Gaveeshapatro - Veeshapatro
Single sloka on Shiva & Vishnu
The slokam extols the unity of Vishnu and Shiva as different aspects of the same Ultimate Reality called Brahman. The slokam in its unmodified form, venerates and describes Lord Shiva. Reciting the slokam after deleting the first aksharam or syllable in each word reveres and describes the attributes of Lord Vishnu!
The slokam reads thus:
गवीशपत्रो नगजार्तिहारी कुमारतातः शशिखन्डमौलिः ।लङ्केशसम्पूजितपादपद्मः पायादनादिः परमेश्वरो नः ॥
Gaveesha patro nagajaartihaaree
Kumaara taatah shashikhandamoulih |
Lankesha ampoojita paada padmah
Paayaadanaadih parameshvaro nah ||
May the Lord, who mounts atop his vaahana Nandi, who is the consort of Parvathi, the daughter of the Himaalayas, the Lord who is the father of Kumaara, the Lord who decorates His hair with the crescent Moon, the One whose lotus feet are worshipped by Lankesha (Ravana), the one who is eternal, with no beginning, May He, the Supreme Lord, protect us!
When the first aksharam is redacted, the slokam reads thus:
Veeshapathro gajaartihaari
Maara taatah shikhanda moulih
Kesha sampoojita paada padmah
Aayaadanaadih rameshvaro nah
May the Lord, who mounts atop his Vahana, Garuda, the Lord who vanquished the misery of Gajendra, the Lord who is the father of Manmatha, the Lord who decorates His hair with a peacock feather, the One whose lotus feet are worshipped by Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva, the One who is ever ready to rush to His devotees’ rescue, the One who is the Lord of Lakshmi, May He, the Supreme Lord, protect us!
How better to celebrate the One Supreme Power, for Shiva and Vishnu are but One! It is but fitting that the identity of the author of this slokam, that describes the Oneness of all Supreme Universal Power is unknown ..