Shravan: The Most Auspicious Month for Worshipping Lord Shiva

PraNamAmi Shiva Kalpatarum

 prabhu misha manisha mashesha gunam

                                            gunahina mahisha garabharanam  |

rana nirjita-durjaya daityapuram

                                            pranamami shivam shiva kalpatarum  ||1||

Lord Shiva is Likened to the Kalpataru

I respectfully bow before Lord Shiva who works for our well-being like the*kalpataru. You are the storehouse of all qualities which are godly and not godly,and are beyond the *gunas. You wear the *Naga around your throat and triumphover hordes of demons in the battlefield. I respectfully salute Shiva who works forour well-being like the kalpataru.

giriraja sutanit vamatanum

                                          tanu nindita rajita koti vidhum  |

vidhi vishnu-shirodhrita pada-yugam

                                          pranamami shivam shiva kalpatarum  ||2||

Goddess Parvati is the Left Half of Lord Shiva's Body

The daughter of Himachal is constantly radiant on your *left. You are beautifullyfair-hued and surpass the whiteness of crores of moons.  Brahma and Vishnulovingly revere your divine pair of feet. I respectfully salute you, O Shiva, whoforever fulfils our wishes just like the kalpataru.

sasha lanchita-ranjita-sanmukutam

                        kati lambita sundara kirtipattam  |

sura shaivalini krita puta jattam  |

                        pranamami shivam shiva kalpatarum  ||3||

Lord Shiva Wearing the Crescent Moon & river Ganga

Whose beautiful crest is adorned by the moon, and who is wearing an *elephantskin around His waist.

Whose matted locks have been purified by the gurgling Ganga. O Shiva! Irespectfully bow to You working for our well-being very much like thekalpavriksha.

nayanatraya bhushita charu mukham

                        mukha padma parajita koti vidhum  |

vidhu khanda vimandita bhalatattam

                        pranamami shivam shiva kalpatarum  ||4||

The Beautiful Lord Shiva is Three-eyed

Embellished with a beautiful face having three eyes, endowed with a lotus facewhich outstrips crores of moon, having a forehead which bears the new *crescentmoon. I respectfully salute you, O Shiva! Conducive as You are to our well-beingjust like the kalpataru.

vrisha raja niketana madigurum

                        garalashana maji-vishana dharam

pramatha dhika sevaka ranjanakam

                        pranamami shivam shiva kalpatarum  ||5||

 Gurudev Shiva Drank Poison & Rides the Bull

 Great guru riding the bull, known to drink even *poison. Holding the *horn as aweapon in battle. Whose loving sevakas are the bhutas and pretas. I respectfullysalute such a Shiva who is so much like the kalpataru.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       makaradhwaja-mattamatanga hari

                        kari charmana naga vibodha karam  |

varamagana shula vishanakaram

                        pranamami shivam shiva kalpatarum  ||6||

Lord Shiva Controls Kamdev, The god of Love

Having control also over *Kamdev who lives life like a carefree elephant. Makingeven living beings like elephants understand the identity of the self with theUltimate Being. Holding weapons like the trident and horn in your beautful hands. Isalute you, O Shiva! Who fulfills each wish of ours like the kalpataru. 

jaga dudbhaba-palana-nashakaram

                        tridivesha shiromani grhista padam

priya manava sadhu janaikagatim

                        pranamami shivam shiva kalpatarum  || 7||

Lord Shiva, Deva of the Trinity

The Deva of even Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, who carry out the cosmicfunctions of creation, maintenance, and destruction. Supreme amongst all*shiromanis, giving the very same *gati to his loved ones and ascetics. Irespectfully salute Shiva, the complete Lord, who fulfills all our desires like thekalpataru.

anatham sudinam vibho vishwanahta  |

                       punarjanma dukhyata paritrahi shambho  |

bhajato akhilo dukha samuha haranam

                       pranamami shivam shiva kalpatarum  ||8||              

              

Lord Shiva, Isvara of the Universe

O Isvara! O Lord of the Universe! O Shiva! Save me, a helpless destitute, fromthe  misery of rebirth. O Shiva, identical to the kalpataru in destroying themultitudinal griefs of Your devotees who worship You! I respectfully bow beforeYou.

                                                            
Bhaktimati Usha Bahenji, a famed saint of Vrindavan, who was fondly known as Bobo wanted us to chant this Shiv Stuti on Gurupurnima and Mondays, in particular.

kalpataru: is a mythological, wish-fulfilling divine tree said to fulfill all desires. Thekapataru originated during the Samudra manthan or 'churning of the ocean of milk'along with the kamadhenu. Indra, the King of the gods, returned with this tree tohis paradise.

gunas: sattva, rajas and tamas, the three consituents of nature

Naga::A snake Vasuki Naga is shown curled three times around the neck of  LordShiva, and looking towards His right. The three coils of the snake symbolize thepast, present and future in cycles. The Lord wearing the curled snake like anornament signifies that creation proceeds in cycles and is dependent on time, butthe Lord Himself transcends time and is symbolic of the cosmic force about him.
Paravti is the left half of Shiva: Ardhanarishvara is depicted as half male and half female, split down the middle. The right half is usually the male Shiva. Ardhanarishvara represents the synthesis of masculine and feminine energies of the universe (Purusha and Prakriti) and illustrates how Shakti, the female principle of God, is inseparable from Shiva, the male principle of God. The union of these principles is exalted as the root of all creation.

elephant: Elephants represent pride. Wearing an elephant skin, Shiva indicatesthat he has conquered pride.

Crescent moon: the new moon on the second day of a lunar fortnight.

poison: According to the Puranas, Shiva was named Neelkanth as he drank thepoison that emerged from the oceans after it was churned (Samudra manthan) forgetting 'amrit' - the nectar of immortality. With his yogic powers, he stopped thepoison in his throat, preventing it from going any further and harming his body. Butthe poison did turn his neck blue and hence he got this name.

trident: Shiva's distinctive weapon is the trident or the spear with three prongs.The weapon  symbolizes His three fundamental powers iccha(will), kriya(action)and jnana(knowledge). It also signifies His power to destroy evil and ignorance.As His instrument of punishment, the trident represents Lord Shiva's manner ofpunishing the evil doers on all three planes - the spiritual, subtle and physical.

Kamdev: the HIndu god of love and desire

Trinity: personified by the forms of Brahmā the creator, Vishnu the maintainer orpreserver, and Śhiva the destroyer or transformer.

Shiromani: a jewel worn on the head,one who is supreme, a paragon

gati:  the supreme movement of the astral body after death is moksha or becoming one with the supreme being