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.
அபி⁴லாஷாஷ்டகம் 2 Lyrics in Tamil:
ஏகம் ப்³ரஹ்மைவঽঽத்³விதீயம் ஸமஸ்தம்
ஸத்யம் ஸத்யம் நேஹ நாநாஸ்தி கிஞ்சித் ।
ஏகோ ருத்³ரோ ந த்³விதீயாய தஸ்தே²
தஸ்மாதே³கம் த்வாம் ப்ரபத்³யே ஸதா³ஹம் ॥ 1 ॥ var ப்ரபத்³யே மஹேஶம்
ஏக: கர்தா த்வம் ஹி ஸர்வஸ்ய ஶம்போ⁴
நாநா ரூபேஷு ஏகரூபோஸி அரூப: ।
யத்³வத் ப்ரத்யப்ஸு அர்க: ஏகோபி அநேக:
தஸ்மாத் நாந்யம் த்வாம் விநேஶம் ப்ரபத்³யே ॥ 2 ॥
ரஜ்ஜௌ ஸர்ப: ஶுக்திகாயாம் ச ரூப்யம்
நர: பூர: தந்ம்ருʼகா³க்²யே மரீசௌ ।
யத்³வத் தத்³வத் விஷ்வக் ஏஷ: ப்ரபஞ்ச:
யஸ்மிந் ஜ்ஞாதே தம் ப்ரபத்³யே மஹேஶம் ॥ 3 ॥
தோயே ஶைத்யம் தா³ஹகத்வம் ச வந்ஹௌ
தாபோ பா⁴நௌ ஶீத பா⁴நௌ ப்ரஸாத:³ ।
புஷ்பே க³ண்த:⁴ து³க்³த⁴ மத்⁴யேঽபி ஸர்பி:
யத்தத் ஶம்போ⁴ த்வம் தத: த்வாம் ப்ரபத்³யே ॥ 4 ॥
ஶப்³த³ம் க்³ருʼண்ஹாஸி அஶ்ரவா: த்வம் ஹி ஜிக்⁴ரே:
அக்³ராண: த்வம் வ்யங்க்⁴ரி: ஆயாஸி தூ³ராத் ।
வ்யக்ஷ: பஶ்யே: த்வம் ரஸஜ்ஞோঽபி அஜிஹ்வ:
க: த்வாம் ஸம்யக் வேத்தி அத: த்வாம் ப்ரபத்³யே ॥ 5 ॥
நோ வேத³ த்வாம் ஈஶ ஸாக்ஷாத் விவேத³
நோ வா விஷ்ணு: நோ விதா⁴தாঽகி²லஸ்ய ।
நோ யோகீ³ந்த்³ரா: நேந்த்³ர முக்²யாஶ்ச தே³வா:
ப⁴க்தோ வேத³த்வாம் அதஸ்த்வாம் ப்ரபத்³யே ॥ 6 ॥
நோ தே கோ³த்ரம் நேஶ ஜந்மாபி நாக்²யா
நோவா ரூபம் நைவ ஶீலம் ந தேஜ: ।
இத்த²ம் பூ⁴தோபி ஈஶ்வர: த்வம் த்ரிலோக்²யா:
ஸர்வாந் காமாந் பூரயே: தத் ப⁴ஜேஹம் ॥ 7 ॥
த்வத்த: ஸர்வம் த்வஹி ஸர்வம் ஸ்மராரே
த்வம் கௌ³ரீஶ: த்வம் ச நக்³ந: அதிஶாந்த: ।
த்வம் வை வ்ருʼத்³த:⁴ த்வம் யுவா த்வம் ச பா³ல:
தத்வம் யத்கிம் நாஸி அத: த்வாம் நதோஸ்மி ॥ 8 ॥
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.