Om devadharmoyam priyasurasya

I humbly offer a translation of "Om devadharmoyam priyasurasya"...

om = Homage

deva = divine, heavenly; may pertain to both the feminine and masculine attributes of Divinity, i.e. the Indic Pantheon which represents the good in all things.


dharma = custom, practice, merit, virtue.


yam = offering


Priya = beloved, devoted


asura = the highest spirit
i.e. the divine and spiritual essence, transcending the personification of the Divine as god or goddess, "sura".


Thus, in English, the crudest approximation of the Sanskrit mantra is:


Divine & heavenly merit-offering to the Beloved Highest Spirit.


In the Priyasura rock carving, the devotee is holding prayer beads and is kneeling before an empty stupa. The stupa is topped with a trident.


Thus, symbologically, Priyasura is one of the asuras conquered by Shiva.


So the implication is that this Higher Spirit is accessible through devoted worship of the higher forms of Shiva (Vishnu, Durgha, Kali, etc.).