Prayer of the Day

Prayer in Sanskrit 

शब्दॊयमीश्वर इति श्रुतिगॊचरस्सन्
    आनीलकण्ठमवतंसितचन्द्रलॆखम् ।
त्वामॆव बॊधयति नाथ निजार्थपॊषात्
    अन्यं पुनः प्रकरणादि निपीडनॆन ॥ ४ ॥

Shloka as Romanized text

 

shabdOyamIshvara iti shrutigOcharassan
    AnIlakaNThamavataMsitachandralEkham |
tvAmEva bOdhayati nAtha nijArthapOShAt
    anyaM punaH prakaraNAdi nipIDanEna || 4 ||

( shabdOyam Ishvara iti shruti gOcharassan
    AnIlakaNTham avataMsita chandralEkham |
tvAmEva bOdhayati nAtha nijArtha pOShAt
    anyaM punaH prakaraNAdi nipIDanEna || )

Meaning of the Prayer Song:

 By the word Ishvara, in its natural form,
Oh Nilakanta, One ornated with the crescent,
the vedas only refer to You by the true intent!
For others it is a forceful derivation!

 Notes: 

1. avataMsa - ornament; chandralEkha - chandra kala;
pOSha - nurture; prakaraNa - subject; nipIDana - to oppress.

2. The word Ishvara, in its natural form, only refers to Lord Shiva.
Even today, when we ask the villagers, where is Ishvara temple,
they show the Lord Shiva temple only, while there could be so many
other temples in the village. Lord Shiva in temples are referre with Ishavara suffix
(arunachaleshwara, nilakanteshwara, vishveshwara ...)

3. c.f. शब्दमीश्वर इत्युच्चैः सार्धचन्द्रं बिभर्ति यः - Kalidasa
ईश्वरः सर्व ईशानः शंकरश्चन्द्रशॆखरः - Amarakosha

एकॊऽसि त्वं शिव जनिमतामीश्वरॊ - Appayya Dikshita
See Also:
1. ஹரதத்த சிவாச்சாரியார்