Sāyaprabhātayorāratī

Āratī of the dawn and dusk

 Introduction

This is the Sāyaprabhātayorāratī, the «Āratī of the dawn and dusk» that is sung precisely at daybreak and at nightfall. The word «āratī» (also spelled «ārati») means «the act of waving lights toward a deity.» This deity may be physically present (for example, the living human Guru), or it may be a photo, a statue, etc. The original hymn had the title and some initial content in prākṛta (vernacular language). I translated the title into Sanskrit, and I removed that initial content in prākṛta. Truly, mixing something impure like prākṛta with the Nectar of Sanskrit is a heresy, since both things exist in two totally different and generally opposite universes. Now everything is in Sanskrit. And so that there would be no distortion in the numbering with the original, I named the first line in Sanskrit as stanza 1. In short, I transformed that nauseating mixture into something totally sacred. Finally, if my memory does not fail me, the author of this hymn is Śaṅkarācārya himself (the founder of Advaitavedānta).

Now read the Sāyaprabhātayorāratī and experience Supreme Delight, dear Śiva.

Important: Everything that is within parentheses and in italics inside the translation has been added by me to complete the meaning of a given phrase or sentence. In turn, everything that is within double dashes (--...--) constitutes additional clarifying information also added by me.

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 Sāyaprabhātayorāratī

ॐ नमः पार्वतीपतये हर हर हर महादेव॥१॥
Om̐ namaḥ pārvatīpataye hara hara hara mahādeva||1||

Om̐ (Om̐), salutation (namaḥ) to the Consort of Pārvatī (pārvatī-pataye). O Hara, Hara, Hara! (hara hara hara) O Great God! (mahā-deva)||1||

गजाननं भूतगणादिसेवितं कपित्थजम्बूफलचारुभक्षणम्।
उमासुतं शोकविनाशकारकं नमामि विघ्नेश्वरपादपङ्कजम्॥२॥
Gajānanaṁ bhūtagaṇādisevitaṁ kapitthajambūphalacārubhakṣaṇam|
Umāsutaṁ śokavināśakārakaṁ namāmi vighneśvarapādapaṅkajam||2||

I bow (namāmi) to the elephant-faced one (gaja-ānanam), to the one who is served by a host of spirits and ghosts, etc. (bhūta-gaṇa-ādi-sevitam), to the one who beautifully eats wild apples --lit wood-apples-- and rose apples (kapittha-jambū-phala-cāru-bhakṣaṇam), to the son of Umā (umā-sutam), to the one who destroys sorrow (śoka-vināśa-kārakam), to the lotus feet of the lord of obstacles (vighna-īśvara-pāda-paṅkajam)||2||

हरिः ॐ
ॐ नमः शिवाय गुरवे सच्चिदानन्दमूर्तये।
निष्प्रपञ्चाय शान्ताय निरालम्बाय तेजसे॥३॥
Hariḥ Om̐
Om̐ namaḥ śivāya gurave saccidānandamūrtaye|
Niṣprapañcāya śāntāya nirālambāya tejase||3||

Hariḥ Om̐ (Hariḥ Om̐)

Om̐ (Om̐), salutation (namaḥ) to Śiva (śivāya), to the Guru --that is, Śiva is the Guru-- (gurave), to the One whose form is Existence, Consciousness, and Bliss (sat-cit-ānanda-mūrtaye), to the One who is not subject to expansion or multiplicity (niṣprapañcāya), to the Peaceful One (śāntāya), to the Supportless One (nirālambāya), to the Light (tejase)||3||

मुक्तानन्दाय गुरवे शिष्यसंसारहारिणे।
भक्तकार्यैकदेहाय नमस्ते चित्सदात्मने॥४॥
Muktānandāya gurave śiṣyasaṁsārahāriṇe|
Bhaktakāryaikadehāya namaste citsadātmane||4||

Salutation to You, Muktānanda (mukta-ānandāya... namaḥ te), to the Guru (gurave), to the One who carries away the disciples' Saṁsāra (śiṣya-saṁsāra-hāriṇe), to the One who has assumed a body for the sake of the devotees (bhakta-kārya-eka-dehāya), to the One whose nature is Consciousness and Existence (cit-sat-ātmane)||4||

ॐ
वन्दे देवमुमापतिं सुरगुरुं वन्दे जगत्कारणं
वन्दे पन्नगभूषणं मृगधरं वन्दे पशूनां पतिम्।
वन्दे सूर्यशशाङ्कवह्निनयनं वन्दे मुकुन्दप्रियं
वन्दे भक्तजनाश्रयञ्च वरदं वन्दे शिवं शङ्करम्॥५॥
Om̐
Vande devamumāpatiṁ suraguruṁ vande jagatkāraṇaṁ
vande pannagabhūṣaṇaṁ mṛgadharaṁ vande paśūnāṁ patim|
Vande sūryaśaśāṅkavahninayanaṁ vande mukundapriyaṁ
vande bhaktajanāśrayañca varadaṁ vande śivaṁ śaṅkaram||5||

Om̐ (Om̐)

I pay homage (vande... vande... vande... vande... vande... vande... vande) to the God (devam), to the Consort of Umā (umā-patim), to the Guru of the gods (sura-gurum), to the Cause of the world (jagat-kāraṇam), to the One who adorns Himself with serpents (pannaga-bhūṣaṇam), to the One who wears (a skin) of a deer (mṛga-dharam), to the Lord (patim) of beasts --of limited beings-- (paśūnām), to the One whose eyes are the sun, the moon, and the fire (sūrya-śaśāṅka-vahni-nayanam), to the Beloved of Mukunda --of Viṣṇu-- (mukunda-priyam), to the One who is a place of refuge for the devotees (bhakta-jana-āśrayam), and (ca) to the One who bestows gifts/boons (vara-dam). I pay homage (vande) to Śiva (śivam), to the Auspicious One (śaṅkaram)||5||

शान्तं पद्मासनस्थं शशिधरमुकुटं पञ्चवक्त्रं त्रिनेत्रं
शूलं वज्रं च खड्गं परशुमभयदं दक्षिणाङ्गे वहन्तम्।
नागं पाशं च घण्टां डमरुकसहितं साङ्कुशं वामभागे
नानालङ्कारदीप्तं स्फटिकमणिनिभं पार्वतीशं नमामि॥६॥
Śāntaṁ padmāsanasthaṁ śaśidharamukuṭaṁ pañcavaktraṁ trinetraṁ
śūlaṁ vajraṁ ca khaḍgaṁ paraśumabhayadaṁ dakṣiṇāṅge vahantam|
Nāgaṁ pāśaṁ ca ghaṇṭāṁ ḍamarukasahitaṁ sāṅkuśaṁ vāmabhāge
nānālaṅkāradīptaṁ sphaṭikamaṇinibhaṁ pārvatīśaṁ namāmi||6||

I bow (namāmi) to the Peaceful One (śāntam), to the One who abides in the lotus posture (padma-āsana-stham), to the One who has a crown bearing the moon (śaśi-dhara-mukuṭam), to the One who possesses five faces (pañca-vaktram) (and) three eyes (tri-netram), to the One who bears (vahantam) on the right side (dakṣiṇa-aṅge) a trident (śūlam), a thunderbolt (vajram), a sword (khaḍgam), an ax (paraśum), and (ca) (the gesture) that bestows fearlessness (abhaya-dam), (to the One who bears) on the left side (vāma-bhāge) a snake (nāgam), a noose (pāśam), and (ca) a bell (ghaṇṭām), together with a little drum (ḍamaruka-sahitam) plus a goad (sa-aṅkuśam), to the One who shines with many ornaments (nānā-alaṅkāra-dīptam), to the One who is like a crystal (sphaṭika-maṇi-nibham), to the Lord of Pārvatī (pārvatī-īśam)||6||

कर्पूरगौरं करुणावतारं संसारसारं भुजगेन्द्रहारं।
सदा वसन्तं हृदयारविन्दे भवं भवानीसहितं नमामि॥७॥
Karpūragauraṁ karuṇāvatāraṁ saṁsārasāraṁ bhujagendrahāraṁ|
Sadā vasantaṁ hṛdayāravinde bhavaṁ bhavānīsahitaṁ namāmi||7||

I bow (namāmi) to the One who is white like camphor (karpūra-gauram), to the Incarnation of Compassion (karuṇā-avatāram), to the Essence of Saṁsāra (saṁsāra-sāram), to the One who wears (on His neck) the lord of serpents (bhujaga-indra-hāram), to the One who always abides (sadā vasantam) in the lotus of the heart (hṛdaya-aravinde), to the Self (bhavam) together with His Consort (bhavānī-sahitam)||7||

असितगिरिसमं स्यात्कज्जलं सिन्धुपात्रे
सुरतरुवरशाखा लेखनी पत्रमुर्वी।
लिखति यदि गृहीत्वा शारदा सर्वकालं
तदपि तव गुणानामीश पारं न याति॥८॥
Asitagirisamaṁ syātkajjalaṁ sindhupātre
surataruvaraśākhā lekhanī patramurvī|
Likhati yadi gṛhītvā śāradā sarvakālaṁ
tadapi tava guṇānāmīśa pāraṁ na yāti||8||

(If) the ink (kajjalam) were (syāt) the black mountain --«samam» means «equal to,» but I do not translate it so that it does not sound awkward-- (asita-giri-samam), in the inkpot of the ocean (sindhu-pātre); (if) the pen (lekhanī) (were) a branch of the best tree of the gods --it refers to the celestial tree called Pārijāta-- (sura-taru-vara-śākhā), (and) the earth (urvī) the leaf --used as paper-- (patram); (and) if (yadi), after having taken (the pen) (gṛhītvā), the goddess of eloquence and learning --Sarasvatī-- (śāradā) were to write (likhati) for all time (sarva-kālam); (then,) not even (api... na) that (formidable combination) (tad) would reach (yāti) the end (pāram) (in describing) Your qualities (tava guṇānām), O Lord! (īśa)||8||

त्वमेव माता च पिता त्वमेव त्वमेव बन्धुश्च सखा त्वमेव।
त्वमेव विद्या द्रविणं त्वमेव त्वमेव सर्वं मम देवदेव॥९॥
Tvameva mātā ca pitā tvameva tvameva bandhuśca sakhā tvameva|
Tvameva vidyā draviṇaṁ tvameva tvameva sarvaṁ mama devadeva||9||

Only You (tvam eva) (are) the mother (mātā) and (ca) only You (tvam eva) (are) the father (pitā); only You (tvam eva) (are) the relative (bandhuḥ) and (ca) only You (tvam eva) (are) the friend (sakhā). Only You (tvam eva) (are) knowledge (vidyā), only You (tvam eva) (are) wealth (draviṇam), only You (tvam eva) (are) everything (sarvam) to me (mama), O God of gods! (deva-deva)||9||

करचरणकृतं वाक्कायजं कर्मजं वा
श्रवणनयनजं वा मानसं वाऽपराधम्।
विहितमविहितं वा सर्वमेतत्क्षमस्व
जय जय करुणाब्धे श्रीमहादेव शम्भो॥१०॥
Karacaraṇakṛtaṁ vākkāyajaṁ karmajaṁ vā
śravaṇanayanajaṁ vā mānasaṁ vā'parādham|
Vihitamavihitaṁ vā sarvametatkṣamasva
jaya jaya karuṇābdhe śrīmahādeva śambho||10||

Forgive (kṣamasva) the offense (aparādham) committed with hands and feet (kara-caraṇa-kṛtam), (or) arising from speech and body (vāk-kāya-jam), or (vā) arising from actions (karma-jam), or (vā) proceeding from the ears and eyes (śravaṇa-nayana-jam), or (vā) from the mind (mānasam); (forgive) the actions I have committed (vihitam) or (vā) those I have failed to commit (avihitam); (forgive) all (sarvam) this (etad). Victory, victory (jaya jaya), O Ocean of Compassion (karuṇā-abdhe), O Venerable Great God (śrī-mahā-deva), O Śambhu --the Benevolent One-- (śambho)!||10||

चन्द्रोद्भासितशेखरे स्मरहरे गङ्गाधरे शङ्करे
सर्पैर्भूषितकण्ठकर्णविवरे नेत्रोत्थवैश्वानरे।
दन्तित्वक्कृतसुन्दराम्बरधरे त्रैलोक्यसारे हरे
मोक्षार्थं कुरु चित्तवृत्तिमचलामन्यैस्तु किं कर्मभिः॥११॥
Candrodbhāsitaśekhare smarahare gaṅgādhare śaṅkare
sarpairbhūṣitakaṇṭhakarṇavivare netrotthavaiśvānare|
Dantitvakkṛtasundarāmbaradhare trailokyasāre hare
mokṣārthaṁ kuru cittavṛttimacalāmanyaistu kiṁ karmabhiḥ||11||

For the attainment of Liberation (mokṣa-artham), immobilize (kuru... acalām) the mental fluctuation (citta-vṛttim) in the One who has the crest illuminated by the moon (candra-udbhāsita-śekhare), in the One who destroys the god of desire (smara-hare), in the One who holds the Ganges (gaṅgā-dhare), in Śaṅkara --the One who causes prosperity-- (śaṅkare), in the One who has the throat and ear passages adorned with serpents (sarpaiḥ bhūṣita-kaṇṭha-karṇa-vivare), in the One who has the (fire) Vaiśvānara --the Omnipresent One-- arising from (His) eye (netra-uttha-vaiśvānare), in the One who wears a beautiful garment made of elephant skin (danti-tvak-kṛta-sundara-ambara-dhare), in the One who is the essence of the three worlds --Heaven, Hell, and Earth-- (trailokya-sāre), in Hara --the Destroyer-- (hare). What (kim) (can be attained) through other actions (anyaiḥ tu... karmabhiḥ)?||11||

TRANSLATION IN PROGRESS (I UPDATE THIS PAGE PRACTICALLY EVERY DAY) - NO MISSING TEXT

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 Further information

This document was conceived by Gabriel Pradīpaka, one of the two founders of this site, and spiritual guru conversant with Sanskrit language and Trika philosophy.

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