This short but sweet hymn appears in Skanda Purana – Kasi Kanda. It is said that a brahmin, by name Vishvanara prayed to the Lord with this stotra and got the Lord Himself as his son Vaishvanara. This shows that this prayer is capable of fulfilling one’s desires if recited with fervor and sincerity. Since it is capable of yielding
the desires of the devotee, it has got its name Abhilashashtakam. Abhilasha means desire. The stotra is replete with vedantic truths that are revealed by the upanishads. Hence a student of vedanta will be able to enjoy reciting it. The upanishads declare that God is without a name and form. But He may also be worshipped as one with form. Here the Supreme Being known by the name of Brahman is also addressed as Rudra in the first verse and later in the last verse identified as the Lord of Gowri.
ਅਭਿਲਾਸ਼ਾਸ਼੍ਟਕਂ ੨ Lyrics in Punjabi:
ਏਕਂ ਬ੍ਰਹ੍ਮੈਵऽऽਦ੍ਵਿਤੀਯਂ ਸਮਸ੍ਤਂ
ਸਤ੍ਯਂ ਸਤ੍ਯਂ ਨੇਹ ਨਾਨਾਸ੍ਤਿ ਕਿਂਚਿਤ੍ ।
ਏਕੋ ਰੁਦ੍ਰੋ ਨ ਦ੍ਵਿਤੀਯਾਯ ਤਸ੍ਥੇ
ਤਸ੍ਮਾਦੇਕਂ ਤ੍ਵਾਂ ਪ੍ਰਪਦ੍ਯੇ ਸਦਾਹਮ੍ ॥ ੧ ॥ var ਪ੍ਰਪਦ੍ਯੇ ਮਹੇਸ਼ਮ੍
ਏਕਃ ਕਰ੍ਤਾ ਤ੍ਵਂ ਹਿ ਸਰ੍ਵਸ੍ਯ ਸ਼ਂਭੋ
ਨਾਨਾ ਰੂਪੇਸ਼ੁ ਏਕਰੂਪੋਸਿ ਅਰੂਪਃ ।
ਯਦ੍ਵਤ੍ ਪ੍ਰਤ੍ਯਪ੍ਸੁ ਅਰ੍ਕਃ ਏਕੋਪਿ ਅਨੇਕਃ
ਤਸ੍ਮਾਤ੍ ਨਾਨ੍ਯਂ ਤ੍ਵਾਂ ਵਿਨੇਸ਼ਂ ਪ੍ਰਪਦ੍ਯੇ ॥ ੨ ॥
ਰਜ੍ਜੌ ਸਰ੍ਪਃ ਸ਼ੁਕ੍ਤਿਕਾਯਾਂ ਚ ਰੂਪ੍ਯਂ
ਨਰਃ ਪੂਰਃ ਤਨ੍ਮਗਾਖ੍ਯੇ ਮਰੀਚੌ ।
ਯਦ੍ਵਤ੍ ਤਦ੍ਵਤ੍ ਵਿਸ਼੍ਵਕ੍ ਏਸ਼ਃ ਪ੍ਰਪਞ੍ਚਃ
ਯਸ੍ਮਿਨ੍ ਜ੍ਞਾਤੇ ਤਂ ਪ੍ਰਪਦ੍ਯੇ ਮਹੇਸ਼ਂ ॥ ੩ ॥
ਤੋਯੇ ਸ਼ੈਤ੍ਯਂ ਦਾਹਕਤ੍ਵਂ ਚ ਵਨ੍ਹੌ
ਤਾਪੋ ਭਾਨੌ ਸ਼ੀਤ ਭਾਨੌ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਃ ।
ਪੁਸ਼੍ਪੇ ਗਣ੍ਧਃ ਦੁਗ੍ਧ ਮਧ੍ਯੇऽਪਿ ਸਰ੍ਪਿਃ
ਯਤ੍ਤਤ੍ ਸ਼ਂਭੋ ਤ੍ਵਂ ਤਤਃ ਤ੍ਵਾਂ ਪ੍ਰਪਦ੍ਯੇ ॥ ੪ ॥
ਸ਼ਬ੍ਦਂ ਗਣ੍ਹਾਸਿ ਅਸ਼੍ਰਵਾਃ ਤ੍ਵਂ ਹਿ ਜਿਘ੍ਰੇਃ
ਅਗ੍ਰਾਣਃ ਤ੍ਵਂ ਵ੍ਯਂਘ੍ਰਿਃ ਆਯਾਸਿ ਦੂਰਾਤ੍ ।
ਵ੍ਯਕ੍ਸ਼ਃ ਪਸ਼੍ਯੇਃ ਤ੍ਵਂ ਰਸਜ੍ਞੋऽਪਿ ਅਜਿਹ੍ਵਃ
ਕਃ ਤ੍ਵਾਂ ਸਮ੍ਯਕ੍ ਵੇਤ੍ਤਿ ਅਤਃ ਤ੍ਵਾਂ ਪ੍ਰਪਦ੍ਯੇ ॥ ੫ ॥
ਨੋ ਵੇਦ ਤ੍ਵਾਂ ਈਸ਼ ਸਾਕ੍ਸ਼ਾਤ੍ ਵਿਵੇਦ
ਨੋ ਵਾ ਵਿਸ਼੍ਣੁਃ ਨੋ ਵਿਧਾਤਾऽਖਿਲਸ੍ਯ ।
ਨੋ ਯੋਗੀਨ੍ਦ੍ਰਾਃ ਨੇਨ੍ਦ੍ਰ ਮੁਖ੍ਯਾਸ਼੍ਚ ਦੇਵਾਃ
ਭਕ੍ਤੋ ਵੇਦਤ੍ਵਾਂ ਅਤਸ੍ਤ੍ਵਾਂ ਪ੍ਰਪਦ੍ਯੇ ॥ ੬ ॥
ਨੋ ਤੇ ਗੋਤ੍ਰਂ ਨੇਸ਼ ਜਨ੍ਮਾਪਿ ਨਾਖ੍ਯਾ
ਨੋਵਾ ਰੂਪਂ ਨੈਵ ਸ਼ੀਲਂ ਨ ਤੇਜਃ ।
ਇਤ੍ਥਂ ਭੂਤੋਪਿ ਈਸ਼੍ਵਰਃ ਤ੍ਵਂ ਤ੍ਰਿਲੋਖ੍ਯਾਃ
ਸਰ੍ਵਾਨ੍ ਕਾਮਾਨ੍ ਪੂਰਯੇਃ ਤਤ੍ ਭਜੇਹਮ੍ ॥ ੭ ॥
ਤ੍ਵਤ੍ਤਃ ਸਰ੍ਵਂ ਤ੍ਵਹਿ ਸਰ੍ਵਂ ਸ੍ਮਰਾਰੇ
ਤ੍ਵਂ ਗੌਰੀਸ਼ਃ ਤ੍ਵਂ ਚ ਨਗ੍ਨਃ ਅਤਿਸ਼ਾਨ੍ਤਃ ।
ਤ੍ਵਂ ਵੈ ਵਦ੍ਧਃ ਤ੍ਵਂ ਯੁਵਾ ਤ੍ਵਂ ਚ ਬਾਲਃ
ਤਤ੍ਵਂ ਯਤ੍ਕਿਂ ਨਾਸਿ ਅਤਃ ਤ੍ਵਾਂ ਨਤੋਸ੍ਮਿ ॥ ੮ ॥
Abhilashashtakam 2 Meaning:
1) It is the one brahman which is without a second and is in the form of everything. There are no different things. This is really the truth. And that brahman is Rudra. In view of this, I always surrender to You who is the One without a second.
2) Oh Sambho! You alone are the creator of every thing. You are without a form. Yet You appear in many forms in one form. Just as the same sun is seen as many suns in many collections of water, You also appear as many. So, I will not surrender to any one else.
3) On coming to know You, what appeared as the world earlier is seen as the Lord only, just as what appeared to be a snake earlier is understood to be a rope only, what appeared as silver is understood to be a pearl oyster only and what appeared as a stream is understood to be a mirage only. I surrender to You the Lord.
4) The coldness in the water, the intense heat in the fire, the heat in the sun, the joy in the moon, the fragrance in the flower and the ghee in the curd are all aspects of You. Therefore I surrender to You.
5) You hear but are without ears, You smell but are without nose, You come from a distance but are without feet, You see but are without eyes and taste but are without a tongue. Who can know You properly? Such a One, I surrender to You.
6) O Lord! the veda itself has not known You properly. Nor have Vishnu, Brahma the creator of all the worlds, the best among the yogis or the gods like Indra have understood You properly. Only Your devotee knows You. Therefore I surrender to You.
7) O Lord! You have no lineage. You have no birth, no name, no form also. You have no manner of conducting Yourself or splendor. Even though You are like this You are the lord of the three worlds. You fulfill everyone’s desires. Therefore I worship You.
8) O the enemy of the god of love! everything originated from You. You are everything. You are the lord of Gouri. You are naked. You are very peaceful. You are old, young, infantile. What are You not? Therefore I prostrate before You.