Shivashtakam

śrī śivāṣṭakam
Hymn of Eight Stanzas on Shiva

prabhuṁ prāṇanāthaṁ vibhuṁ viśvanāthaṁ jagannāthanāthaṁ sadānandabhājām |
bhavadbhavyabhūteśvaraṁ bhūtanāthaṁ śivaṁ śaṅkaraṁ śambhumīśānamīḍe ||1||

O Lord! Lord of life, the all-pervasive One, the Lord of the universe,
O Lord of the Lord of the world, the Possessor of eternal bliss,
O Lord of all entities past and future, Lord of all beings,
O Shiva-Shankara-Shambhu, O Ishana, praises be unto Thee.

gale ruṇḍamālaṁ tanau sarpajālaṁ mahākālakālaṁ gaṇeśādhipālam |
jaṭājūṭabhaṅgottaraṅgairviśālaṁ śivaṁ śaṅkaraṁ śambhumīśānamīḍe ||2||

O He, whose neck is adorned with a skull-garland and body with serpents,
O Ender of great time itself, who rules over Ganesha and others,
From whose matted locks issues forth the large billows of the Ganga,
O Shiva-Shankara-Shambhu, O Ishana, praises be unto Thee.

mudāmākaraṁ maṇḍanaṁ maṇḍayantaṁ mahāmaṇḍalaṁ bhasmabhūṣādharaṁtam |
anādihyapāraṁ mahāmohahāraṁ śivaṁ śaṅkaraṁ śambhumīśānamīḍe ||3||

O He, who is ornamented with the very form of happiness,
O He, who is adorned with the ashes of the ornate universe itself,
O beginningless, boundless One, the Remover of the greatest of delusions,
O Shiva-Shankara-Shambhu, O Ishana, praises be unto Thee.

vaṭādho nivāsaṁ mahāṭṭāṭṭahāsaṁ mahāpāpanāśaṁ sadāsuprakāśam |
girīśaṁ gaṇeśaṁ maheśaṁ sureśaṁ śivaṁ śaṅkaraṁ śambhumīśānamīḍe ||4||

The One who dwells under a banyan tree, He of immense laughter,
O Dissolver of the greatest of sins, the eternally effulgent One,
O Lord of the mountain, Lord of hosts, O great Lord, Lord of all Devas,
O Shiva-Shankara-Shambhu, O Ishana, praises be unto Thee.

girindrātmajāsaṁgrahītārdhadehaṁ girau saṁsthitaṁ sarvadā sannigeham |
parabrahmabrahmādibhirvandhyamānaṁ śivaṁ śaṅkaraṁ śambhumīśānamīḍe ||5||

O He, who shares half His body with She who is born of the mountain (Shakti),
O He, who is situated in the mountains, the eternal Refuge (for those who seek Him),
O Supreme Brahman, worshiped with honor by Brahmā and others,
O Shiva-Shankara-Shambhu, O Ishana, praises be unto Thee.

kapālaṁ triśūlaṁ karābhyāṁ dadhānaṁ padāmbhojanamrāya kāmaṁ dadānam |
balīvardayānaṁ surāṇāṁ pradhānaṁ śivaṁ śaṅkaraṁ śambhumīśānamīḍe ||6||

O He, who holds the skull-bowl and trident in His hands,
O He, who fulfills the desires of those who take to His lotus feet,
O Rider of the Bull, the Supreme One amongst the Devas,
O Shiva-Shankara-Shambhu, O Ishana, praises be unto Thee.

śaraccandragātraṁ guṇānanda pātraṁ trinetraṁ pavitraṁ dhaneśasya mitram |
aparṇākalatraṁ sadā caritraṁ śivaṁ śaṅkaraṁ śambhumīśānamīḍe ||7||

O He, whose body resembles the autumnal moon, the Vessel of blissful qualities,
O three-eyed One, the pure One, Friend of the Lord of wealth,
O Consort of Aparna (Shakti), the eternally wonderful One,
O Shiva-Shankara-Shambhu, O Ishana, praises be unto Thee.

haraṁ sarpahāraṁ citā bhūvihāraṁ bhavaṁ vedasāraṁ sadā nirvikāram |
śmaśāne vasantaṁ manojaṁ dahantaṁ śivaṁ śaṅkaraṁ śambhumīśānamīḍe ||8||

O Hara, garlanded in serpents, who roams the cremation ground*,
O Bhava, the very essence of the Veda, who is forever free from change,
O Resident of the cremation ground*, who burns all mind-born desires,
O Shiva-Shankara-Shambhu, O Ishana, praises be unto Thee.

stavaṁ yaḥ prabhāte naraḥ śūlapāṇe paṭhet sarvadā bhargabhāvānuraktaḥ |
sa putraṁ dhanaṁ dhānyamitraṁ kalatraṁ vicitraṁ samāsādya mokśaṁ prayāti ||9||

Whosoever reads this hymn every morning with devotion
Pleases the effulgent trident-bearing Lord.
He shall be blessed with children, wealth, friends, grains, spouse,
And after leading a wonderful life, he shall attain moksha.

|| iti śivāṣṭakam ||

Here ends the Hymn of Eight Stanzas on Shiva.

[*cremation ground is an analogy used by ancient Shaivite ascetics to indicate that he who performs penance for Shiva loses all desire for bodily comforts, the physical body is as good as dead to him]

oṁ namaḥ śivāya.

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