Rudri Path Practice · Stuti

Shri Rudrashtakam

श्री रुद्राष्टकम्

Sanskrit hymn in the Uttara Kanda of the Ramcharitmanas by Goswami Tulsidas (16th century)

Eight verses in praise of Rudra, Lord Shiva, from the Uttara Kanda of the Ramcharitmanas, where a brahmin sage sings them to please Lord Shiva. They move from the formless, all-pervading Lord beyond all qualities to the beloved Shankara of Kailash, and end in a simple prayer of surrender.

1

नमामीशमीशान निर्वाणरूपं
विभुं व्यापकं ब्रह्मवेदस्वरूपं।
निजं निर्गुणं निर्विकल्पं निरीहं
चिदाकाशमाकाशवासं भजेऽहं॥

namāmīśam īśāna nirvāṇa-rūpaṁ
vibhuṁ vyāpakaṁ brahma-veda-svarūpaṁ |
nijaṁ nirguṇaṁ nirvikalpaṁ nirīhaṁ
cidākāśam ākāśavāsaṁ bhaje’haṁ ||

namāmi
I bow
īśam
to the Lord
īśāna
O Ishana, the Ruler
nirvāṇa-rūpaṁ
whose very form is liberation
vibhuṁ
the mighty
vyāpakaṁ
the all-pervading
brahma-veda-svarūpaṁ
the embodiment of Brahman and the Vedas
nijaṁ
self-existent
nirguṇaṁ
beyond the three gunas
nirvikalpaṁ
beyond all distinction
nirīhaṁ
free of desire
cidākāśam
the sky of consciousness
ākāśavāsaṁ
whose dwelling is the sky
bhaje’haṁ
I worship

I bow to the Lord, Ishana, whose very form is liberation: the mighty, all-pervading One, the embodiment of Brahman and the Vedas. I worship Him who is self-existent, beyond the qualities, beyond distinction and desire, the sky of consciousness, whose dwelling is the sky itself.
2

निराकारमोंकारमूलं तुरीयं
गिरा ज्ञान गोतीतमीशं गिरीशं।
करालं महाकाल कालं कृपालं
गुणागार संसारपारं नतोऽहं॥

nirākāram oṁkāra-mūlaṁ turīyaṁ
girā jñāna gotītam īśaṁ girīśaṁ |
karālaṁ mahākāla kālaṁ kṛpālaṁ
guṇāgāra saṁsārapāraṁ nato’haṁ ||

nirākāram
the formless
oṁkāra-mūlaṁ
the root of Om
turīyaṁ
the Fourth, beyond waking, dream and deep sleep
girā
speech
jñāna
intellect
go
the senses
atītam
beyond
īśaṁ
the Lord
girīśaṁ
Lord of the mountain (Kailash)
karālaṁ
the awesome
mahākāla kālaṁ
death even to Mahakala, Death itself
kṛpālaṁ
the compassionate
guṇāgāra
abode of virtues
saṁsārapāraṁ
beyond the world of birth and death
nato’haṁ
I bow

I bow to the formless One, the root of Om, the Fourth beyond the three states; beyond speech, intellect and the senses; the Lord of Kailash. Awesome, death to Death itself, yet compassionate; the abode of virtues, beyond the world of birth and death.
3

तुषाराद्रि संकाश गौरं गभीरं
मनोभूत कोटि प्रभा श्री शरीरं।
स्फुरन्मौलि कल्लोलिनी चारु गंगा
लसद्भालबालेन्दु कंठे भुजंगा॥

tuṣārādri saṅkāśa gauraṁ gabhīraṁ
manobhūta koṭi prabhā śrī śarīraṁ |
sphuranmauli kallolinī cāru gaṅgā
lasadbhāla-bālendu kaṇṭhe bhujaṅgā ||

tuṣārādri
the snowy mountain (Himalaya)
saṅkāśa
like
gauraṁ
fair, white
gabhīraṁ
profound
manobhūta
Kamadeva, god of love
koṭi
millions
prabhā
radiance
śrī śarīraṁ
whose splendid body
sphuran
sparkling
mauli
on His head
kallolinī
the rippling river
cāru gaṅgā
the lovely Ganga
lasat
gleaming
bhāla
on His forehead
bālendu
the crescent moon
kaṇṭhe
on His throat
bhujaṅgā
serpents

Fair as the snowy Himalaya and profound, His body shines with the splendour of millions of Kamadevas. On His head sparkles the lovely, rippling Ganga; the crescent moon gleams on His brow, and serpents adorn His throat.
4

चलत्कुंडलं भ्रू सुनेत्रं विशालं
प्रसन्नाननं नीलकंठं दयालं।
मृगाधीशचर्माम्बरं मुण्डमालं
प्रियं शंकरं सर्वनाथं भजामि॥

calatkuṇḍalaṁ bhrū sunetraṁ viśālaṁ
prasannānanaṁ nīlakaṇṭhaṁ dayālaṁ |
mṛgādhīśa-carmāmbaraṁ muṇḍamālaṁ
priyaṁ śaṅkaraṁ sarvanāthaṁ bhajāmi ||

calatkuṇḍalaṁ
with swaying earrings
bhrū
beautiful brows
sunetraṁ viśālaṁ
large, lovely eyes
prasannānanaṁ
with a gracious, smiling face
nīlakaṇṭhaṁ
the blue-throated
dayālaṁ
the merciful
mṛgādhīśa
of the lord of beasts (the lion)
carmāmbaraṁ
wearing the skin as His garment
muṇḍamālaṁ
with a garland of skulls
priyaṁ
the beloved
śaṅkaraṁ
Shankara, giver of good
sarvanāthaṁ
Lord of all
bhajāmi
I worship

With swaying earrings, beautiful brows and large eyes, a gracious face, a blue throat and a merciful heart; wearing a lion’s skin and a garland of skulls: I worship beloved Shankara, the Lord of all.
5

प्रचंडं प्रकृष्टं प्रगल्भं परेशं
अखंडं अजं भानुकोटिप्रकाशं।
त्रयः शूल निर्मूलनं शूलपाणिं
भजेऽहं भवानीपतिं भावगम्यं॥

pracaṇḍaṁ prakṛṣṭaṁ pragalbhaṁ pareśaṁ
akhaṇḍaṁ ajaṁ bhānu-koṭi-prakāśaṁ |
trayaḥ śūla nirmūlanaṁ śūlapāṇiṁ
bhaje’haṁ bhavānīpatiṁ bhāvagamyaṁ ||

pracaṇḍaṁ
the fierce
prakṛṣṭaṁ
the supreme
pragalbhaṁ
the mighty
pareśaṁ
the highest Lord
akhaṇḍaṁ
the indivisible
ajaṁ
the unborn
bhānu-koṭi-prakāśaṁ
radiant as millions of suns
trayaḥ śūla
the threefold suffering
nirmūlanaṁ
who uproots
śūlapāṇiṁ
who holds the trident
bhaje’haṁ
I worship
bhavānīpatiṁ
the consort of Bhavani
bhāvagamyaṁ
who is reached through loving devotion

Fierce, supreme, mighty, the highest Lord; indivisible, unborn, radiant as millions of suns; who uproots the threefold suffering and holds the trident: I worship the consort of Bhavani, who is reached through love.
6

कलातीत कल्याण कल्पान्तकारी
सदा सज्जनानन्ददाता पुरारी।
चिदानंद संदोह मोहापहारी
प्रसीद प्रसीद प्रभो मन्मथारी॥

kalātīta kalyāṇa kalpāntakārī
sadā sajjanānanda-dātā purārī |
cidānanda sandoha mohāpahārī
prasīda prasīda prabho manmathārī ||

kalātīta
beyond all parts and measure
kalyāṇa
the auspicious
kalpāntakārī
who brings the cosmic age to its close
sadā
ever
sajjana
to the good
ānanda-dātā
giver of joy
purārī
foe of the demon Tripura
cidānanda
consciousness and bliss
sandoha
the fullness of
mohāpahārī
remover of delusion
prasīda
be gracious
prabho
O Lord
manmathārī
conqueror of Kamadeva (desire)

Beyond all measure, auspicious, who brings the cosmic age to its close; ever the giver of joy to the good, destroyer of Tripura; the fullness of consciousness and bliss, remover of delusion: be gracious, be gracious, O Lord, conqueror of desire.
7

न यावद् उमानाथ पादारविन्दं
भजंतीह लोके परे वा नराणां।
न तावत्सुखं शान्ति सन्तापनाशं
प्रसीद प्रभो सर्वभूताधिवासं॥

na yāvad umānātha pādāravindaṁ
bhajantīha loke pare vā narāṇāṁ |
na tāvat sukhaṁ śānti santāpanāśaṁ
prasīda prabho sarvabhūtādhivāsaṁ ||

na yāvad
as long as (they) do not
umānātha
of Uma’s Lord
pādāravindaṁ
the lotus feet
bhajanti
worship
iha loke
in this world
pare vā
or in the next
narāṇāṁ
(for) human beings
na tāvat
until then there is no
sukhaṁ
happiness
śānti
peace
santāpanāśaṁ
end of suffering
prasīda prabho
be gracious, O Lord
sarvabhūtādhivāsaṁ
who dwells in all beings

As long as people do not worship the lotus feet of Uma’s Lord, in this world or the next, they find no happiness, no peace, no end to suffering. Be gracious, O Lord who dwells in all beings.
8

न जानामि योगं जपं नैव पूजां
नतोऽहं सदा सर्वदा शम्भु तुभ्यं।
जरा जन्म दुःखौघ तातप्यमानं
प्रभो पाहि आपन्नमामीश शम्भो॥

na jānāmi yogaṁ japaṁ naiva pūjāṁ
nato’haṁ sadā sarvadā śambhu tubhyaṁ |
jarā janma duḥkhaugha tātapyamānaṁ
prabho pāhi āpanna mām īśa śambho ||

na jānāmi
I do not know
yogaṁ
yoga
japaṁ
japa, repetition of the Name
naiva pūjāṁ
nor even ritual worship
nato’haṁ
I bow
sadā sarvadā
always, at every moment
śambhu tubhyaṁ
to You, O Shambhu
jarā janma
of old age and birth
duḥkhaugha
the floods of sorrow
tātapyamānaṁ
burning again and again
prabho pāhi
protect, O Lord
āpanna
in distress
mām
me
īśa śambho
O Lord, O Shambhu

I know neither yoga, nor japa, nor worship; O Shambhu, I simply bow to You, always and at every moment. Burning again and again in the floods of sorrow of old age and birth, I am in distress: protect me, O Lord, O Shambhu.
9 Phala-shruti

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

rudrāṣṭakam idaṁ proktaṁ vipreṇa haratoṣaye |
ye paṭhanti narā bhaktyā teṣāṁ śambhuḥ prasīdati ||

rudrāṣṭakam
the eight verses to Rudra
idaṁ
this
proktaṁ
was sung
vipreṇa
by the brahmin
haratoṣaye
to please Hara (Shiva)
ye
those who
paṭhanti
recite
narāḥ
people
bhaktyā
with devotion
teṣāṁ
with them
śambhuḥ
Shambhu
prasīdati
is pleased

This Rudrashtakam was sung by a brahmin to please Hara. Shambhu is pleased with all who recite it with devotion.

djjs.us/bhakti/shri-rudrashtakam · Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan · Sanskrit hymn in the Uttara Kanda of the Ramcharitmanas by Goswami Tulsidas (16th century)