Shivoham…Shivoham…Shivaswarupoham

When auspicious Shivarathri arrives once again, it is time for night-long vigil, pondering over the meaning and purpose of life…man has been indulging in all petty…trivial matters forgetting his true nature…Shivarathri comes as a alert for him to look into him, to get the glimpse of his Real Truth…a beautiful prayer poem from Sri Jullie Chaudhuri…

Shivaratri….a day to fast and to feast too…
…to ‘fast’ and abstain from all that which is negative,
…conflicting and contrary…
…then blossom consciously…
…willfully aware and alert…
…going on to ‘feast’ wholeheartedly…
…consistently upon all that which is  noble…holy…
…ethical…worthy and invigoratingly exemplary…
…a pledge to attract…
…and live a life full of purpose…purposefully…

Oh! Most Mighty, Almighty One…
Beloved Bhagawan…
Oh! All Powerful…Infinite Being…
Oh! Mrutyunjaya…Conqueror of Death…
Oh! Thee, Who does grant Ojas…
…Urja…Chaitanya…
…our Source…our Energy…our Life Force…
…Cosmic Essence…Insight and Intelligence…
Oh! Thee, so Singularly Auspicious…

Oh! Thee….Pavitra Purusha…
Trilochana…Sanatana…Parama Shiva…
Shivoham…Shivoham…Anandarupoham…
Oh! Thee All-Knowing One…
…with the Fascinating Third Eye…
…the eye of Knowledge, Intuition…
…and utmost Wisdom…
…Thy Name so blissfully enchanting…
…eternal and caressingly balsam…
…healing and wholesome…

Oh! Most Cherished Lord…
Come…Come…Come…
…guide our ascension…
…help us evolve…
…from the ordinary…
…to that which is exceptional and extraordinaire…
…towards ‘that’ truth…
…goodness and beauty beyond compare…
…from the factious and fatuous…
…to that which is shimmeringly fabulous…
From the petty to the profound…
…release us from being bound…
…into that exalted aspect…
…distinct and unbound…
…from pale and redundant pretense…
…to an Effulgent Presence…

From the frivolous, trivial and transient…
…to the transcendental…
…from the superficial to the spiritual…
…from exclusion to expansion…
…overriding any and every division…
Oh! Thee Chidanandarupam…
…Pure Consciousness…Beatitude…
…Bliss and Ecstasy…
…lead us unto -
Shivoham…Shivoham…Shivaswarupoham…
Free us from identifying with the temporal…
…as well as all that which is ephemeral…
Inherited vasanas…
…negative tendencies, impressions…
…channel us to reassess…
From the prison of body consciousness…
…liberate our soul…

…Oh! At long last a final settlement…
…having spent lifetimes in parole…
That we may now associate, affiliate, relate…
…solely with Thee,
Oh! Beloved One…
…with Thee -
The Sublime Whole…
…replete in the awareness…
…You are the Path…
You – the Pilgrim…You – the Goal…

A Oneness Supreme…
…direct us to redeem…
Finally…decisively…assuredly…effectively…
…to dissolve into the vast Ocean…
…kindly allow this tiny insignificant stream…

Oh! Blissful One…Oh! Soul Sovereign,
Thy Grace is our breath…
You – our
raison d’être
…our reason for being…
…encircling us perennially is Thy Cosmic Sheen…
…effervescent benedictions refreshingly riverine…

We entreat Thee…
Grant abundant glimpses wondrously nectarine…

Oh! Exquisite One…
Beloved Bhagawan…
Oh! Eashwara…
Oh! Thee, the Foremost Absolute…
The Ultimate Source…
Oh! Umapriya…Gaurieshwara…
Beloved Consort of the ever loving Divine Mother -
…the resplendent Enchantress of the Universe…
…the Splendorous One Who uninterruptedly…
…endlessly…abidingly enchants Your Heart…

Oh! Nirmal Hrudaya…
…tenderhearted Embodiment of Compassion…
With extreme fervor we do Thee…thus pray…
…retrieve and save us from the world and the worldly …
…so too…
…from elusive illusion…and all that is illusory…
May all delusion slip away…
…we beseech Thee…
…allow no procrastination…
…or hindrance nor any further delay…
…only You can amend the script…
…of Your own Cosmic Play…
Oh! Cherished Lord…
Come…Come…Come…
…we await Thee…
…with pristine passion…
Come and guide our ascension…
…overriding any and every division…

Oh! Thee Chidanandarupam…Shivaswarupam…
…Sundaram…Sundaram…
Come…Come… Come…
Oh! Absolute Auspiciousness…Knowledge and Bliss…
Oh! Thee signifying incomparable, unique…
…and unsurpassable Beauty…
Shiva Sai…Sathya Sai…Sai Shiva…
…we appeal and petition Thee…
…reveal to us now Thy Truth Golden…
…allow us to conclusively…eternally…
…submit…rely…
…and revel in Thy Sathyam…the Sathya of Sai…

Oh! Bhasmarupoham…
…Thy Glorious Form besmeared with sacred ash…
… alluding to the eventual elimination…
…the ephemeral nature of the body…
Forever towards the Divine Truth…
…make our thoughts spin…

Oh! Mahadev…Maheshwara…
Oh! Thee…the Mighty…Almighty Ultimate Being…
…escort us gently unto the harbor within…
..to anchor therein…
…a Hallowed Homecoming…

Oh! Anuttama…Sumukha…Sai Shiva…
Oh! Thee Most High and Exceptional…
…with extremely Beatific and Pleasing Countenance…
…during these sacred moments of Shivaratri…
…we implore Thee…
…propel our mind, heart and intellect…
… to be so truly and thoroughly merged in Thee…
Release the soul…
…from the fetters and shackles of transmigration…
…from all that is superficial…
…from the hardened clasp of matter…
…and material totally…
Oh! Beloved Sai Shiva…Shivam…Shivaswarupam…
…Come…and command us…
Lead us…liberate us unto -
Shivoham…Shivoham…Shivaswarupoham…

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II