nIlarudra is part of the AV-paippalAda saMhitA (sUkta 3 of kANDa 14). It is also considered an upaniShad of the early pAshupata-s equivalent to the shvetAshvatara of the kR^iShNa yajurveda. In the now lost shrauta traditions of the atharvaN-s the brahmA recited the sUkta mentally, standing beside the yajamAna, when the fifth layer of the altar for the soma ritual was completed. In the much later tAntrika tradition it is held that the bhArgava transmission of the jayA-tantra and unmatta-bhairava sUtra-s of the vAma srotas are emanations of the core nIlarudra mantra-s. In atharvaNa vidhAna prayoga, nIlarudra can be combined with the rudra mantra-s of the uchChuShma kalpa for each of the viniyoga-s. A person who is not of the bhArgava clan, or uninitiated into the atharvaNa shruti needs to undergo a second atharvanic upanayana to perform prayoga-s with these mantra-s. However, if one desires to study it as an upaniShad as part of his shaiva study he may do so as is.
To my knowledge the published versions of the paippalAda text and the nIlarudra lack svara-s. An Orissan recitation prepared during a veda-pArAyaNa organized by the kumbhaghoNaM (aka kA~Nchi) maTha of the sha~Nkara tradition also lacked svara-s and had peculiarities of the eastern dialect. The published versions which we have seen also have certain inaccuracies. Hence, as part of our preservation of atharvavedic material we prepared a version with accents and its supporting recitation. The udAtta-s are marked in red and the rest of the svara-s use the usual AV notation deployed in the transmission of the vulgate AV text (not the Kashmirian paippalAda). At some later time we might attempt to discuss some interesting aspect of vedic (and early IE) accents that come up as result of the study of this text.
The oral recitation(MP3)
oral nIlarudra
The text with accents (PDF)
nIlarudra
OM
apashyaM tvAvarohantaM divitaH pR^ithivIm ava .
apashyam asyantaM rudraM nIlagrIvaM shikhaNDinaM .. 1
diva ugro .avArukShaH pratyaShThA bhUmyAm adhi .
janAsaH pashyatemaM nIlagrIvaM vilohitaM .. 2
eSha aity avIrahA rudro jalASha bheShajI .
vi te kShepam anInashad vAtIkAro vy etu te .. 3
namaste bhava bhAmAya namaste bhava manyave .
namaste astu bAhubhyAm uto ta iShave namaH .. 4
yAm iShuM girishanta haste bibharshy astave .
shivAm girishritAm kR^iNu mA himsIH puruShAn mama .. 5
shivena vachasA tvA girishAChA vadAmasi .
yathA nas sarvam ij jagad ayakShmaM sumano asat .. 6
yA ta iShush shivatamA shivaM babhUva te dhanuH .
shivA sharavyA yA tava tayA no mR^iLa jIvase .. 7
yA te rudra shivA tanUr aghorApApakAshinI .
tayA nas tanvA shantamayA girishantAbhi chAkashaH .. 8
namo .astu nIlashikhaNDAya sahasrAkShAya vAjine .
atho ye asya satvAnas tebhyo .aham akaraM namaH .. 9
namAMsi ta AyudhAyAnAtatAya dhR^iShNave .
ubhAbhyAm akaraM namo bAhubhyAM tava dhanvane .. 10
pramu~ncha dhanvanaH pary ubhayor Artnyor jyAM .
yAsh ca te hasta iShavaH parA tA bhagavo vapaH .. 11
avatatya dhanus tvaM sahasrAkSha shateShudhe .
nishIrya shalyAnAM mukhA shivo nash shaMbhur A chara .. 12
asau yas tAmro aruNa uta babhrur vilohitaH .
ye cheme abhito rudrA dikShu shritAs sahasrasho .avaiShAM heLa Imahe .. 13
adarshaM tvAvarohantaM nIlagrIvaM vilohitaM .
uta tvA gopA adR^ishann uta tvodahAryaH .
uto tvA vishvA bhUtAni tasmai dR^iShTAya te namaH .. 14
vijyaM dhanush shikhaNDino vishalyo bANavAn uta .
aneshann asyeShavash shivo asya niSha~NgathiH .. 15
pari te dhanvano hetir asmAn vR^iNaktu vishvataH .
atho ya iShudhis tavAre asmin ni dhehi taM .. 16
yA te hetir mIDhuSTama haste babhUva te dhanuH .
tayA tvaM vishvato asmAn ayakShmayA pari bhuja .. 17
mAnasa-taraMgiNI 