Yes, Susanama, we must give back to Swami. We should consider Him as our father. There is no point in telling people. They are like lambs only, not Bangarus, they only follow and are not able to think out of the box. One day they will have to meditate on the Atma. All this service is for that purpose only. If we attain the state of realization we will be giving back to Swami, giving back to everyone.
You are free from all karma, Susanama.
Swami’s students should be kind to each and everyone, even if it is only one person they should have heart felt love and service for that person. This is spirituality, practical spirituality. There should be no obstacles, no complexes, inferiority or superiority.
We should approach Swami as we approach the sun. We should not expect anything from Swami who gives us everything. The new devotees come expecting relief from their pain but the old devotees should approach Swami as a father. He’s our friend, someone who is very very close to us; our personal God.
People suffer because of their extreme selfishness. No God can remove that suffering because God can’t remove our selfishness. Everyone should feed the poor, even if it is just one person.
True life is Rudram. What is the point in chanting all that Sanskrit? It is not enough to recite it. Practical application is needed, not just chanting. Lord Shiva can please lord Shiva. Only the heart can please Lord Shiva.
Below is the English translation of the Rudram done by the students. We can recite it every day as the meaning (English) is just as powerful as the word in Sanskrit.
Rudram Namakam
Salutations to the God who is Rudra, the destroyer of sin and sorrow
Oh destroyer of sin and sorrow, Salutations to Your anger and to Your arrows and to Your pair of hands
Oh Rudra! May that arrow of yours become kindest for all and that bow and quiver of arrows be auspicious and make us happy.
Oh Rudra! You have assumed a peaceful form, not terrible, a form that destroys our sins, You are tranquil and You give us the knowledge supreme.
You reside on the mountain of Kailash to enlighten us.
1
O Lord! Please make Your arrow auspicious to human beings. Let them not injure anyone.
Oh Lord of Mount Kailash, we pray in auspicious words to propitiate You.
May You make this entire world free from ills, may we live in unity and with good understanding
Oh Lord, may You speak in my favor. May you guide my speech. You are the foremost healer.
Oh Lord, may you destroy my visible enemies, like snakes and tigers and the unseen enemies like spirits and demons.
2
May You in the form of the sun, who is crimson, red, and orange, the bestower of welfare , be auspicious to us.
The sun’s rays surrounding the earth from all directions, are thousands of Rudras.
Let the blue-necked One render us happy.
Oh Rudra, you take the form of the red sun which rises and sets
The cowherds and the women carrying water behold Your majesty everyday. In fact, the whole world beholds Your majesty and is made happy.
Oh blue necked Lord with thousands of eyes, shower Your blessings on us.
3
I offer my salutations to you and to all who follow You.
Please do not hurt us with Your bow and arrows,
Oh Rudra may Your bow be without its string
May Your quiver have no sharp arrows.
May your arrows not pierce and your sword have very limited power.
Oh Rudra You are the one who showers blessings on us. Protect us from all worldly troubles with the weapons which are not for hurting us,
With Your weapons You liberate us from worldly ills ensuring that we have no injury or sickness.
End of first namakar
4
I offer my salutations to Lord Rudra who is the Lord of the universe.
Who is the great God
Who has three eyes.
Who destroyed Tripura the city of the demons which represents our ego.
And Who is the master of three kinds of sacrificial fire.
Who consumes everything in the fire at the time of destruction
Who’s throat is blue from swallowing the poison.
Who is the conqueror of death
Who is the glorious God of Gods the great God.
5
Oh Rudra, salutations to You who is the golden armed commander of forces.
Oh Rudra You are the Lord of directions and of the plants, animals and the trees.
You are the Lord of the trees of samscara, tufted with green leaves .
Salutations to You who is light yellow in color and tinged with red. You who are Lord of the pathways and who rides the bull.
Salutations to You who is in the master of food
and tormentor of sin.
And to You who is ever green, who wears the sacred thread and is well endowed and nourished.
6
You who are the shield against the phenomenal world.
Salutations to Lord Rudra who protects us with the unstrung bow.
Who is the protector of the fields, both physical and fields of knowledge, temples and bodies.
Salutations to the charioteer, who has no end and who is the Lord of the forests also.
You who are the crimson colored master and who exists in all and protects.
Salutations to the merchant, the master of the mantras, the Lord of all hidden knowledge, impenetrable and of dense clumps of thickets
7
Salutations to the Lord who has expanded the world and to the Lord of medicinal herbs.
Salutations to the Lord who hears the loud praise of His devotees and also the foes screaming with pain.
You are the Lord of the foot soldiers
Salutations to You who are always ready to rush to the rescue of virtuous people and who surrounds and destroys the enemies both external and internal.
End of second namakar
Salutations to You who subdues the enemies and strikes at them repeatedly.
8
Salutations to You who is attached to devotees.
You who are constantly moving, who is the Lord of the forests, wielding the weapon which destroys our undesirable tendencies and who is the Lord of the dacoits on the move at night carrying swords.
Salutations to You the Lord of those who steal our belongings and kills.
Salutations to You the holder of the bow and arrows who strings the bow and releases the arrows, stretches the bow which pierces the target and who is seated and reclining.
Salutations to You who sends arrows again and makes the arrows reach their target.
9
Salutations to You who is standing and running.
who exists in the dream state and in the state of complete wakefulness, who is static and dynamic.
Salutations to You who is the form of horses and is the Lord of the horses.
End of the third namakar
Salutations to You who can strike and pierce the veil of illusion in manifold ways and from all sides.
Salutations to You who exists in the form of shakthis that are benign and those that are fierce,
And to You who exists in the form of those who run after sensory objects.
10
Salutations to You who is the Lord of diverse groups and their leaders.
And to the One without form and the one with the cosmic form,
Salutations to You who is great and small.
And to You who has chariots, the gross and subtle body, and who is chariot- less.
Salutations to You who exists as carpenters and chariot makers and artisans.
And to You who are the potters and the black smiths the fowlers and fishermen.
Salutations To You who are the hunters, the keeper of hounds and the hounds.
11
End of fourth namakar
Salutations to You the source of all beings and the destroyer of all.
Salutations to You who is the cause of
dissolution and the protector of all beings.
Salutations to You who wears His hair in a braid and is clean shaven the many eyed one and holder of a hundred bows.
And to You residing in the mountain who is the inner controller of human beings.
Salutations to You who gives to human beings plenty of everything, who rains heavily through the clouds.
12
Salutations to You who is short and beautiful, and a very vast giant.
Salutations to You who transends time, space and matter and showers us with energies, the ancient one who grows in and by our prayers.
Salutations to You who is the primary and primordial leader, the all pervading one who moves quickly and speedily.
Salutations to You who is graceful and swift, like flowing and rushing waters with noisy waves and still waters in a stream.
Salutations to You who is the river-lets and water split by islands.
13
End of sixth namakar
Salutations to You who is the eldest and the youngest, and the primordial cause and subsequent effect. You are eternal youth and the infant. Salutations to You who exists in all gods, humans and animals.
And You who was born from the hind part of the body like the calves, and to You who was born from the roots like the plants.
Salutations to You who is our protector and who exists in vice and virtue.
And to You who controls death and grants liberation.
14
Salutations to You who exist in the green fields that need ploughing and the farm yards.
Salutations to You in the Vedas and Upanishads
Salutations to You who is in the forests and in the bushes, in the form of sound and its echo.
Salutations to You who is the warrior-hero and the destroyer of the ungodly foes. You who have armor, a residence and a helmet.
End of the sixth namakar
Salutations to You in the form of a drum, a drum stick, and the sound of the bugle. You who are one who never retreats and is skilled in reconnaissance with the auspicious trident.
15
Salutations to You who is in the small paths and the well developed highways.
Salutations to You who is in marshy places and in pools, in the ditch and the lake.
Salutations to You who is in the water, the river currents and the pool. And who is the water of the well and in the pit.
You who are the water in the rains and in drought and water in the seas.
You who are the water in the springs that do not depend on the rain.
And You who are in the clouds, the lightning and in the clear autumn sky.
16
Salutations to You in the rain with strong winds and in hail stones.
Salutations to You who protects our land and cattle.
Hara Hara Hara Hara
End of seventh namakar
Salutations to You who is accompanied by Uma, remover of the sorrow of samsara.
And to You who is the Lord of the divine nectar of bliss.
Salutations to You who has the crimson-red color of the rising sun and the golden hue of the sun that has risen, and who grants us happiness.
17
Salutations to You in all beings including animals that are fierce, whostrike terror at night and who strike from afar .
Salutations to You who destroys all at the final dissolution, and You who are the killer of the irreverent.
Salutations to You who exists in the form of trees and green foliage.
Salutations to You who is the OM.
And who helps us to cross the ocean of birth and death.
Salutations to You who helps us attain bliss and peace, earthly and heavenly.
Salutations to You who is more auspicious then all. .
18
Salutations to You who is present in Holy waters and in the idols on the banks of rivers.
Salutations to You who is on the other shore and this shore as well.
Salutations to You who has helped us cross the abyss of samsara through rituals and knowledge.
And to You, the cause of samsaric rebirth and the reaper of the fruits of karma. Salutations to You who tastes the fruit of actions and is in the tender grass and transient foam
Salutations to You who exists in the form of foam in waves and water.
End of eighth namakar
19
Salutations to You who exists in the form of river sand and flowing water, who exists in saline tracts, fertile lands and worn -out ways.
And in well trodden pathways.
Salutations to You who exists in rocky, rugged uninhabitable places as well as habitable places.
Salutations to You who has matted locks and curly tresses and who is easily attainable.
Salutations to You who exists in cowsheds, places of knowledge and in homesteads.
20
Salutations to You who reclines on couches in stately mansions.
Salutations to You who exists in the thorny, impenetrable forest places.
And to You who exists in mountain caves,
in whirlpools and in the dew drops.
Salutations to You who exists in minute atomic and invisible dust and in particles of visible dust.
Salutations to You who exists in dry fire wood, in green wet grass lands, in hard barren soil and in coarse grass and beautiful river waves.
Salutations to You who exists in the vegetation that is grown on earth.
21
Salutations to You who is in the rivers with swift waves, who exists in green leaves and dried ones.
Salutations to You who raises weapons against sinners.
Salutations to You who strikes from the front and causes afflictions that are slight and also afflictions that are serious that torment a little and also profusely.
Salutations to You who showers wealth.
And who resides in the hearts of the gods destroying the wicked.
Salutations to You who discerns good and evil.
22
Salutations to You who is all pervading, scattering Your enemies and meting out sure punishment.
Salutations to You who grants us desired objects.
Salutations to You who destroys our sins in all forms.
End of ninth namakar
Salutations to You who exists in the gross forms of those who have rejected the inner self.
Oh Rudra of the dark blue neck, You are the dispenser of all food.
You who make sinners lead contemptible lives and choose to remain poor even amongst all riches.
23
Oh Rudra, Lord of destruction, Lord of food, frighten not these cattle of ours. Let not even one among these relations and cattle be frightened, perish or get ill.
Oh Rudra, the expert physican for all the ills of the world, render us ever living and happy.
Oh Rudra we surrender our intellect. May we foster and nourish our intellect and mind by worshipping and meditating on You.
Let our attitude lead to happiness for all humans and animals and for all the members of this community so that everthing will prosper without disease.
24
May all the beings of this world be well nourished and free from disease.
Oh Rudra, we render obeisance to You. Confer on us happiness in this world and the next. You who have destroyed our sins, we serve and worship with our salutations.
Oh Rudra, By Your blessings let us obtain happiness and freedom from sorrow which Manu, our ancestor and father sought and obtained,
Oh Rudra, do not afflict the elders, the tender babes, the youth capable of procreation or the child in the womb./
And do not afflict our fathers or mothers . 25
Oh Rudra, do not in Your anger trouble our children, our sons, our life-span, our cattle, horses or our servants.
Protect the bodies of those dear to us.
And protect our children, descendants and our lives.
Oh Rudra, protect our knowledge, the cows and our life energies, the horses.
We shall serve and worship and salute you with these offerings into the sacred fire.
Oh Rudra, may your terrible form that destroys be far away from us and our cattle. And may that form of Yours that confers happiness be near us.
26
Oh Man! Praise the reputed Rudra who is seated in the hollow of the heart.
Who is ever wrathful, terrible like a lion, fierce and who destroys.
Oh Rudra, we are in these bodies that decay every day. Praised by us, may You grant us happiness.
May Your armies strike at others, not us.
May Your blazing anger at our sins and the keeness to punish, depart from us. Oh Rudra, please withdraw Your intention to punish us. We have offered You our sacrifices and prayers.
You are a bestower of blessings,.
27
Please make our sons and descendants happy.
You are the supreme bestower of blessings.
You are supremely auspicious. Be auspicious and bear goodwill to us.
Oh Rudra, place Your hurtful and threatening weapons in some tall and distant tree. Approach us wearing your elephant hide. Come bearing Your pinaka bow.
Oh Rudra, may Your thousands of weapons destroy others, not us.
Oh Rudra, in Your arms exist thousands of kinds of weapons.
Oh Lord, You are their Master and Lord.
28
End of tenth namakar
Please turn the faces of these weapons away from us.
The different Rudras live on the face of the earth
in thousands of varieties.
We shall loosen the bow strings of all these Rudras and deposit their bows thousands of leagues away from us.
There are Rudras who dwell in the sublime ocean and the space between sky and earth.
There are Rudras who are blue necked and have white throats and wander in the nether world.
29
There are Rudras who are blue necked and have white throats and dwell in the heaven.
There are Rudras who live in trees and are blue necked.
There are Rudras who are the color of tender grass.
There are Rudras who are Lord of all beings.
There are Rudras who are in the food vessels and distribute food and in the different varieties of drinks people consume.
Some Rudras are the protectors of the pathways.
There are Rudras who roam in Holy places with spears and quivers.
30
There are Rudras which have not been mentioned, the Rudras of the directions.
Salutations to the Rudras who dwell on the earth, iand and the atmosphere and in the sky.
Food and rain are the arrows of these Rudras. With my ten fingers joined, I bow to these Rudras in the east, the south, the west, the north and upwards.
End of the eleventh namakar
Oh Omniscient Divinity, we adore You Oh Lord ,full of excellent fragrance. You are the nourisher and sustainer of life.
31
May They make us happy
They whom we hate and they who hate us, I consign them into the yawning mouths of the Rudras.
Oh omniscient Divinity, we adore You. Oh Lord full of excellent fragrance. You are the nurisher and the sustainer of all life. As the cucumber is freed from the stem when it is ripe, so too liberate us from death and fear of death. Grant us the nectar of immortality.
Tryambakam, One with three eyes. The third eye is the eye of omniscience and infinite knowledge.
Yajaamahe, We meditate, we adore, we revere.
32
Sugandhim, Full of the precious fragrance of unlimited love.
Pushhti-varddhanam, Who nourishes and sustains all the forms at all levels.
Urvaarukam-tva bandhanaan, Just as a ripe cucumber drops off the plant effortlessly so too may I be freed of my bonda theges when I am ready.
Mrityor-mushily, Oh Lord, deliver me from physical death and death in the form of ignorance and lack of love.
Salutations to that Rudra who has entered into and pervades fire, the waters, vegetation and all the worlds.
33
Let us praise Him who has the auspicious arrow and bow. He is the source and repository of all the medicines in the world.
Let us worship Him for good thinking and understanding.
Let us adore and honor that Rudra with our salutations.
This right hand of mine is fortunate due to its contact with the idol. In fact it is more fortunate than the other hand. Indeed this hand of mine is a panacea for all human ills.
Oh death in the form of Rudra, You have ten thousand nooses to destroy mortal creatures.
34
I offer You these subtle sacrifices and offerings for complete protection.
Hail to death! Hail to death!!
Swahaa So be it. Amen. It means I offer whole heartedly without any reservations.
Salutations to Rudra and Vishnu, may they help me to cross death.
Oh Rudra, You remove the blockages or the knots of the life breath. You remove all obstacles in life and death.
Be pleased with my offerings and cast your benevolent and auspicious sight on me.
35
Mahalo for your sharing. It is good and good for us.
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