[Shivani Devi]

The Sublime Vision - by SWAMI SIVANANDA

The adorable Lord of all bliss, all love, all mercy
The supreme light that shines in my heart
The Lord who fed Sambandhar and Appar
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

The Great Ancient, the Goal of Yogis
The Supreme Purusha that dwells in the Puri
The Adi Deva, whom the Vedas sing of
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

The pillar of light which baffled Brahma and Vishnu
The ocean of mercy who saved Markandeya
The Lord of Madurai whom the Pandya beat
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

The supreme Teacher who taught the four
The Adi Deva who has assumed the five
Parama, Vyuha, Vibhava, Archa and Antaryamin,
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

The Lord who pervades the universe
The thread-soul, the Sutratman,
The over-soul, the purport of Srutis
Him I saw at the abode, of Rishis.

The effulgence who is above the Three
Who exists even after the Pralaya
Who saved Kannappa and Sundarar
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

He who drank the poison and saved the world,
He who danced at Chidambaram,
He who shines as the Jyotirlinga
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

He who brought the jackal-horses to Pandya
He who gave pearl-palanquin to Sambandhar
He who is the essence of Panchakshara
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

He who dwells in Banares and Vedas,
In Ramesvar, Arunachal and Kanchi,
In the hearts of all beings
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

He who pleaded on behalf of Darumi
He who dwells in Kailas with Uma
He who restored the eyesight of Sundarar
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

The Lord who gave stick to blind Appar
The Grace who begged alms for Sundarar
The Marga Bandhu who showed the way to Appayya Dixitar
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

The Mercy who took the message to Paravai
The Love who wrote the poem for Darumi
The Fire that burnt Nakirar
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

The Lord who became a cooly at Madurai
And carried earth for stopping the floods
For the sake of a little sweetmeat
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

The Lord who created tank and garden for the devotee
Who became the slave of His devotees
Who sent the pearl-palanquin to Sambandhar
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

The hunter who quarrelled with Arjuna
The untouchable who debated with Sankara
The groom who took the horses to Pandya
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

The Lord who has Uma as His left side
Who is also Narayana of the milk ocean
Who is the child sleeping on the banian leaf
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

The Lord who is the Holiest, the Oldest
Who is Jyoti within the Jyoti
Who is praised by the Devas and Rishis
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

He who is Ambalam in Chidambaram
Who is brilliance in Arunachalam
Who is the great thief hiding in forms
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

The Satguru who reveals in the Chidakasa
Who breaks all the three bonds
Who leads the aspirants to the land of Moksha
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

The Lord who dwells in the Sahasrara
Who is the way, the goal and the centre,
Who is the truth in the Mahavakya
Him I saw at the abode of Rishis.

- SWAMI SIVANANDA

Now, I do not know what God it is that YOU worship, but the one described above by Swami Sivananda himself (from the book, Lord Siva and His Worship) is the being that I love and venerate and I cannot help it.. Just as the sun cannot help but shine, or the world cannot help but spin around etc..

Aum Namah Shivaya