12 Names of Lord Shiva
12 Names of Lord Shiva
12 Names of Lord Shiva
ॐ सोमनाथाय नमः।
ॐ मल्लिकार्जुनाय नमः।
ॐ महाकालेश्वराय नमः।
ॐ ओम्कारेश्वराय नमः।
ॐ वैद्यनाथाय नमः।
ॐ भीमाशङ्कराय नमः।
ॐ रामेश्वराय नमः।
ॐ नागेश्वराय नमः।
ॐ विश्वनाथाय नमः।
ॐ त्र्यम्बकेश्वराय नमः।
ॐ केदारनाथाय नमः।
ॐ घृष्णेश्वराय नमः।
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About This Stotram
Overview
The 12 Names of Lord Shiva (Shiva Dwadasha Namavali) is a Sanskrit namavali listing the twelve names corresponding to the twelve Jyotirlingas — the most sacred Shiva shrines across India. The text asserts that reciting these twelve names yields the merit of pilgrimage to all twelve Jyotirlinga sites, and it belongs to the Shaiva devotional tradition within Puranic Hinduism.
What are the benefits of chanting 12 Names of Lord Shiva?
- Accumulation of merit equivalent to visiting all twelve Jyotirlinga shrines
- Removal of sins and purification of karma
- Bestowal of prosperity, protection, and well-being
- Fulfillment of sincere aspirations through Shiva's grace
When is the best time to recite this?
Morning and evening prayer are appropriate for this namavali. Shivaratri, Pradosha, and the month of Shravana are particularly auspicious. It may be recited any time one wishes to invoke Shiva's blessings in the context of Jyotirlinga worship.
What is the historical and traditional background?
The concept of the twelve Jyotirlingas is documented in the Shiva Purana and the Skanda Purana, where each site is described with its associated mythology and significance. The compilation of these twelve names into a unified devotional recitation is of Puranic or post-Puranic origin; the exact date is unknown but the text reflects well-established Shaivite pilgrimage geography. The names derive from the geographical locations of the shrines — including Somnath, Mallikarjuna, Mahakala, Omkareshvara, Kedarnath, and others — that have been active centers of Shiva worship for over a millennium.
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 108 Names (Shiva Ashtottara Shatanamavali) — an expanded namavali covering 108 attributes of Shiva for use in daily puja
- Shiva Panchakshara Stotram — a five-verse hymn based on the five-syllable Shiva mantra, used alongside namavalis in Shaivite worship