This may Rudra bestows on us.” Aghora Mantra. Aghor (a + ghor), a term usually rendered as absence of fear, dread, difficulty, is an inner state of being that can be gained through the spiritual discipline known as Aghor sadhana. Prayer to the southern face: Aghora Namaha to all forms for Rudra; ghora - terrifying aghora - non terrifying ghora tara - very terrifying To all these forms - benign,splendid and destructive- at all times and all places, I surrender ( ghora and aghora denote two aspects of Shiva - aspect of creation and dissolution of the universe ).
The following Mantra is found in the Krishna Yajurveda and is part of the Mahanarayana Upanishad. It addresses the five forms of Rudra/Shiva (Sadyojata, Vamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha und Ishana) – which is known as the Rudra/Shiva Panchavaktra Mantra. It also includes the rest of the Upanishad text, which praises Rudra as the Supreme Being. Below you will find the full text, and then as well the verses with the English translation.
The translation has been put together from various translations I found (some of them adhering strictly to the text, others more poetic).
Panchavaktra Rudra Namaskaramantram
sadyojātaṃ prapadyāmi sadyojātāya vai namo namaḥ |
bhave bhave nātibhave bhavasva mām |
bhavodbhavāya namaḥ ||
vāmadevāya namo jyeṣṭhāya namaḥ śreṣṭhāya namo
rudrāya namaḥ kālāya namaḥ kalavikaraṇāya namo
balavikaraṇāya namo balāya namo balapramathāya namaḥ
sarvabhūtadamanāya namo manonmanāya namaḥ ||
aghorebhyo’tha ghorebhyo ghoraghoratarebhyaḥ |
sarvataḥ śarva sarvebhyo namaste astu rudrarūpebhyaḥ ||
tatpuruṣāya vidmahe mahādevāya dhīmahi |
tanno rudraḥ pracodayāt ||
īśānaḥ sarvavidyānām īśvaraḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ
brahmādhipatir brahmaṇo’dhipatir brahmā śivo me
astu sadāśivom ||
ṛtam̐ satyaṃ paraṃ brahma puruṣaṃ kṛṣṇapiṅgalam |
ūrdhvaretaṃ virūpākśaṃ viśvarūpāya vai namo namaḥ ||
sarvo vai rudrastasmai rudrāya namo astu |
puruṣo vai rudraḥ sanmaho namo namaḥ|
viśvaṃ bhūtaṃ bhuvanaṃ citraṃ bahudhā jātaṃ jāyamānaṃ ca yat |
sarvo hyeṣa rudrastasmai rudrāya namo astu ||
kadrudrāya pracetase mīḍhuṣṭamāya tavyase |
vocema śaṃtamam̐ hṛde |
sarvohyeṣa rudrastasmai rudrāya namo astu ||
Verses with English translation:
sadyojātaṃ prapadyāmi sadyojātāya vai namo namaḥ |
bhave bhave nātibhave bhavasva mām |
bhavodbhavāya namaḥ ||
I take refuge in Sadyojata (the First Born),
Verily, I bow to again and again to Sadyojata.
Do not consign me to birth after birth,
lead me beyond birth into the state of bliss and liberation
I bow down to Him Who is the Cause of transmigratory existence.
vāmadevāya namo jyeṣṭhāya namaḥ śreṣṭhāya namo
rudrāya namaḥ kālāya namaḥ kalavikaraṇāya namo
balavikaraṇāya namo balāya namo balapramathāya namaḥ
sarvabhūtadamanāya namo manonmanāya namaḥ ||
I bow to Vamadeva (the beautiful and shining One or the generous God).
I bow to Jyestha (the Eldest, Who existed before creation, Who transcends Time).
I bow to Srestha (the most worthy and excellent, Whose Lordship excels all other Gods).
I bow to Rudra (He who causes creatures to weep at the time of dissolution/ Who wards off the suffering of all living beings).
I bow to Kala [Eternal Time, He who is the Power of Time responsible for the evolution of Nature].
I bow to Kalavikarana [Who sets into operation the divisions of time and maintains the worlds in an orderly way, He who causes changes in the evolution of the universe beginning with Prakriti].
I bow to Balavikarana [He who is the producer of varieties and degrees of strength, the Source of Strength].
I bow to Bala [He who is the source of all strength, Who strengthens all auspicious forces].
I bow to Balapramathana [Who is the wielder of Strength, He who suppresses all power at the time of retraction, Who withdraws the strength of inauspicious forces].
I bow to Sarvabhutadamana [the Ruler of all the created beings].
I bow to Manonmana [He who is the kindler of the light of the soul, Who guides all souls to ultimately reach Him].
aghorebhyo’tha ghorebhyo ghoraghoratarebhyaḥ |
sarvataḥ śarva sarvebhyo namaste astu rudrarūpebhyaḥ ||
I bow to those countless benign and terrible forms, and those more frightful and terrifying.
Oh Sarva, everywhere and always, I bow to all They Rudra forms.
tatpuruṣāya vidmahe mahādevāya dhīmahi |
tanno rudraḥ pracodayāt ||
May we realise the Supreme Person.
May we meditate upon Mahadeva, may Rudra impel/energise us.
īśānaḥ sarvavidyānām īśvaraḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ
brahmādhipatir brahmaṇo’dhipatir brahmā śivo me
astu sadāśivom ||
Supreme Ruler and Revealer of all knowledge and spiritual disciplines,
nourisher and controller of all living beings,
the Directing Lord, who is the guiding authority of all beings.
By that benign presence, let there occur absolute purity and auspiciousness in me.
namo hiraṇyabāhave hiraṇyavarṇāya hiraṇyarūpāya hiraṇyapataye |
ambikāpataya umāpataye paśupataye namo namaḥ ||
I bow again and again to Hiranyabahu [One who has ornaments of gold on the arms or possessing a form having the golden hue],
Hiranyavarna [He who is the source of the syllables of the Vedas which are as precious as gold],
Hiranyarupa [He who is shining in splendour],
Hiranyapati [the Lord of riches wholesome and charming],
Ambikapati [the consort of Ambika, the Mother of the universe],
Umapati [The master of Uma, Brahma-vidya personified as such],
Pasupati [the Lord of all created beings].
ṛtam̐ satyaṃ paraṃ brahma puruṣaṃ kṛṣṇapiṅgalam |
ūrdhvaretaṃ virūpākśaṃ viśvarūpāya vai namo namaḥ ||
The Supreme Truth/Order, the Absolute Reality, the Supreme Person, is of dark blue and reddish hue,
I bow to Him, Who possesses complete control over the senses/is absolutely chaste, Who is all-seeing/possesses uncommon eyes,
Who is that Universal Being (form)/to Him who is the Soul of the universe or whose form is the universe.
sarvo vai rudrastasmai rudrāya namo astu |
puruṣo vai rudraḥ sanmaho namo namaḥ|
viśvaṃ bhūtaṃ bhuvanaṃ citraṃ bahudhā jātaṃ jāyamānaṃ ca yat |
sarvo hyeṣa rudrastasmai rudrāya namo astu ||
Aghor Rudra Mantra
All this verily is Rudra. To Rudra who is such we offer our salutation/we bow. We salute again and again that Being, Rudra, who alone is the light and the Soul of creatures.
The material universe the created beings and whatever there is manifoldly and profusely created in the past and in the present in the form of the world, all that is indeed this Rudra.
Salutations be to Rudra who is such.
kadrudrāya pracetase mīḍhuṣṭamāya tavyase |
vocema śaṃtamam̐ hṛde |
sarvohyeṣa rudrastasmai rudrāya namo astu ||
We sing a hymn that confers on us happiness in the highest degree to Rudra who is worthy of praise, who is endowed with the highest knowledge, who rains objects to the worshippers most excellently, who is more powerful and who is dwelling in the heart. Indeed all this is Rudra. Salutations be to Rudra who is such.
Find the Uma Mohan version of this mantra here (Track 8):
Aghora Rudra Mantra Pdf
Sources:
http://www.mahapashupatastra.com/2011/08/maha-narayanopanishad-scripture-which.html
Aghora Rudra Mantra Lyrics
Dear all, let me now outline about a sadhana which has nothing to do with aghora per say, but aghoris practice it just for understanding of the mantra devatha.
This is a sadhana in which the deity is Rudra in the ferocious form. Rudra here is shiva and the vedic god Rudra himself.
Astra : sleem pashu hum phal
Moola : Om hreem sfpura sfpura prasfpura prasfpura ghoraghorathara thanuroopa chada chada prachada prachada kaha kaha vama vama bandha bandha khataya khataya hum phal
Anga :
1) Om hreem sfpura sfpura hrudayaya nama:
2) prasfpura prasfpura sirasae swaha
3) ghora ghoratanuroopa shikhayae vashal
4)chada chada prachada prachada kavachaaya hum
5) kaha kaha vama vama nethrathryaaya vaushal
6) bandha bandha khataya khataya hum phal astraaya phal
Chanda : aghora rishi , anushtup chanda , aghorarudrau devatha
Dhyana : omitted on purpose
peeta pooja , peeta samasti , peeta pooja as per shiv panchakshari sadhana
Moorti kalpana, peeta shakthi ,moola and aghorarudramoorthayae nama:
Upachara and avahana as per shiv panchakshari sadhana except the ayudha nyasas which is mentioned below
Ayudha :
1) parashavae nama:
2) damaravae nama:
3) khadgaaya nama:
4) khetaaya nama:
Bhushana and upahara as per shiv panchakshari sadhana
Moorthi pooja - pranava thraya, upachara, moola thraya, moolakshara, anga, ayudha, bhushana, angaavarana culminated with parashavae nama: starting now with parashwathi (8), indradi (10), vajradi (10), chandeshwaraya nama: nirmalyadhari mantra, do pooja with water from beginning to end .
Dwadastas to naivedya and remaining as per shiv panchakshari sadhana .
iti aghorarudra sadhana samaptam |