Katyayana vararuchi stotram

Phonetic transliteration with English notes

Introduction and meaning by - Dr. Paturi Nagaraj
For Telugu - తెలుగు లో 

This stotram needs a clarificatory introduction. Katyayana vararuchi is generally famous as one of the Munitraya ( sage-trinity) of Sanskrit grammatical tradition. Pushpadanta mentioned in this stotra is generally famous as the author of the highly popular Shivamahimnastava. Sri Paturi Sitaramanjaneyulu discovered the fact that Vararuchi and Pushpadanta are not different from each other. He established this fact with numerous proofs and arguments in his book (presently in Telugu) written as a commentary on Shivamahimnastava.

1.katagōtramahāṁbhōdhi - rākā pūrṇa niśākaraṁ
puṣpadaṁta mahaṁ vaṁdē - nāmnā vararuciṁ muniṁ

Meaning: I pay my respects to sage Vararuchi who is the full moon of the fullmoon day

born out of the great ocean[i]of the gotra (clan/lineage) of sage Kata, (taking him as)

named as Pushpadanta  

2.namō vararucē tubhyaṁ - sarvāgamaviśārada
pāṇinīyamahaṁbhōdhi - karṇadhārāya sūrayē

Meaning: Oh Vararuchi! Oh master of all the Vedic scientific traditions! Oh scholar who

is capable of being a helmsman for those who would like to travel across the ocean of

Panini’s grammar (called Ashtadhyayi )! I pay my obeisance to you. 

3.śabda śāstra payōvārdhēḥ - pratibhā yasya maṁdaraḥ
kātyāyanamuniṁ vaṁdē - mānyaṁ vararuciṁ hr̥dā

Meaning: I respectfully adore the venerable sage Vararuchi,the Katyayana whose

intellectual talent works like the mountain Mandara[ii]for (churning) the milk-ocean of the

science of language (Panini’s grammar). 

4. śiva tattva midaṁ stōtraṁ - mahimnaḥ padapūrvakaṁ
yōkarōttaṁ vararuciṁ - puṣpadaṁtaṁ namā myahaṁ

Meaning: I pay my obeisance to Pushpadanta who is( none other than) Vararuchi who

composed this Stotram (praising/ prayer poetry) which is in fact the philosophy of Shiva

and in its name has the word ‘mahimnah’.[iii]

5.bhāṣyārtha bhāṣaṇē yasya - vākchrutēḥ sarvadhā samā
namāmi puṣpadaṁtaṁ taṁ - śābdikaṁ haravaṁdinaṁ

Meaning: I pay my obeisance to Pushpadanta whose speech is as authentic as the Vedas[iv]

in all respects in articulating the meaning of the 'Bhashya' (Mahabhashya, the commentary of

sage Patanjali on Panini's Ashtadhyayi considered as one of the greatest works on grammar) and
who is a linguist and Siva's Vandi (Court-adulator of Siva)[v]

6. siddhapramyaṁ puṣpadaṁtaṁ - kātyaṁ vararuciṁ muniṁ
śiva vaṁdi gaṇaśrēṣṭhaṁ - namāmi karaṇai stribhiḥ

Meaning: I pay my obeisance from my heart,through my words and through the posture of my

limbs to sage Vararuchi belonging to Kata lineage, who is (none other than ) Pushpadanta, who

is connaturally knowledgable and who is the best among the team of Siva’s Vandis

(Court-adulators).

7.anugrahēna kātyasya - yathāśakti nirucyatē
sītārāmaṁjanēyēna - śaivōhaṁ mahimastavaḥ

Meaning: This ‘Mahimastava’ of Siva is being interpreted by Sitaramanjaneyulu, by the

grace of the Katya (person of Kata lineage, here Vararuchi) as per his ability. 

8. anugr̥hṇātu bhagavan - mahādēvō jagadguruḥ
anugr̥hṇaṁtu guravaḥ - saṁtaścēmaṁ janaṁ hr̥dā

Meaning: May Bhagavan Mahadeva (Lord Shiva) the world teacher bless this person

(the author, Sitaramanjaneyulu). May the Gurus (teachers) (of the author) and the good-

hearted people bless this person (the author, Sitaramanjaneyulu) whole-heartedly.

-Sri Paturi Sitaramanjaneyulu

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[i] In Hindu mythology, moon is said to have been born out of the ocean of milk when it was being churned. In Indian poetry it is conventional to compare great persons to moon and their lineage to ocean of milk.

[ii] In Hindu mythology Ocean of Milk is said to have been churned by using a mythological mountain called Mandara as churning stick.

[iii] These verses were prefatory to a Sanskrit stotram (praise/prayer verse poem) called ‘Shiva mahimnah stavam’

[iv] Vedas are considered as infallible and unquestionable source of knowledge by Vedic Hindus.

[v] In this verse Pushpadanta-Katyayana identity is taken for granted and the name Pushpadanta is substituted for the name Katyayana Vararuchi in referring to Grammar related matters. Pushpadanta of course is Siva’s court-adulator.