ଶ୍ରୀ ରୁଦ୍ରମ୍, also called the ରୁଦ୍ର-ପ୍ରଶ୍ନଃ, is one of the most revered hymns of the କୃଷ୍ଣ ୟଜୁର୍ଵେଦ, found in the ତୈତ୍ତିରୀୟ ସଂହିତ (4.5). It is a Vedic salutation to ରୁଦ୍ର - the power that can appear fearsome as the remover of ignorance and obstacles, and compassionate as the healer who restores harmony.
The recitation traditionally has two parts: ନମକମ୍ (the section centered on repeated ନମଃ - "salutations / surrender") and ଚମକମ୍ (the section centered on ଚ ମେ - "and to me"). Read together, they move from humility and appeasement, to praise of ରୁଦ୍ର in every direction and form, to prayer for wellbeing, inner strength, and a complete, well-ordered life.
କୃଷ୍ଣ ୟଜୁର୍ଵେଦୀୟ ତୈତ୍ତିରୀୟ ସଂହିତା
ଚତୁର୍ଥଂ-ଵୈଁଶ୍ଵଦେଵଂ କାଂଡଂ ପଂଚମଃ ପ୍ରପାଠକଃ
ଓଂ ନମୋ ଭଗଵତେ॑ ରୁଦ୍ରା॒ୟ ॥
Translation (ଭାଵାର୍ଥ):
Om. Salutations to the blessed Lord Rudra.
ନମ॑ସ୍ତେ ରୁଦ୍ର ମ॒ନ୍ୟଵ॑ ଉ॒ତୋତ॒ ଇଷ॑ଵେ॒ ନମଃ॑ ।
ନମ॑ସ୍ତେ ଅସ୍ତୁ॒ ଧନ୍ଵ॑ନେ ବା॒ହୁଭ୍ୟା॑ମୁ॒ତ ତେ॒ ନମଃ॑ ॥
Translation (ଭାଵାର୍ଥ):
O Rudra, salutations to your fierce power and to your arrow; salutations to your bow and to your two arms.
ୟା ତ॒ ଇଷୁଃ॑ ଶି॒ଵତ॑ମା ଶି॒ଵଂ ବ॒ଭୂଵ॑ ତେ॒ ଧନୁଃ॑ ।
ଶି॒ଵା ଶ॑ର॒ଵ୍ୟା॑ ୟା ତଵ॒ ତୟା॑ ନୋ ରୁଦ୍ର ମୃଡୟ ।
Translation (ଭାଵାର୍ଥ):
May your arrow, bow, and quiver become auspicious and benevolent; with that, O Rudra, be gracious to us.
ୟା ତେ॑ ରୁଦ୍ର ଶି॒ଵା ତ॒ନୂରଘୋ॒ରାଽପା॑ପକାଶିନୀ ।
ତୟା॑ ନସ୍ତ॒ନୁଵା॒ ଶଂତ॑ମୟା॒ ଗିରି॑ଶଂତା॒ଭିଚା॑କଶୀହି ॥
Translation (ଭାଵାର୍ଥ):
O Rudra, with your peaceful, non-harmful, purifying form, look upon us graciously, O Lord of the mountains.
ୟାମିଷୁଂ॑ ଗିରିଶଂତ॒ ହସ୍ତେ॒ ବିଭ॒ର୍ଷ୍ୟସ୍ତ॑ଵେ ।
ଶି॒ଵାଂ ଗି॑ରିତ୍ର॒ ତାଂ କୁ॑ରୁ॒ ମା ହିଗ୍ମ୍॑ସୀଃ॒ ପୁରୁ॑ଷଂ॒ ଜଗ॑ତ୍॥
Translation (ଭାଵାର୍ଥ):
O mountain-roamer, make the arrow in your hand auspicious; do not harm people or the world.
ଶି॒ଵେନ॒ ଵଚ॑ସା ତ୍ଵା॒ ଗିରି॒ଶାଚ୍ଛା॑ ଵଦାମସି ।
ୟଥା॑ ନଃ॒ ସର୍ଵ॒ମିଜ୍ଜଗ॑ଦୟ॒କ୍ଷ୍ମଗ୍ମ୍ ସୁ॒ମନା॒ ଅସ॑ତ୍ ॥
Translation (ଭାଵାର୍ଥ):
O Lord of the mountains, we pray to you with auspicious words; may this whole world be free of affliction and may our hearts be well-disposed.
ଅଧ୍ୟ॑ଵୋଚଦଧିଵ॒କ୍ତା ପ୍ର॑ଥ॒ମୋ ଦୈଵ୍ୟୋ॑ ଭି॒ଷକ୍ ।
ଅହୀଗ୍॑ଶ୍ଚ॒ ସର୍ଵାଂ᳚ଜଂ॒ଭୟ॒ନ୍-ଥ୍ସର୍ଵା᳚ଶ୍ଚ ୟାତୁଧା॒ନ୍ୟଃ॑ ॥
Translation (ଭାଵାର୍ଥ):
May the foremost divine healer speak on our behalf and subdue all poisons and destructive forces.
ଅ॒ସୌ ୟସ୍ତା॒ମ୍ରୋ ଅ॑ରୁ॒ଣ ଉ॒ତ ବ॒ଭ୍ରୁସ୍ସୁ॑ମଂ॒ଗଲଃ॑ ।
ୟେ ଚେ॒ମାଗ୍ମ୍ ରୁ॒ଦ୍ରା ଅ॒ଭିତୋ॑ ଦି॒କ୍ଷୁ ଶ୍ରି॒ତାଃ ସ॑ହସ୍ର॒ଶୋଽଵୈ॑ଷା॒ଗ୍ମ୍॒ ହେଡ॑ ଈମହେ ॥
Translation (ଭାଵାର୍ଥ):
To the auspicious Rudra who appears in many hues, and to the Rudras established in all directions, we offer salutations to soften their fierce intensity.
ଅ॒ସୌ ୟୋ॑ଽଵ॒ସର୍ପ॑ତି॒ ନୀଲ॑ଗ୍ରୀଵୋ॒ ଵିଲୋ॑ହିତଃ ।
ଉ॒ତୈନଂ॑ ଗୋ॒ପା ଅ॑ଦୃଶ॒ନ୍ନଦୃ॑ଶନ୍ନୁଦହା॒ର୍ୟଃ॑ ।
Translation (ଭାଵାର୍ଥ):
That blue-necked, red-hued Rudra who moves about is seen by cowherds and by those who draw water.
ଉ॒ତୈନଂ॒-ଵିଁଶ୍ଵା॑ ଭୂ॒ତାନି॒ ସ ଦୃ॒ଷ୍ଟୋ ମୃ॑ଡୟାତି ନଃ ॥
Translation (ଭାଵାର୍ଥ):
All beings see him; may he, being perceived everywhere, be gracious to us.
ନମୋ॑ ଅସ୍ତୁ॒ ନୀଲ॑ଗ୍ରୀଵାୟ ସହସ୍ରା॒କ୍ଷାୟ॑ ମୀ॒ଢୁଷେ᳚ ।
ଅଥୋ॒ ୟେ ଅ॑ସ୍ୟ॒ ସତ୍ଵା॑ନୋ॒ଽହଂ ତେଭ୍ୟୋ॑ଽକର॒ନ୍ନମଃ॑ ॥
Translation (ଭାଵାର୍ଥ):
Salutations to the blue-necked, thousand-eyed, bountiful Lord - and to all his attendant forms.
ପ୍ରମୁଂ॑ଚ॒ ଧନ୍ଵ॑ନ॒ସ୍ତ୍ଵମୁ॒ଭୟୋ॒ରାର୍ତ୍ନି॑ ୟୋ॒ର୍ଜ୍ୟାମ୍ ।
ୟାଶ୍ଚ॑ ତେ॒ ହସ୍ତ॒ ଇଷ॑ଵଃ॒ ପରା॒ ତା ଭ॑ଗଵୋ ଵପ ॥
Translation (ଭାଵାର୍ଥ):
Loosen your bowstring from both ends, and set aside the arrows in your hand, O Lord.
ଅ॒ଵ॒ତତ୍ୟ॒ ଧନୁ॒ସ୍ତ୍ଵଗ୍ମ୍ ସହ॑ସ୍ରାକ୍ଷ॒ ଶତେ॑ଷୁଧେ ।
ନି॒ଶୀର୍ୟ॑ ଶ॒ଲ୍ୟାନାଂ॒ ମୁଖା॑ ଶି॒ଵୋ ନଃ॑ ସୁ॒ମନା॑ ଭଵ ॥
Translation (ଭାଵାର୍ଥ):
Unstring the bow, blunt the arrow-points, and be benevolent and kindly disposed toward us.
ଵିଜ୍ୟଂ॒ ଧନୁଃ॑ କପ॒ର୍ଦିନୋ॒ ଵିଶ॑ଲ୍ୟୋ॒ ବାଣ॑ଵାଗ୍ମ୍ ଉ॒ତ ।
ଅନେ॑ଶନ୍ନ॒ସ୍ୟେଷ॑ଵ ଆ॒ଭୁର॑ସ୍ୟ ନିଷଂ॒ଗଥିଃ॑ ॥
Translation (ଭାଵାର୍ଥ):
May the bow of the matted-haired Lord be unstrung, the arrows harmless, and the quiver non-threatening.
ୟା ତେ॑ ହେ॒ତିର୍ମୀ॑ଡୁଷ୍ଟମ॒ ହସ୍ତେ॑ ବ॒ଭୂଵ॑ ତେ॒ ଧନୁଃ॑ ।
ତୟା॒ଽସ୍ମାନ୍, ଵି॒ଶ୍ଵତ॒ସ୍ତ୍ଵମ॑ୟ॒କ୍ଷ୍ମୟା॒ ପରି॑ବ୍ଭୁଜ ॥
Translation (ଭାଵାର୍ଥ):
With that weapon-power and bow in your hand, protect us on all sides and keep us free from affliction.
ନମ॑ସ୍ତେ ଅ॒ସ୍ତ୍ଵାୟୁ॑ଧା॒ୟାନା॑ତତାୟ ଧୃ॒ଷ୍ଣଵେ᳚ ।
ଉ॒ଭାଭ୍ୟା॑ମୁ॒ତ ତେ॒ ନମୋ॑ ବା॒ହୁଭ୍ୟାଂ॒ ତଵ॒ ଧନ୍ଵ॑ନେ ॥
Translation (ଭାଵାର୍ଥ):
Salutations to your readied weapon, to your strong arms, and to your bow.
ପରି॑ ତେ॒ ଧନ୍ଵ॑ନୋ ହେ॒ତିର॒ସ୍ମାନ୍ ଵୃ॑ଣକ୍ତୁ ଵି॒ଶ୍ଵତଃ॑ ।
ଅଥୋ॒ ୟ ଇ॑ଷୁ॒ଧିସ୍ତଵା॒ରେ ଅ॒ସ୍ମନ୍ନିଧେ॑ହି॒ ତମ୍ ॥ 1 ॥
Translation (ଭାଵାର୍ଥ):
May the missile-power of your bow not strike us but turn away on all sides; place your quiver far away from us. (End of Anuvaka 1.)
ସଦାଶି॒ଵୋମ୍ ।
ଓଂ ଶାଂତିଃ॒ ଶାଂତିଃ॒ ଶାଂତିଃ॑ ।
