How miserable Lord Shiva is..!

 

एका भार्या समररसिका निम्नगा च द्वितीया

पुत्रोऽप्येको द्विरदवदनो षण्मुखश्च द्वितीयः ।

नन्दी भृङ्गी च कपिवदनो वाहनं पुङ्गवेशः

स्मारं स्मारं स्वगृहचरितं भस्मदेहो महेशः ॥

चाटुचणक

ekā bhāryā samararasikā nimnagā ca dvitīyā

putro'pyeko dviradavadano ṣaṇmukhaśca dvitīyaḥ ।

nandī bhṛṅgī ca kapivadano vāhanaṃ puṅgaveśaḥ

smāraṃ smāraṃ svagṛhacaritaṃ bhasmadeho maheśaḥ ॥

How miserable Lord Shiva is..!

One of His wives is Durga, ever engaged in fighting and killing Demons. She is an inveterate fighter.

Second wife is River Ganga, and by Her very nature she flows along low places, keeping company with lowly fellows.

One son is having the funny face of an elephant-Ganesa.

The other son Skanda is having six faces where normally an attractive person should have only one.

Therefore, both the sons are intolerably ugly.

His vehicle is the old doddery Vrushhabha (Bull) by name Nandi. His chief protocol officer Bhringee who has the face of a monkey.

So what can he have in His house to feel happy or proud about?

Therefore, Lord Shankara decided to run away to a burial ground where he is residing permanently. His body smeared with ashes collected from the funeral pyres.

The final anuvakam of Chamakaprashnam

The final anuvakam of Chamakaprashnam

एका॑ च मे ति॒स्रश्च॑ मे॒ पञ्च॑ च मे स॒प्त च॑ मे॒ नव॑ च म॒ एका॑दश च मे॒ त्रयो॒दश च मे॒ पञ्च॑दश च मे स॒प्तद॑श च मे॒ नव॑दश च म॒ एक॑विग्ंशतिश्च मे॒ त्रयो॑विग्ंशतिश्च मे॒ पञ्च॑विग्ंशतिश्च मे स॒प्त विग्ं॑शतिश्च मे॒ नव॑विग्ंशतिश्च म॒ एक॑त्रिग्ंशच्च मे॒ त्रय॑स्त्रिग्ंशच्च मे॒ चत॑स्-रश्च मे॒‌ऽष्टौ च॑ मे॒ द्वाद॑श च मे॒ षोड॑श च मे विग्ंश॒तिश्च॑ मे॒ चतु॑र्विग्ंशतिश्च मे॒‌ऽष्टाविग्ं॑शतिश्च मे॒ द्वात्रिग्ं॑शच्च मे॒ षट्-त्रिग्ं॑शच्च मे चत्वारि॒ग्॒ंशच्च॑ मे॒ चतु॑श्-चत्वारिग्ंशच्च मे‌ऽष्टाच॑त्वारिग्ंशच्च मे॒ वाज॑श्च प्रस॒वश्चा॑पि॒जश्च क्रतु॑श्च॒ सुव॑श्च मू॒र्धा च॒ व्यश्नि॑यश्-चान्त्याय॒नश्-चान्त्य॑श्च भौव॒नश्च॒ भुव॑न॒श्-चाधि॑पतिश्च ॥ 11 ॥

Eka cha me, thisra cha may, pancha cha may, saptha cha may,

Ekadasa cha may, tryodasa cha may, pancha dasa cha may, saptha dasa cha may,

Nava dasa cha may, eka trimsathis cha may, tryovimsathis cha may,

Pancha vimsathis cha may, saptha vimsathis cha may, nava vimsathis cha may,

Eka trimsathis cha may, tryatrimsathis cha may, pancha trimsathis cha may,

Chathasras cha may, ashtou cha may, dwadasa cha may, shodasa cha may,

Vimsathis cha may, chatur vimsathis cha may, ashtaa vimsathis cha may,

Dwathrimasthis cha may, shat trimsas cha may, chatvarimsa cha may,

Chathus chathvarimsa cha may, ashta chatvarimsa cha may,

Vaajas cha prasavas cha pijascha kradis cha suvas cha moordha cha

Vyasniyas cha anthyayanas cha anthyas cha

Bhouvans cha bhuvanas chadhipadhis cha. 11

The celebrated commentator Vishnu Suri gives the following interpretation..

The numbers mentioned upto 33 seek the grace of the devas numbering thirty three crores.

The numbers upto 48 seek the welfare, and benefits for the living beings on this earth.

The odd numbers represent the Divinity

The even numbers represent the earthly things.

( This is the view of the commentator.. But the even and odd numbers mix up divine and mundane.. But that is a matter of interpretation as to what is divine and what is mundane.)

1.Prakruti

3.. the three gunas sattva, rajas and tamas..

5 the panchabootas.. prithviee ap teja vayu akasha

7 the five jnanendriyas chakshu shrotra jihava grana sparsha and mind or mana and bhuddhi

9 the body created with the nine holes.. two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, mouth, the urinary outlet and the excretionary outlet

11 the ten Pranas and the suhumna

13 the major gods.

. 15 the nadis like shankini

17 the limbs of the linga shareera (endocrines?)

19 the herbs like sanjeevani

21 the 21 marma points

23 the deities presiding major diseases

25 the apsaras residing in the body as also in the heavens..

27 Gandharvas residing in the body as also in the heavens

29 vidyut devas

31 bhuvanams or planets

33 crores devas

4 purusharthas.. dharma artha kama moksham

8 vedas and upavedas four each

12 6 shastras and and six angas

16 The sixteen mahavidyas

20 Mahabhutas, vishayas like Shabdha, sthoolam and sookshmam

24 the letters of Gayatri

28 Ushnik Chandas

32 Anushtup Chandas

36 Brihatee chandas

40 Pankthee chandas

44 Thristup Chandas

48 Jagatee chandas.. belonging to the mundane world

Of course many of the numbers need more elaboration.. but such elaboration is not worthy for a Facebook post..

There are many other explanations too.

But I think this is good enough

This is not a complete interpretation..

I have not translated the final.parts of the mantra where the numerical.sequence is not considered

Regards

k v ananthanarayanan.

cotmplation of siva alone can shatter our woes

शिवस्मरणमेवैकं संसारान्तकनाशनम्।

 घनौघो घोरदावाग्निनिर्वापणपटुर्भवेत्॥

दृष्टान्तकलिकाशतके

śivasmaraṇamevaikaṃ saṃsārāntakanāśanam।

ghanaugho ghoradāvāgninirvāpaṇapaṭurbhavet॥

dṛṣṭāntakalikāśatake

Contemplation of Lord Shiva alone can destroy our worldly woes that torment us like the deity of death Yama Himself. You can see that only a torrential flood can check the ravages caused by a raging wildfire

anāyāsena maraṇaṁ

अनायासेन मरणं विना दैन्येन जीवनम्॥

देहि मे कृपया शम्भो त्वयि भक्तिम् अचञ्चलाम्॥

anāyāsena maraṇaṁ vinā dainyena jīvanam||

dehi me kṛpayā śambho tvayi bhaktim acañcalām||

Oh Lord Shmbu... May your Grace be pleased to

Give me a death without suffering

Give me a life without awkwardness and dependence

and

Give me that eternal and abiding faith and devotion in Your Grace

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭-𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐛 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐧, Uma 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢..

 

सर्वलोकशरण्याय शंकराय महात्मने।

पार्वतीप्राणनाथाय पञ्चवक्त्राय मङ्गलम्॥

𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐚𝐚𝐲𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐚𝐲𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞 

𝐩𝐚𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐚𝐲𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐤𝐭𝐡𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐚𝐲𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐦

സര്‍വ്വലോക ശരണ്യായ ശങ്കരായ മഹാത്മനേ 

പാര്‍വതീ പ്രാണനാഥായ പഞ്ചവക്ത്രായ മംഗളം

𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬.. 𝐒𝐚𝐝𝐲𝐨𝐣𝐚𝐭𝐚, 𝐀𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐚, 𝐓𝐚𝐭𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐚, 𝐕𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐚, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭-𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐛 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐧, Uma 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢..

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐚

हरं सर्पहारं चिता भूविहारं भवं वेदसारं सदा निर्विकारं।

श्मशाने वसन्तं मनोजं दहन्तं, शिवं शङ्करं शम्भु मीशानमीडे ॥

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐚

𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐧𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬

𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐭,

𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠,

𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐕𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐬,

𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬,

𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬,

𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐊𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐚 (𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐧𝐮),

𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐚𝐧𝐚..𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞

क्षन्तव्यं जगदीश तद्विकलता दोषत्रयं मत्कृतम्

रूपं रूपविवर्जितस्य भवतो ध्यानेन यत्कल्पितं

स्तुत्यानिर्वचनीयताखिलगुरो दूरीकृता यन्मया।

व्यापित्वञ्च निराकृतं भगवतो यत्तीर्थयात्रादिना

क्षन्तव्यं जगदीश तद्विकलता दोषत्रयं मत्कृतम्।।

Oh the Supreme Lord (Shankara) I have been assigning or imagining about some shape or form for you during my deep meditations, even though you are formless and beyond all forms.

Oh the Supreme Lord, I have been trying to describe you, praise you and have been giving descriptions about your activities fully knowing that you are beyond all descriptions and definitions and that all definitions and praises would fall short of your glory

Oh Surpreme Lord, I have been trying to wander around on the surface of the earth searching for shrines and waterfronts where you remain consecrated, while all the time I was aware that you are present everywhere, your presence in universal and unlimited.

My master, my perception about you have been completely defective and full of misconception threefold as above. I have tried to perceive you the limitless one, with your all encompassing and universal presence in a very restricted manner.

I beseech your indulgence that I may be pardoned for the three mistakes.

This is a statement attributed to Adi Shankara, Acharya Swamikal, before He finally left for the Supreme State in the Higher peaks of Himalayas.

The full verse  is a very famous Sanskrit Subhashita (wise saying). While popular tradition frequently attributes it to Adi Shankaracharya or Sage Vyasa, its technical literary origins are more open-ended

a hunter, a rat, and Mahabali

During the night which happened to be Shivaratri too.. (and shivaratri occurs every month.. but this occurred on the Shivaratri of Kumbham.. ) a hunter who had wandered all around a forest and had remained without food for the entire day, climbed up a tree, and tried to sleep atop that tree.

It so happened that it was a Bilva tree and a Shivalingam was placed below..

In hunger and desperation, the hunter was plucking the leaves and throwing them down at the head of the Lord Shiva throughout the night.. and by the morning after a night long vigil of utter sleeplessness.. he fell down at the feet of the Lord and attained Shivaloka..

In commemoration of that incident, people just fast during the day and and offer pooja to shiva on all the four yamas of the night..

Shivaratri is the time of that lord of time Mahaakaalaa. and keeping awake is just a ritual.. For him the wakefulness or sleeping of anyone matters very little..

Doing any service to Shiva even unknowingly makes one emancipated..

The innocent worship of that hunter is celebrated this day..

The story of Mahabali is a case study.. In his previous life, he was a rat.. and he was roaming around the sanctum of a dilapidated Shiva temple. A weak solitary wick of an oil lamp was shedding light for the Lord..And the lamp was about to be put out because the tip of the wick was getting submerged into the oil..

The confused rat ran around and pulled the wick... and the lamp shone again in all its brightness..

And for this service without any intention, the rat was born as an Emperor and finally reached the lotus feet of Vishnu too..

यत्र जीवः शिवस्तत्र न भेदः शिवजीवयोः

यत्र जीवः शिवस्तत्र न भेदः शिवजीवयोः।

न हिंस्यात् सर्वभूतानि शिवभक्तिचिकीर्षकः॥

yatra jīvaḥ śivastatra na bhedaḥ śivajīvayoḥ|

na hiṁsyāt sarvabhūtāni śivabhakticikīrṣakaḥ||

veera shaiva paribhaashika

Wherever there is life, wherever there is a living being, Shiva is present there. There is no difference between Shiva and Jeeva.

Therefore if one is a genuine devotee of Shiva then she should not indulge in any action that would cause damage to life, that would cause death.

चन्द्रोद्भासितशेखरे स्मरहरे गङ्गाधरे शङ्करे

चन्द्रोद्भासितशेखरे स्मरहरे गङ्गाधरे शङ्करे

सर्पैर्भूषितकण्ठकर्णविवरे नेत्रोत्थवैश्वानरे।

दन्तित्वक्स्वतिसुन्दराम्बरधरे त्रैलोक्यसारे हरे

मोक्षार्थं कुरु चित्तवृत्तिममलामन्येषु किं कर्मभिः॥

शिवापराधक्षमापणस्तोत्रे॥

candrodbhāsitaśekhare smarahare gaṅgādhare śaṅkare

sarpairbhūṣitakaṇṭhakarṇavivare netrotthavaiśvānare|

dantitvaksvatisundarāmbaradhare trailokyasāre hare

mokṣārthaṁ kuru cittavṛttimamalāmanyeṣu kiṁ karmabhiḥ||

śivāparādhakṣamāpaṇastotre||

Oh mortal man, please ever meditate upon that Supreme Lord Shiva for emancipation from all worldly woes. The mundane functions and karmas in which you engage yourself for ever are of no use.

Remember the great attributes of the Lord of Lords Mahadeva

He has adorned his matted lord with the crescent of the moon

He is the annihilator of Kamadeva the lord of Romance who ever makes human minds turbid.

He is carrying the damsel Ganga in his head

He is Shankara who is ever engaged in doing only good to the universe

He has adorned himself with serpants curling around his neck and through the holes in his ears

Burning fire is issuing forth in great profusion and strength from his eyes

He has adorned himself in very attractive clothes crafted out of the skin of an elephant.

And

He is the essence of all that is great in the universe consisting of the three worlds and at the same time he possesses the inherent power to destroy anything at His will.

ചന്ദ്രോദ്ഭാസിതശേഖരേ സ്മരഹരേ ഗങ്ഗാധരേ ശങ്കരേ

സര്‍പൈര്ഭൂഷിതകണ്ഠകര്‍ണവിവരേ നേത്രോത്ഥവൈശ്വാനരേ।

ദന്തിത്വക്സ്വതിസുന്ദരാംബരധരേ ത്രൈലോക്യസാരേ ഹരേ

മോക്ഷാര്‍ഥം കുരു ചിത്തവൃത്തിമമലാമന്യേഷു കിം കര്‍മഭിഃ॥

ശിവാപരാധക്ഷമാപണസ്തോത്രേ॥

നശ്വരനായ മനുഷ്യാ, എപ്പോഴും ഭഗവാന്‍ ശിവനില്‍ മനസ്സ് ഉറപ്പിക്കൂ. അവിടുത്തെ ഇടവിടാതെ സ്മരിക്കൂ. അതാണ്‌ ഈ ഭൂമിയിലെ ദുരിതങ്ങളില്‍ നിന്ന് മോക്ഷം കിട്ടുവാനുള്ള ഒരേ ഒരു മാര്‍ഗ്ഗം. ഇവിടെ ഓടി നടന്നു ഒട്ടേറെ പ്രവൃത്തികള്‍ ചെയ്ത് കര്‍മ്മബന്ധം വര്‍ദ്ധിപ്പിച്ചിട്ടു എന്ത് നേടാനാണ് ?

ആ മഹാദേവന്‍റെ താരതമ്യങ്ങള്‍ ഇല്ലാത്ത ഗുണഗണങ്ങള്‍ എപ്പോഴും മനസ്സില്‍ കരുതുക

അവിടുന്ന് തന്‍റെ ശിരസ്സിലെ ജടാമാകുടത്തില്‍ ചന്ദ്രക്കല അണിഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്നു.

അനുരാഗത്തിന്‍റെ ദേവനായ മനുഷ്യന്‍റെ മനസ്സിനെ മയക്കുന്നതില്‍ വിരുതനായ കാമദേവനെ ചുട്ടു ചാമ്പല്‍ ആക്കിയ ദൈവീകതയാണ് അവിടുന്ന്.

അവിടുന്ന് ശിരസ്സില്‍ ഗംഗ എന്ന സുന്ദരി പെണ്ണിനെ ഗംഗ എന്ന നദിയെ ശിരസ്സില്‍ കയറ്റി വച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു.

പ്രപഞ്ചത്തില്‍ എല്ലാവര്‍ക്കും നന്മ മാത്രം നല്‍കുന്ന ശങ്കരനാണ് അവിടുന്ന്.

അവിടുത്തെ കഴുത്തിനു ചുറ്റും പിന്നെ ചെവിയിലെ ദ്വാരങ്ങളിലും എല്ലാം സര്‍പ്പങ്ങള്‍ മാലകള്‍ കണക്കെ ചുറ്റിക്കിടക്കുന്നു.

അവിടുത്തെ നേത്രങ്ങളില്‍ നിന്ന് അഗ്നിജ്വാല തീക്ഷണമായി വമിച്ചു കൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്നു.

കാട്ടാനയുടെ തോലില്‍തീര്‍ത്ത ആടകള്‍ അവിടുത്തെ തിരുമേനിയെ അലങ്കരിക്കുന്നു.

മൂന്ന് ലോകങ്ങളും ചേര്‍ന്ന ഈ പ്രപഞ്ചത്തില്‍ ഉള്ള മഹത്തായ എല്ലാം അവിടുത്തെ സാന്നിദ്ധ്യത്തിന്‍റെ സാരമാണ്. അതെ സമയം അവിടുന്ന് ഈ പ്രപഞ്ചത്തെ മുഴുവന്‍ പെട്ടെന്ന് ഇല്ലാതാക്കാനുള്ള ശക്തി സ്വയം ഉള്‍ക്കൊണ്ട ഹരനും ആണ്.

तदपि तव गुणानामीश पारं न याति

असितगिरिसमं स्यात्कज्जलं सिन्धुपात्रे

सुरतरुवरशाखा लेखनीपत्रमुर्वी।

लिखति यदि गृहीत्वा शारदा सर्वकालं

तदपि तव गुणानामीश पारं न याति॥

पुष्पदन्तकृते शिवमहिम्ना स्तोत्रे।

asitagirisamaṁ syātkajjalaṁ sindhupātre

surataruvaraśākhā lekhanīpatramurvī|

likhati yadi gṛhītvā śāradā sarvakālaṁ

tadapi tava guṇānāmīśa pāraṁ na yāti||

puṣpadantakṛte śivamahimnā stotre|

Oh Lord Shiva, Eashaa the Shanakara

Even if the entire dark blue mountain ranges are pulverised and kept like collyrium or ink in the huge container that is the combination of all the oceans on the face of earth

Even if the huge branches of the Divine wish yielding tree Kalpavruksha are all used as pens

Even if the entire face of earth is used as the paper used for recording your glories

And even if the Mother of muses Sharada Sarasvathi Herself is holding the pen for eternity and recording your glories,

Still the ultimate in the description of your greatness will never be reached.

From Pushpadanta Kavi’s Shivamahimna stotram

അസിതഗിരിസമം സ്യാത്കജ്ജലം സിന്ധുപാത്രേ

സുരതരുവരശാഖാ ലേഖനീപത്രമുര്‍വീ।

ലിഖതി യദി ഗൃഹീത്വാ ശാരദാ സര്‍വകാലം

തദപി തവ ഗുണാനാമീശ പാരം ന യാതി॥

പുഷ്പദന്തകൃതേ ശിവമഹിമ്നാ സ്തോത്രേ।

ഭഗവാനെ, ഈശ, ശങ്കര,

കടും നീല നിറത്തില്‍ ഭൂമുഖത്ത് നീണ്ടു കിടക്കുന്ന പര്‍വ്വത നിരകള്‍ എല്ലാം പൊടിച്ചെടുത്ത് അഞ്ജനം കൊണ്ടുള്ള മഷിയാക്കി

ആ മഷിയെല്ലാം ഭൂമിയിലുള്ള എല്ലാ സമുദ്രങ്ങളും കൂട്ടിയിണക്കിയ ഒരു പാത്രത്തില്‍ ശേഖരിച്ച്

കല്പകവൃക്ഷത്തിന്‍റെ കൂറ്റന്‍ ശാഖകള്‍ എല്ലാം മുറിച്ചെടുത്ത് അവ കൊണ്ട് എഴുത്താണികള്‍ നിര്‍മ്മിച്ച്

പരന്നു കിടക്കുന്ന ഈ ഭൂമിയുടെ ഉപരിതലം മുഴുവന്‍ എഴുതാനുള്ള കടലസ്സായി ഉപയോഗിച്ച്

വാക്കുകള്‍ക്ക് ഉടയോളായ ശാരദ എന്ന വാണീദേവി തന്നെ സ്വയം ഒട്ടും വിശ്രമിക്കാതെ എല്ലാ കാലവും ആ മഷിയും എഴുത്താണികളും എല്ലാം ഉപയോഗിച്ച് എഴുതിക്കൊണ്ടേയിരുന്നാലും

അവിടുത്തെ മഹത്വത്തിന്‍റെ അവസാന വാക്ക് രേഖപ്പെടുത്താന്‍ ഒരിക്കലും സാധിക്കുകയില്ല.

പുഷ്പദന്ത കവിയുടെ ശിവമാഹിമ്നാ സ്തോത്രത്തില്‍ നിന്ന്.

तथापि स्मर्तृणां वरद परमं मङ्गलमसि

श्मशानेष्वाक्रीडा स्मरहर पिशाचा सहचराः।

चिताभस्मालेपः स्रगपि नृकरोटिपरिकरः।

अमङ्गल्यं शीलं भवतु नामैवमखिलं

तथापि स्मर्तृणां वरद परमं मङ्गलमसि॥

शिवमहिम्नास्तोत्रे॥

śmaśāneṣvākrīḍā smarahara piśācā sahacarāḥ|

citābhasmālepaḥ sragapi nṛkaroṭiparikaraḥ|

amaṅgalyaṁ śīlaṁ bhavatu nāmaivamakhilaṁ

tathāpi smartṛṇāṁ varada paramaṁ maṅgalamasi||

śivamahimnāstotre||

You are so unromantic, you are the one who turned Kamadeva into ashes

You are dancing around merrily in the burial grounds

Your constant companions are devils, demons and ogres

Your make up material is simply the ashes from pyres where dead bodies are smouldering

The garland adorning your neck is made out of human skulls

Yes, on the whole your appearance and habits are invariably inauspicious

But do those signs of apparent inauspiciousness really matter ?

Lord, you are granting all the desires of your devotees who meditate upon you

Lord Shankara you are the most auspicious among the auspicious divinities.

ശ്മശാനേഷ്വാക്രീഡാ സ്മരഹര പിശാചാ സഹചരാഃ।

ചിതാഭസ്മാലേപഃ സ്രഗപി നൃകരോടിപരികരഃ।

അമങ്ഗല്യം ശീലം ഭവതു നാമൈവമഖിലം

തഥാപി സ്മര്‍തൃണാം വരദ പരമം മങ്ഗലമസി॥

ശിവമഹിമ്നാസ്തോത്രേ॥

കാമദേവനെ ചുട്ടു ചാമ്പലാക്കിയ അവിടുത്തെയ്ക്കു അനുരാഗം പോലുള്ള സുകുമാര വികാരങ്ങള്‍ അന്യമല്ലേ ?

അവിടുന്ന് ശ്മശാന ഭൂമിയില്‍ അനുചരന്മാരോടോത്ത് താണ്ഡവം ആടുന്നു

അവിടുത്തെ കൂട്ടിനു സന്തതസഹാചാരികലായി ഭൂതങ്ങളും പ്രേതങ്ങളും പിശാചുകളും ചുറ്റും ഉണ്ട്

സൌന്ദര്യവര്‍ദ്ധക വസ്തുവായി അവിടുന്ന് ശരീരത്തില്‍ പൂശുന്നത് മൃതദേഹങ്ങള്‍ ചുട്ടെരിച്ച ചിതയില്‍ നിന്ന് നേരിട്ട് എടുക്കുന്ന ചാരം മാതമാണ്

തലയോട്ടികള്‍ കോര്‍ത്ത മാലയാണ് അവിടുത്തെ വിശിഷ്ടമായ ഹാരം.

അവിടുത്തെ രൂപവും സ്വഭാവവും എല്ലാം തികച്ചും അമംഗളകരങ്ങളാണ് എന്ന് ഒറ്റ നോട്ടത്തില്‍ തന്നെ തീര്‍ച്ച്ചയാക്കാം

പക്ഷെ രൂപത്തില്‍ കാണുന്ന പന്തികേടിന്ന് എന്തെങ്കിലും പ്രസക്തി ഉണ്ടോ ?

ഭഗവാനെ ശങ്കര, അവിടുത്തെ അല്പമെങ്കിലും മനസ്സില്‍ സ്മരിച്ച ആളുകള്‍ക്കെല്ലാം അവര്‍ ആശിച്ചത് എല്ലാം എപ്പോഴും നല്‍കി അനുഗ്രഹിച്ചു കൊണ്ടേയിരിക്കുന്നു.

അവിടുന്ന് യഥാര്‍ത്ഥത്തില്‍ മംഗളങ്ങള്‍ക്കെല്ലാം മംഗളമായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്ന ദൈവീകത ആണ്.

Umaya saha devesah shankarah chandrasekharah

Umaya saha devesah shankarah chandrasekharah 

Takka vadhya ninaadena rakshthu twaam maheswarah

उमया सह देवेशः शङ्करः चन्द्रशेखरः।

टक्का वाद्यनिनादेन रक्षतु त्वाम् महेश्वरः।

umayā saha deveśaḥ śaṅkaraḥ candraśekharaḥ|

ṭakkā vādyaninādena rakṣatu tvām maheśvaraḥ |

This is indeed a  special sloka. 

It is attributed to Kalidasa when he was  in his formative years when he remained  uneducated verging on being an Idiot.

There was a princess in the country where Kalidasa spent his earlier life as an illiterate goatherd. 

The princess was learned and equally arrogant. 

She challenged all the kings, scholars etc., that she would marry only the man who defeated her in literary debate. 

All the kings and scholars had to face defeat. 

They were humiliated. 

They hatched a plan by which they could get the princess married by an illiterate and idiotic person. 

After much search they stumbled upon a doubly distilled idiot who was sitting on a sprouted branch of the tree and cutting with his axe the connecting portion of the tree with the trunk without knowing that he would fall down and perish once the branch is cut. 

They immediately caught hold of the fellow and gave him a bath and adorned him with costly clothes and ornaments and took him to the palace on the promise that he would get good food to his hearts content.

They had also instructed him that he should never utter even a single word. 

But in the courtyard of the king he saw Camels and he started screaming Ushtra, Ushtra (sanskrit name of Camel) . 

The king who happened to hear him asked why a great scholar was screaming like this.

The scholars accompanying him had a ready-made reply. 

The great poet had penned a great sloka and was just uttering the first letters of the four lines U, sha, ta, ra. 

The meaning of the sloka is “ May Lord Sankara
 who is the protector of all Devas and who is wearing the crescent moon in his head, accompanied by his consort Uma, bless you all with the playing of his takka vadhya (udukku} . 

The explanation hit the right target.
And 

The idiot married the princess and later on became Kalidasa, it is history

the greatness of viboothi

Vibuthi mahatmyam is written in numerous chapters after chapters in sivapuranam, skaandam, and other saivite treatises . It is holy...because it is what is left after the ultimate test, the test by fire. You put any valuable thing, solid or liquid and at the optimum ignition point all possible materials are turned into gases. Whether gold or dirt put to fire--(even put to fire the dead body of human or any living being), all that remains is the ashes. Ashes are the viboothi. Lord siva is the presiding deity of the end of everything and after ensuring everything is burned off he smears the remining thing namely the ashes all over his body and perfrom tandavam. It is the viboothi or the holy meritorious remnant left behind by the Lord of Lords Sri Parameswara. Whatever may be your state of purity, when the vibuthi is smeared on the body you become pure because of the grace of Lord Siva. It is said that once sage Durvasas visited the hell at the invitation of Yama and he saw the dead beings incarcerated in fire,acid,alkali, dirt etc and there was misery everywhere. Out of curiosity he just peeped into a well where some such souls were suffering. The ashes from his face just fell into the well and immediately the sinful beings were liberated. The yogis and rishis use the holy ashes for curing all physical mental and moral diseases. The ashes we use are usually made of the dung of cow which is mixed with cow urine and the pieces of cow dung properly dried are put to fire on Sivarathri and after burning in its own contents, it turns into ashes. Thereafter the ashes are precipitated by keeping the mixture in water and the dessicated ash is the basic viboothi or bhasma. The burning process is performed uttering the panchakshara manthram throughout. Namah Sivaya. 

This question has been answered many times by many but I repeat it because it is the service to Lord Siva