Manonigraha-Dharma-Sthiti-Prārthanā

Manonigraha-Dharma-Sthiti-Prārthanā

Booklet Twelve

MANONIGRAHA DHARMA-STHITI PRĀRTHANĀ An Anuṣṭubh Prayer for Daily Steadiness, Manonigraha, and Dharma-Sthiti

Nāda as OfferingSasidhar Valluru

Devanagari original with Roman transliteration, English and Hindi meanings, word-by-word study appendix, and a short Anuṣṭubh chandas note.

Author’s Note

This twelfth booklet belongs to the Nāda as Offering movement.

It is a small daily prayer in Anuṣṭubh chandas: not a display of scholarship, not a grammar parade, and not a performance of spiritual seriousness.

Its purpose is practical.

The mind does not always sit still. Pride, jealousy, agitation, glāni, distraction, lack of viveka, and the senses pulling in different directions are not abstract philosophical problems. They are daily problems.

So the prayer asks Mahādeva for daily steadiness.

Manonigraha: restrain the mind.

Dharma-sthiti: establish me in dharma.

Let speech be purified. Let the body be put to work. Let service not be avoided. Let karma be admitted as larger than my understanding. Let the jīva stop pretending it can hold itself by itself.

The phalaśruti invokes Śaśidhara. That name is Mahādeva Himself - the moon-bearing Lord. It also carries my own signature-shadow. The prayer returns both to Him.

This is not a prayer for display. It is a prayer for the day when the mind needs to be held.

How to Read / Chant

Chant the stotram first, without stopping for explanation.

The stotram section gives Devanagari in the left column and Roman transliteration in the right column. The Roman is pronunciation support, not a replacement for the Sanskrit text.

After the uninterrupted stotram, read the English and Hindi meanings by śloka.

The word-by-word appendix is placed last on purpose. It supports study, but it should not interrupt prayer.

Pronunciation matters. Bhāva matters more.

Do not rush the prayer. Anuṣṭubh walks. Let it walk.

Chant the prayer first. Let the stotram be sound before it becomes explanation.

The Stotram Text

Śloka 1.

मनो मे मर्कटोपमम् ।mano me markaṭopamamनिगृहाण महेश्वर ॥nigṛhāṇa maheśvaraमां जीवमेव पालय ।māṃ jīvam eva pālayaमां पालय दयाम्बुधे ॥māṃ pālaya dayāmbudhe

Śloka 2.

मदश्च मात्सर्यं चैव ।madaś ca mātsaryaṃ caivaक्षोभं कुर्वन्ति मे हृदि ॥kṣobhaṃ kurvanti me hṛdiग्लानिं हर महादेव ।glāniṃ hara mahādevaमां पालय दयाम्बुधे ॥māṃ pālaya dayāmbudhe

Śloka 3.

महादेव कृपाम्बुधे ।mahādeva kṛpāmbudheरक्ष मां सर्वदा प्रभो ॥rakṣa māṃ sarvadā prabhoविवेकं नास्ति मे नाथ ।vivekaṃ nāsti me nāthaस्थैर्यं देहि महेश्वर ॥sthairyaṃ dehi maheśvara

Śloka 4.

धारय मां महादेव ।dhāraya māṃ mahādevaदीनबन्धो दयाम्बुधे ॥dīnabandho dayāmbudheमायाव्यूहमपावृणु ।māyāvyūham apāvṛṇuदर्शनं देहि मे प्रभो ॥darśanaṃ dehi me prabho

Śloka 5.

इन्द्रियाणि प्रमथन्ति ।indriyāṇi pramathantiविक्षेपं कुर्वते सदा ॥vikṣepaṃ kurvate sadāतानि संयम्य मे नाथ ।tāni saṃyamya me nāthaधर्मे मां स्थापय प्रभो ॥dharme māṃ sthāpaya prabho

Śloka 6.

वाचं शुद्धां कुरु प्रभो ।vācaṃ śuddhāṃ kuru prabhoमनः शुद्धं कुरुष्व मे ॥manaḥ śuddhaṃ kuruṣva meकायं कर्मसु योजय ।kāyaṃ karmasu yojayaसेवायां स्थापय प्रभो ॥sevāyāṃ sthāpaya prabho

Śloka 7.

अहंकारं विनाशय ।ahaṃkāraṃ vināśayaममत्वं च हर प्रभो ॥mamatvaṃ ca hara prabhoशरण्य त्वामुपागतः ।śaraṇya tvām upāgataḥमां पालय दयाम्बुधे ॥māṃ pālaya dayāmbudhe

Śloka 8.

कर्मजालं न जानामि ।karmajālaṃ na jānāmiप्रारब्धं नैव वेद्म्यहम् ॥prārabdhaṃ naiva vedmy ahamकर्तव्यं दर्शय प्रभो ।kartavyaṃ darśaya prabhoमार्गे मां नय शङ्कर ॥mārge māṃ naya śaṅkara

Śloka 9.

सत्ये मां स्थापय नित्यम् ।satye māṃ sthāpaya nityamधैर्यं देहि महेश्वर ॥dhairyaṃ dehi maheśvaraलोभं मोहं विनाशय ।lobhaṃ mohaṃ vināśayaशान्तिं देहि सदाशिव ॥śāntiṃ dehi sadāśiva

Śloka 10.

दीनसेवां प्रदेहि मे ।dīnasevāṃ pradehi meहृदये करुणां कुरु ॥hṛdaye karuṇāṃ kuruपरेषां दुःखदर्शने ।pareṣāṃ duḥkhadarśaneमा मे चित्तं पलायताम् ॥mā me cittaṃ palāyatām

Śloka 11.

यत्किञ्चित्कर्म मे नाथ ।yat kiñcit karma me nāthaत्वत्पादेषु समर्पये ॥tvatpādeṣu samarpayeयन्मे मनसि दूषणम् ।yan me manasi dūṣaṇamतत्सर्वं शमय प्रभो ॥tat sarvaṃ śamaya prabho

Phalaśruti.

अनुष्टुभमिदं स्तोत्रम् ।anuṣṭubham idaṃ stotramयः पठेद्भक्तिसंयुतः ॥yaḥ paṭhed bhaktisaṃyutaḥतस्य चित्तं स्थिरं भवेत् ।tasya cittaṃ sthiraṃ bhavetशशिधरप्रसादतः ॥śaśidharaprasādataḥ

Śloka 1 — Meaning

मनो मे मर्कटोपमम् ।निगृहाण महेश्वर ॥मां जीवमेव पालय ।मां पालय दयाम्बुधे ॥

English meaning: My mind is like a monkey, O Maheshvara. Restrain it. Protect this very jīva that I am. Protect me, O ocean of compassion.

Hindi meaning: हे महेश्वर, मेरा मन बंदर के समान चंचल है। उसे संयमित करो। इस जीवात्मा की रक्षा करो। हे दया-सागर, मेरी रक्षा करो।

Inner sense (Bhāva): The prayer begins where the mind refuses to sit still.