Rudrashtakam
Rudrashtakam
Rudrashtakam
rudrāṣṭakam
namāmīśamīśāna nirvāṇarūpaṃ
vibhuṃ vyāpakaṃ brahmaveda-svarūpam |
nijaṃ nirguṇaṃ nirvikalpaṃ nirīhaṃ
cidākāśa-mākāśavāsaṃ bhaje'ham || 1 ||
nirākāramoṅkāramūlaṃ turīyaṃ
girājñānagotītamīśaṃ girīśam |
karālaṃ mahākālakālaṃ kṛpāluṃ
guṇāgāra-saṃsārapāraṃ nato'ham || 2 ||
tuṣārādri-saṅkāśagauraṃ gabhīraṃ
manobhūtakoṭi-prabhāsī śarīram |
sphuranmaulikallolinī cārugaṅgā
lasadbhāla-bālendu kaṇṭhe bhujaṅgam || 3 ||
calatkuṇḍalaṃ śubhranetraṃ viśālaṃ [bhṝsunetraṃ viśālaṃ]
prasannānanaṃ nīlakaṇṭhaṃ dayālum |
mṛgādhīśa-carmāmbaraṃ muṇḍamālaṃ
priyaṃ śaṅkaraṃ sarvanāthaṃ bhajāmi || 4 ||
pracaṇḍaṃ prakṛṣṭaṃ pragalbhaṃ pareśaṃ
akhaṇḍaṃ bhaje bhānukoṭiprakāśam |
trayī-śūla-nirmūlanaṃ śūlapāṇiṃ
bhaje'haṃ bhavānīpatiṃ bhāvagamyam || 5 ||
kalātīta-kalyāṇa-kalpāntakārī
sadā sajjanānanda-dātā purārī |
cidānanda sandohamohāpahārī
prasīda prasīda prabho manmathārī || 6 ||
na yāvadumānātha-pādāravindaṃ
bhajantīha loke pare vā narāṇām |
na tāvatsukhaṃ śānti santāpanāśaṃ
prasīda prabho sarvabhūtādhivāsam || 7 ||
na jānāmi yogaṃ japaṃ naiva pūjāṃ
nato'haṃ sadā sarvadā deva tubhyam |
jarā-janma-duḥkhaughatātapyamānaṃ
prabho pāhi śāpānnamāmīśa śambho || 8 ||
rudrāṣṭakamidaṃ proktaṃ vipreṇa haratuṣṭaye |
ye paṭhanti narā bhaktyā teṣāṃ śambhuḥ prasīdati || 9 ||
|| iti śrīrāmacaritamānase uttarakāṇḍe śrīgosvāmi tulasīdāsakṛtaṃ
śrīrudrāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam ||
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