A Hymn to Kalagni Rudra

A Hymn to Kalagni Rudra

"Rudra is truly one; for the knowers of Brahman do not admit the existence of a second, He alone rules all the worlds by His powers. He dwells as the inner Self of every living being. After having created all the worlds, He, their Protector, takes them back into Himself at the end of time."

A Prayer to Kalagni Rudra:

Salutations to thee O Kalagni Rudra !

Salutations to thee O Mrithyunjaya , Salutations to thee O Gangadhara

Salutations to thee O Lord of all beings.

Thou art the killer of Time. Thou art the one in whom the worlds rest.

Thou art the one in whom Gods merge. Thou art one who slays all.

Thou art Brahman, Thou art One without second. Thou art the source of all

Thou art the one who gives delight. Thou art the one who created the creator.

Thou art the one who created Time. Thou art the one in whom the 'Time' moves.

Thou art auspicious. Thou art Nirguna

Thou art the source of Prakriti. Thou art the rest place of all creatures.

Thou art the one who is beyond the reach of senses. Thou art the one who is beyond comprehension.

Thou art the Supreme Self. Thou art the Sole refuge for all beings

Thou art Agni, Thou art Mitra, Thou art Varuna, Thou art Vishnu, Thou art Indra,

Thou art Prajapathi. Thou art greater than the great. 

Thou art Truth, Thou art auspicious, Thou art Non-dual Brahman. 

"It is because Thou, O Lord, art birthless, that some rare souls, frightened by birth and death, take refuge in Thee. O Rudra, may Thy benign face protect me for ever!"

O Rudra.... Salutations to thy wrath

Who can stand before thee, O mighty Lord, when thou stand as 'Mahakala'

Neither men nor gods can stand before thee, O Rudra !

Thy wrath alone makes the Gods shiver with fear.

Thy wrath alone is sufficient to burn the worlds into ashes.

Thy wrath alone is sufficient to make the creation merge in you !

Thou art superior to death. Thou art the killer of death(kala).

Thou art superior to kama. Thou art the killer of  kama(birth).

Thou art the one who kicked both Kama and Kala.

O Lord, the fury of Thee who became a hunter with a bow in hand has not as yet left Brahmā though, keenly pierced by Thy arrow and terror stricken, he has fled to the sky.

O Rudra, that Kama(cupid)  whose arrows do not fail anywhere in the world of gods, demons and men but are always successful became simply an object of memory by looking upon Thee as an ordinary god like Brahma et al.

O Mighty lord, that foolish Daksha thought gods are sufficient for the sacrifice and negected thou, the creator of gods, O Parameshwara. The sacrifice being destroyed Thou ever remainest the connecting link between the sacrificers and the fruit of the sacrifice. When does the destroyed sacrifice bear fruit, if not accompanied by the worship of the Lord? Therefore knowing Thee to be the giver of fruits and putting faith in the Vedas, people become resolute about the performance of sacrifical rites.

Thou Giver of refuge, even the sacrifice where Daksha prajapati, an expert in sacrifices was the sacrificer, Rishis were priests, gods were supervisors, was destroyed by Thee though Thou art bent upon giving fruits of the sacrifices. Surely the sacrifices cause injury to the sacrificers in the absence of devotion to thee, O Absolute Brahman.

O Lord we know that, verily, thou art the embodiment of Mercy.

O Rudra, only the wise can know that Thy anger is a Divine play made by thee to delude us.

Thou art beyond all Gunas. Thou art Nirguna. Thou art beyond both wrath and mercy.

Thou art one without second.  Take away thy wrath and show mercy on us, O Shiva.