Sacred Chants of Shiva, from the banks of the Ganges (Singers of The art of Living)
The Shiva Manas Puja, by Sri Adi Shankaracharya, is a unique stotra. It is in in the form of a prayer by a devotee who imagines in his mind all the offerings and rituals prescribed in a pooja and offers them to lord Shiva with faith and devotion. This stotra is an eye opener to those who are fanatic about rituals as it clearly shows that faith and intentions are more important.
Tradução do canto sagrado para a língua inglesa:
I have imagined a throne of precious stones for you, cool water for you to bathe in, divine robes adorned with many jewels, sandalwood paste mixed with musk to anoint your body, jasmine and champaka flowers and bilva leaves, rare incense, and a shining flame. Accept all these which I have imagined in my heart for you, o merciful God.
Sweet rice in a golden bowl inlaid with the nine jewels, the five kinds of food made from milk and curd, bananas, vegetables, sweet water scented with camphor, and betel leaves - I have prepared all these in my mind with devotion. O lord, please accept them.
A canopy, two yak-tail whisks, a fan and a spotless mirror, a viinaa, kettledrums, a mridangA and a great drum, songs and dancing, full prostrations, and many kinds of hymns - all this I offer you in my imagination. O almighty lord, accept this as my worship of you.
You are my self; Paarvatii is my reason. My five praanaas are your attendants, my body is your house, and all the pleasures of my senses are objects to use for your worship. My sleep is your state of samaadhii. Wherever I walk I am walking around you, everything I say is in praise of you, everything I do is in devotion to you, o benevolent lord!
Whatever sins i have committed with my hands, feet, voice, body, actions, ears, eyes, or mind, whether prohibited by the scriptures or not, please forgive them all. Hail! Hail! O ocean of compassion! O great god! O benevolent lord!
