Śrī Rudrāṣṭakam

namāmīśam-īśāna nirvāṇa-rūpaṁ vibhuṁ vyāpakaṁ brahma-veda-svarūpam. nijaṁ nirguṇaṁ nirvikalpaṁ nirīhaṁ cid-ākāśam-ākāśa-vāsaṁ bhaje'ham.

I bow to Īśāna, the Lord whose very form is liberation — all-pervading, the essence of Brahman and the Vedas, self-existent, beyond qualities, beyond distinction, beyond desire; I worship Him whose body is pure consciousness, dwelling in the sky of the heart.

nirākāram-oṁkāra-mūlaṁ turīyaṁ girā-jñāna-gotītam-īśaṁ girīśam. karālaṁ mahākāla kālaṁ kṛpālaṁ guṇāgāra saṁsāra-pāraṁ nato'ham.

I bow to the formless One, the root of Oṁ, the fourth (turīya) state, beyond speech, knowledge and the senses — the Lord of Kailāsa, terrible yet compassionate, Time of great Time itself, storehouse of virtues, who takes us across the ocean of saṁsāra.

tuṣārādri-saṅkāśa-gauraṁ gabhīraṁ mano-bhūta-koṭi-prabhā-śrī-śarīram. sphuran-mauli-kallolinī cāru-gaṅgā lasad-bhāla-bālendu kaṇṭhe bhujaṅgā.

Radiant as a snow-clad mountain, deep and majestic; the splendour of countless Kāmadevas shines in His body. On His crown the lovely Gaṅgā leaps in waves, on His forehead the young moon glows, and about His neck coils the serpent.

calat-kuṇḍalaṁ bhrū sunetraṁ viśālaṁ prasannānanaṁ nīla-kaṇṭhaṁ dayālam. mṛgādhīśa-carmāmbaraṁ muṇḍa-mālaṁ priyaṁ śaṅkaraṁ sarva-nāthaṁ bhajāmi.

His earrings sway, His brows are noble, His eyes are wide and beautiful; His face beams with grace, His throat is blue, His heart is kind. Clothed in a tiger's skin and garlanded with skulls — I worship Śaṅkara, the beloved Lord of all.

pracaṇḍaṁ prakṛṣṭaṁ pragalbhaṁ pareśaṁ akhaṇḍaṁ ajaṁ bhānu-koṭi-prakāśam. trayaḥ-śūla-nirmūlanaṁ śūla-pāṇiṁ bhaje'haṁ bhavānī-patiṁ bhāva-gamyam.

Fierce, most excellent, bold, supreme Lord — undivided, unborn, blazing like ten million suns; uprooter of the three sufferings, trident in hand — I worship Him, the Lord of Bhavānī, known only through pure devotion.

kalātīta kalyāṇa kalpānta-kārī sadā sajjanānanda-dātā purārī. cid-ānanda-sandoha mohāpahārī prasīda prasīda prabho manmathārī.

Beyond time, all-auspicious, bringer of the world's dissolution; ever the giver of joy to the good, destroyer of the three cities; a mass of consciousness and bliss, remover of delusion — be gracious, be gracious, O Lord, slayer of Kāma.

na yāvad umā-nātha pādāravindaṁ bhajanti-iha loke pare vā narāṇām. na tāvat-sukhaṁ śānti santāpa-nāśaṁ prasīda prabho sarva-bhūtādhi-vāsam.

As long as people do not worship the lotus feet of Umā's Lord, there is no true happiness, no peace, no end to sorrow — in this world or the next. Be gracious, O Lord who dwells within every being.

na jānāmi yogaṁ japaṁ naiva pūjāṁ nato'haṁ sadā sarvadā śambhu tubhyam. jarā-janma-duḥkhaugha-tātapyamānaṁ prabho pāhi āpannam-āmīśa śambho.

I know neither yoga, nor japa, nor worship — I only bow to You, Śambhu, always and forever. Burning in the flood of sorrows of birth and old age, I take refuge — save this stricken one, O Lord Śambhu.

rudrāṣṭakam-idaṁ proktaṁ vipreṇa hara-toṣaye. ye paṭhanti narā bhaktyā teṣāṁ śambhuḥ prasīdati.

This Rudrāṣṭakam was spoken by the brāhmaṇa to please Hara. Those who recite it with devotion — upon them Śambhu is well pleased. (Phalaśruti)