Chandrashekhara Ashtakam

चन्द्रशेखर चन्द्रशेखर चन्द्रशेखर पाहि माम् ।
चन्द्रशेखर चन्द्रशेखर चन्द्रशेखर रक्ष माम् ॥ १॥
candraśekhara candraśekhara candraśekhara pāhi mām .
candraśekhara candraśekhara candraśekhara rakṣa mām .. 1..
Oh Chandrashekara (The Lord whose crown is the moon), please protect me.
Oh Chandrashekara (The Lord whose crown is the moon), please save me.

रत्नसानुशरासनं रजताद्रिशृङ्गनिकेतनं
सिञ्जिनीकृत पन्नगेश्वरमच्युताननसायकम् ।
क्षिप्रदग्धपुरत्रयं त्रिदिवालयैरभिवन्दितं
चन्द्रशेखरमाश्रये मम किं करिष्यति वै यमः ॥ २॥
ratnasānuśarāsanaṃ rajatādriśṛṅganiketanaṃ
siñjinīkṛta pannageśvaram acyutānanasāyakam .
kṣipradagdhapuratrayaṃ tridivālayairabhivanditaṃ
candraśekharamāśraye mama kiṃ kariṣyati vai yamaḥ .. 2..
The God, who made the Mountain filled with precious stones (Mount Meru) as his bow, who resides on the Mountain of Silver
Who made head of the serpents (Vasuki) as his bowstring, who used Lord Vishnu as an arrow
The destroyer of three cities (Tripuras), the one bowed by all in the three worlds
I seek the refuge of that God Chandrasekhara (God Shiva, who has the moon on his head), so what can Yama do to me?

पञ्चपादप पुष्पगन्ध पदाम्बुजद्वयशोभितं
भाललोचन जातपावक दग्धमन्मथ विग्रहम् ।
भस्मदिग्धकलेवरं भवनाशनं भवमव्ययं
चन्द्रशेखरमाश्रये मम किं करिष्यति वै यमः ॥ ३॥
pañcapādapa puṣpagandha padāmbujadvayaśobhitaṃ
bhālalocana jātapāvaka dagdhamanmatha vigraham .
bhasmadigdhakalevaraṃ bhavanāśanaṃ bhavamavyayaṃ
candraśekharamāśraye mama kiṃ kariṣyati vai yamaḥ .. 3..
Whose feet are shining with the flowers and scents of the five divine trees
The one who burnt Manmada, Lord of Love, by the fire of his eye present on his forehead
Whose body is smeared with holy Ash or Bhasma, the destroyer of sorrows, who lives eternally
I seek the refuge of that God Chandrasekhara (God Shiva, who has the moon on his head), so what can Yama do to me?

मत्तवारण मुख्यचर्मकृतोत्तरीय मनोहरं
पङ्कजासन पद्मलोचन पूजिताङ्घ्रि सरोरुहम् ।
देवसिन्धुतरङ्गसीकर सिक्तशुभ्रजटाधरं
चन्द्रशेखरमाश्रये मम किं करिष्यति वै यमः ॥ ४॥
mattavāraṇa mukhyacarmakṛtottarīya manoharaṃ
paṅkajāsana padmalocana pūjitāṅghri saroruham .
devasindhutaraṅgasīkara siktaśubhrajaṭādharaṃ
candraśekharamāśraye mama kiṃ kariṣyati vai yamaḥ .. 4..
The one who wears the skin of elephants of great vigor as a cloth on his arms (uttareeyam), that looks enchanting
Whose lotus like feet are worshipped by Lord Brahma, who is usually seated on the lotus (Pankajasana), and Lord Vishnu, who is lotuseyed (Padma lochana)
Whose matted locks of hair are cleaned by the drops coming from the waves of Akasha Ganga
I seek the refuge of that God Chandrasekhara (God Shiva, who has the moon on his head), so what can Yama do to me?

यक्षराजसखं भगाक्षहरं भुजङ्गविभूषणं
शैलराजसुतापरिष्कृत चारुवामकलेवरम् ।
क्ष्वेडनीलगलं परश्वधधारिणं मृगधारिणं
चन्द्रशेखरमाश्रये मम किं करिष्यति वै यमः ॥ ५॥
yakṣarājasakhaṃ bhagākṣaharaṃ bhujaṅgavibhūṣaṇaṃ
śailarājasutāpariṣkṛta cāruvāmakalevaram .
kṣveḍanīlagalaṃ paraśvadhadhāriṇaṃ mṛgadhāriṇaṃ
candraśekharamāśraye mama kiṃ kariṣyati vai yamaḥ .. 5..
The one close to Kubera, the one who plucked the eyes of Bhaga, who wears the serpents as his ornaments
Who has the left part of his body decorated with the body of the daughter of Mountains, Devi Parvathi
One with a blue throat, whose hand is adorned with an axe as a weapon, who holds a deer in his hands
I seek the refuge of that God Chandrasekhara (God Shiva, who has the moon on his head), so what can Yama do to me?

कुण्डलीकृत कुण्डलेश्वर कुण्डलं वृषवाहनं
नारदादि मुनीश्वरस्तुत वैभवं भुवनेश्वरम् ।
अन्धकान्धकामाश्रितामरपादपं शमनान्तकं
चन्द्रशेखरमाश्रये मम किं करिष्यति वै यमः ॥ ६॥
kuṇḍalīkṛta kuṇḍaleśvara kuṇḍalaṃ vṛṣavāhanaṃ
nāradādi munīśvarastuta vaibhavaṃ bhuvaneśvaram .
andhakāndhakāmāśrita amarapādapaṃ śamanāntakaṃ
candraśekharamāśraye mama kiṃ kariṣyati vai yamaḥ .. 6..
The one who has the coiled serpents as his earrings and having a bull as his vehicle
Whose greatness is praised by the Narada and other sages, the Lord of all the worlds
Who destroyed the pride of Andhaka, the wish fulling tree for the refugee
I seek the refuge of that God Chandrasekhara (God Shiva, who has the moon on his head), so what can Yama do to me?

भेषजं भवरोगिणामखिलापदामपहारिणं
दक्षयज्ञविनाशनं त्रिगुणात्मकं त्रिविलोचनम् ।
भुक्तिमुक्तिफलप्रदं सकलाघसङ्घनिबर्हणं
चन्द्रशेखरमाश्रये मम किं करिष्यति वै यमः ॥ ७॥
bheṣajaṃ bhavarogiṇām akhilāpadāmapahāriṇaṃ
dakṣayajñavināśanaṃ triguṇātmakaṃ trivilocanam .
bhuktimuktiphalapradaṃ sakalāghasaṅghanibarhaṇaṃ
candraśekharamāśraye mama kiṃ kariṣyati vai yamaḥ .. 7..
Who acts as the medicine to the one suffering from sorrowful life, the remover of all the sufferings and obstructions
The destroyer of Daksha yagna, A personified form of the three Gunas and the one with three eyes
The bestower of Devotion, Salvation, and other wishes, the destroyer of all the sins
I seek the refuge of that God Chandrasekhara (God Shiva, who has the moon on his head), so what can Yama do to me?

भक्तवत्सलमर्चितं निधिमक्षयं हरिदम्बरं
सर्वभूतपतिं परात्परमप्रमेयमनुत्तमम् ।
सोमवारिद भूहुताशन सोमपानिलखाकृतिं
चन्द्रशेखरमाश्रये मम किं करिष्यति वै यमः ॥ ८॥
bhaktavatsalamarcitaṃ nidhimakṣayaṃ haridambaraṃ
sarvabhūtapatiṃ parātparam aprameyamanuttamam .
somavārida bhūhutāśana somapānilakhākṛtiṃ
candraśekharamāśraye mama kiṃ kariṣyati vai yamaḥ .. 8..
The one who takes care of his devotees, the one worshipped by all, who is like a treasure, the one who wears green clothes
Who is the head of all the creatures, who is beyond all, who cannot be compared with anyone, who doesn’t have anyone greater than him
The one who is present as a form in the ones who drink Soma in a ritualistic way
I seek the refuge of that God Chandrasekhara (God Shiva, who has the moon on his head), so what can Yama do to me?

विश्वसृष्टि विधायिनं पुनरेव पालनतत्परं
संहरन्तमपि प्रपञ्चमशेष लोकनिवासिनम् ।
क्रीडयन्त महर्निशं गणनाथयूथ समन्वितं
चन्द्रशेखरमाश्रये मम किं करिष्यति वै यमः ॥ ९॥
viśvasṛṣṭi vidhāyinaṃ punareva pālanatatparaṃ
saṃharantamapi prapañcamaśeṣa lokanivāsinam .
krīḍayanta maharniśaṃ gaṇanāthayūtha samanvitaṃ
candraśekharamāśraye mama kiṃ kariṣyati vai yamaḥ .. 9..
The one who does the creation of the universe, who is keenly involved in upkeeping it as well as in perseverance
Who destroys the universe at the appropriate time, who made the world a living place for innumerable counts of people
Who is playful all the days and nights, the head of the Ganas, and who acts as one among them
I seek the refuge of that God Chandrasekhara (God Shiva, who has the moon on his head), so what can Yama do to me?

मृत्युभीतमृकण्डसूनु कृतस्तवं शिवसन्निधौ
यत्र कुत्र च यः पठेन्न हि तस्य मृत्युभयं भवेत् ।
पूर्णमायुर रोगितामखिलार्थसम्पदमादरं
चन्द्रशेखर एव तस्य ददाति मुक्तिमयत्नतः ॥ १०॥
mṛtyubhītamṛkaṇḍasūnu kṛtastavaṃ śivasannidhau
yatra kutra ca yaḥ paṭhenna hi tasya mṛtyubhayaṃ bhavet .
pūrṇamāyura rogitām akhilārtha sampadamādaraṃ
candraśekhara eva tasya dadāti muktimayatnataḥ .. 10..
He who reads this prayer, Composed by the son of Mrukandu, Who was fear struck with death, In the temple of Lord Shiva, Will not have fear of death, He would have a full healthy life, With all grains and all wealth, And will attain Salvation by the grace of Lord Chandra Shekhara.
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Description

Chandrashekhara ashtakam is a divine hymn to praise God Shiva as Chandrasekhara, the lord who is adorned with moon on his head (Chandra – moon, Sekhar – crown) . The Chandrashekhara Ashtakam is a great remedy for protection from difficulties including untimely death due to accidents etc.

The lyrics and meaning of Chandrasekhara Ashtakam have an in-depth explanation of the greatness of God shiva, his appearance, the protection offered to his devotees, along with the divine qualities of the Lord.

It was the hymn sung by Markandeya rishi and is related to his legend where he offered his prayers to God Shiva, in order to get away from the clutches of the Yama, the lord of death. During which, God Shiva offered his protection to Markandeya, defeating Yama to the point of death.

Chandrasekhar Ashtakam was written by Rishi Markandeya. One legend relates the story of how Lord Shiva protected Markandeya from the clutches of death, personified as Lord Yama.

Mrikandu rishi and his wife Marudmati worshipped Shiva and sought from him the boon of begetting a son. As a result, he was given the choice of either a righteous son, but with a short life on earth or 100 long-lived, foolish sons. Mrikandu rishi chose the former and was blessed with Markandeya, an exemplary son, destined to die at the age of 16.

Markandeya grew up to be a great devotee of Shiva and on the day of his destined death, he continued his worship of Shiva in his aniconic form of Shivalingam. The messengers of Yama, the god of death were unable to take away his life because of his great devotion and continual worship of Shiva. Yama then came in person to take away Markandeya’s life and sprung his noose around the young sage’s neck. By accident or fate the noose mistakenly landed around the Shivalingam, and out of it, Shiva emerged in all his fury attacking Yama for his act of aggression. After defeating Yama in a battle to the point of death, Shiva then revived him, under the condition that the devout youth would live forever. For this act, Shiva was thereafter also known as Kalantaka (“Ender of Death”).

The word Kalantaka means “He who ends Death”. The name is derived from two Sanskrit words- kala (काल) which means “Death or Time” and antaka (अन्तक) which means “He who ends”.

Sage Markandeya sang the Chandrasekhar Ashtakam in praise of Lord Shiva. Every single word in the song is absolutely profound and beautiful.


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Tatpurushaya Vidmahe Rudra Gayatri Mantra

Om. May we know that Lord Isvara, for which may we meditate upon Mahadeva. May that Rudra impel us (towards him).

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Vande Shambu Umapatim

I salute Shambu, Umapati, the preceptor (teacher) of devas, I salute the cause of the earth, I salute the one ornamented with the serpent, the wearer of the moon, I respect that master of all beings.

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Vedasara Shiva Stava

Composed by Sri Adi Shankaracharya in praise of Lord Shiva - the essence of vedas.


Chandrashekhara Ashtakam – Shiva – Lyrics In Sanskrit, English with Translation, Meaning, Audio and Significance