‘Salutations to My Lord’ : a poem

My heart flows with gratitude,

Though I know not how to express it to you,

O lord,

Sacred pranava echoes your presence,

but in this samsara, who knows your essence?

Fragrant mandar adorns your neck,

So does Vasuki with his poison breath.

The moon himself is the ornament of your crown,

From your matted locks the mighty Ganges flows down.

O Mahadeva!

You are Rudra, you Ishana,

You are the seed of all jnana.

Mount Kailash is your abode,

Halahal remains trapped in your blue throat.

Smeared with ashes, O primordial yogi,

Your very name is the bestower of mukti.

O Natraja!

The universe moves because of your cosmic dance,

all creation exists because of your damru’s sounds.

The three gunas your trident represents,

You are the destroyer of sins.

Resplendent is your camphor complexion,

Divine is your smile and affection.

O Swayambhu,

Nothing exists other than you,

But my ignorant mind still sees you and the world as two.

Lord you are the flame of my soul,

Having your darshan is my ultimate goal.

None can worship you without your grace,

Who can, O master describe your majestic face?

O Shankara!

I am your ignorant child,

My mind without reins runs wild.

When the world around me seems to be in shambles,

You alone listen to my mind’s meaningless rambles.

O Prabhu!

I wonder what punyas did I do,

to deserve your grace and Swamiji ‘s too.

I offer my obeisance to you. 🙏

Om Namah Shivaya!

~ Arunima Ojha 

P.S. : I had written this poem for the Zenrich Prayerful Poetry Competition.