Prayer To Lord Shiva

|| Karpur gauram karunaa avataaram, sansaar saaram Bhujgendra haaram,
Sadaa vasantam hridayaarvinde, Bhavam Bhavaani sahitam namaami ||

I bow to that camphor-hued, white complexioned ( Lord Shiva ), who is Incarnation of compassion, who is the very essence of (consciousness; the knowing principle) of life (of the embodied soul); who wears snakes as garlands, whose eternal abode is in the heart of the devotee.

I bow to Him (Lord Shiva) and His consort Bhavani (Uma or Paarvati). Karpur (camphor-hued); Gauram (white); Karunaa (compassion); Avataaram (incarnation); Sansaar (life of the embodied soul); Saaram (essence, the knowing principle or consciousness); Bhujagendra (the wearer of snakes or who wields the Serpent power of Kundalini Shakti); Haaram (garlands); Sadaa (eternal); Vasantam (resides); Hridayaarvinde (in the heart of the devotee); Bhavam (Lord Shiva); Bhavaani (Uma or Paarvati); Sahitam (together); Namaami (I bow).

The rain water is locked up in the Himalayas as snow or ice and River Ganga (Ganges) falling from the heaven is locked up in the Jata (matted locks) of Siva. Hence Siva is called Ganga-dhara. River Ganga streams from the Himalayas and flows down to earth from Shiva's matted locks after release. The holy river flows down from Shiva's head and therefore it symbolizes the stream of wisdom. Snakes epitomize mental powers (the coiled up serpent power of Kundalini Shakti) under the control of the divinity. The moon symbolizes mind in a state of tranquillity and purity. The Damaru (a small drum-like instrument in Lord Shiva's hand) represents the sabda Brahman. And the sound AUM (OM), from which all languages are formed.