BHAIRAVA

भैरव %तो( - BHAIRAVA STOTRA

!या$चराचरभाविवशेषं
िच.मयमेकमन.तमना3दम् |
भैरवनाथमनाथशर8यं
9व.मयिच:तया ;3द व.दे || १ ||
vyāpta caracara, bhava viśeṣaṃ
cinmayam ekam, anantam anādim |
bhairavanātham, anātha śaraṇyaṃ
tvanmaya citta, tayā hṛdi vande || 1 ||

vyāpta: pervaded; caracara: moving & non-moving; bhava: becoming

(implies manifested universe); viśeṣaṃ: a particular type, varieties;

cinmaya: composed of consciousness; ekam: one (or single – without a

second); anantam: unlimited, unending; anādim: without beginning;

Bhairava: a form of Lord Shiva; Nāth: O Lord, O Protector; anātha:

helpless; śaraṇyaṃ: worthy taking shelter of;

tvanmaya: consisting of you; citta: consciousness or mind; hrdi: heart;

vande: offer obeisances

He who pervades the entire world (moving & non-moving), who is the
Universal Consciousness, without a second, eternal, that Lord & my
Master, Bhairavanātha, who is the protector of the helpless; with a mind
absorbed in You, I salute & praise You with all my heart. (1)

9व.मयमेतदशेषिमदान=
भाित मम 9वदनु?हशA9या |
9वं च महेश सदैव ममा9मा
Cवा9ममयं मम तेन समCतम् || २ ||
Tvanmayam etad, aśeṣam idānīṃ
bhāti mama tvad, anugraha śaktyā |
tvaṃ ca maheśa, sadaiva mamātmā
svātma mayaṃ mama, tena samastam || 2 ||
 tvanmayam: consisting of you; etad: this here; aśeṣam: unlimitedly;
idānīṃ: now, at present;

bhāti: manifests; mama: my; tvad: you; anugraha: mercy, grace;

śaktyā: power

tvam: you; ca: also, and; maheśa: name of Lord Shiva or Bhairava;
sadaiva: always; mamātma: my own Self

svātma: my Self; mayam: consisting of; mama: mine; tena: therefore;

samastam: everything

O Mahesha! With the divine power of your grace, this entire universe is
nothing but your manifestation i.e, Bhairava himself is in the form of this
universe, and without Bhairava, this universe has no existence. Thus I
have realized, O Bhairava, that I see you as my own Self, and therefore
this entire universe too seems to be my own Self. (2)

Cवा9मिन िवEवग(ये)ते 9विय नाथे

तेन न संसृितभीितकथाICत |
स9Cविप दKधMरदKःखिवमोह-
Qासिवधाियषु कमMगणेषु || ३ ||
svātmani viśva, ga(ye)te tvayi nāthe
tena na saṃsṛti, bhīti kathāsti |
sat svapi durdhara, duḥkha vimoha-
trāsa vidhāyiṣu, karma gaṇeṣu || 3 ||

svātmani: of my Self or Soul; viśva: entire world; gate: gone,

manifestation; tvayi: your, by you; Nāth: O Lord, O Protector

tena: therefore; na: not; saṃsṛti: cycle of repeated birth & death; bhīti:
fear; kathāsti: in my existence

sat: truth, existence; svapi: one’s own, then; durdhar: difficult to be borne
or suffered; dukkha: sorrows; vimoha: confusion of the mind

trāsa: fear; vidhāyiṣu: known as a result of; karma: actions;

O Lord of my soul! This entire universe is your manifestation and

realizing myself as one with you, the Universal Being, how can I be
 frightened by the inevitable sorrows as a result of endless actions that
arise from and bind us to the ceaseless circle of life and death. (3)

अ.तक मां Uित मा Vशमेनां

Wोधकरालतमां िविनधेिह |
शYरसेवनिच.तनधीरो
भीषण भैरव शिZमयोऽICम || ४ ||
antaka māṃ prati, mā dṛśamenāṃ
krodha karāla, tamāṃ vinidhehi |
śaṅkara sevana, cintana dhīro
bhīṣaṇa bhairava, śaktimayo asmi || 4 ||

antaka: god of death; māṃ: me; prati: towards; mā: no;

dṛśamenāṃ: see me;
krodha: anger; karāla: having a gaping mouth & projecting teeth; tamāṃ:
added to intensify the meaning of krodha & karāla;
vinidhehi: do not put or keep
śaṅkara: Lord Shiva; sevana: serving; cintana: contemplation;
dhīro: brave
bhīṣaṇa: dreadful, frightening, formidable; bhairava: Bhairava, a form of
Lord Shiva; śaktimayo’asmi: me filled up with power

O Antaka, the lord of Death! Do not cast your angry & dreadful look upon
me. Absorbed in constant contemplation on Lord Shankara, I am filled
with the power (or I am one with the power) of the terrifying Bhairava to
protect me. (4)

इ9थमुपोढभव.मयसंिव-
_ीिधितदा3रतभू3रतिमaः |
मृ9युयमा.तककमMिपशाचै-
नाथ नमोऽCतु न जातु िबभेिम || ५ ||
Ittham upoḍha, bhavan maya saṃvid-
dīdhiti dārita, bhūri tamisraḥ |
mṛtyu yamāntaka, karma piśācair-
nātha namo’astu, na jātu bibhemi || 5 ||

Ittham: thus, so; upoḍha: brought home, gathered;

 bhavan: you (respectful); maya: consisting of, made of;
saṃvid: knowledge, consciousness
dīdhiti: with dazzling splendour, light; dārita: torn, rent, destroyed; bhūri:
very large, abundant; tamisraḥ: darkness, demon
mṛtyu: death yamāntaka: god of death, Yama;
karma piśācair: demons & ghosts of past actions
nātha: O Lord, O Protector namo’astu: I offer salutations;
na: no; jātu: never; bibhemi: am afraid of

O Lord Bhairava, I offer salutations to you, who has awakened me to the

realization that everything in existence is You alone. As a result of this
awakening, the darkness of my mind has been destroyed and I am
neither frightened of the evil family of demons & ghosts, nor am I afraid
of Yama, the fearful Lord of death. (5)

Uो3दतस9यिवबोधमरीिच-
UेिeतिवEवपदाथMसतfवः |
भावपरामृतिनभMरपूणg
9वhयहमा9मिन िनवृMितमेिम || ६ ||
Prodita satya, vibodha marīci-
prekṣita viśva, padārtha satattvaḥ |
bhava parāmṛta, nirbhara pūrṇe
tvayy aham ātmani, nirvṛtim emi || 6 ||

Prodita: uttered, revealed; satya: Truth; vibodha: awakening;

marīci: ray of light;
prekṣita: look, perceive; viśva: universe; padārtha: substance, thing;
satattvaḥ: knowing the reality;
bhava: becoming, manifestation; parāmṛta: best or divine nectar;
nirbhara: filled with; pūrṇe: completely;
tvayy: You; aham: I; ātmani: in the Self [aham ātmani: my soul];
nirvṛtim: bliss, satisfaction, ecstasy

The ray of light of the Ultimate Truth has dawned, making me perceive
the Universal Consciousness – the Reality of the world. By this
awakening, my mind is filled with the divine nectar (of Shiva-
Consciousness), and I experience supreme bliss. (6)
 मानसगोचरमेित यदैव
jkशदशाऽतनुतापिवधाQी |
नाथ तदैव मम 9वदभेद-
CतोQपरामृतवृिlmदेित || ७ ||
Mānasa gocaram, eti yadaiva
kleśa daśā, tanu tāpa vidhātrī |
nātha tadaiva, mama tvadabheda-
stotra parāmṛta, vṛṣṭi rudeti || 7 ||

Mānasa: expressed in the mind; gocaram: perceptible;

eti: attains, reaches; yadaiva: whenever;
kleśa: grief, distress; daśā: condition; atanu: not small;
tāpa: mental or physical pain; vidhātrī: one who bestows, fate or destiny;
nātha: O Lord, O Protector; tadaiva: therefore really; mama: my;
tvadabheda: you ~ identical; stotra: hymn of praise;
parāmṛta: best or divine nectar; vṛṣṭi: rain; rudeti: crying, lamenting

O Lord, sometimes I feel misery which arouses torment in my mind, but

at that same moment, blessed by your grace, the shower of a clear
vision of my oneness with you rains upon & destroys my sorrow. (7)

शYर स9यिमदं oतदान-

Cनानतपो भवतापिवदा3र |
तावकशाpपरामृतिच.ता
Cय.दित चेतिस िनवृMितधाराम् || ८ ||
śaṅkara satyam, idaṃ vrata dāna-
snāna tapo bhava, tāpa vidāri |
tāvaka śāstra, parāmṛta cintā
syandati cetasi, nir vṛti dhārām || 8 ||

śaṅkara: Lord Shiva; satyam: true; idaṃ: this;

vrata: holy practice, any vow; dāna: charity;
snāna: holy or ritual bath; tapo: austerity; bhava: becoming;
tāpa: mental or physical pain; vidāri: to tear asunder, destroy;
tāvaka: Your; śāstra: scriptures or religious treatise;
parāmṛta: best or divine nectar; cintā: thinking, meditation;
 syandati: pour forth; cetasi: consciousness; nir vṛti: joy, happiness;
dhārām: continuous flow

O Lord Shiva, it is said that through charity, ritual bath and the practices
of penance, the troubles & miseries of worldly existence subside. But the
meditation upon the devotional scriptures of your praise bring about the
showers of nectar leading to bliss and eternal joy. (8)

नृ9यित गायित ;rयित गाढं

संिव3दयं मम भैरवनाथ |
9वां िUयमाsय सुदशMनमेकt
दKलMभम.यजनैः समयuम् || ९ ||
nṛtyati gāyati, hṛṣyati gāḍhaṃ
saṃvidiyaṃ mama, bhairavanātha |
tvāṃ priyam āpya, sudarśanam ekaṃ
durlabh amanya, janaiḥ sama yajnam || 9 ||

nṛtyati: dancing; gāyati: singing; hṛṣyati: rejoice; gāḍhaṃ: firmly, deeply;

saṃvidiyaṃ: this understanding; mama: my;
bhairavanātha: O Bhairava, the Lord, the Protector;
tvāṃ: you; priyam: dear, pleasing; āpya: obtainable by an activity;
sudarśanam: good looking; ekaṃ: one, only;
durlabh: difficult to be obtained or found; amanya: not deserving respect;
janaiḥ: by the people; sama: like, equal to; yajnam: sacrifices

O Bhairavanātha, it is well known that only dancing, singing and intimate

knowledge of you, are accounted for as good. These are rarely available
to people, and that too, only at the right time. (9)
OR
O Lord Bhairava, through my utmost faith I have perceived you in the
unique sacrifice of oneness, which otherwise is not possible through
performing mountains of rituals. Being filled with your presence my
consciousness intensely dances and sings, enjoying its own ecstasy. (9)

वसुरसपौषे कxrणदशyयां
अिभनवगु$ः Cतविमममकरोत् |
येन िवभुभMवमmस.तापं
शमयित झ3टित जनCय दयालुः || १० ||
 Vasu rasapauṣe, kṛṣṇa daśam yāṃ
abhinavaguptaḥ, stavam imam akarot |
yena vibhur bhava, maru san tāpaṃ
śamayati jhaṭiti, janasya dayāluḥ || 10 ||

Vasu rasapauṣe: Pausha month; kṛṣṇa: dark; daśam: tenth; yāṃ

abhinavaguptaḥ: (name of author) stavam: song of praise; imam: this;
akarot: he did;
yena: by whom, so that; vibhur: all-penetrating, omnipresent;
bhava: manifestation, becoming; maru: cutting, killing;
san tāpaṃ: sorrows, miseries;
śamayati: alleviate; jhaṭiti: immediately; janasya: of the people;
dayāluḥ: merciful

Abhinavagupta composed this hymn on the Dashami (10th day) of the

dark fortnight in the month of Pausha. And owing to this hymn, the all-
pervading Lord Bhairava, being merciful, destroys all worldly miseries of
his devotees, out of utmost compassion. (10)

|| समा$ं Cतविमदं अिभनवा}यं प~नवकम् ||

Thus ends the prayer of nine stanzas written by Abhinavagupta.