Rudra Ashtakam in Sanskrit, English with Meaning

Rudra Ashtakam

नमामीशमीशान निर्वाणरूपं
विभुं व्यापकं ब्रह्मवेदस्वरूपम् ।
निजं निर्गुणं निर्विकल्पं निरीहं
चिदाकाशमाकाशवासं भजेऽहम् ॥१॥

namāmīśamīśāna nirvāṇarūpaṃ
vibhuṃ vyāpakaṃ brahmavedasvarūpam .
nijaṃ nirguṇaṃ nirvikalpaṃ nirīhaṃ
cidākāśamākāśavāsaṃ bhaje’ham ..1..

Vibhu moksha personified, Veda incarnate, all-pervading Lord,
Lord, master of all, I pay obeisance to you, and am ever-worshipful,
Away from maya and the cycles of nature, of conscious desire,
I chant to you Lord Digambara, who wears the sky as a garment.

निराकारमोङ्करमूलं तुरीयं
गिराज्ञानगोतीतमीशं गिरीशम् ।
करालं महाकालकालं कृपालं
गुणागारसंसारपारं नतोऽहम् ॥२॥

nirākāramoṅkaramūlaṃ turīyaṃ
girājñānagotītamīśaṃ girīśam .
karālaṃ mahākālakālaṃ kṛpālaṃ
guṇāgārasaṃsārapāraṃ nato’ham ..2..

Who is formless, Aumkar’s origin, beyond the three gunas,
Beyond speech, knowledge, senses, giver of grace,
Perfect One who brings awe and reverence within, Lord of Time,
Lord of Kailash, beyond this world, my obeisance to you.

तुषाराद्रिसंकाशगौरं गभिरं
मनोभूतकोटिप्रभाश्री शरीरम् ।
स्फुरन्मौलिकल्लोलिनी चारुगङ्गा
लसद्भालबालेन्दु कण्ठे भुजङ्गा ॥३॥

tuṣārādrisaṅkāśagauraṃ gabhiraṃ
manobhūtakoṭiprabhāśrī śarīram .
sphuranmaulikallolinī cārugaṅgā
lasadbhālabālendu kaṇṭhe bhujaṅgā ..3..

Fair-skinned like Himanchal, serene, unmoved,
Of beauty and grace greater than a million Kamadevas, ever glowing,
Upon whose head resides the sacred Goddess Ganga,
Upon whose head is the crescent moon, whose neck is adorned by a snake.

चलत्कुण्डलं भ्रूसुनेत्रं विशालं
प्रसन्नाननं नीलकण्ठं दयालम् ।
मृगाधीशचर्माम्बरं मुण्डमालं
प्रियं शङ्करं सर्वनाथं भजामि ॥४॥

calatkuṇḍalaṃ bhrūsunetraṃ viśālaṃ
prasannānanaṃ nīlakaṇṭhaṃ dayālam .
mṛgādhīśacarmāmbaraṃ muṇḍamālaṃ
priyaṃ śaṅkaraṃ sarvanāthaṃ bhajāmi ..4..

In his ears are kundalas, whose eyes and eyebrows are beautiful,
Cheerful, blue necked, kind, compassionate, understanding,
Wrapped in animal skin, wearing a garland of skulls,
Dearest to all, Lord of all, I chant his name – Shankara.

प्रचण्डं प्रकृष्टं प्रगल्भं परेशं
अखण्डं अजं भानुकोटिप्रकाशं ।
त्र्यःशूलनिर्मूलनं शूलपाणिं
भजेऽहं भवानीपतिं भावगम्यम् ॥५॥

pracaṇḍaṃ prakṛṣṭaṃ pragalbhaṃ pareśaṃ
akhaṇḍaṃ ajaṃ bhānukoṭiprakāśaṃ .
tryaḥśūlanirmūlanaṃ śūlapāṇiṃ
bhaje’haṃ bhavānīpatiṃ bhāvagamyam ..5..

Rudrarup, best, perfect, eternal, unborn, the opulent one,
With the effulgence of a million suns, with a trident in hand,
Who uproots the three kinds of griefs, who by love can be gained,
I chant Bhavani’s husband’s name – Shankar – to you I pray.

कलातीतकल्याण कल्पान्तकारी
सदा सज्जनानन्ददाता पुरारी ।
चिदानन्दसंदोह मोहापहारी
प्रसीद प्रसीद प्रभो मन्मथारी ॥६॥

kalātītakalyāṇa kalpāntakārī
sadā sajjanānandadātā purārī .
cidānandasandoha mohāpahārī
prasīda prasīda prabho manmathārī ..6..

Beyond time, timeless, welfare incarnate, the creation’s end,
Enemy of Tripura, who gives pleasure and happiness to the worthy,
Giver of eternal bliss, who removes worldly entanglements,
Kamadeva’s destroyer, bless me, you churn my heart.

न यावद् उमानाथपादारविन्दं
भजन्तीह लोके परे वा नराणाम् ।
न तावत्सुखं शान्ति सन्तापनाशं
प्रसीद प्रभो सर्वभूताधिवासं ॥७॥

na yāvad umānāthapādāravindaṃ
bhajantīha loke pare vā narāṇām .
na tāvatsukhaṃ śānti santāpanāśaṃ
prasīda prabho sarvabhūtādhivāsaṃ ..7..

Husband of Parvati, till we worship your lotus feet,
We can never attain peace and joy in this world or in heaven,
Or mitigate or lessen our suffering,
Lord who resides in the heart of all, be pleased with me and my offering.

न जानामि योगं जपं नैव पूजां
नतोऽहं सदा सर्वदा शम्भुतुभ्यम् ।
जराजन्मदुःखौघ तातप्यमानं
प्रभो पाहि आपन्नमामीश शंभो ॥८॥

na jānāmi yogaṃ japaṃ naiva pūjāṃ
nato’haṃ sadā sarvadā śambhutubhyam .
jarājanmaduḥkhaugha tātapyamānaṃ
prabho pāhi āpannamāmīśa śambho ..8..

Oh Shambho, I know not yoga, or penance or worship or prayer,
But I always honor you, Oh my Lord, always be my savior,
Suffering the cycle of death, birth and old age, I burn,
Lord, protect this pained one from grief, I offer you my devotion.

रुद्राष्टकमिदं प्रोक्तं विप्रेण हरतोषये
ये पठन्ति नरा भक्त्या तेषां शम्भुः प्रसीदति ॥९॥

rudrāṣṭakamidaṃ proktaṃ vipreṇa haratoṣaye
ye paṭhanti narā bhaktyā teṣāṃ śambhuḥ prasīdati ..9..

This Rudrashtaka (eight verses in praise of Rudra) has been said (i.e. composed) by the wise for pleasing Hara (another name of Sri Shiva),
Those who recite this with devotion, with them Sri Shambhu will always be pleased.

इति श्रीगोस्वामितुलसीदासकृतं श्रीरुद्राष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ।

iti śrīgosvāmitulasīdāsakṛtaṃ śrīrudrāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam .

Thus ends Rudrashtakam composed by Sri Goswami Tulsidas.

Description

The famous Rudrashtakam extols the many qualities of Shiva. This is composed by Sri Goswami Tulsidas. Rudra is considered as the fearsome manifestation of Shiva. Rudrashtakam has its origins in the Ramayana, the great Sanskrit epic, written by Goswami Tulsidas(16th century AD) in Varanasi, the city sacred to Lord Shiva.

Other Shiva Shlokams

Rudra Ashtakam – Shiva – In Sanskrit with English Transliteration, Translation and Meaning. Commentary for selected Shlokams.