The first anuvak (section) of Namakam is a prayer to pacify Rudra's wrath. The devotee asks that Rudra's weapons become benevolent and that his gentle form be revealed. Rudra is also invoked here as the foremost divine physician.
📖 Yajurveda, Taittiriya Samhita
Mantra 1
ॐ नमस्ते रुद्र मन्यव उतोत इषवे नमः ।
नमस्ते अस्तु धन्वने बाहुभ्यामुत ते नमः ॥
Om namaste rudra manyava utota ishave namah |
namaste astu dhanvane bahubhyamuta te namah ||
नमस्ते
salutation to you
रुद्र
O Rudra
मन्यवे
to your wrath
इषवे
to your arrow
धन्वने
to your bow
बाहुभ्याम्
to your two arms
O Rudra, salutation to your wrath. Salutation to your arrow. Salutation to your bow, and salutation to your two mighty arms.
Mantra 2
या त इषुः शिवतमा शिवं बभूव ते धनुः ।
शिवा शरव्या या तव तया नो रुद्र मृडय ॥
Ya ta ishuh shivatamaashivam babhuva te dhanuh |
shiva sharavya ya tava taya no rudra mridaya ||
इषुः
arrow
शिवतमा
most auspicious
धनुः
bow
शरव्या
quiver
मृडय
grant us happiness
O Rudra, may your arrow become most auspicious. May your bow become benevolent. May your quiver too be gracious — and through all these, grant us happiness.
Mantra 3
या ते रुद्र शिवा तनूरघोराऽपापकाशिनी ।
तया नस्तनुवा शन्तमया गिरिशन्ताभिचाकशीहि ॥
Ya te rudra shiva tanur aghoraapapakashini |
taya nastanuva shantamaya girishantabhichakashihi ||
शिवा तनूः
auspicious form
अघोरा
not fearsome, gentle
अपापकाशिनी
free of sin, pure
गिरिशन्त
Shiva who dwells on the mountain
अभिचाकशीहि
bestow your grace
O Rudra, that form of yours which is auspicious, gentle, and pure — O Shiva who dwells on the mountain, look upon us with that tranquil, gracious form.
Mantra 4
यामिषुं गिरिशन्त हस्ते बिभर्ष्यस्तवे ।
शिवां गिरित्र तां कुरु मा हिंसीः पुरुषं जगत् ॥
Yamishum girishanta haste bibharshy astave |
shivam giritra tam kuru ma himseeh purusham jagat ||
इषुम्
the arrow
गिरिशन्त
O dweller of the mountain
हस्ते
in hand
बिभर्षि
you hold
मा हिंसीः
do not cause harm
पुरुषं जगत्
humans and the world
O Shiva who dwells on the mountain, the arrow you hold in your hand — make it auspicious. Do not cause harm to humans or to the world.
Mantra 5
शिवेन वचसा त्वा गिरिशाच्छा वदामसि ।
यथा नः सर्वमिज्जगदयक्ष्मं सुमना असत् ॥
Shivena vacasa tva girishachhha vadamasi |
yatha nah sarvamij jagad ayakshmam sumana asat ||
शिवेन वचसा
with auspicious words
गिरिश
O Shiva of the mountain
वदामसि
we pray
अयक्ष्मम्
free of disease
सुमनाः
cheerful in mind
O Shiva of the mountain, we approach you with auspicious words in prayer — so that our entire world may be free of disease and joyful in spirit.
Mantra 6
अध्यवोचदधिवक्ता प्रथमो दैव्यो भिषक् ।
अहींश्च सर्वाञ्जम्भयन्त्सर्वाश्च यातुधान्यः ॥
Adhyavocad adhivakta prathamo daivyo bhishak |
aheemshcha sarvanjanmbhayant sarvascha yatudhanyah ||
अधिवक्ता
protector, well-wisher
प्रथमः
the foremost
दैव्यः भिषक्
divine physician
अहीन्
serpents
जम्भयन्
destroying
यातुधान्यः
demonesses
Rudra is the protector of all — the foremost divine physician. He destroys serpents and all demonic forces.
Mantra 7
असौ यस्ताम्रो अरुण उत बभ्रुः सुमङ्गलः ।
ये चेमां रुद्रा अभितो दिक्षु श्रिताः सहस्रशोऽवैषां हेड ईमहे ॥
Asau yas tamro aruna uta babhruh sumangalah |
ye chemam rudra abhito dikshu shritah sahasrasho'veisham heda imahe ||
ताम्रः
copper-hued (red)
अरुणः
dawn-coloured
बभ्रुः
brown-hued
सुमङ्गलः
supremely auspicious
सहस्रशः
in thousands
हेडः ईमहे
we seek to pacify the wrath
That Rudra who is copper-hued, dawn-coloured, and brown — supremely auspicious — and the thousands of Rudras who stand in all directions: we seek to pacify all their wrath.
References
Sri Rudram · 1 / 22