Rudrashtakam
Rudrashtakam
रुद्राष्टकम्
नमामीशमीशान निर्वाणरूपं
विभुं व्यापकं ब्रह्मवेद-स्वरूपम् ।
निजं निर्गुणं निर्विकल्पं निरीहं
चिदाकाश-माकाशवासं भजेऽहम् ॥ 1 ॥
निराकारमोङ्कारमूलं तुरीयं
गिराज्ञानगोतीतमीशं गिरीशम् ।
करालं महाकालकालं कृपालुं
गुणागार-संसारपारं नतोऽहम् ॥ 2 ॥
तुषाराद्रि-सङ्काशगौरं गभीरं
मनोभूतकोटि-प्रभासी शरीरम् ।
स्फुरन्मौलिकल्लोलिनी चारुगङ्गा
लसद्भाल-बालेन्दु कण्ठे भुजङ्गम् ॥ 3 ॥
चलत्कुण्डलं शुभ्रनेत्रं विशालं [भॄसुनेत्रं विशालं]
प्रसन्नाननं नीलकण्ठं दयालुम् ।
मृगाधीश-चर्माम्बरं मुण्डमालं
प्रियं शङ्करं सर्वनाथं भजामि ॥ 4 ॥
प्रचण्डं प्रकृष्टं प्रगल्भं परेशं
अखण्डं भजे भानुकोटिप्रकाशम् ।
त्रयी-शूल-निर्मूलनं शूलपाणिं
भजेऽहं भवानीपतिं भावगम्यम् ॥ 5 ॥
कलातीत-कल्याण-कल्पान्तकारी
सदा सज्जनानन्द-दाता पुरारी ।
चिदानन्द सन्दोहमोहापहारी
प्रसीद प्रसीद प्रभो मन्मथारी ॥ 6 ॥
न यावदुमानाथ-पादारविन्दं
भजन्तीह लोके परे वा नराणाम् ।
न तावत्सुखं शान्ति सन्तापनाशं
प्रसीद प्रभो सर्वभूताधिवासम् ॥ 7 ॥
न जानामि योगं जपं नैव पूजां
नतोऽहं सदा सर्वदा देव तुभ्यम् ।
जरा-जन्म-दुःखौघतातप्यमानं
प्रभो पाहि शापान्नमामीश शम्भो ॥ 8 ॥
रुद्राष्टकमिदं प्रोक्तं विप्रेण हरतुष्टये ।
ये पठन्ति नरा भक्त्या तेषां शम्भुः प्रसीदति ॥ 9 ॥
॥ इति श्रीरामचरितमानसे उत्तरकाण्डे श्रीगोस्वामि तुलसीदासकृतं
श्रीरुद्राष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ॥
About This Stotram
Overview
The Rudrashtakam is a Sanskrit ashtakam of nine verses dedicated to Lord Shiva in his fierce aspect as Rudra. It describes Shiva's cosmic form, his attributes as destroyer of evil and bestower of liberation, and his three-eyed, crescent-bearing appearance. The text is attributed to Goswami Tulsidas (c. 1532–1623 CE) and belongs to the Shaiva devotional tradition within Hindi-language religious literature of the Bhakti movement.
What are the benefits of chanting Rudrashtakam?
- Removes sins and supports mental purification
- Promotes physical and mental well-being
- Cultivates devotion to Lord Shiva
- Leads toward spiritual liberation (moksha)
When is the best time to recite this?
The Rudrashtakam is recited during morning and evening worship, on Shivaratri (both monthly Pradosh and annual Mahashivaratri), and on Mondays, which are associated with Shiva.
What is the historical and traditional background?
Goswami Tulsidas (c. 1532–1623 CE) was a poet-saint who composed the Ramcharitmanas — the Hindi retelling of the Ramayana — and numerous other devotional works. The Rudrashtakam is traditionally associated with his works, reflecting a feature of his writings in which devotion to Shiva and devotion to Rama coexist. The text draws on the Shaiva vocabulary of Rudra, developed in the Vedas and elaborated through the Puranas. Its attribution to Tulsidas places its composition in 16th-century north India within the broader Bhakti movement.
Available scripts
This text is available in 14 scripts: devanagari, tamil, telugu, kannada, malayalam, gujarati, bengali, iast, gurmukhi, oriya, assamese, sinhala, itrans, hk. Use the script selector above to switch between them.
Related Texts
- Shiva Tandava Stotram — a Sanskrit hymn attributed to Ravana describing Shiva's cosmic dance, a central text in Shiva devotion
- Mahamrityunjaya Stotram — the Rigvedic mantra-hymn to Rudra (Shiva) for health, protection, and liberation