Shiva Aparadha Kshamapana Stotram

Verse 1

आदौ कर्मप्रसङ्गात्कलयति कलुषं मातृकुक्षौ स्थितं माम् विण्मूत्रामेध्यमध्ये कथयति नितरां जाठरो जातवेदाः । यद्यद्वै तत्र दुःखं व्यथयति नितरां शक्यते केन वक्तुम् क्षन्तव्यो मेऽपराधः शिव शिव शिव भो श्रीमहादेव शम्भो ॥१॥

ādau karmaprasaṅgātkalayati kaluṣaṃ mātṛkukṣau sthitaṃ māṃ viṇmūtrāmedhyamadhye kathayati nitarāṃ jāṭharo jātavedāḥ | yadyadvai tatra duḥkhaṃ vyathayati nitarāṃ śakyate kena vaktuṃ kṣantavyo me’parādhaḥ śiva śiva śiva bho śrī mahādeva śambho ‖1‖ Punished me as I lay in my mother’s womb. Therefore, O Siva! O Mahadeva! O Sambhu! Forgive me, I pray, for my transgressions.

Even before I saw the light of this world, my sins from previous births, Through which I passed because of desire for the fruit of my deeds, There I was boiled in the midst of filthy things: Who can describe the pain that afflicts the child in its mother’s womb?

Verse 2

बाल्ये दुःखातिरेको मललुलितवपुः स्तन्यपाने पिपासा नो शक्तश्चेन्द्रियेभ्यो भवगुणजनिता जन्तवो मां तुदन्ति । नानारोगादिदुःखाद्रुदनपरवशः शङ्करं न स्मरामि क्षन्तव्यो मेऽपराधः शिव शिव शिव भो श्रीमहादेव शम्भो ॥२॥

bālye duḥkhātireko malalulitavapuḥ stanyapāne pipāsā no śaktaścendriyebhyo bhavaguṇajanitāḥ jantavo māṃ tudanti | nānārogādiduḥkhādrudanaparavaśaḥ śaṅkaraṃ na smarāmi kṣantavyo me’parādhaḥ śiva śiva śiva bho śrī mahādeva śambho ‖2‖ Over my body and limbs I had no control; Day and night I cried with the pain of many an ailment, forgetting thee, O Sankara! Therefore, O Siva! Forgive me, I pray, for my transgressions.

In childhood my suffering never came to an end; My body was covered with filth and I craved for my mother’s breasts. I was pursued by troublesome flies and mosquitoes;

Verse 3

प्रौढोऽहं यौवनस्थो विषयविषधरैः पञ्चभिर्मर्मसन्धौ दष्टो नष्टोऽविवेकः सुतधनयुवतिस्वादुसौख्ये निषण्णः । शैवीचिन्ताविहीनं मम हृदयमहो मानगर्वाधिरूढम् क्षन्तव्यो मेऽपराधः शिव शिव शिव भो श्रीमहादेव शम्भो ॥३॥

prauḍho’haṃ yauvanastho viṣayaviṣadharaiḥ pañcabhirmarmasandhau daṣṭo naṣṭo’vivekaḥ sutadhanayuvatisvādusaukhye niṣaṇṇaḥ | śaivīcintāvihīnaṃ mama hṛdayamaho mānagarvādhirūḍhaṃ kṣantavyo me’parādhaḥ śiva śiva śiva bho śrī mahādeva śambho ‖3‖ Bit into my vitals and slew my discrimination; Alas! My heart, bereft of the thought of Siva, Was filled with arrogance and pride, Therefore, O Siva! Forgive me, I pray, for my transgressions.

In youth the venomous snakes of sound, sight, taste, touch, and smell, I was engrossed in the pleasures of wealth, sons, and a youthful wife.

Verse 4

वार्धक्ये चेन्द्रियाणां विगतगतिमतिश्चाधिदैवादितापैः पापै रोगैर्वियोगैस्त्वनवसितवपुः प्रौढहीनं च दीनम् । मिथ्यामोहाभिलाषैर्भ्रमति मम मनो धूर्जटेर्ध्यानशून्यम् क्षन्तव्यो मेऽपराधः शिव शिव शिव भो श्रीमहादेव शम्भो ॥४॥

vārdhakye cendriyāṇāṃ vigatagatimatiścādhidaivāditāpaiḥ pāpai rogairviyogaistvanavasitavapuḥ prauḍhahīnaṃ ca dīnam | mithyāmohābhilāṣairbhramati mama mano dhūrjaṭerdhyānaśūnyaṃ kṣantavyo me’parādhaḥ śiva śiva śiva bho śrī mahādeva śambho ‖4‖ Is weak and senile from many afflictions, from sins and illnesses and bereavements; Runs after vain desires and hollow delusions. Therefore, O Siva! Forgive me, I pray, for my transgressions.

Now in old age my senses have lost the power of proper judging and acting; My body, though still not wholly bereft of life, But even now my mind, instead of meditating on Siva,

Verse 5

नो शक्यं स्मार्तकर्म प्रतिपदगहनप्रत्यवायाकुलाख्यम् श्रौते वार्ता कथं मे द्विजकुलविहिते ब्रह्ममार्गेऽसुसारे । ज्ञातो धर्मो विचारैः श्रवणमननयोः किं निदिध्यासितव्यम् क्षन्तव्यो मेऽपराधः शिव शिव शिव भो श्रीमहादेव शम्भो ॥५॥

no śakyaṃ smārtakarma pratipadagahanapratyavāyākulākhyaṃ śraute vārtā kathaṃ me dvijakulavihite brahmamārge’susāre | jñāto dharmo vicāraiḥ śravaṇamananayoḥ kiṃ nididhyāsitavyaṃ kṣantavyo me’parādhaḥ śiva śiva śiva bho śrī mahādeva śambho ‖5‖ Therefore, O Siva! Forgive me, I pray, for my transgressions.

The duties laid down in the smriti-perilous and abstruse-are now beyond me; How can I speak of the Vedic injunctions for Brahmins, as means for attaining Brahman? Never yet have I rightly grasped, through discrimination, The meaning of hearing the scriptures from the guru and reasoning on his instruction; How then can I speak of reflecting on Truth without interruption?

Verse 6

स्नात्वा प्रत्यूषकाले स्नपनविधिविधौ नाहृतं गाङ्गतोयम् पूजार्थं वा कदाचिद्बहुतरगहनात्खण्डबिल्वीदलानि । नानीता पद्ममाला सरसि विकसिता गन्धधूपैस्त्वदर्थम् क्षन्तव्यो मेऽपराधः शिव शिव शिव भो श्रीमहादेव शम्भो ॥६॥

snātvā pratyūṣakāle snapanavidhividhau nāhṛtaṃ gāṅgatoyaṃ pūjārthaṃ vā kadācidbahutaragahanātkhaṇḍabilvīdalāni | nānītā padmamālā sarasi vikasitā gandhadhūpaiḥ tvadarthaṃ kṣantavyo me’parādhaḥ śiva śiva śiva bho śrī mahādeva śambho ‖6‖ Water to bathe thy holy image; Never, from the deep woods, have I brought the sacred vilwa leaves for thy worship; Therefore, O Siva! Forgive me, I pray, for my transgressions.

Not even once have I finished my bath before sunrise and brought from the Ganges Nor have I gathered full-blown lotuses from the lakes, Nor ever arranged the lights and the incense for worshipping Thee.

Verse 7

दुग्धैर्मध्वाज्युतैर्दधिसितसहितैः स्नापितं नैव लिङ्गम् नो लिप्तं चन्दनाद्यैः कनकविरचितैः पूजितं न प्रसूनैः । धूपैः कर्पूरदीपैर्विविधरसयुतैर्नैव भक्ष्योपहारैः क्षन्तव्यो मेऽपराधः शिव शिव शिव भो श्रीमहादेव शम्भो ॥७॥

dugdhairmadhvājyutairdadhisitasahitaiḥ snāpitaṃ naiva liṅgaṃ no liptaṃ candanādyaiḥ kanakaviracitaiḥ pūjitaṃ na prasūnaiḥ | dhūpaiḥ karpūradīpairvividharasayutairnaiva bhakṣyopahāraiḥ kṣantavyo me’parādhaḥ śiva śiva śiva bho śrī mahādeva śambho ‖7‖ Therefore, O Siva! Forgive me, I pray, for my transgressions.

I have not bathed thine image with milk and honey, with butter and other oblations; I have not decked it with fragrant sandal paste; I have not worshipped Thee with golden flowers, with incense, with camphor-flame and savoury offerings.

Verse 8

ध्यात्वा चित्ते शिवाख्यं प्रचुरतरधनं नैव दत्तं द्विजेभ्यो हव्यं ते लक्षसङ्ख्यैर्हुतवहवदने नार्पितं बीजमन्त्रैः । नो तप्तं गङ्गातीरे व्रतजननियमै रुद्रजाप्यैर्न वेदैः क्षन्तव्यो मेऽपराधः शिव शिव शिव भो श्रीमहादेव शम्भो ॥८॥

dhyātvā citte śivākhyaṃ pracurataradhanaṃ naiva dattaṃ dvijebhyo havyaṃ te lakṣasaṅkhyairhutavahavadane nārpitaṃ bījamantraiḥ | no taptaṃ gāṅgātīre vratajananiyamaiḥ rudrajāpyairna vedaiḥ kṣantavyo me’parādhaḥ śiva śiva śiva bho śrī mahādeva śambho ‖8‖ Repeating the holy mantra given to me by my guru; Therefore, O Siva! Forgive me, I pray, for my transgressions.

I have not made rich gifts to the Brahmins, cherishing in my heart, O Mahadeva, thy sacred form; I have not made in the sacred fire the million oblations of butter, Never have I done penance along the Ganges with japa and study of the Vedas.

Verse 9

स्थित्वा स्थाने सरोजे प्रणवमयमरुत्कुम्भके सूक्ष्ममार्गे शान्ते स्वान्ते प्रलीने प्रकटितविभवे ज्योतिरूपेऽपराख्ये । लिङ्गज्ञे ब्रह्मवाक्ये सकलतनुगतं शङ्करं न स्मरामि क्षन्तव्यो मेऽपराधः शिव शिव शिव भो श्रीमहादेव शम्भो ॥९॥

sthitvā sthāne saroje praṇavamayamarutkumbhake (kuṇḍale)sūkṣmamārge śānte svānte pralīne prakaṭitavibhave jyotirūpe’parākhye | liṅgajñe brahmavākye sakalatanugataṃ śaṅkaraṃ na smarāmi kṣantavyo me’parādhaḥ śiva śiva śiva bho śrī mahādeva śambho ‖9‖ Therefore, O Siva! Forgive me, I pray, for my transgressions.

I have not sat in the lotus posture, nor have I ever controlled The prana along the Sushumna, repeating the syllable Om; Never have I suppressed the turbulent waves of my mind, nor merged the self-effulgent Om In the ever-shining Witness-Consciousness, whose nature is that of the highest Brahman; Nor have I, in samadhi, meditated on Sankara, who dwells in every form as the inner guide.

Verse 10

नग्नो निःसङ्गशुद्धस्त्रिगुणविरहितो ध्वस्तमोहान्धकारो नासाग्रे न्यस्तदृष्टिर्विदितभवगुणो नैव दृष्टः कदाचित् । उन्मन्याऽवस्थया त्वां विगतकलिमलं शङ्करं न स्मरामि क्षन्तव्यो मेऽपराधः शिव शिव शिव भो श्रीमहादेव शम्भो ॥१०॥

nagno niḥsaṅgaśuddhastriguṇavirahito dhvastamohāndhakāro nāsāgre nyastadṛṣṭirviditabhavaguṇo naiva dṛṣṭaḥ kadācit | unmanyā’vasthayā tvāṃ vigatakalimalaṃ śaṅkaraṃ na smarāmi kṣantavyo me’parādhaḥ śiva śiva śiva bho śrī mahādeva śambho ‖10‖ Never, O Siva! have I seen Thee, the Pure, the Unattached, the Naked One, Beyond the three gunas, free from delusion and darkness, absorbed in meditation, Nor, with a longing heart, have I meditated on Thine auspicious and sin-destroying form. Therefore, O Siva! Forgive me, I pray, for my transgressions.

And ever aware of the true nature of the world;

Verse 11

चन्द्रोद्भासितशेखरे स्मरहरे गङ्गाधरे शङ्करे सर्पैर्भूषितकण्ठकर्णयुगले नेत्रोत्थवैश्वानरे । दन्तित्वकृतसुन्दराम्बरधरे त्रैलोक्यसारे हरे मोक्षार्थं कुरु चित्तवृत्तिमचलामन्यैस्तु किं कर्मभिः ॥११॥

candrodbhāsitaśekhare smarahare gaṅgādhare śaṅkare sarpairbhūṣitakaṇṭhakarṇayugale (vivare)netrotthavaiśvānare | dantitvakkṛtasundarāmbaradhare trailokyasāre hare mokṣārthaṃ kuru cittavṛttimacalāmanyaistu kiṃ karmabhiḥ ‖11‖ Of what avail are all the other rituals?

O mind, to gain liberation, concentrate wholly on Siva, The sole reality underlying the worlds, the giver of good; Whose head is illumined by the crescent moon and in whose hair the Ganges is hidden; Whose fire-darting eyes consumed the god of earthly love; whose throat and ears are decked with snakes; Whose upper garment is a comely elephant-skin.

Verse 12

किं वाऽनेन धनेन वाजिकरिभिः प्राप्तेन राज्येन किम् किं वा पुत्रकलत्रमित्रपशुभिर्देहेन गेहेन किम् । ज्ञात्वैतत्क्षणभङ्गुरं सपदि रे त्याज्यं मनो दूरतः स्वात्मार्थं गुरुवाक्यतो भज मन श्रीपार्वतीवल्लभम् ॥१२॥

kiṃ vā’nena dhanena vājikaribhiḥ prāptena rājyena kiṃ kiṃ vā putrakalatramitrapaśubhirdehena gehena kim | jñātvaitatkṣaṇabhaṅguraṃ sapadi re tyājyaṃ mano dūrataḥ svātmārthaṃ guruvākyato bhaja mana śrīpārvatīvallabham ‖12‖ Of what avail the body or a house? Know all these to be but momentary and quickly shun them; Worship Siva, as your guru instructs you, for the attaining of Self-Knowledge.

O mind, of what are wealth or horses, elephants or a kingdom?

Verse 13

आयुर्नश्यति पश्यतां प्रतिदिनं याति क्षयं यौवनम् प्रत्यायान्ति गताः पुनर्न दिवसाः कालो जगद्भक्षकः । लक्ष्मीस्तोयतरङ्गभङ्गचपला विद्युच्चलं जीवितम् तस्मात्त्वां शरणागतं शरणद त्वं रक्ष रक्षाधुना ॥१३॥

āyurnaśyati paśyatāṃ pratidinaṃ yāti kṣayaṃ yauvanaṃ pratyāyānti gatāḥ punarna divasāḥ kālo jagadbhakṣakaḥ | lakṣmīstoyataraṅgabhaṅgacapalā vidyuccalaṃ jīvitaṃ tasmāttvāṃ (māṃ)śaraṇāgataṃ śaraṇada tvaṃ rakṣa rakṣādhunā ‖13‖ Day by day does man come nearer to death; Almighty time devours everything; Fickle as lightning is the goddess of fortune. Protect me, who have taken refuge at thy feet.

His youth wears away; the day that is gone never returns. O Siva! O Giver of shelter to those that come to Thee for refuge!

Verse 14

वन्दे देवमुमापतिं सुरगुरुं वन्दे जगत्कारणम् वन्दे पन्नगभूषणं मृगधरं वन्दे पशूनां पतिम् । वन्दे सूर्यशशाङ्कवह्निनयनं वन्दे मुकुन्दप्रियम् वन्दे भक्तजनाश्रयं च वरदं वन्दे शिवं शङ्करम् ॥१४॥

vande devamumāpatiṃ suraguruṃ vande jagatkāraṇaṃ vande pannagabhūṣaṇaṃ mṛgadharaṃ vande paśūnāṃ patim | vande sūryaśaśāṅkavahninayanaṃ vande mukundapriyaṃ vande bhaktajanāśrayaṃ ca varadaṃ vande śivaṃ śaṅkaram ‖14‖

I salute the self-effulgent guru of the gods, the lord of Uma; I salute the cause of the Universe I salute the lord of beasts, adorned with snakes; I salute Siva, whose three eyes shine like the sun, the moon, and fire; I salute the beloved of Krishna; I salute Sankara, who bestows boons on His devotees and gives them shelter; I salute the auspicious Siva.

Verse 15

गात्रं भस्मसितं च हसितं हस्ते कपालं सितम् खट्वाङ्गं च सितं सितश्च वृषभः कर्णे सिते कुण्डले । गङ्गाफेनसिता जटा पशुपतेश्चन्द्रः सितो मूर्धनि सोऽयं सर्वसितो ददातु विभवं पापक्षयं सर्वदा ॥१५॥

gātraṃ bhasmasitaṃ ca hasitaṃ haste kapālaṃ sitaṃ khaṭvāṅgaṃ ca sitaṃ sitaśca vṛṣabhaḥ karṇe site kuṇḍale | gaṅgāphenasitā jaṭā paśupateścandraḥ sito mūrdhani so’yaṃ sarvasito dadātu vibhavaṃ pāpakṣayaṃ sarvadā ‖15‖

White is the skull thou holdest in thy hand; white is thy club, which threatens the wicked! White is the bull on which thou ridest; white are the rings that hang from thine ears! White appear thy matted locks, covered with the foam of the Ganges; White shines the moon on thy forehead!

O Siva! White is thy body, covered with ashes; white shine thy teeth when thou smilest! May He who is all white, all pure, bestow on me the treasure of forgiveness for my transgressions!

Verse 16

करचरणकृतं वाक्कायजं कर्मजं वा श्रवणनयनजं वा मानसं वाऽपराधम् । विहितमविहितं वा सर्वमेतत्क्ष्मस्व जय जय करुणाब्धे श्रीमहादेव शम्भो ॥१६॥

karacaraṇakṛtaṃ vākkāyajaṃ karmajaṃ vā śravaṇanayanajaṃ vā mānasaṃ vā’parādham | vihitamavihitaṃ vā sarvametatkṣmasva jaya jaya karuṇābdhe śrīmahādeva śambho ‖16‖

‖iti śrīmad śaṅkarācāryakṛta śivāparādhakṣamāpaṇa stotraṃ sampūrṇam ‖

O Lord Siva, kindly forgive all the wrong acts and omissions I have committed, whether I committed them knowingly or unknowingly, with my hands, feet, words, ears, eyes, or mind. Glory to you, Mahadeva, who is the ocean of kindness and compassion, and the cause of happiness.