Pradosha Mahatmyam

Pradosha Mahatmyam
[From Shiva Purana]
Translated by P. R. Ramachander*

Kailasa shaila bhuvane thri jaga janithreem,
Gowreedha nivesye kanakanchitha rathna peete,
Nrutham vidhthu mabhi vanchithi Soolapanau,
Deva Pradosha samaye anubhajanthi sarve. 1

During the time of Pradosha,
The Lord who holds the trident,
Makes Goddess Gowri,
Who is the mother of all the three worlds,
Sit on a golden seat inlaid with precious gems,
And prepares to dance himself,
And all the devas sing his praise at this time.

Vagdevi drutha vallaakee sathamukho
venum dhadhan padmaja,
Sthallo nidhra karo ramaa bhagawathi,
geya prayogaanvithaa,
Vishnu saandra mrudanga vaadana patur
devas samanthath sthithaa,
Sevanthe thamara pradosha samaye
devam mrudaaneepathim. 2

The goddess of Knowledge plays Veena,
The hundred faced Indra plays the flute,
The Brahma who was born in a lotus keeps time,
The Goddess Lakshmi starts to sing,
The God Vishnu plays the drum with ease,
And all the devas stand all round in service,
And pray Lord Shiva during the time of pradosha.

Gandarwa Yaksha patha goraga siddha saadhya.
Vidhyadaraamaraapsaraso ganaascha,
Yeanyethi loka nilaya saha bhootha varga,
Prapthe pradosha samaye hara parswa samstha. 3

When the time of Pradosha arrives,
Gandarwas, Yakshas, birds, snakes, saints,
Vidhyadaras, devas, the celestial dancers, Bhoothas,
And all the beings in the three worlds,
Come and stand near The Lord Shiva.

Atha pradoshe shiva eka eva,
Poojyodhananye hari padmajadhya,
Thasmin mahese vidhinejyamane,
Sarve praseedanthi suradhi natha. 4

So at the time of Pradosha,
There is need to worship only Shiva,
Instead of Vishnu , Brahma and others,
For the proper worship of Lord Shiva then,
Would give the effect of worshipping all gods.

Lokanahooya sarvaan vividha damarukair gora samsara magnan,
Dathwaabheetham dayalu pranatha bhava haram kunchitham vaama bhaagam,
Uddruthyedham vimukherayanamithi karadarshayan prathyayartham,
Bibradwanhim sabhaayaam kalaathi natanam ya shivo na sa paayal. 5

Let us be protected by that dancing Shiva,
Who uses the various sounds of the shaking drum,
To call all those people drowned in the fearful life,
Who indicates protection to them using his right hand held down,
Who lifts his left leg capable of killing all sorrows,
To those who fall at his feet,
Who indicates the path of salvation by his left hand held up,
And who shows that all this is true by carrying fire in the other left hand,

Sathyam braveemi, paraloka hitham braveemi,
Saaram braveemi upanishadyadhyam braveemi,
Samsaramuthbanamasar vaapya jantho,
Saroyameeswarapadhamburuhasya seva. 6

I tell the truth,
I tell what is good for the other world,
I tell the views of the Upanishads,
For every insignificant animal that is born,
The only meaningful thing is the service to God.

Yenarchayanthi gireesam samaye pradoshe,
Ye na architham shivamapi pranamanthichanye,
Ethath kadhaam sruthi putair na pibanthi mooda,
Stheya janma subhavanthi naraa daridra. 7

He who does not worship Lord Shiva during Pradosha,
He who does not at least bow before him at that time,
He who does not at least listen to the story of Shiva at that time,
Is a foolish soul who would be always poor, birth after birth.

Ye vai pradosha samaye parameswarasya,
Kurvanthyananya mansangri saroja poojaam,
Nithya pravrudha thara puthra kalathra mithra,
Soubhagya sambadadhikastha ihaiva loke. 8

He who during the time of Pradosha, worships Lord Shiva,
With full concentration using lotus flowers,
Would forever along with his children, wife and friends,
Get all wealth and all luck in a very large measure.

* Based on the Malayalam translation of Chennas Krishnan Namboodhiri, Guruvayoor.