अष्टमूर्तिपूजाThe worship of the eight forms
Verse 80
प्रणवादिनमोऽन्तेन प्रत्येकाह्वानपूर्वकम् । पूर्वादीशानपर्यन्तमष्ट मूर्तीः क्रमाद्यजेत् ॥ ८० ॥
praṇavādinamō’ntēna pratyēkāhvānapūrvakam | pūrvādīśānaparyantamaṣṭa mūrtīḥ kramādyajēt || 80 ||
Translation
With each name beginning with the praṇava and ending with namaḥ, calling each one first, he should worship the eight forms in order, from the east round to the north-east.
Word by word
- praṇava
- the praṇava
- ādi
- (ādi) beginning
- namō
- (namaḥ) namaḥ
- antēna
- (antena) ending
- pratyēka
- each one
- āhvāna
- (āhvāna) calling
- pūrvakam
- first
- pūrvād
- (pūrvāt) from the east
- īśāna
- the north-east
- paryantam
- round to
- aṣṭa
- eight
- mūrtīḥ
- the forms
- kramād
- (kramāt) in order
- yajēt
- he should worship
Meaning
The commentary writes out the first as a pattern. He calls: "śarva kṣitimūrte ihāgaccha iha tiṣṭha iha sannidhehi mama pūjāṁ gṛhāṇa", "Śarva, whose form is earth, come here, stay here, be present here, receive my worship"; and worships with sandal and flowers on the east of the vedī with "oṁ śarvāya kṣitimūrtaye namaḥ". The other seven follow in the south-east and on round.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
By what rite should he worship the eight forms of Mahādeva? In answer he says "praṇavādi" and the rest. Praṇavādinamo'ntena: with the name-mantra that begins with the praṇava and ends with namaḥ. Pūrvāt: beginning from the east. Thus: having called him with "O Śarva, whose form is earth, come here, stay here, be present here, receive my worship" (śarva kṣitimūrte ihāgaccha iha tiṣṭha iha sannidhehi mama pūjāṁ gṛhāṇa), he should worship Śarva, whose form is earth, with sandal, flowers and the rest, with the mantra "oṁ śarvāya kṣitimūrtaye namaḥ", on the eastern side of the vedī. In just this way, in order, in the south-east and the rest, he should worship the other seven forms too.