People have chanted Sri Rudram or Sri Rudraprasna for ages. Even I have. We have been told that it is powerful. It indeed is. However, not many people really understand the meaning (superficial or inner) of Rudraprasna. That includes me. Here is an attempt to translate Rudraprasna for the benefit of all, particularly me.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a Sanskrit scholar but have interest in understanding the inner meaning of vedic mantras. So, it is an attempt to help myself and if it helps others then that is a bonus, my offering to the Lord. Sarvam Sri KrishNarpaNam.
I thought, before I start let me see if there are any translations already. And I found this really good site where I have taken the translation from (
). I have not looked into the accuracy of the translation but after going through the site I can say with complete confidence that this looks like an authentic translation.
Rudra is derived from "rud", which is to "roar" or "cry" or "cry out loud". rOditi or rOdayati - one who cries or makes one cry. "rudhiram drAvayati", the explosion of energy or a flash of lightening or the volcano or even anger. "Shiva" and "Rudra" are often seen as the same aspect or personality. It is also said that Rudra is a form of Shiva. While Shiva in literal words mean "auspicious, bliss, friendly, kind, gracious, benign" and the same Lord takes the form of Rudra when he become "terrible, horrible, dreadful, roaring". It is the contrasting forms of the same Lord. Rudra is the energy that creates turbulence in the creation - whether it is the waves or the winds or the volcanoes, they are all manifestations of Rudra. Rudra is also the internal turbulence that manifests in our minds (manyu) in the form of anger or disgust. To appease Rudra is to appease the mind and the internal disturbing, violent emotional energies that can make one roar and cry.
Sri Rudra is a combination of "namakam" and "chamakam". While "namakam" is an attempt to pacify Rudra, "chamaka" is an appeal to provide us with resource for excellence to fulfill various desires for wellbeing in this life.
The namaka and chamaka portions of Rudraprashna is classified into 11 anuvAkAs each. anuvAkA means "section" or "passage of statements" or "repeating" or "reciting". "vAk" is the speech and "anu" prefix gets into the details of it. "anu" means "along side" or "near" or "according to" or "subordinate to". So, an "anuvAka" is a passage of profound statements.
There are 170 mantrAs with a "namaH" attached to it, so the name namakam. "namaH" simplies indicates the process of paying respect or a respectful greeting. "na" "ma" literally indicates the loss of ego, where the devotee is saying "not mine" or "not about me", which implies "it is is all you my Lord". "nama" occurs 183 times in the namakam. It is split into 11 anuvAkAs.
"chamaka" is way of asking "giving that to me and this to me". This is chanted after the deity is invoked through the namakam. There are 343 desires listed in the 11 anuvAkAs of chamakam. The desires are mundane and spiritual in nature - needed for material existence and spiritual evolution.
॥श्रीरुद्रप्रश्नः॥
śrīrudrapraśnaH
ॐ
नमो
भगवते॑
रुद्रा॒य
om namo bhagavate̍ rudrā̱ya
Aum! Salutations to Lord Rudra*
* Rudra – dreadful, terrific, frightful, formidable; Great; Driving away
Evil; Praiseworthy; one of the 11 deities or manifestations of Shiva, of
Shankara (rudrANAm shankarachAsmi), Siva; fire;
ॐ
नम॑स्ते
रुद्र
म॒न्यव॑
उ॒तोत॒
इष॑वे॒
नमः
| नम॑स्ते
अस्तु॒
धन्व॑ने
बा॒हुभ्या॑मु॒त
ते॒
नमः।
om nama̍ste rudra ma̱nyava̍ u̱tota̱
iṣa̍ve̱ nama̍ḥ | nama̍ste astu̱
dhanva̍ne bā̱hubhyā̍mu̱ta te̱ nama̍H
namah – obescience, te – to you, rudra – O
Rudra*, manyave (related to manyu - sacrifice, rage, wrath, fury,
high spirit, mind) – ferocious or anger, uta* – and, te –
to your, iṣave (ish - speedy; going quickly; wishing; desirous;
strength; power; comfort; refreshing waters of the sky; animated; one possessed
of sap or strength;) - arrows, namaḥ –
my obesciences, bāhubhyām – shoulders/arms, uta – and, te –
to your, namaḥ – my obesciences
* uta – used for the sake of emphasis especially at the end of a line
after iti or verb
O Rudra, my prostrations to your anger (wrath), moreover prostrations to your
arrows*, to your bow, and prostrations to your mighty arms / shoulders. Salutations to you.
* The arrow is symbolic to that which pierces the heart. His third eye
is the bow and arrow is His sight that sets even kAma on fire, and cleanses on of
impurities. Arrows indicate the violent energey that emanates out of Rudra. The prayer tries to pacify Rudra.
या
त॒
इषुः
शि॒वत॑मा
शि॒वं
ब॒भूव॑
ते॒
धनुः।
शि॒वा शर॒व्या॑ या
तव॒
तया॑
नो
रुद्र
मृडय।
yā ta̱ iṣu̍ḥ śi̱vata̍mā śi̱vaṁ
ba̱bhūva̍ te̱ dhanu̍ḥ । śi̱vā śa̍ra̱vyā̍ yā tava̱ tayā̍
no rudra mṛḍaya
yā – he who, ta –
that, rudra – O Rudra, śivātamA – supremely auspicious / beneficial, shivam babhoova
became auspicious, te dhanuH – by your
bow, shivA – auspicious
sharavyA – shower of arrows / target / mark yA – he, tava – by your, tayA – by
her or protection; naH – our, rudra mRuDaya - to be gracious, to
be pleased; to pardon; to delight; to gladden; Epithet of Lord Shiva
Oh Valiant one (Lord Rudra), may we be the blessed target of that arrow (which pierces one’s heart), your your bow which is supremely auspicious [to the devout], and your quiver of blessedness.
या
ते॑
रुद्र
शि॒वा
त॒नूरघो॒राऽपापकाशिनी।
तया॑
नस्त॒नुवा॒
शन्त॑मया॒
गिरिशंता॒भिचा॑कशीहि
।
yā te̍ rudra śi̱vā
ta̱nūragho̱rā'pā̍pakāśinī | tayā̍
nasta̱nuvā̱ śanta̍mayā̱ giri̍śaṁtā̱bhicā̍kaśīhi
yā – he, te – Your, rudra – O Rudra, śivā – peaceful/auspicious/beneficial, tanúh – forms (the body (tan – to cover; to stretch;
extend; diffuse), aghorā – calming, apāpakāśinī – (apApa + kAshin - apApa – sinless, pure; kAshin – shining;
apApakAshin - one who shines sinlessly ) the preventer of sinful activity and
bestower of spiritual fruits, tayā – that, nah – to us, tanvā – by your form, śaṃtamayā – the producer of happiness, giriśanta – the one who abides in the himalayas, abhicākaśīhi – look at us with your grace.
O Rudra, your blessed form which is peaceful, auspicious, beneficial, calming, which obliterates traces of all sinful actions, through this form which impregnates happiness, O Lord, may you look at us with your
grace from the Mount of KailAsa.
यामिषुं॑
गिरिशन्त॒
हस्ते॑
बि॒भर्ष्यस्त॑वे
।
शि॒वां
गि॑रित्र॒
तां
कु॑रु॒
मा
हिँ॑सीः॒
पुरु॑षं॒
जग॑त्
।।
yām iṣuṃ giriśanta haste bibharṣy
astave | śivāṃ giritra tāṃ kuru mā him̐sīḥ puruṣaṃ jagat ||
yām – who, iṣuṃ – arrows, giriśanta – transfixed in the words of the
Vedas, haste – in hand, bibharṣi – who
holds, astave – to release, śivāṃ – your auspiciousness, giritra – the
protector abiding in the Himalayas, tāṃ – to him, kuru – do, mā – don’t, him̐sīḥ
– destruction, puruṣaṃ – to humamity, jagat – material creation.
O Lord, transfixed in the words of the Vedas, who is holding in hand
the arrows, may you release them to which is most auspicious. O Protector
of the sacred mount, harm not the humanity and the other creations
शि॒वेन॒
वच॑सा
त्वा
गिरि॒शाच्छा॑
वदामसि
।
यथा॑
नः॒
सर्व॒मिज्जग॑दय॒क्ष्मँ
सु॒मना॒
अस॑त्
।।
śivéna vacasā tvā giriśācchā
vadāmasi | yathā naḥ sarvam ij jagad ayakṣmam̐ sumanā asat ||
śivén – benefical form, vacasā – through words, tvā – to you, giriśa –
Lord of the Himalayas, accha – to obtain, vadāmasi - we pray, yathā – for which, naḥ –
we/our, sarvam – all , it – only, jagad – material creation, ayakṣmam̐ – free
from disease, sumanāh – of sound mind, asat – be.
O Lord of the Himalayas, through our auspicious words we pray to obtain
you, through which our creation becomes free from disease and obtain a sound
mind.
अध्य॑वोचदधिव॒क्ता
प्र॑थ॒मो
दै॑व्यो
भि॒षक्
।
अहीँ॑श्च॒
सर्वा॑न्ज॒म्भय॒न्त्सर्वा॑श्च
यातुधा॒न्यो॑
ध॒राचीः॒
परा॑
सुव
।।
adhyavocad adhivaktā prathamó
daivyo bhiṣak |ahīm̐ś ca sarvān jambhayant sarvāś ca yātudhānyò dharācīḥ parā
suva ||
adhyavocat – do/say that which is the great, adhivaktā – the exponent
of the Vedas, prathamah – the first, daivyah - divinity, bhiṣak – the
destroyer, ahīm̐ś – reptiles, ca
– and, sarvān – all, jambhayan – to destroy, sarvāh – all beings, ca – and,
yātudhānyah – evil spirits, adharācīḥ – suppressor, parā suva – remove from us.
O Lord, exponent of the Vedas, the first, the benefactor of the devas,
the destroyer of the cycle of birth, death and disease, bless us that we may be
the greatest. O destroyer, suppress the reptiles and the evil spirits
downwards, far away from us
असौ॒
यस्ता॒म्रो
अ॑रु॒ण
उ॒त
ब॒भ्रुः
सु॑म॒ङ्गलः॑
।
ये
चै॑नँ
रु॒द्रा
अ॒भितो॑
दि॒क्षु
श्रि॒ताः
स॑हस्र॒शो
वै॑षाँ॒
हेड॑
ईमहे
।।
asau yas tāmró aruṇa uta babhruḥ
sumaṅgalaḥ |yé cainam̐ rudrā abhito dikṣu śritāḥ sahasraśó vaiṣām̐ héḍa īmahe
||
asaa – this sun, the direct manifestation of Rudra, yah – who, tāmroh –
looking coppery, aruṇa – red, uta – and,
babhruḥ – yellow, sumaṅgalaḥ – very auspicious, yé – that, ca – and,
enam̐ – his, rudrāh – sun raise, abhitah
– in all, dikṣu – directions, śritāḥ – dependent, sahasraśah – thousands, eṣām̐ – his, héḍa – anger/wrath, ava īmahe – detract/against
This Sun, the direct manifestation of Rudra, looking coppery, red and
yellow, which is very auspicious, in whose close proximity there are thousands
of sun raises in all directions, we pray against their wrath.
असौ॒
यो॑
व॒सर्प॑ति॒
नील॑ग्रीवो॒
विलो॑हितः
।
उतैनं
गो॒पा
अ॑दृश्र॒न्नदृ॑श्रन्नुदहा॒र्यः॒
स
दृ॒ष्तो
मृ॑डयाति
नः
।।
asau yò vasarpati nī́lagrīvo
vilohitaḥ |utainaṃ gopā adr̥śrann adr̥śrann udahāryàḥ sa dr̥ṣtó mr̥ḍayāti naḥ
||
asaa – This Sun, the direct manifestation of Rudra, yah – who, vasarpati – who during sunset is constantly
roaming, nī́lagrīvah – adorning a blue neck, vilohitaḥ – bloody/red, uta – and, enaṃ – his, gopā –
cow herders, adr̥śrann – perceive, adr̥śrann – perceive, udahāryàḥ – girls
carrying water, sa – they, dr̥ṣtah – whilst witnessing, mr̥ḍayāti – experience
deep happiness, naḥ – they.
This Sun, the direct manifestation of Rudra, who during sunset looks
reddish and then blue. He who the cow herders, and the girls carrying water
perceive, who whilst witnessing him experience deep happiness.
नमो॑
स्तु॒
नील॑ग्रीवाय
सहस्रा॒क्षाय॑
मी॒ढुषे॑
।
अथो॒
ये
अ॑स्य॒
सत्वा॑नो॒
हं
तेभ्यो॑
करं॒
नमः॑
।।
namo stu nī́lagrīvāya sahasrākṣāya
mīḍhuṣe |atho yé asya satvāno haṃ tébhyo karaṃ namaḥ ||
namah – Obesciences, astu – to, nī́lagrīvāya – the blue necked one, sahasrākṣāya – a
thousand eyes, mīḍhuṣe – provider of rain, atho – and, yé – that, asya – to
him, satvānah – devotees/servants, ahaṃ – I,
tébhyo – to them, akaraṃ – I do, namaḥ – Obesciences
Obesciences to the blue necked one, adorning a thousand eyes, provider
of rain and to all his devotees/servants I offer my obesciences.
प्रमु॑ञ्च॒
धन्व॑न॒स्त्वमु॒भयो॒रार्त्न्यो॒र्ज्याम्
।
याश्च॑
ते॒
हस्त॒
इष॑वः॒
परा॒
ता
भ॑गवो
वप
।।
pramuñca dhanvanas tvam ubhayor
ārtnyor jyām | yāś ca te hasta iṣavaḥ parā tā bhagavo vapa ||
pramuñca – release, dhanvanah – bow, tvam – you, ubhayoh – both,
ārtnyor – ends, jyām – string, yāh – that, ca – and, te – your, hasta – hands,
iṣavaḥ – arrows, tāh – them, bhagavah –
O Lord, parāvapa – cast afar
O Lord, release both sides your string attached to your bow and cast
afar the arrows that are in your hands
विज्यं॒ धनुः॑ कप॒र्दिनो॒ विश॑ल्यो॒
वाण॑वाँ उ॒त ।
अने॑शन्नस्य॒ या इष॑व
आ॒भुर॑स्य निषङ्ग॒धिः ।।
vijyaṃ dhanuḥ kapardino viśalyo vāṇavām̐ uta | aneśann asya yā iṣava ābhur asya niṣaṅgadhiḥ ||
vijyaṃ – string less, dhanuḥ – bow, kapardinah – the one with matted
locks, viśalyah – without arrows, vāṇavāna – hatchet, uta – and, aneśann –
destroy, asya – his, yāh – that, iṣava –
arrows, ābhuh – empty, asya – his, niṣaṅgadhiḥ – scabbard.
May the matted Locked ones bow be string less and his hatchet
without arrows, and any existing arrows be destroyed and let his scabbard be
empty.
या ते॑ हे॒तिर्मी॑ढुष्टम॒
हस्ते॑ ब॒भूव॑ ते॒ धनुः॑
। तया॒स्मान्वि॒श्वत॒स्त्वम॑य॒क्ष्मया॒ परि॑ भुज
।
yā te hetir mīḍhuṣṭama haste babhúva te dhanuḥ | tayāsmān viśvatas tvam ayakṣmayā pari bhuja ||
yā – that, te – your, hetih – weapon, mīḍhuṣṭama – that which showers
the knowledge of immortality, haste – in hand,
babhúva – exists, te – that, dhanuḥ
- bow, tayā - with that, asmān -
do, viśvatas – on all sides, tvam -
your, ayakṣmayā - without harm,
paribhuja – protect us.
O Showerer of the knowledge of immortality, that weaponry bow
which exists in hand, without harming, protect us on all sides.