Prefatory 0

In plain words

Oṃ. Homage to Paramaśiva, whose body is the nectar of one's own Self. Now: The Stavacintāmaṇi. Composed by the venerable Bhaṭṭa Nārāyaṇa, with the Vivṛti made by the venerable Kṣemarāja. When the sun of the highest reality shines, the whole darkness of ignorance perishes; then the wise, even with their sight spotless, see nothing at all of the spread of becoming. Homage always to Śiva, who performs the five acts, who makes shine the highest reality, one's own Self, a mass of cit and ānanda. Śaṃbhu, one's own Self, is to be bowed to, who on every side sprinkles the universe with rows of streams of saṃvid that pour out in abundance the wealth of ānanda in the swaying of spanda within, and the spanda without. This elixir, the praise of the venerable Śaṃkara, tossed up by the force of the churning with the mountain of discernment, Nārāyaṇa drew out from the ocean of his own heart: by savouring it, may the wise here become gods.