Kirtha Ashtakam

Kirtha Ashtakam
[The octet addressed to the hunter]
Translated by P. R. Ramachander

[This is a very rare prayer addressed to Lord Shiva as hunter. It is well known that when Arjuna did Thapas to please Shiva to get Pasupathasthra, he appeared to him in the form of a hunter to test him. To my knowledge there are three temples dedicated to Shiva as a hunter. One of them is in Anthimahakalan Kavu, Chelakkara, one in Panjal and another in Kottayam. The Stotra in devanagari is available at: www.sivakiratham.com/info/library/ka/]

Thäpincha néeläbha kaleebaräya
Pinchävatamsäya mahesvaräya
Bhaktapriyäyämara püjitäya
Kiräta rüpäya namasivaya || 1 ||

I salute the god with the form of a hunter,
Who has body with blue colour of Tamala tree,
Who is the great God who wears bunch of ear studs,
Who likes his devotees and is worshipped by Devas.

Trayémayäyärthi vinäsanäya
Trailokyanäthäya dayäparäya
Yogéndra chittämbuja samsthitäya
Kiräta rüpäya namasivaya || 2 ||

I salute the god with the form of a hunter,
Who completely eradicates three types of illusions,
Who is the merciful one as well as lord of three worlds,
And who lives in the lotus like mind of great yogis.

Samastalokotbava käranäya
Bhäväbdi potäya bhayäpahäya
Bhütesvaräya akhila bhütitäya
Kiräta rüpäya namasivaya || 3 ||

I salute the god with the form of a hunter,
Who is the cause of birth of all worlds,
Who creates fear to the sea of birth and death,
Who is the lord of all beings and is all the beings.

Kalyänadäya ämala vigrahäya
Jnänasvarüpäya gunälayäya
Vikhyäta véeräya visäradhäya
Kiräta rüpäya namasivaya || 4 ||

I salute the god with the form of a hunter,
Who is the pure form which grants auspiciousness,
Who is the form of knowledge and a temple of goodness,
Who is the famous warrior and who is very learned.

Apära dukhärnava nävikäya
Kshipra prasädäya varapradäya
Véeräyä nänä muni seevitäya
Kiräta rüpäya namasivaya || 5 ||

I salute the god with the form of a hunter,
Who is the boat men who makes cross the sea of extreme sorrow,
Who quickly gets pleased and grants boons,
Who is a valorous one served by great many sages.

Mahänu bhäväya mahäbhujäya
Mahée pariträya samuddidäya
Choräri dushta graha näsanäya
Kiräta rüpäya namasivaya || 6 ||

I salute the god with the form of a hunter,
Who is a great one with great hands,
Who looks after the world and arranges it properly,
And who destroys thieves and bad planets.

Kodanda bänacchurikä viräjata
Karäyatehe vairikuläntakäya
Bhaktärti handree, paradeevatäya
kiräta rüpäya namsivaya || 7 ||

I salute the god with the form of a hunter,
Who armed with Kodanda bow and quiver of arrows,
Becomes the god of death to our enemies,
And who fulfills wants of devotees and is the divine God.

Adhyanta héenäya nirämayäya
Sarvätmanee kanmasha näsanäya
Täpatrayam vyädhi bhishagvaräya
Kiräta rüpäya namasivaya || 8 ||

I salute the god with the form of a hunter,
Who completely demolishes from beginning to end, the bad ones,
Who completely destroys the evils in all beings,
And who is a doctor curing the diseases and three types of sufferings.