Vedic Tithi
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Stotram - Sacred Scripture

Shiva Aparadha Kshamapana Stotram

Shiva Aparadha Kshamapana Stotram

Stotram
Shiva
18 Verses
110%

zivAparAdha kSamApaNa stotram

Adau karmaprasaGgAtkalayati kaluSaM mAtRkukSau sthitaM mAM

viNmUtrAmedhyamadhye kvathayati nitarAM jATharo jAtavedAH |

yadyadvai tatra duHkhaM vyathayati nitarAM zakyate kena vaktuM

kSantavyo me'parAdhaH ziva ziva ziva bho zrImahAdeva zambho || 1||

bAlye duHkhAtireko malalulitavapuH stanyapAne pipAsA

no zaktazcendriyebhyo bhavaguNajanitAH jantavo mAM tudanti |

nAnArogAdiduHkhAdrudanaparavazaH zaGkaraM na smarAmi

kSantavyo me'parAdhaH ziva ziva ziva bho zrImahAdeva zambho || 2||

prauDho'haM yauvanastho viSayaviSadharaiH paJcabhirmarmasandhau

daSTo naSTo vivekaH sutadhanayuvatisvAdusaukhye niSaNNaH |

zaivIcintAvihInaM mama hRdayamaho mAnagarvAdhirUDhaM

kSantavyo me'parAdhaH ziva ziva ziva bho zrImahAdeva zambho || 3||

vArdhakye cendriyANAM vigatagatimatizcAdhidaivAditApaiH

pApai rogairviyogaistvanavasitavapuH prauDhahInaM ca dInam |

mithyAmohAbhilASairbhramati mama mano dhUrjaTerdhyAnazUnyaM

kSantavyo me'parAdhaH ziva ziva ziva bho zrImahAdeva zambho || 4||

snAtvA pratyUSakAle snapanavidhividhau nAhRtaM gAGgatoyaM

pUjArthaM vA kadAcidbahutaragahanAtkhaNDabilvIdalAni |

nAnItA padmamAlA sarasi vikasitA gandhadhUpaiH tvadarthaM

kSantavyo me'parAdhaH ziva ziva ziva bho zrImahAdeva zambho || 5||

dugdhairmadhvAjyayuktairdadhisitasahitaiH snApitaM naiva liGgaM

no liptaM candanAdyaiH kanakaviracitaiH pUjitaM na prasUnaiH |

dhUpaiH karpUradIpairvividharasayutairnaiva bhakSyopahAraiH

kSantavyo me'parAdhaH ziva ziva ziva bho zrImahAdeva zambho || 6||

no zakyaM smArtakarma pratipadagahanapratyavAyAkulAkhyaM

zraute vArtA kathaM me dvijakulavihite brahmamArgAnusAre | var brahmamArge susAre

jJAto dharmo vicAraiH zravaNamananayoH kiM nididhyAsitavyaM

kSantavyo me'parAdhaH ziva ziva ziva bho zrImahAdeva zambho || 7||

dhyAtvA citte zivAkhyaM pracurataradhanaM naiva dattaM dvijebhyo

havyaM te lakSasaGkhyairhutavahavadane nArpitaM bIjamantraiH |

no taptaM gAGgAtIre vratajapaniyamaiH rudrajApyairna vedaiH

kSantavyo me'parAdhaH ziva ziva ziva bho zrImahAdeva zambho || 8||

nagno niHsaGgazuddhastriguNavirahito dhvastamohAndhakAro

nAsAgre nyastadRSTirviditabhavaguNo naiva dRSTaH kadAcit |

unmanyA'vasthayA tvAM vigatakalimalaM zaGkaraM na smarAmi

kSantavyo me'parAdhaH ziva ziva ziva bho zrImahAdeva zambho || 9||

sthitvA sthAne saroje praNavamayamarutkumbhake (kuNDale) sUkSmamArge

zAnte svAnte pralIne prakaTitavibhave jyotirUpe'parAkhye |

liGgajJe brahmavAkye sakalatanugataM zaGkaraM na smarAmi

kSantavyo me'parAdhaH ziva ziva ziva bho zrImahAdeva zambho || 10||

hRdyaM vedAntavedyaM hRdayasarasije dIptamudyatprakAzaM

satyaM zAntasvarUpaM sakalamunimanaHpadmaSaNDaikavedyam |

jAgratsvapne suSuptau triguNavirahitaM zaGkaraM na smarAmi

kSantavyo me'parAdhaH ziva ziva ziva bho zrImahAdeva zambho || 11||

candrodbhAsitazekhare smarahare gaGgAdhare zaGkare

sarpairbhUSitakaNThakarNavivare netrotthavaizvAnare | yugale

dantitvakkRtasundarAmbaradhare trailokyasAre hare

mokSArthaM kuru cittavRttimacalAmanyaistu kiM karmabhiH || 12||

kiM vA'nena dhanena vAjikaribhiH prAptena rAjyena kiM

kiM vA putrakalatramitrapazubhirdehena gehena kim |

jJAtvaitatkSaNabhaGguraM sapadi re tyAjyaM mano dUrataH

svAtmArthaM guruvAkyato bhaja mana zrIpArvatIvallabham || 13||

paurohityaM rajanicaritaM grAmaNItvaM niyogo

mAThApatyaM hyanRtavacanaM sAkSivAdaH parAnnam |

brahmadveSaH khalajanaratiH prANinAM nirdayatvaM

mA bhUdevaM mama pazupate janmajanmAntareSu || 14||

Ayurnazyati pazyatAM pratidinaM yAti kSayaM yauvanaM

pratyAyAnti gatAH punarna divasAH kAlo jagadbhakSakaH |

lakSmIstoyataraGgabhaGgacapalA vidyuccalaM jIvitaM

tasmAttvAM zaraNAgataM zaraNada tvaM rakSa rakSAdhunA || 15|| tasmAnmAM

vande devamumApatiM suraguruM vande jagatkAraNaM

vande pannagabhUSaNaM mRgadharaM vande pazUnAM patim |

vande sUryazazAGkavahninayanaM vande mukundapriyaM

vande bhaktajanAzrayaM ca varadaM vande zivaM zaGkaram ||16||

gAtraM bhasmasitaM sitaM ca hasitaM haste kapAlaM sitaM var smitaM ca

khaTvAGgaM ca sitaM sitazca vRSabhaH karNe site kuNDale |

gaGgA phenasitA jaTA pazupatezcandraH sito mUrdhani

so'yaM sarvasito dadAtu vibhavaM pApakSayaM sarvadA || 17||

karacaraNakRtaM vAkkAyajaM karmajaM vA

zravaNanayanajaM vA mAnasaM vA'parAdham |

vihitamavihitaM vA sarvametatkSmasva

ziva ziva karuNAbdhe zrImahAdeva zambho || 18||

|| iti zrImad zaGkarAcAryakRta zivAparAdhakSamApaNastotraM sampUrNam ||

About This Stotram

Overview

The Shiva Aparadha Kshamapana Stotram is an 18-verse Sanskrit stotram dedicated to Lord Shiva that serves as a prayer for forgiveness of offenses committed — intentionally or unintentionally — in the course of worship and daily life. It acknowledges human limitations and appeals to Shiva's capacity for compassion, and it belongs to the Shaiva devotional tradition of Sanskrit stotram literature.

What are the benefits of chanting Shiva Aparadha Kshamapana Stotram?

  • Seeking absolution for transgressions in thought, word, and deed related to Shiva worship
  • Purification of the mind and alleviation of guilt from ritual errors
  • Invocation of Shiva's grace through humility and sincere repentance
  • Mitigation of negative karma accumulated through inadvertent offenses

When is the best time to recite this?

This stotram is appropriately recited at the close of morning or evening Shiva puja, as a way of acknowledging any shortcomings in the ritual. It is also recited on Maha Shivaratri and during Shravana, and at any time one wishes to seek Shiva's forgiveness.

What is the historical and traditional background?

The Shiva Aparadha Kshamapana Stotram is not definitively attributed to a named author or traced to a specific ancient Purana, though its sophisticated Sanskrit and structure suggest composition by a learned devotee in the medieval or post-medieval period. Prayers for forgiveness of ritual offenses (aparadha kshamapana) are a recognized genre in Sanskrit devotional literature, with parallel texts existing for Vishnu and Devi worship. The stotram is widely included in printed Shaivite devotional collections and is in active liturgical use.

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 Kavacham — a Sanskrit kavacham invoking Shiva's protective presence, often recited alongside devotional stotrams to Shiva
  • Lingashtakam — an eight-verse hymn honoring the Shivalinga, widely used in daily Shiva worship