Shivashtakam
Shivashtakam
Shivashtakam
śivāṣṭakam
prabhuṃ prāṇanāthaṃ vibhuṃ viśvanāthaṃ jagannātha nāthaṃ sadānanda bhājām |
bhavadbhavya bhūteśvaraṃ bhūtanāthaṃ, śivaṃ śaṅkaraṃ śambhu mīśānamīḍe || 1 ||
gale ruṇḍamālaṃ tanau sarpajālaṃ mahākāla kālaṃ gaṇeśādi pālam |
jaṭājūṭa gaṅgottaraṅgairviśālaṃ, śivaṃ śaṅkaraṃ śambhu mīśānamīḍe || 2||
mudāmākaraṃ maṇḍanaṃ maṇḍayantaṃ mahā maṇḍalaṃ bhasma bhūṣādharaṃ tam |
anādiṃ hyapāraṃ mahā mohamāraṃ, śivaṃ śaṅkaraṃ śambhu mīśānamīḍe || 3 ||
vaṭādho nivāsaṃ mahāṭṭāṭṭahāsaṃ mahāpāpa nāśaṃ sadā suprakāśam |
girīśaṃ gaṇeśaṃ sureśaṃ maheśaṃ, śivaṃ śaṅkaraṃ śambhu mīśānamīḍe || 4 ||
girīndrātmajā saṅgṛhītārdhadehaṃ girau saṃsthitaṃ sarvadāpanna geham |
parabrahma brahmādibhir-vandyamānaṃ, śivaṃ śaṅkaraṃ śambhu mīśānamīḍe || 5 ||
kapālaṃ triśūlaṃ karābhyāṃ dadhānaṃ padāmbhoja namrāya kāmaṃ dadānam |
balīvardhayānaṃ surāṇāṃ pradhānaṃ, śivaṃ śaṅkaraṃ śambhu mīśānamīḍe || 6 ||
śaraccandra gātraṃ gaṇānandapātraṃ trinetraṃ pavitraṃ dhaneśasya mitram |
aparṇā kalatraṃ sadā saccaritraṃ, śivaṃ śaṅkaraṃ śambhu mīśānamīḍe || 7 ||
haraṃ sarpahāraṃ citā bhūvihāraṃ bhavaṃ vedasāraṃ sadā nirvikāraṃ|
śmaśāne vasantaṃ manojaṃ dahantaṃ, śivaṃ śaṅkaraṃ śambhu mīśānamīḍe || 8 ||
svayaṃ yaḥ prabhāte naraśśūla pāṇe paṭhet stotraratnaṃ tvihaprāpyaratnam |
suputraṃ sudhānyaṃ sumitraṃ kalatraṃ vicitraissamārādhya mokṣaṃ prayāti ||
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About This Stotram
Overview
The Shivashtakam is a Sanskrit ashtakam of 8 verses dedicated to Lord Shiva, with each verse praising his divine qualities and forms including epithets such as Shankara, Shambhu, and Ishana. The refrain "Shiva Shankara Shambhu Ishana" unifies the verses and emphasizes Shiva's benevolent, auspicious, and supreme nature. The text belongs to the Shaiva devotional stotra tradition; the author is unknown.
What are the benefits of chanting Shivashtakam?
- Removes sins and negative karma through devotional recitation
- Cultivates peace of mind and mental clarity by focusing on Shiva's benevolent qualities
- Associated with prosperity and general well-being in traditional accounts
- Invokes Shiva's protection for the devotee and household
When is the best time to recite this?
The Shivashtakam is appropriate for morning and evening prayers. Shivaratri, Mondays, and any occasion of Shiva worship are considered fitting times. Its brevity makes it suitable as a daily recitation.
What is the historical and traditional background?
The Shivashtakam is not attributed to any named composer and does not appear within a canonical Vedic or Puranic scripture. Many ashtakams dedicated to Shiva are attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, but this particular text is not among his confirmed works. The meter and diction are consistent with classical Sanskrit devotional poetry, suggesting composition by a learned devotee whose identity is not recorded. The text has been in devotional circulation for a considerable period and appears in several collections of Shaiva stotras.
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 longer and more elaborate Shiva hymn often recited alongside shorter ashtakams in Shaiva worship
- Shiva Mangalaashtakam — another 8-verse (plus invocation) ashtakam for Shiva focused on invoking auspiciousness