradbhyashcha vo namonam stishthadhbhyo dhavadbhyashcha vo namonamah sabhabhyah sabhapatibhyashcha vo namonamo ashvebhyoashvapatibhyashcha vo namah