Rudrashtakam
Rudrashtakam
Rudrashtakam
rudrAShTakam
namAmIshamIshAna nirvANarUpaM
vibhuM vyApakaM brahmaveda-svarUpam |
nijaM nirguNaM nirvikalpaM nirIhaM
chidAkAsha-mAkAshavAsaM bhaje.aham || 1 ||
nirAkAramo~NkAramUlaM turIyaM
girAj~nAnagotItamIshaM girIsham |
karAlaM mahAkAlakAlaM kRRipAluM
guNAgAra-saMsArapAraM nato.aham || 2 ||
tuShArAdri-sa~NkAshagauraM gabhIraM
manobhUtakoTi-prabhAsI sharIram |
sphuranmaulikallolinI chAruga~NgA
lasadbhAla-bAlendu kaNThe bhuja~Ngam || 3 ||
chalatkuNDalaM shubhranetraM vishAlaM [bhRRIsunetraM vishAlaM]
prasannAnanaM nIlakaNThaM dayAlum |
mRRigAdhIsha-charmAmbaraM muNDamAlaM
priyaM sha~NkaraM sarvanAthaM bhajAmi || 4 ||
prachaNDaM prakRRiShTaM pragalbhaM pareshaM
akhaNDaM bhaje bhAnukoTiprakAsham |
trayI-shUla-nirmUlanaM shUlapANiM
bhaje.ahaM bhavAnIpatiM bhAvagamyam || 5 ||
kalAtIta-kalyANa-kalpAntakArI
sadA sajjanAnanda-dAtA purArI |
chidAnanda sandohamohApahArI
prasIda prasIda prabho manmathArI || 6 ||
na yAvadumAnAtha-pAdAravindaM
bhajantIha loke pare vA narANAm |
na tAvatsukhaM shAnti santApanAshaM
prasIda prabho sarvabhUtAdhivAsam || 7 ||
na jAnAmi yogaM japaM naiva pUjAM
nato.ahaM sadA sarvadA deva tubhyam |
jarA-janma-duHkhaughatAtapyamAnaM
prabho pAhi shApAnnamAmIsha shambho || 8 ||
rudrAShTakamidaM proktaM vipreNa haratuShTaye |
ye paThanti narA bhaktyA teShAM shambhuH prasIdati || 9 ||
|| iti shrIrAmacharitamAnase uttarakANDe shrIgosvAmi tulasIdAsakRRitaM
shrIrudrAShTakaM sampUrNam ||
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