Bhairavastotram

Hymn to Bhairava

 Introduction

This is the venerable Bhairavastotram of Abhinavagupta (Hymn to Bhairava). Abhinavagupta is very well known for his very voluminous works such as Tantrāloka, Tantrasāra, Parātrīśikāvivaraṇa, etc. All those works required an incredible intellectual quotient and much experience, as well as knowledge, about the tradition of Trika Shaivism. The disciples of Abhinavagupta did not always have intellects fit enough to be able to fully comprehend the meanings in all his mysterious and complicated teachings. Many of them were only devotees, with a great heart but with small intellectual aptitudes to be able to cope with such extensive treatises full of extremely complicated Sanskrit. It is generally said that only the saint Kṣemarāja could deal with the massive scholarship of Abhinavagupta. Then, to relieve those disciples endowed with very weak intellects, compassionately, Abhinavagupta composed small works of a few verses such as this Bhairavastotram.

It seems that this Hymn to Bhairava (to the Great Lord) was the favorite of Abhinavagupta. This text is very famous for granting supernatural powers to those who chant it. When the Great Sage decided to leave his body, he headed for the Bhairavaguhā with twelve hundred disciples. When he arrived, he entered alone into that sacred cave while singing the Bhairavastotram. No one ever saw the eminent Abhinavagupta again.

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

Important: Everything that is within parentheses and in italics in 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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 Bhairavastotram

व्याप्तचराचरभावविशेषं चिन्मयमेकमनन्तमनादिम्।
भैरवनाथमनाथशरण्यं तन्मयचित्ततया हृदि वन्दे॥१॥
Vyāptacarācarabhāvaviśeṣaṁ cinmayamekamanantamanādim|
Bhairavanāthamanāthaśaraṇyaṁ tanmayacittatayā hṛdi vande||1||

In (my) Heart (hṛdi), (and) with (my) mind that consists of Him --of Bhairava-- (tad-maya-cittatayā), I pay homage (vande) to Lord Bhairava (bhairava-nātham), who gives refuge to the unprotected (anātha-śaraṇyam), whose peculiarity/main characteristic is the penetration of the condition of animate and inanimate (vyāpta-cara-acara-bhāva-viśeṣam), who is Consciousness (cit-mayam), who is One (ekam), Infinite (anantam), (and) Without Beginning (anādim)||1||

त्वन्मयमेतदशेषमिदानीं भाति मम त्वदनुग्रहशक्त्या।
त्वं च महेश सदैव ममात्मा स्वात्ममयं मम तेन समस्तम्॥२॥
Tvanmayametadaśeṣamidānīṁ bhāti mama tvadanugrahaśaktyā|
Tvaṁ ca maheśa sadaiva mamātmā svātmamayaṁ mama tena samastam||2||

By the Power of Your Grace/Favor (tvad-anugraha-śaktyā), now (idānīm) This --the universe-- (etad) appears (bhāti) to me (mama) as completely (aśeṣam) filled with You (tvad-mayam). And (ca) You (ca), O Great Lord (mahā-īśa)!, (are) always (sadā eva) my (mama) Self (ātmā). For that reason (tena), everything (samastam) that consists of the very Self --that is, the universe-- (sva-ātma-mayam) (is) mine (mama) --this last part of the text is confusing and may be corrupt--||2||

स्वात्मनि विश्वगते त्वयि नाथे तेन न संसृतिभीतिकथास्ति।
सत्स्वपि दुर्धरदुःखविमोहत्रासविधायिषु कर्मगणेषु॥३॥
Svātmani viśvagate tvayi nāthe tena na saṁsṛtibhītikathāsti|
Satsvapi durdharaduḥkhavimohatrāsavidhāyiṣu karmagaṇeṣu||3||

For that reason (tena), in the very Self (sva-ātmani), in You (tvayi) —in the Omnipresent Lord (viśva-gate... nāthe)—, there exists no (na asti) mention of fear of Saṃsāra --of the transmigration full of pain-- (saṃsṛti-bhīti-kathā). Not even (is there mention) (api) with reference to the real/true hosts of karmas (satsu... karma-gaṇeṣu) that cause irresistible terror, delusion and suffering (durdhara-duḥkha-vimoha-trāsa-vidhāyiṣu)||3||

अन्तक मां प्रति मा दृशमेनां क्रोधकरालतमां विदधीहि।
शङ्करसेवनचिन्तनधीरो भीषणभैरवशक्तिमयोऽस्मि॥४॥
Antaka māṁ prati mā dṛśamenāṁ krodhakarālatamāṁ vidadhīhi|
Śaṅkarasevanacintanadhīro bhīṣaṇabhairavaśaktimayo'smi||4||

O death --or also "Yama", the god of death-- (antaka), do not direct --other versions write "vinidhehi"-- (mā... vidadhīhi) toward me (mām prati) this (your) gaze that bears the most terrifying wrath (dṛśam enām krodha-karāla-tamām)!, (for) I am (asmi) firm in the thought of serving Śaṅkara (śaṅkara-sevana-cintana-dhīraḥ), (and also) filled with the Power of the Terrifying/Formidable Bhairava (bhīṣaṇa-bhairava-śakti-mayaḥ)!||4||

इत्थमुपोढभवन्मयसंविद्दीधितिदारितभूरितमिस्रः।
मृत्युयमान्तककर्मपिशाचैर्नाथ नमोऽस्तु न जातु बिभेमि॥५॥
Itthamupoḍhabhavanmayasaṁviddīdhitidāritabhūritamisraḥ|
Mṛtyuyamāntakakarmapiśācairnātha namo'stu na jātu bibhemi||5||

In this way (ittham), with (my) abundant accumulated darkness torn to pieces by the Light of Consciousness that is full of You (upoḍha-bhavat-maya-saṁvid-dīdhiti-dārita-bhūri-tamisraḥ), I am no longer afraid of death, the god of death, karma, or goblins (mṛtyu-yamāntaka-karma-piśācaiḥ... na jātu bibhemi). O Lord (nātha), may there be a salutation (to You) (namas astu)!||5||

प्रोदितसत्यविबोधमरीचिप्रोक्षितविश्वपदार्थसतत्त्वः।
भावपरामृतनिर्भरपूर्णे त्वय्यहमात्मनि निर्वृत्तिमेमि॥६॥
Proditasatyavibodhamarīciprokṣitaviśvapadārthasatattvaḥ|
Bhāvaparāmṛtanirbharapūrṇe tvayyahamātmani nirvṛttimemi||6||

I (aham), whose nature (of mine) is all principles purified through sprinkling by the rays of light of Consciousness that is the proclaimed Truth (prodita-satya-vibodha-marīci-prokṣita-viśva-padārtha-satattvaḥ), go (emi) toward Final Beatitude (nirvṛttim) in the Self (ātmani), in You (tvayi), who are Full and replete with the Supreme Nectar of devotion (bhāva-para-amṛta-nirbhara-pūrṇe)||6||

मानसगोचरमेति यदैव क्लेशदशातनुतापविधात्री।
नाथ तदैव मम त्वदभेदस्तोत्रपरामृतवृष्टिरुदेति॥७॥
Mānasagocarameti yadaiva kleśadaśātanutāpavidhātrī|
Nātha tadaiva mama tvadabhedastotraparāmṛtavṛṣṭirudeti||7||

When (yadā eva) the creator of bodily pain and of states of affliction --apparently, Abhinavagupta refers to Māyā-- (kleśa-daśā-tanu-tāpa-vidhātrī) reaches the mental sphere (mānasa-gocaram eti), then (tadā eva), O Lord (nātha), does arise (udeti) my (mama) rain of Supreme Nectar (in the form of this) hymn about unity with You (tvad-abheda-stotra-para-amṛta-vṛṣṭiḥ)||7||

शङ्कर सत्यमिदं व्रतदानस्नानतपो भवतापविनाशि।
तावकशास्त्रपरामृतचिन्ता स्यन्दति चेतसि निर्वृत्तिधाराम्॥८॥
Śaṅkara satyamidaṁ vratadānasnānatapo bhavatāpavināśi|
Tāvakaśāstraparāmṛtacintā syandati cetasi nirvṛttidhārām||8||

O Śaṅkara (śaṅkara)!, this is true (satyam idam): Vows, charity, baths and austerity (vrata-dāna-snāna-tapas) destroy the pain of Saṁsāra --of transmigration full of misery and suffering-- (bhava-tāpa-vināśi). (Nevertheless,) thought about the Supreme Nectar (coming) from Your scriptures (tāvaka-śāstra-para-amṛta-cintā) trickles (syandati) a stream of Final Beatitude (nirvṛtti-dhārām) into the mind (cetasi)||8||

नृत्यति गायति हृष्यति गाढं संविदियं मम भैरवनाथ।
त्वां प्रियमाप्य सुदर्शनमेकं दुर्लभमन्यजनैः समयज्ञम्॥९॥
Nṛtyati gāyati hṛṣyati gāḍhaṁ saṁvidiyaṁ mama bhairavanātha|
Tvāṁ priyamāpya sudarśanamekaṁ durlabhamanyajanaiḥ samayajñam||9||

After attaining (āpya) You (tvām), the Beloved (priyam), the Beautiful (sudarśanam), the One (ekam), the One Who Is Difficult to attain (durlabham) for other people (anya-janaiḥ), (and) the One Who knows the right time (samaya-jñam), this (iyam) Consciousness (saṁvid) of mine (mama) dances (nṛtyati), sings (gāyati) (and) rejoices (hṛṣyati) greatly (gāḍham), O Lord Bhairava (bhairava-nātha)!||9||

वसुरसपौषे कृष्णदशम्यामभिनवगुप्तः स्तवमिममकरोत्।
येन विभुर्भवमरुसन्तापं शमयति झटिति जनस्य दयालुः॥१०॥
Vasurasapauṣe kṛṣṇadaśamyāmabhinavaguptaḥ stavamidamakarot|
Yena vibhurbhavamarusantāpaṁ śamayati jhaṭiti janasya dayāluḥ||10||

On the tenth day of the dark (fortnight) --Abhinavagupta omitted "pakṣa" (fortnight)-- (kṛṣṇa-daśamyām) of (the month of) Pauṣa of (the year) 68 --approximately, in January of 993 CE-- (vasu-rasa-pauṣe), Abhinavagupta (abhinavaguptaḥ) made (akarot) this (idam) hymn of praise (stavam), by which (yena), the All-pervasive (vibhuḥ) (and) Compassionate One --Bhairava-- (dayāluḥ) instantly (jhaṭiti) alleviates and soothes (śamayati) the affliction/pain/anguish of people in the desert/wasteland of Saṁsāra (bhava-maru-santāpam... janasya)||10||

समाप्तं स्तवमिदमभिनवाख्यं पद्यनवकम्॥
Samāptaṁ stavamidamabhinavākhyaṁ padyanavakam||

This (idam) hymn of praise (stavam), of nine verses --the tenth is a kind of epilogue-- (padya-navakam), whose narrator is Abhinavagupta (abhinava-ākhyam), is finished (samāptam)||

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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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