Rudra Ashtakam
|| श्री रुद्राष्टकम् ||
The Above Recitation is by Ravindra Sathe.
Verse 1
नमामीशमीशान निर्वाणरूपं विभुं व्यापकं ब्रह्मवेदस्वरूपम् । निजं निर्गुणं निर्विकल्पं निरीहं चिदाकाशमाकाशवासं भजेऽहम् ॥१॥ हे मोक्षस्वरूप, विभु, व्यापक, ब्रह्म और वेदस्वरूप, ईशान दिशा के ईश्वर तथा सबके स्वामी श्री शिव जी! मैं आपको नमस्कार करता हूँ । निजस्वरूप में स्थित (अर्थात् मायादिरहित), (मायिक), गुणों से रहित, भेदरहित, इच्छारहित, चेतन, आकाशरूप एवं आकाश को ही वस्त्ररूप में धारण करनेवाले दिगंबर (अथवा आकाश को भी आच्छादित करनेवाले) आपको मैं भजता हूँ ।
vibhu moksha personified, veda incarnate, all-pervading Lord, Lord, master of all, Away from maya and the cycles of nature, of conscious desire, vibhu moksha personified, veda incarnate, all-pervading Lord, Lord, master of all, Away from maya and the cycles of nature, of conscious desire,
I pay obeisance to you, and am ever-worshipful, I chant to you Lord Digambara, who wears the sky as a garment. I pay obeisance to you, and am ever-worshipful, I chant to you Lord Digambara, who wears the sky as a garment.
Verse 2
निराकारमोङ्करमूलं तुरीयं गिराज्ञानगोतीतमीशं गिरीशम् । करालं महाकालकालं कृपालं गुणागारसंसारपारं नतोऽहम् ॥२॥
vibhu moksha personified, veda incarnate, all-pervading Lord, Lord, master of all, Away from maya and the cycles of nature, of conscious desire,
I pay obeisance to you, and am ever-worshipful, I chant to you Lord Digambara, who wears the sky as a garment.
Verse 3
तुषाराद्रिसंकाशगौरं गभिरं मनोभूतकोटिप्रभाश्री शरीरम् । स्फुरन्मौलिकल्लोलिनी चारुगङ्गा लसद्भालबालेन्दु कण्ठे भुजङ्गा ॥३॥
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.
Verse 4
चलत्कुण्डलं भ्रूसुनेत्रं विशालं प्रसन्नाननं नीलकण्ठं दयालम् । मृगाधीशचर्माम्बरं मुण्डमालं प्रियं शङ्करं सर्वनाथं भजामि ॥४॥
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.
Verse 5
प्रचण्डं प्रकृष्टं प्रगल्भं परेशं अखण्डं अजं भानुकोटिप्रकाशं । त्र्यःशूलनिर्मूलनं शूलपाणिं भजेऽहं भवानीपतिं भावगम्यम् ॥५॥
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.
Verse 6
कलातीतकल्याण कल्पान्तकारी सदा सज्जनानन्ददाता पुरारी । चिदानन्दसंदोह मोहापहारी प्रसीद प्रसीद प्रभो मन्मथारी ॥६॥
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.
Verse 7
न यावद् उमानाथपादारविन्दं भजन्तीह लोके परे वा नराणाम् । न तावत्सुखं शान्ति सन्तापनाशं प्रसीद प्रभो सर्वभूताधिवासं ॥७॥
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.
Verse 8
न जानामि योगं जपं नैव पूजां नतोऽहं सदा सर्वदा शम्भुतुभ्यम् । जराजन्मदुःखौघ तातप्यमानं प्रभो पाहि आपन्नमामीश शंभो ॥८॥
husband of parvati, till we worship your lotus feet, Lord who resides in the heart of all, be pleased with me and my offering.
We can never attain peace and joy in this world or in heaven, Or mitigate or lessen our suffering,
Verse 9
रुद्राष्टकमिदं प्रोक्तं विप्रेण हरतोषये ये पठन्ति नरा भक्त्या तेषां शम्भुः प्रसीदति ॥९॥
oh shambho, i know not yoga, or penance or worship or prayer, Suffering the cycle of death, birth and old age,
But I always honor you, Oh my Lord, always be my savior, I burn, Lord, protect this pained one from grief, I offer you my devotion.
॥ इति श्रीगोस्वामितुलसीदासकृतं श्रीरुद्राष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ॥
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.
About this stotra
Composed by Goswami Tulsidas, the Rudrashtakam is a powerful hymn of eight verses (plus a phalaśruti) dedicated to Lord Shiva in his Rudra aspect. Each verse describes a different facet of the Supreme Lord — from his formless, attributeless, all-pervading nature to his awe-inspiring form adorned with the crescent moon, sacred Ganga, serpents, and garland of skulls.
The hymn was originally sung by the sage Tulsidas to appease Lord Shiva. Sage Tulsidas, a great devotee of Lord Rama and Hanuman, is said to have composed this stotram to pacify Shiva when the Lord appeared in his fierce Rudra form. Through these verses, Tulsidas beautifully expresses his devotion, surrendering completely to the Lord of the universe.
The ninth verse is the phalaśruti, declaring the merits of reciting this Rudrashtakam — that those who recite this hymn with devotion will be blessed by Lord Shambhu and will find peace and liberation from the cycle of birth and death.