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The Mahishasura Mardini Stotram, popularly recognized by its starting phrase, Aigiri Nandini, was composed by Adi Shankaracharya.  Even though some sources attribute the stotra to Ramakrishna Kavi, with due respect to him, one would be foolish to take the attribution away from the Hero of Hinduism, given the complexity and the rhythmic beauty of the composition.

During Navratri or Dussehra, the Mother Goddess is worshipped according to the Navadurga, or the nine special attributes of the Mother Goddess, each on one of the nine nights.  The tenth day, when the Mother Goddess was victorious is celebrated as Vijayadashami.  The stotra celebrates the victory of Maa Durga over the demon king Mahishasura, in essence, the victory of good over evil. 

In this video I have broken down the phrases to facilitate proper pronunciation by those wishing to learn the stotra. 

Bhakti Sudha, the primary source for this rendition does not have one paragraph, but for the sake of completion we have included it, as given in other sources (see references below).

Resources/references/meaning:

• Bhakti Sudha, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, 24^th Edition, 2012
• https://www.greenmesg.org/stotras/durga/mahishasura_mardini_stotram.php
• https://www.devshoppe.com/blogs/articles/sri-mahishasura-mardini-stotram-with-meaning
• https://vak1969.com/2020/09/29/mahishasura-mardini-aigiri-nandini-context-meaning-learning/
• https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/mahishasuramardini-stotram-with-english-translation

Pictures: 

• https://www.indianetzone.com/photos_gallery/31/MahisasuraMardini_21480.jpg
• https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Om_symbol.svg/200px-Om_symbol.svg.png
• https://www.vedicgrace.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/swastik-vedicgrace-foundation.jpg
• https://www.amazon.in/SHANDICRAFT-Dhunachi-Burner-Indian-Incense/dp/B07HCQLR1T

Background music: Maestro Tlakaelel, Jesse Gallagher

Mania is part of Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depressive Psychosis in the olden days).  It is an episodic condition characterized by excessive happiness/irritability and increased energy/activities.  In addition, there could also be agitation, distractibility, racing thoughts, excessive speech, reduced sleep, grandiose ideas, and risk-taking behaviour such as rash driving, overspending or sexually promiscuous behaviour.  It can alternate with depressive periods, although this is not always necessary; a single episode of Mania still qualifies as Bipolar Disorder.  

Persons undergoing a manic episode may be able to describe the euphoric feeling of ‘feeling on top of the world’, with no need to rest or sleep.  They feel highly energetic, and often this energy is directed towards purposeless activities that can rile up people they live with.  They can sing, dance, make jokes, and quote poems with rhyming words, or on the other hand, cry for no reason, and become very angry over trivial issues, and even assault others.  In severe cases, psychotic features such as grandiose delusions may set in, which results in the person believing that he/she is rich beyond means, or has some special abilities, or that they are very important individuals, such as presidents or celebrities. 

With all this going on, the feature that makes Mania the most challenging condition to manage is that the person is unaware that he/she is mentally ill and needs treatment.  But when treatment is given, the symptoms become more manageable, and with the recovery of insight, preventive treatment can be continued on a long-term basis.

Kaamo hi yagne prathamo nainam devaa aapuh pitaro na martyaah

Tatastvamasi jyaayaan vishwahaa mahaan tasmai te kaama namaskaromi

O Kamadeva, in the sacrifice of creation, you were the first to emerge; gods, ancestors or humans did not get the same status as you

You are the oldest and the best, with none more omnipotent than you, so I salute you, Kamadeva.

 ~o~

Cast your mind back to the time when you were a teenager, when you were about to enter highschool, and were ultra-curious about all matters relating to physical pleasure.  Whom did you turn to, to satisfy this curiosity?  Those of you who belong to the pre-internet era, are likely to say peers (who were equally ignorant/misinformed), adult magazines (with glammed up models), or clandestinely arranged blue-film VCR watch-parties (films in which we saw impossibly well-endowed actors with amazing ‘staying power’).  The Gen Z children are luckier; for them, access to the sexual act is just a few clicks away on their handheld devices. 

Regardless of the mode of exploration, all children/adolescents have a natural curiosity about...

SEX.

That one word that is sure to send any Indian parent into a tizzy.  A topic that is often spoken of in hushed tones, if not brushed under the carpet altogether.  Indian parents are masters at pretending as though sex does not exist, and somehow our existence on this planet is a result of some immaculate and/or chaste divination.  Growing up, I have seen overzealous adults changing TV channels whenever an intimate scene appeared, to save us children from becoming ‘spoilt’.  Rather than hiding and denying, how wonderful it would have been if these adults had provided us with timely education on such matters.  It would have saved us from misinformation and much embarrassment. 

Sexual censoriousness is an unfortunate by product of centuries of Abrahamic invasions and occupation and negation of our land, religion and culture that has immortalized sex through the erotic sculptures of Khajuraho and the greatest manual on sex, Kamasutra.  Prior to this forced puritanism, our scriptures had already acknowledged the importance of sex in our existence.  The Taitiriya Upanishad exhorted gurukul-graduating students to become householders and have progeny to perpetuate the society.  The Purusharthas, in addition to dharma (righteousness/duty), artha (job/money) and moksha (liberation), also prescribe kama (sex/marriage/progeny) as the four main goals of human life. 

Which other religion/culture can lay claim to such an achievement?  This overt expression of human sexuality is to be appreciated, celebrated and revived, rather than vilified and denied.  

This is not to negate the spiritual aspects of our existence; we are, as the saying goes, spiritual beings having a human experience.  But with the exception of certain messiahs, the lesser mortals such as you and I are here in our physical avatars because, excuse the bluntness, our parents had sex with each other.  We are all products of desire, and there is no getting around this fact. 

In actual fact, sex is omnipresent.  It is what every living being resorts to instinctually to propagate the species.  The sex drive is usually higher in men for a reason: to help the male of the species to spread his genetic material far and wide to ensure survival of his ilk.  The more you repress sex as a society, the more it is likely to emerge later, often bursting out as unbridled urges with disastrous consequences – sexual assaults and rapes being the prime adverse effects of this repressive mindset. 

There are misconceptions galore as far as the sexual act is concerned.  A headmistress of a school once asked me if by imparting sex education to the children of her school, would we not encourage overt sexual behaviour in them?!  The short answer to that, of course, is no, but really, how do you respond to that without being incredulous, coming as it was from an educated person occupying a position of responsibility?  Just goes to show how ill-informed we are about something as basic a necessity as food and water.

In certain religions, implausible notions of chastity are advocated, which somehow seem to be applicable only to the female members of such regressive communities.  Hence, we find women under veils of various colours, sizes, and shapes, sometimes covering the entire body like a bank vault.  In the olden days, chastity belts were used to make sure that the woman of the house does not sleep with any other man.  Female genital mutilation is another regressive practice that is inflicted on hapless women to ensure their sex drive is under control.

I have lost count of the number of men who are preoccupied with the size of their penises.  Somehow, sexual potency is equated with the length of the male organ, and the unhappy ones can go to any extent and website selling potency pills in the pursuit of those few extra inches, or ‘high stamina’.  There is a particular type of culture-bound syndrome called Dhat Syndrome that is prevalent among Indian men, in which there is a belief that semen is being lost in the urine resulting in enervation and loss of potency. 

Masturbation is considered to be abnormal by many.  It is seen as a desperate act by those who are single or wary of having interpersonal sex.  In certain spiritual practices, it is considered to be a waste of energy source if veeryaskalana - semen ejaculation by masturbation, is done.  

In reality, everybody does it, but does not admit to it.  It is a normal act, and indeed a release for sexual tension, which may otherwise present as nightfall or sexual frustration.  While moderate masturbation is okay, it is important to remember that excessive masturbation can be addictive and therefore harmful. 

Appropriate use of pornography is looked down upon severely in conservative societies.  Like sex, this is also omnipresent – if any man says he has never browsed porn, take it as a big fat lie.  Again, this is not to say that women do not have sexual urges or browse porn, but comparatively they do it less.  In certain long-stay rehab centres, where the inmates do not have access to interpersonal sex, it is not uncommon to provide them with adult magazines/films so that they can gratify themselves.  Needless to say, excessive porn, like masturbation is harmful, and that involving nonconsenting individuals and children is a criminal act.   

Paraphilias are sexual deviances, such as being aroused by non-genital body parts or non-living objects or crossdressing.  This could be a normal variant of sexual act, but when it involves a nonconsenting individual or a child, or the act/thought itself causes significant distress or social impairment, then it could become a Paraphilic Disorder.  

Just to quote an example, I have seen a teenaged boy who admitted to crossdressing and getting aroused by the act.  Even though his actions caused much distress to his parents, it might have been okay if he had done it in privacy (Transvestism).  But he once stood in the balcony wearing his mother’s clothes and gesticulated at passing men on the road, as a result of which his diagnosis had to be Transvestic Disorder.    

There is one paraphilia that is both a mental disorder and a crime: pedophilia.  Child sexual abuse is rampant in our society, and once again, we as parents/guardians have failed spectacularly to keep our children safe from sexual predators. 

On the other hand, there are variations in normal gender and/or sexual preference which are neither disorders nor crimes: transsexualism and homosexuality.  That is to say, individuals who identify themselves as belonging to another gender, or not at all, and those who are sexually attracted to members of their own gender, are neither ill nor criminals.

Unless you have been living under a rock recently, you will know that homosexuality has been decriminalised and that these individuals are collectively grouped under the label of LGBTQI+.  The plus at the end indicates the complex and never-ending manifestation of human gender/sexuality that keeps expressing itself in newer ways, refusing to be confined to the binary of male/female that we in Indian society have assumed to be the case all these years.  This spectrum has always existed, but like sex it was not acknowledged until now, when more such individuals are coming out to assert their gender/sexuality openly. 

As parents, it behoves you to be sympathetic if your son/daughter turns out to be gay; it is not a lifestyle choice, it is just the way they are.  Just as being left-handed or grey-eyed is a deviation from usual, being gay is a deviation from heterosexuality.  Remember that there is no treatment to cure them of being gay, and accept them for what they are. 

With so much of intricacies and misconceptions associated with the sexual act, imagine the plight of a child that is just waking up to the reality that children are not deposited on the doorstep by a stork, or that their siblings were not given to them by God for 'good behaviour'.  They can be gullible enough to trust that dodgy uncle who slips his hand up their undergarments while feeling himself, and then tells them to ‘keep it a secret’, or else! 

Your children are not aware about the risks involved in having sex with strangers or boy/girlfriends that they have just met, whether they be unwanted pregnancies, or sexually contracted diseases.  They are certainly not aware that they should develop a trustworthy relationship with a person of good character before they submit their bodies to the sexual act.  As a result, they are vulnerable to being exploited, abused, and being subjected to a non-consensual sexual assaults.  

It is time, therefore, as parents to shed our cultural conditioning about sex and take a lead in sexually educating our children.  But what is the right age to do this at?  Who should do it; father or mother?  What should be included in the sex education talk?  Will we be inducing sexual promiscuity by talking openly about sex?  To address such misgivings, I have prepared a few tips on sex education in this video (with additional text in Hindi & Kannada):

I have no hesitation in saying that I provided sexual education to my daughter just after she attained menarche.   You may well ask, how can I, as a parent talk to my child about sex?!  Horror of horrors, how can a father talk to his daughter about sexual gratification, or a mother to her son, for that matter?  I say, why not?  If not you, who else?  Their friends?  Teachers?  Websites?  If you do not do it, your child will find a way of educating him/herself and also satisfying his/her urge.  The source/means of doing this could be iffy and dangerous. 

So, it is better if you remain in control of this part of their essential life education, as well as your overall PR, i.e., parental responsibility.  You should make yourself so approachable that your child is not diffident about talking to you about sex, or any other issue, for that matter.  I am not saying start having open sex in front of your toddler, or start browsing porn with your teenager, but we need to shed our inhibitions about sex, and have open discussions about it at the right time period. 

Educate your child about the possibility of sexual abuse when he/she is likely to leave the safety of your home and meet other people, at a playschool, for example.  Specifically, speak about ‘good touch, bad touch’ and not to trust strangers and do as they say without checking with you. 

When your child attains puberty, speak about the topics covered in this video.  I am deliberately not prescribing an age to do this at because the concept of biological age, I find, is arbitrary and unhelpful as far as human development and understanding are concerned; each child develops at his/her own pace.  Instead, let your child’s mind/body guide you.  In girls, menarche is the definite starting point of physical puberty; in boys it is rather vague, but you can still watch out for signs of physical sexual maturity such as deepening of voice, development of facial hair, and, if you can discern, a curiosity in matters relating to sex. 

In both the genders, it is important to remember that they may be physically mature, but emotionally still naïve.  So, talk about the emotions, relationships, character traits of boy/girlfriend/partner, and assessing trustworthiness before embarking on a sexual relationship at a later age, perhaps towards the end of adolescence.  

More specifically, talk about the issue of consent: girls are allowed to say no to the sexual act, or change their mind about it at any time, and boys have to respect this decision and leave them alone, and, just to be absolutely clear, this is applicable even if the genders are reversed. 

If you are still uncomfortable talking to your child/teenager about these issues, do not hesitate to seek the help of a professional counsellor (preferably gender-matched).

Update, October 2023:

I saw the film, OMG2 and tweeted thus:

I particularly liked the following aspects:

1. The symbolism of Shivalinga, which depicts the sexual union of Purusha and Prakriti (even though in the spiritual sense, it is a column of Shiva's effulgence that originated at the time of creation).
2. Apart from the cultural references mentioned above, there was also a quote from the Panchatantra about kamashastra - sexual education of students.
3. I am glad they raised the issue of Macaulayization of Indian education system, which was very effective in annihilating kamashastra, leading to further repression of sex in our society: I hope that this is addressed in the National Education Policy.  
4. Loved the Shiva-Nandi interludes that keep guiding the protagonist towards Truth.  
5. The song, Oonche oonche wadi is beautiful.
6. I am a big fan of Pankaj Tripathi who is extraordinary in this film, and richly deserves every bit of the success that he is getting.

Lord Shiva, the meditative Lord of Kailasa also manifests Himself as Kala Bhairava, the dark, intense, fearsome God of Death/Time whose vehicle is the shvana – dog.  After all, Lord Shiva is the destroyer god among the Holy Trinity of Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva.  Kala Bhairaveshwara also happens to be our Kuladevata.

In the video, I have broken down the lyrics to facilitate proper pronunciation, just as we did while learning to recite the shloka.

As he did so often, that Hero of Hinduism, Adi Shankaracharya wrote this ashtakam, extolling the worldly and spiritual virtues of the Guardian Deity of Kashi, Kala Bhairava. 

Reciting this shloka is said to ward off delusion, depression and anger, and take one close to the Supreme State of Bliss. 

Meaning/significance/resources/references:

• Bhaktisudha, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, 24^th Edition, 2012
• https://greenmesg.org/stotras/shiva/kalabhairava_ashtakam.php
• https://www.artofliving.org/mahashivratri/kaal-bhairav-ashtkam
• https://www.astroved.com/articles/history-of-kala-bhairava
• Background music: Tratak, Jesse Gallagher

Anxiety is a common emotion; everyone experiences it.  It is natural to feel anxious when you are called upon to perform in public, meet new people, visit a hospital, meet a deadline, etc.  

So, when does it become a problem? 

As therapists, we look at the quantity and quality of anxiety.  In other words, anxiety becomes a problem when the duration of symptoms exceeds far beyond what is expected, or when the quality of life is affected.  For example, if anxiety persists even after the provocative task is completed, or even after the stressful issue has been resolved, then it can be a problem. 

Further, if the anxiety worsens so much that a person is paralyzed with stress/fear, and is unable to complete the task, or go about his/her daily routine, then too, anxiety can be unproductive.  It then progresses from common anxiety to an anxiety disorder. 

Anxiety disorder manifests in many ways: panic attacks, generalized anxiety, fear of objects/situations (phobias – commonly agoraphobia & social phobia), stress following a traumatic event (post-traumatic stress disorder - PTSD), repetitive thought & actions (obsessive-compulsive disorder - OCD), etc. 

In this short silent educative film, the following conditions have been depicted:

Panic attacks: Brief spells of intense dread with physical symptoms such as breathlessness, palpitations and tremors, and psychological symptoms such as feelings of losing control/dying and sensation of body/surroundings altering in shape/form/colour. It is annoyingly repetitive and can occur even without provocation.  That is, even when the person is not doing anything stressful, when he/she is at home, or in peaceful surroundings.  It may occur on its own or in combination with any of the other anxiety disorders. 

Agoraphobia: Fear of becoming stuck in an inescapable situation, such as in crowds, buses, lifts, etc.  The individual may become homebound in severe cases; that is, he/she may not leave the place of safety – usually their home – at all.

There can also be other specific phobias: social phobia – inability to meet people/perform in public; fear of spiders (arachnophobia), snakes (ophidiophobia), injections (needle phobia), etc.

PTSD: Feelings of intense reliving experiences after a traumatic event; even though this is a stress-related disorder, anxiety and depressive feelings occur quite commonly in this condition, and the person may become homebound as he/she avoids getting into a similar situation.

OCD: Unwanted, repetitive thoughts/images/urges that cause distress (e.g., hand contamination), which is relieved by doing a compensatory act (e.g., handwashing).  This can be a highly disabling condition and affects the quality of life of both the sufferer and the carer.   

In this film, I have intermittently added imagery pertaining to anxiety-provoking objects/occurrences (traffic, spiders, snakes, natural disasters, flight turbulence, injections, accidents) to illustrate the variety of stimuli that can cause anxiety.  The film ends with a series of noises that can be most annoying to the human ear, and can therefore precipitate or worsen anxiety.

The purpose of this film is not to scare you, but to accurately depict the above conditions, so as to facilitate understanding of the nature of anxiety and its many triggers and manifestations.  I hope this helps medical/psychiatric students, patients, carers, and interested lay viewers to better understand anxiety disorders and seek timely professional help, where necessary.

As ever, I invite your constructive feedback and comments.  Please rate/review Breathless on IMDb.

Please read these earlier articles to know more about OCD, and stress.

For a more professional lecture on stress and anxiety disorders, please see the video link in this post.

Film festival selections for Breathless: 

1. Lift-Off Global Network First-Time Filmmakers Sessions:

I have heard patients describing depression as a dark cloud that hangs over the head.  There are also periods of intense sadness and spontaneous bursts of crying for no reason.  Depression is a harrowing mental condition that saps one's energy, motivation and will to do anything useful.  

It is said that 'depression is an inability to construct a future'.  I would suggest that this is so because of the extreme preoccupation with the past events that occurs in depression, although it is not always necessary for depression to occur as a result of past adverse events.

Patients also experience negative automatic thoughts such as dichotomous or black-and-white thinking, that is, everybody/everything viewed as being either good or bad. 

Low self-esteem, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, hopelessness and the ominous threat of suicidal ideas further compound the problem. 

Bodily symptoms such as loss of appetite leading to weight loss, sleep disturbance often presenting as early morning awakening, and loss of libido/menstruation are often present.

In this silent short film on depression, I have attempted to depict these very signs and symptoms in a young person, although depression can occur at any age.  I hope medical/paramedical students will find this video useful in identifying the clinical features of depression.

I have experimented with colour tones, imagery, sound and pacing to symbolize the bleakness, misery and desolation that go with depression. 

The purpose of this video is not to scare you, but to motivate you to seek timely professional intervention.  Treatment in the form of antidepressant medication and psychotherapy/counselling ensures that depression can be treated and controlled.

Please don't forget to rate/review Bleak on IMDb.

Film festival selections for Bleak:

1. Lift-Off Global Network First-Time Filmmakers Sessions:

https://liftoff.network/ft-filmmaker-sessions-may-2022/

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is one of those disorders that can exasperate a parent of a child with this condition.  

Here I talk about the disorder in three languages:

English: https://youtu.be/YMuc_PFgiP0

Hindi: https://youtu.be/2m2GSMDJIVg

Kannada: https://youtu.be/hd6Xg7NkiNc

Do not forget to read more about ADHD from my earlier article.

On boloji.com (click on external link): https://dgvpawar.blogspot.com/2014/12/article-on-adhd-energetic-tots.html

And for fun: https://dgvpawar.blogspot.com/2014/08/chhota-bheem-doraemon-and-oggy-indian.html

Resources:

Music: Waterfall, Aakash Gandhi

Sri Adi Shankaracharya composed this hymn to address Lord Lakshmi-Narasimha (God Narasimha along with his divine consort, Goddess Lakshmi).

https://youtu.be/0LSU08ATs24

Lord Narasimha is the fourth avatara of Lord Vishnu who appeared in the court of King Hiranyakashyapu to help His bhakta, Prahlada.  He is known to be the angriest avatara of Lord Vishnu who ripped apart Hiranyakashyapu.  

He could be placated only by the ardent supplication of Goddess Lakshmi and Prahlada. 

Adi Shankara himself is said to have been saved by the Lord when a kapalika sought to behead him.  

In this stotra Adi Shankara takes the position of a supplicant who is beseeching the Lord to guide him through the temptations and travails or samsara, or worldly existence.

Each of the seventeen verses ends with the refrain, Give me Thy hand O Lord!  Hence it is also called Lakshmi-Nrusimha Karavalambam Stotram. 

Reciting this stotra regularly is said to reduce anger and related negative vibrations, leading one to bhakti and peace.

For the literal meaning of the stotra please visit the websites listed below.

References:

Meaning:

• http://www.hindupedia.com/en/Sri_Lakshmi_Narasimha_Karavalambam
• https://templesinindiainfo.com/sri-lakshmi-narasimha-karavalambam-stotram-lyrics-in-english-with-meaning/
• https://stotram.co.in/lakshmi-narasimha-karavalamba-stotram/
• https://greenmesg.org/stotras/narasimha/lakshmi_nrisimha_karavalambam.php

Music: Tratak, Jesse Gallagher

Pictures:

• https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Lakshmi_Narasimha_statue_at_Cheriyal_temple%2C_December_2018.jpg
• https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBTEzln3MupM_PnhlfjhbAfkikvZ2mPPs6AHDvokXBXBVq0Il3_5Zd4JM7xsZhE9ntb7tLhce1Ng_Um1c1p-GlgB37oWuB3Eoi9U3BeTDH7BFf_LJpP7mIQu2bCdyop0MIWo-qhKzo2Aq/s1600/chakra.jpg

Lingashtakam is an octet of hymns in the praise of Lord Shiva. 

The ashtakam is attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, said to be an avatar of Lord Shiva. 

It addresses the linga aspect of Lord Shiva, that is, the physical representation of the column of Light of Creation.

Released on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivaratri 2021, the ashtakam is known to bestow peace, fulfilment and salvation to one who chants it regularly.  

It is particularly beneficial to chant this ashtakam on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri, which occurs on the 13th night/14th day of the Phalguna month of the Hindu calendar.

One can chant the ashtakam everyday before dawn or dusk, while physically/mentally focusing on the Shivalinga. 

Watch the video of Lingashtakam here:

Atah Lingashtakam

अतः लिंगाष्टकम 

ಅತಃ ಲಿಂಗಾಷ್ಟಕಂ

This is the eight-stanza-hymn of Shivalinga

Brahmamurari surarchita Lingam nirmala bhasita shobhita Lingam

Janmaja dukhavinashaka Lingam tat pranamami Sadashiva Lingam

ब्रह्ममुरारि सुरार्चित लिंगम निर्मल भासित शोभित लिंगम

जन्मज दुःखविनाशक लिंगम तत प्रणमामि सदाशिव लिंगम

ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಮುರಾರಿ ಸುರಾರ್ಚಿತ ಲಿಂಗಂ ನಿರ್ಮಲಭಾಸಿತ ಶೋಭಿತ ಲಿಂಗಂ 

ಜನ್ಮಜ ದುಃಖವಿನಾಶಕ ಲಿಂಗಂ ತತ್ ಪ್ರಣಮಾಮಿ ಸದಾಶಿವ ಲಿಂಗಂ

Worshipped by Brahma, Vishnu and Devas; the pure, resplendent, adorned Linga

That which removes the sorrows of birth/life; I bow to that eternal Shivalinga

Devamuni pravararchita Lingam kamadaham karunakara Lingam

Ravanadarpa vinashana Lingam tat pranamami Sadashiva Lingam

देवमुनि प्रवरार्चित लिंगम कामदहम करुणाकर लिंगम

रावणदर्प विनाशन लिंगम तत प्रणमामि सदाशिव लिंगम

ದೇವಮುನಿ ಪ್ರವರಾರ್ಚಿತ ಲಿಂಗಂ ಕಾಮದಹಮ್ ಕರುಣಾಕರ ಲಿಂಗಂ

ರಾವಣದರ್ಪ ವಿನಾಶನ ಲಿಂಗಂ ತತ್ ಪ್ರಣಮಾಮಿ ಸದಾಶಿವ ಲಿಂಗಂ

Worshipped by Devas and Rishis; that which burns desires, that which is compassionate

That which destroys Ravana's pride; I bow to that eternal Shivalinga

Sarva sugandhi sulepita Lingam buddhi vivardhana karana Lingam

Siddhasurasura vandita Lingam tat pranamami Sadashiva Lingam

सर्व सुगन्धि सुलेपित लिंगम बुद्धि विवर्धन कारण लिंगम्

सिद्धसुरासुर वन्दित लिंगम तत प्रणमामि सदाशिव लिंगम 

ಸರ್ವ ಸುಗಂಧಿ ಸುಲೇಪಿತ ಲಿಂಗಂ ಬುದ್ಧಿ ವಿವರ್ಧನ ಕಾರಣ ಲಿಂಗಂ

ಸಿದ್ಧಸುರಾಸುರ ವಂದಿತ ಲಿಂಗಂ ತತ್ ಪ್ರಣಮಾಮಿ ಸದಾಶಿವ ಲಿಂಗಂ

That which is anointed with fragrant paste; that which grants wisdom

Worshipped by Siddhas, Devas and Asuras; I bow to that eternal Shivalinga

Kanaka mahamani bhushita Lingam phanipati veshtita shobhita Lingam

Dakshasuyagna vinashana Lingam tat pranamami Sadashiva Lingam

कनक महामणि भूषित लिंगम फणिपति वेष्टित​ शोभित लिंगम

दक्षसुयज्ञ विनाशन लिंगम तत प्रणमामि सदाशिव लिंगम

ಕನಕ ಮಹಾಮಣಿ ಭೂಷಿತ ಲಿಂಗಂ ಫಣಿಪತಿ ವೇಷ್ಟಿತ ಶೋಭಿತ ಲಿಂಗಂ

ದಕ್ಷಸುಯಜ್ಞ ವಿನಾಶನ ಲಿಂಗಂ ತತ್ ಪ್ರಣಮಾಮಿ ಸದಾಶಿವ ಲಿಂಗಂ

That which is decorated with gold and gems; that which is adorned with the best of serpents

That which destroyed Daksha's grand yagna; I bow to that eternal Shivalinga

Kunkuma chandana lepita Lingam pankajahara sushobhita Lingam

Sanchitapapa vinashana Lingam tat pranamami Sadashiva Lingam

कुंकुम चन्दन लेपित लिंगम पंकजहार सुशोभित लिंगम

सन्चितपाप विनाशन लिंगम तत प्रणमामि सदाशिव लिंगम

ಕುಂಕುಮ ಚಂದನ ಲೇಪಿತ ಲಿಂಗಂ ಪಂಕಜಹಾರ ಸುಶೋಭಿತ ಲಿಂಗಂ

ಸಂಚಿತಪಾಪ ವಿನಾಶನ ಲಿಂಗಂ ತತ್ ಪ್ರಣಮಾಮಿ ಸದಾಶಿವ ಲಿಂಗಂ

That which is anointed with saffron and sandal; that which is decorated with lotus garlands

That which destroys accumulated sins; I bow to that eternal Shivalinga

Devaganarchita sevita Lingam bhavairbhaktibhireva cha Lingam

Dinakara koti prabhakara Lingam tat pranamami Sadashiva Lingam

देवगणार्चित सेवित लिंगम भावैर्भक्तिभिरेवच लिंगम 

दिनकर कोटि प्रभाकर लिंगम तत प्रणमामि सदाशिव लिंगम

ದೇವಗಣಾರ್ಚಿತ ಸೇವಿತ ಲಿಂಗಂ ಭಾವೈರ್ಭಕ್ತಿಭಿರೇವಚ ಲಿಂಗಂ 

ದಿನಕರ ಕೋಟಿ ಪ್ರಭಾಕರ ಲಿಂಗಂ ತತ್ ಪ್ರಣಮಾಮಿ ಸದಾಶಿವ ಲಿಂಗಂ

That which is worshipped by Devas and Ganas; that which grants emotion of bhakti

That with the splendour of crore suns; I bow to that eternal Shivalinga

Ashtadalopari veshtita Lingam sarvasamudbhava karana Lingam

Ashtadaridra vinashana Lingam tat pranamami Sadashiva Lingam

अष्टदलोपरि वेष्टित लिंगम सर्वसमुद्भव कारण लिंगम 

अष्टदरिद्र विनाशन लिंगम तत प्रणमामि सदाशिव लिंगम

ಅಷ್ಟದಲೋಪರಿ ವೇಷ್ಟಿತ ಲಿಂಗಂ ಸರ್ವಸಮುದ್ಭವ​ ಕಾರಣ ಲಿಂಗಂ

ಅಷ್ಟದರಿದ್ರ ವಿನಾಶನ ಲಿಂಗಂ ತತ್ ಪ್ರಣಮಾಮಿ ಸದಾಶಿವ ಲಿಂಗಂ

That which is surrounded by flowers of eight petals; that which is the cause of all creation

That which destroys the eight types of poverty; I bow to that eternal Shivalinga

Suraguru suravara pujita Lingam suravana pushpa sadarchita Lingam

Paratparam parmatmaka Lingam tat pranamami Sadashiva Lingam

Tat pranamami Sadashiva Lingam tat pranamami Sadashiva Lingam

सुरगुरु सुरवर पूजित लिंगम सुरवन पुष्प सदार्चित लिंगम 

परात्परम परमात्मक लिंगम तत प्रणमामि सदाशिव लिंगम 

तत प्रणमामि सदाशिव लिंगम तत प्रणमामि सदाशिव लिंगम 

ಸುರಗುರು ಸುರವರ ಪೂಜಿತ ಲಿಂಗಂ ಸುರವನ ಪುಷ್ಪ ಸದಾರ್ಚಿತ ಲಿಂಗಂ 

ಪರಾತ್ಪರಂ ಪರಮಾತ್ಮಕ ಲಿಂಗಂ ತತ್ ಪ್ರಣಮಾಮಿ ಸದಾಶಿವ ಲಿಂಗಂ

ತತ್ ಪ್ರಣಮಾಮಿ ಸದಾಶಿವ ಲಿಂಗಂ ತತ್ ಪ್ರಣಮಾಮಿ ಸದಾಶಿವ ಲಿಂಗಂ

That which is worshipped by Brihaspati and the best of Gods; that which is worshipped by Flowers from Celestial Gardens

That which is supreme to all; I bow to that eternal Shivalinga

I bow to that eternal Shivalinga; I bow to that eternal Shivalinga

Lingashtakamidam punyam yah pathet Shivasannidhou

Shivalopkamavapnoti Shivena saha modate

लिंगष्टकमिदम पुण्यम यः पठेत शिव सन्निधौ

शिवलोकमवाप्नोति शिवेन सह मोदते 

ಲಿಂಗಾಷ್ಟಕಮಿದಂ ಪುಣ್ಯಂ ಯಃ ಪಠೇತ್ ಶಿವಸನ್ನಿಧೌ

ಶಿವಲೋಕಮವಾಪ್ನೋತಿ ಶಿವೇನ ಸಹ ಮೋದತೇ

One who recites the eight-stanza-hymn of Shivalinga in the proximity of Lord Shiva

Attains the Abode of Lord Shiva and enjoy His Bliss forever

Or/या/ಅಥವ

Lingashtakamidam punyam pavitram papanashanam

Gnyanasiddhikaram shuddham sakshanmokshaika sadhanam

लिंगाष्टकमिदम पुण्यम पवित्रम पापनाशनम 

ज्ञानसिद्धिकरम शुद्धम साक्षान्मोक्षैक साधनम

ಲಿಂಗಾಷ್ಟಕಮಿದಂ ಪುಣ್ಯಂ ಪವಿತ್ರಂ ಪಾಪನಾಶನಂ

ಜ್ಞಾನಸಿದ್ಧಿಕರಂ ಶುದ್ಧಂ ಸಾಕ್ಷಾನ್ಮೋಕ್ಷೈಕ ಸಾಧನಂ

This eight-stanza-hymn of Shivalinga is virtuous, pure and destroyer of sins

This grants wisdom and purity, and is a means of attaining Salvation 

Iti Shrimat Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharyasya

Shri Govinda Bhagavatpujyapada shishyasya

Shri Machchankara Bhagavatah krutou

Lingashtakam sampurnam

इति श्रीमत प्रमहंस परिव्राजकाचार्यस्य​

श्री गोविन्द भगवत्पूज्यपाद शिष्यस्य 

श्री मच्छंकर भगवतः कृतौ

लिंगाष्टकम संपूर्णम 

ಇತಿ ಶ್ರೀಮತ್ ಪರಮಹಂಸ ಪರಿವ್ರಾಜಕಾಚಾರ್ಯಸ್ಯ 

ಶ್ರೀ ಗೋವಿಂದ ಭಗವತ್ಪೂಜ್ಯಪಾದ ಶಿಷ್ಯಸ್ಯ 

ಶ್ರೀ ಮಚ್ಛಂಕರ ಭಗವತಃ ಕೃತೌ

ಲಿಂಗಾಷ್ಟಕಂ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣಂ

Thus ends Chief among Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharyas

Shri Govinda Bhagavadpada's disciple

Shri Adi Shankaracharya's composition

The eight-stanza-hymn of Shivalinga

References/resources:

Background music: Spirit of Fire, Jesse Gallagher