Rudrashtadhyayi

We invoke you, lord of the Ganas; we invoke you, lord of all that is dear; we invoke you, lord of treasures. Abide with us, O Vasu. I have come to be the womb of prayer; you have come to be born of that womb.

Benefits:

• •Steadies and purifies the mind before any Rudra recitation or abhisheka
• •The refrain "tan me manah shivasankalpam astu" is among the most widely used Vedic prayers for right resolve and clarity
• •Traditionally the first limb recited in the six-limb (shadanga) form of Rudrapatha

Purusha has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet. Having touched the earth on every side, he stood beyond it by ten fingers' breadth.

Benefits:

• •One of the oldest and most widely recited hymns of the Rig and Yajur Veda, foundational to almost all Vedic ritual
• •Traditionally recited for prosperity, right understanding of one's dharma, and in Lakshmi worship (the Uttaranarayana portion)
• •The second limb recited in the six-limb (shadanga) form of Rudrapatha

Swift, sharpening himself, fearsome like a bull, striking without being struck, who stirs up the peoples; the ever-roaring, ever-wakeful sole hero - Indra alone has conquered a hundred armies together.

Benefits:

• •Traditionally recited as protective armour (kavach) before undertaking the recitation or abhisheka proper
• •Invokes Indra, Brihaspati, Varuna and the Maruts together for protection and the removal of obstacles
• •The fourth limb (kavach) in the six-limb (shadanga) form of Rudrapatha

May the vast, radiant one protect the honeyed Soma-drink, granting long life, not to be withheld from the lord of the sacrifice. He who, impelled by the wind, guards by his own nature, has nourished creatures in many ways, and shines forth in many forms.

Benefits:

• •Praises Surya as the shared "eye" of Mitra, Varuna and Agni - traditionally recited for clear sight, both literal and spiritual
• •The fifth limb (netra) in the six-limb (shadanga) form of Rudrapatha
• •Draws on some of the oldest and most widely known Vedic sun-hymns, including the "udu tyaṃ jātavedasam" verse also found independently in the Rig Veda

Salutation to you, O Rudra, to your wrath, and also salutation to your arrow; salutation to your two arms as well.

Benefits:

• •The core of the entire Rudrashtadhyayi - its recitation alone is traditionally said to equal the merit of reciting the whole book
• •The sixth and final limb (astra) of the six-limb (shadanga) form of Rudrapatha
• •Contains the opening mantras already familiar from the puja-vidhi section of this book, where they are used as dhyana and arghya mantras for Shiv

Salutation to Babhlusha and to the hunter, lord of food-grains. Salutation to the weapon of existence, lord of all moving creatures. Salutation to Rudra the archer, lord of fields. Salutation to the charioteer and the slayer, lord of forests. Salutation to the red one, the master-builder, lord of trees (18). Salutation to the one who brings forth and does good with waters, lord of medicinal herbs. Salutation to the counsellor and the merchant, lord of thickets. Salutation to the loud-voiced one who calls out, lord of foot-soldiers. Salutation to the one who moves everywhere entirely (19).

Benefits:

• •This namaskara litany is the reason the chapter is called Shatarudriya ("of a hundred Rudras") - it addresses Rudra by name in every conceivable role, place and form, leaving nothing outside his presence
• •Traditionally understood as establishing that there is no place, trade, or kind of being in which Rudra cannot be approached
• •Closes with the famous universal salutation "to the Rudras in every direction" that is recited widely on its own

May we, blessed with offspring, abide bearing your mind within our own bodies, under the vow of Soma.

Benefits:

• •Contains the Mahamrityunjaya mantra - traditionally the most powerful mantra for overcoming the fear of death and for healing
• •Mantra 7's "tryayusham" verse is recited for long, healthy life, invoking the lifespans of the sages Jamadagni and Kashyapa
• •Mantra 8 is the traditional mundan (tonsure) mantra, still used in that household rite today

To Ugra, to Bhima, to Vardhvanta and to Dhuni; to Sasahva, to Abhiyugva and to Vikshipa - svaha.

Benefits:

• •Traditionally read as a teaching on non-literal self-offering - the book's own commentary stresses these verses express complete surrender, not literal sacrifice
• •The seventh limb of mantras recited before the Chamakadhyaya in the full ten-adhyaya recitation

Food/strength, impulse, effort, attainment, thought, resolve, sound, fame, renown, revealed knowledge, light, and heaven - may all these be fulfilled for me by this sacrifice.

Benefits:

• •Traditionally recited together with the Shatarudriya (Namakam) as the complete Rudram, the single most widely chanted portion of the Yajurveda
• •Each mantra is a direct, specific petition for a named blessing - food, health, wealth, right understanding - making it one of the most comprehensive prayers for worldly and spiritual well-being in the Veda
• •This edition marks several mantras "(न०)" indicating where the Namakadhyaya is interleaved during the Ekadashini form of recitation

I take refuge in speech as the Rig, in mind as the Yajus, in breath as the Sama; I take refuge in sight and hearing. May speech, strength and vigour, together with the in-breath and out-breath, abide steadily in me.

Benefits:

• •Contains the Gayatri mantra (mantra 3) and the universally recited Shanti litany (mantra 17, "dyauh shantir antariksham shantih...")
• •A chapter of peace-prayers for every element - earth, water, fire, the directions, day and night
• •Traditionally recited to close the recitation of the core adhyayas before the final Swasti-prarthana

May Indra of great renown grant us well-being; may Pushan, knower of all, grant us well-being; may Tarkshya of the unbroken rim grant us well-being; may Brihaspati grant us well-being.

Benefits:

• •The traditional closing prayer for any Vedic recitation, asking for general well-being (swasti) from Indra, Pushan, Tarkshya and Brihaspati
• •Contains the Rudra Gayatri (mantra 8) and a second recitation of the Panchabrahma mantras
• •Its closing apology-verse ("yad akshara padabhrashtam...") is traditionally recited at the end of any Vedic rite to ask forgiveness for any error made in the recitation itself