Book Reviewed: Salutations to Rudra by Sheela Balaji

Śrī Rudram This book provides the English translation Śrī Rudram Anuvāka 1 – 11 in the first section, and the same in Sanskrit in the second section. No English transliteration is provided in this book. This does not make much sense. There are 11 sections or Anuvākas in the Namakam section of Sri Rudram, each containing multiple verses. These hymns praise Lord Shiva, and the first Anuvāka is distinct in terms of its structure and content from the rest of the Anuvākas. It serves as an invocation to Lord Rudra seeking his blessings and protection. The recitation of the first Anuvāka before reciting the other Anuvākas helps to create a positive and receptive mindset to receive the blessings of the Lord. However, during the routine chanting of Sri Rudram, the dhyana shlokas are not usually recited. The dhyana verses in this book appear in the same order as found in the Sri Rudram by Swami Dayananda Saraswati. In fact, his book is the source and inspiration for this author. Śrī Rudram is widely available online and there are many sources which instruct the devotees to practice the recitation. YouTube and What’s App are useful avenues. I recommend the translations and additional commentaries by Dr. R.L. Kashyap from Sri Aurobindo Kapali Sastry Institute of Vedic Culture. You can find Anuvāka 1 – 11 transliteration and translation which includes the text with phonetic changes of Anusvāra and visarga.