śrī rudram, also called the rudra-praśnaḥ, is one of the most revered hymns of the kṛṣṇa yajurvēda, found in the taittirīya saṃhita (4.5). It is a Vedic salutation to rudra - 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: namakam (the section centered on repeated namaḥ - "salutations / surrender") and chamakam (the section centered on cha mē - "and to me"). Read together, they move from humility and appeasement, to praise of rudra in every direction and form, to prayer for wellbeing, inner strength, and a complete, well-ordered life.
kṛṣṇa yajurvēdīya taittirīya saṃhitā
chaturthaṃ vaiśvadēva-ṅkāṇḍa-mpañchamaḥ prapāṭhakaḥ
ō-nnamō bhagavatē̍ rudrā̠ya ॥
Translation (bhāvārtha):
Om. Salutations to the blessed Lord Rudra.
nama̍stē rudra ma̠nyava̍ u̠tōta̠ iṣa̍vē̠ nama̍ḥ ।
nama̍stē astu̠ dhanva̍nē bā̠hubhyā̍mu̠ta tē̠ nama̍ḥ ॥
Translation (bhāvārtha):
O Rudra, salutations to your fierce power and to your arrow; salutations to your bow and to your two arms.
yā ta̠ iṣu̍-śśi̠vata̍mā śi̠va-mba̠bhūva̍ tē̠ dhanu̍ḥ ।
śi̠vā śa̍ra̠vyā̍ yā tava̠ tayā̍ nō rudra mṛḍaya ।
Translation (bhāvārtha):
May your arrow, bow, and quiver become auspicious and benevolent; with that, O Rudra, be gracious to us.
yā tē̍ rudra śi̠vā ta̠nūraghō̠rā-'pā̍pakāśinī ।
tayā̍ nasta̠nuvā̠ śanta̍mayā̠ giri̍śantā̠bhichā̍kaśīhi ॥
Translation (bhāvārtha):
O Rudra, with your peaceful, non-harmful, purifying form, look upon us graciously, O Lord of the mountains.
yāmiṣu̍-ṅgiriśanta̠ hastē̠ bibha̠rṣyasta̍vē ।
śi̠vā-ṅgi̍ritra̠ tā-ṅku̍ru̠ mā hig̍ṃsī̠ḥ puru̍ṣa̠-ñjaga̍t॥
Translation (bhāvārtha):
O mountain-roamer, make the arrow in your hand auspicious; do not harm people or the world.
śi̠vēna̠ vacha̍sā tvā̠ giri̠śāchChā̍ vadāmasi ।
yathā̍ na̠-ssarva̠mijjaga̍daya̠kṣmagṃ su̠manā̠ asa̍t ॥
Translation (bhāvārtha):
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.
adhya̍vōchadadhiva̠ktā pra̍tha̠mō daivyō̍ bhi̠ṣak ।
ahīg̍ścha̠ sarvā̎mja̠mbhaya̠n-thsarvā̎ścha yātudhā̠nya̍ḥ ॥
Translation (bhāvārtha):
May the foremost divine healer speak on our behalf and subdue all poisons and destructive forces.
a̠sau yastā̠mrō a̍ru̠ṇa u̠ta ba̠bhrussu̍ma̠ṅgala̍ḥ ।
yē chē̠māgṃ ru̠drā a̠bhitō̍ di̠kṣu śri̠tā-ssa̍hasra̠śō-'vai̍ṣā̠gṃ̠ hēḍa̍ īmahē ॥
Translation (bhāvārtha):
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.
a̠sau yō̍-'va̠sarpa̍ti̠ nīla̍grīvō̠ vilō̍hitaḥ ।
u̠taina̍-ṅgō̠pā a̍dṛśa̠nnadṛ̍śannudahā̠rya̍ḥ ।
Translation (bhāvārtha):
That blue-necked, red-hued Rudra who moves about is seen by cowherds and by those who draw water.
u̠taina̠ṃ viśvā̍ bhū̠tāni̠ sa dṛ̠ṣṭō mṛ̍ḍayāti naḥ ॥
Translation (bhāvārtha):
All beings see him; may he, being perceived everywhere, be gracious to us.
namō̍ astu̠ nīla̍grīvāya sahasrā̠kṣāya̍ mī̠ḍhuṣē̎ ।
athō̠ yē a̍sya̠ satvā̍nō̠-'ha-ntēbhyō̍-'kara̠nnama̍ḥ ॥
Translation (bhāvārtha):
Salutations to the blue-necked, thousand-eyed, bountiful Lord - and to all his attendant forms.
pramu̍ñcha̠ dhanva̍na̠stvamu̠bhayō̠rārtni̍ yō̠rjyām ।
yāścha̍ tē̠ hasta̠ iṣa̍va̠ḥ parā̠ tā bha̍gavō vapa ॥
Translation (bhāvārtha):
Loosen your bowstring from both ends, and set aside the arrows in your hand, O Lord.
a̠va̠tatya̠ dhanu̠stvagṃ saha̍srākṣa̠ śatē̍ṣudhē ।
ni̠śīrya̍ śa̠lyānā̠-mmukhā̍ śi̠vō na̍-ssu̠manā̍ bhava ॥
Translation (bhāvārtha):
Unstring the bow, blunt the arrow-points, and be benevolent and kindly disposed toward us.
vijya̠-ndhanu̍ḥ kapa̠rdinō̠ viśa̍lyō̠ bāṇa̍vāgṃ u̠ta ।
anē̍śanna̠syēṣa̍va ā̠bhura̍sya niṣa̠ṅgathi̍ḥ ॥
Translation (bhāvārtha):
May the bow of the matted-haired Lord be unstrung, the arrows harmless, and the quiver non-threatening.
yā tē̍ hē̠tirmī̍ḍuṣṭama̠ hastē̍ ba̠bhūva̍ tē̠ dhanu̍ḥ ।
tayā̠-'smān, vi̠śvata̠stvama̍ya̠kṣmayā̠ pari̍bbhuja ॥
Translation (bhāvārtha):
With that weapon-power and bow in your hand, protect us on all sides and keep us free from affliction.
nama̍stē a̠stvāyu̍dhā̠yānā̍tatāya dhṛ̠ṣṇavē̎ ।
u̠bhābhyā̍mu̠ta tē̠ namō̍ bā̠hubhyā̠-ntava̠ dhanva̍nē ॥
Translation (bhāvārtha):
Salutations to your readied weapon, to your strong arms, and to your bow.
pari̍ tē̠ dhanva̍nō hē̠tira̠smān vṛ̍ṇaktu vi̠śvata̍ḥ ।
athō̠ ya i̍ṣu̠dhistavā̠rē a̠smannidhē̍hi̠ tam ॥ 1 ॥
Translation (bhāvārtha):
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.)
sadāśi̠vōm ।
ōṃ śānti̠-śśānti̠-śśānti̍ḥ ।
