(The hymn of external
worship)
Translated by
P.R.Ramachander
(The traditional worship of any deity
consists of Dhyana (meditating on his form), Avahana (Installing the deity), Asana
(Offering him a seat), Padya (Offering him water to wash his feet), Arghya (Offering
him water to wash his hands), Achamaniya(Offering a sip of water for internal
cleansing), Snana(Offering him bath), Vastra(Offering him apparel to wear),
Upavita(Offering him the sacred thread), Patra-Pushpa(Offering him leaves and
flowers)Gandha(Offering him sandal paste), Abharana(Offering him jewels),
Naivedya(Offering him food), Thamboola(Offering him betel leaf and nut), Dheepa(offering
him light), Dhoopa(Offering him scented smoke), Niranjna(Offering him lighted
Camphor) and Udvasana(Bidding him farewell).
In this great prayer to the God, the poet points out how each one of
these is impossible or unjustified while bringing out those great qualities of
God. This poem is ascribed to Adhi Shankara in the publication from Gita press,
Sthithe adwitheeya bhave asmin kadham pooja vidheeyathe 1
How do I worship that
entity,
Which is limitless
and without borders,
Which
is full of perennial bliss,
Which
has a form that is beyond imagination,
And which stands
alone without a second.
Poornasya vahanam kuthra sarva dharasya chasanam,
Swachasya
padyamarkhyacha sudhasyachachamanm kutha. 2
How can I place him
at a place,
When he is spread
everywhere,
How can I offer him a
seat,
When he carries the
entire universe,
How can I clean his
feet and hands,
When he is the purest
of the pure,
How can I offer him a
sip of water,
When he himself is
the nectar?
Nirmalasya kutha snanam, vasthram viswodharasya cha,
Agothraya thwavarnasya kuthasthasyopaveethakam. 3
How can I offer him a
bath,
When he is the
cleanest of the clean,
How can I offer him a
dress,
When
he has the universe in his belly.
How can I offer him
sacred thread,
When he is without colour , creed and caste?
Nirlepasya kutho gandha, pushpam nirvasanasya cha,
Nirviseshasya kaa bhoosha, ko
alankaro nirakruthe.
4
How can I offer
sandal paste,
To the one who is
beyond application,
How I can I offer
fragrant flowers,
When he is beyond
smell and scent,
How can I offer him ornaments,
When he is already
beyond adjectives,
How can I offer him decoration,
When he does not have
any form?
Niranchanasya kim dhoopair deepair
va sarva sakshina,
Nijanandaika truptasya naivedhyam kim bhavediha. 5
How can I offer him a
lighted lamp,
When he is the all
seeing witness,
How can I offer him the
scented smoke,
When he is mixture of all qualities,
How can I offer him
sacred offering to eat,
When he is satisfied
with eating of nectar?
Viswananda pithusthasya kim
thamboolam prakalpyathe,
Swayam prakasa chid roopo yo asavarkadhi bhasaka. 6
How can I offer him
betel leaf and nut,
When he is the one who makes the world happy,
And when he makes the sun and moon shine.,
With his own lustrous
self.
Pradakshina hyananthasya hyadwayasya kutho nathi,
Veda vakhyair vedhyasya kutha sthothram vidheeyathe. 7
How can I offer him circumambulation,
When he is all
pervasive and without end,
How can I praise with
words of Vedas,
When he himself are the words of the Vedas?
Swayam prakasa manasya kutho neerajanam vibho,
Aanthabarhischa poornasya kadamudwasanam bhaveth. 8
How can I show the
light of Camphor to Him,
When he , himself is self illuminating ,
How can I offer him a farewell,
When he is spread
inside and outside of everywhere?
Evameva para pooja sarvavasthu sarvada,
Ekabudhya thu devese vidheya brahma vithamai. 9
Those great masters
of the knowledge of Brahma,
Should with single
mindedness worship the lord of the Gods,
Using this external worship , always and in all times.