द्वादशज्योतिर्लिङ्गस्तोत्रम् - Dvaadasha Jyotrilinga Stotram

सौराष्ट्रदेशे विशदेऽतिरम्ये ज्योतिर्मयं चन्द्रकलावतंसम् ।
भक्तिप्रदानाय कृपावतीर्णं तं सोमनाथं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥ १॥

sauraashtadeshe vasudhaavakaashe
jyotirmayam chandrakalaavatamsam
bhaktipradaanaaya krutaavataaram
tam somanaatham sharanam-prapadye.(1)

I seek refuge at the feet of Lord Somanaatha who is seen in this vast earth in the Sauraashtra country. He is at once in the form of Luminous object as well as One with the crest jewel in the form of a digit of the moon. He has come down (on earth) to instil a sense of devotion in us.

Somanaatha temple in Gujarat is one of the twelve abodes of shivalinga of hallowed memory. A `linga' is so called because it `points to' the Supreme Reality. It may also be taken to represent the One wherein this manifest Universe merges (laya) and whence it emerges (gamana) at the time of every creation. `Jyoti' is a form without distinguishing features. Hence it is both form and formless (rupaarupa). Siva represented in human form with limbs and a crest jewel on his head in the form of moon's digit is called Candrashekhara, one of the twentyfive forms (rupa) of shiva.

श्रीशैलशृङ्गे विबुधातिसङ्गे तुलाद्रितुङ्गेऽपि मुदा वसन्तम् ।
तमर्जुनं मल्लिकपूर्वमेकं नमामि संसारसमुद्रसेतुम् ॥ २॥

Shreeshaila-shrunge vividha-prasange
sheshaadrishrunge'pi sadaa vasantam
tam-arjunam mallikapurvam-ekam
namaami samsaarasamudrasetum.(2)

I offer my obeisance to Lord Mallikaarjuna, a bridge to cross over the vast ocean of the cycle of births and deaths, who ever dwells on the peak of shreeshaila, a place of many holy associations as well as on the peak of sheshaadri.

`Arjuna' is the Sanskrit name for the `marudu' tree which is the sthalavruksh a in three temples in South India. Mallikaarjauna referred to here is in shreeshailam in Andhra Pradesh. Madhyaarjuna (Tiruvidaimarudur, Tanjaavur district) is in the centre. The linga there is called Mahaalinga. The third is Putaarjuna at Ambaasamudram in Tirunelveli district. In all these three temples arjuna (marudu) tree is the sthalavruksha. According to Puraanic account Nandikeshvara took the form of shrishaila mountain and worshipped the Lord.

अवन्तिकायां विहितावतारं मुक्तिप्रदानाय च सज्जनानाम् ।
अकालमृत्योः परिरक्षणार्थं वन्दे महाकालमहासुरेशम् ॥ ३॥

avantikaam vihitaavataaram
muktipradaanaayah cha sajjanaanaam
akaalamrutyoh parirakshanaartham
vande mahaakaalam-aham suresham(3)

I offer my obeisance to Mahaakaala, the Lord of gods who has descended on Ujjain with a view to confer liberation to the good people and to protect people from untimely death.

कावेरिकानर्मदयोः पवित्रे समागमे सज्जनतारणाय । सदैवमान्धातृपुरे वसन्तमोङ्कारमीशं शिवमेकमीडे ॥ ४॥

kaaverikaa narmadayoh pavitre
samaagame sajjantaaranaya
sadaiva maandhaatru-pure vasantam-
onkaaram-Ishamshivamekam-Ide.(4)

I offer my praise to Lord shiva, the One (without a second) Onkaaranaatha who dwells for ever in the city of Maandhaaaat at the holy confluence of KaaverI and Narmadaa with a view to rescue (from worldly misery) the good people.

KaaverI here is a tributary of Narmadaa different from the Kaaveri in Tamil Nadu. Maandhaatrupura is to the north of Bombay. "shiva is the `one' who presides over the Universe"- says the `shvetaashvatara Upanisad - sarvam-etad vishvam- adhitishthatyekah. V.5. Onkaara stands for the Naada Brahman. `Om-ityetadaksharam idam sarvam' says the Maandukya Upanishas (1.1) "The letter Om is all this."

पूर्वोत्तरे प्रज्वलिकानिधाने सदा वसन्तं गिरिजासमेतम् ।
सुरासुराराधितपादपद्मं श्रीवैद्यनाथं तमहं नमामि ॥ ५॥

purvottare paaralikaabhidhaane
sadaashivam tam girijaasametam
suraasuraaraadhita-paadapadmam
shrivaidyanaadham satatam smaraami.(5)

I always recount the name of shri Vaidyanaatha of Parle (in Maharashtra) in the north-east who is known as Sadaashiva accompanied by PaarvatI and whose lotus-like feet are worshipped by gods and demons alike.

Shankara Bhagavatpaada in his Svarnamaalaastuti reiterates in the form of a refrain in each of the fifty verses his utter dependence on Saamba Sadaashiva (Sadaashiva with Ambaa) and the same Sadaashiva with Bhavaani is invoked here.

याम्ये सदङ्गे नगरेऽतिरम्ये विभूषिताङ्गं विविधैश्च भोगैः ।
सद्भक्तिमुक्तिप्रदमीशमेकं श्रीनागनाथं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥ ६॥

aamardasamjne naagre cha ramye
vibhushitaangam vividhaIshca bhogaih
sadbhukti-mukti-pradam-Isham-ekam
shrInaaganaatham sharanam-prapadye.(6)

I seek refuge under shrI Naaganaatha who dwells in the beautiful city of aamarda (Daarukaavanam) adorned with a variety of serpents that lend beauty to his limbs. He is the one God that bestows enjoyment through virtuous means and liberation.

aamarda is to the north of Parle. It is now known as Aundh. To the transcendent God who is above fear or joy, serpent as well as the moon are ornaments. He confers bhukti or enjoyment of worldly things only to enable the soul to spend the acquired punya and paapa and help its onward spritual progress (sad-bhukti). The doctrine of surrender is easy only to those who efface their ego.

सानन्दमानन्दवने वसन्तमानन्दकन्दं हतपापवृन्दम् ।
वाराणसीनाथमनाथनाथं श्रीविश्वनाथं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥ ॥

saanandam-aanandavane vasantam-
aanandakankam hatapaapavrundam
vaaraanasi-naatham-anaathanaatham
shrIvishvanaatham sharanam-prapadye.(7)

I seek refuge under shri Visvanaaatha, the Lord of VaaraanasI who dwells happily in aanandavana (Benares). He, the very source of Bliss, the protector of the destitute, destroys all the sins.

यं डाकिनिशाकिनिकासमाजे निषेव्यमाणं पिशिताशनैश्च ।
सदैव भीमादिपदप्रसिद्दं तं शङ्करं भक्तहितं नमामि ॥

yo daakinI-shaakinikaa-samaje
nishevyamaanah pishitaashanaishca
sadaiva bhImaadi-pada-prasiddham
tam shankaram-bhaktahitam namaami.(8)

I offer my obeisance to shankara, the well wisher of devotees who is well known at all times by the appellations such a BhIma, etc. he is served by goblins when He is surrounded by shaktis such as dakini and shakinI.

He is associated with magic rites in which daakinI and shaakini are adept. He is called by various names such as Bhava, Sarva, Mruda etc. Punishment and reward given by him are alike actuated by his benignity (hitam), and hence he is truly shankara.

सुताम्रपर्णीजलराशियोगे निबध्य सेतुं विशिखैरसंख्यैः ।
श्रीरामचन्द्रेण समर्पितं तं रामेश्वराख्यं नियतं नमामि ॥ ९॥

shrItamraparnI-jalaraashiyoge
nibaddhaya setum nishi bilvapatraih
shriraamachandrena samarcitam tam
raameshvaraakhyam satatam namaami.(9)

I offer my salutations to Lord Raameshvara at all times. He was worshipped by shri Raamachandra at night with bilva leaves after constructing, the bridge at the confluence of the river Taamrapatni and the ocean.

सह्याद्रिशीर्षे विमले वसन्तं गोदावरितीरपवित्रदेशे ।
यद्धर्शनात्पातकमाशु नाशं प्रयाति तं त्र्यम्बकमीशमीडे ॥ ८॥

simhaadripaarshve ' pi tate ramantam
godaavarI-tira-pavitra-deshe
yaddarshanaat-paatakajaatanaashah
prajaayate tryambakam-Isham-Ide.(10)

I praise the glory of Tryambaka who exults in the holy spot on the bank of the river GodaavarI adjoining the slopes of the Simhaadri mountain. On seeing Him all the sins are destroyed.

The place is called GautamItata and is on the Nasik Road. Tryambaka refers to the three-eyed God. It is also one of the eleven names of Rudra. It is mentioned as a linga in the Siva-puraana. I, 38, 19. "Tryambakamaahaatmya" is a part of the Padmapuraana.

हिमाद्रिपार्श्वे च तटे रमन्तं सम्पूज्यमानं सततं मुनीन्द्रैः । सुरासुरैर्यक्ष महोरगाढ्यैः केदारमीशं शिवमेकमीडे ॥ ७॥

himaadri-paarshve' pi tate ramantam
sampujyamaanam satatam munindraih
suraasurair-yaksha-mahoragaadyaih
kedaarasamjnam shivam-Isham-Ide.(11)

I offer my praise to shiva known as kedaareshvara who feels delighted on the slopes of Himalayas where he is for ever being worshipped by sages, gods, demons, Yakshas, Naagas, and others.

He is easy of access to everyone whether he is a highly evolved soul like `munIndra' or sub-human being like `uraga'.

इलापुरे रम्यविशालकेऽस्मिन् समुल्लसन्तं च जगद्वरेण्यम् । वन्दे महोदारतरस्वभावं घृष्णेश्वराख्यं शरणम् प्रपद्ये ॥ १२॥

elaapurIramya shivaalaye' smin-
samullasantam trijagad - varenyam
vande mahodaaratarasvabhaavam
sadaashivam tam ghrushneshvaraakhyam.(12)

I salute Sadaashiva called Grushneshvara(Dishneswara), who is held in high esteem in three worlds and is of a highly exalted nature. He rejoices in the beautiful shiva temple at Ellora.

Dhishanaa means jnaana. He is of essence of jnaana, the supreme knowledge. The temple is situated near the famous Ellora caves. Being exalted he pardons the infirmities of mortals and extends his grace to all; but the variation in the beneficial for the individuals is to be attributed to the level of spiritual ripeness of each in the same way as the sunlight that is uniformly radiated does not cause the bloom of all flowers.

——

etaani lingaani sadaiva martyaah
praatah pathanto' mala-maanasaashca
te putra-pautraishca dhanair-udaaraih
satkirti-bhajah sukhino bhavanti. (13)

Those mortals,  who recite these verses often pertaining to the Lingas at dawn with a mind that is pure, will enjoy happiness and be endowed with children and grandchildren, immense wealth and noble fame.