Rudrashtakam (Namami Shamishan)
verse 1
नमामीशमीशान निर्वाणरूपं विभुं व्यापकं ब्रह्मवेदस्वरूपम्।
Namāmīśam-īśāna nirvāṇa-rūpaṃ vibhuṃ vyāpakaṃ brahma-veda-svarūpam
निजं निर्गुणं निर्विकल्पं निरीहं चिदाकाशमाकाशवासं भजेऽहम्॥1॥
Nijaṃ nirguṇaṃ nirvikalpaṃ nirīhaṃ cidākāśam ākāśa-vāsaṃ bhaje'ham
Meaning
I bow to You Ishana Lord of all; whose nature is liberation; who are mighty and all-pervading; the very form of Brahman and the Vedas
I worship Him who is self-existent; without attributes; without division; without craving; the sky of consciousness who dwells in space
verse 2
निराकारमोंकारमूलं तुरीयं गिराज्ञानगोतीतमीशं गिरीशम्।
Nirākāram oṃkāra-mūlaṃ turīyaṃ girā-jñāna-go-tītam-īśaṃ gīrīśam
करालं महाकालकालं कृपालं गुणागारसंसारपारं नतोऽहम्॥2॥
Karālaṃ mahā-kāla-kālaṃ kṛpālaṃ guṇāgāra-saṃsāra-pāraṃ nato'ham
Meaning
The formless One; the root of Om; the fourth state; beyond speech knowledge and the senses; the Lord; Girisha lord of the mountain
I bow to the terrible One; the death of great Death; yet full of grace; the abode of all virtues; who is beyond this round of birth and death
verse 3
तुषाराद्रिसंकाशगौरं गभीरं मनोभूतकोटिप्रभाश्री शरीरम्।
Tuṣārādri-saṃkāśa-gauraṃ gabhīraṃ mano-bhūta-koṭi-prabhā-śrī-śarīram
स्फुरन्मौलिकल्लोलिनी चारु गङ्गा लसद्भालबालेन्दु कण्ठे भुजङ्गा॥3॥
Sphuran-mauli-kallolini cāru-gaṅgā lasad-bhāla-bālendu kaṇṭhe bhujaṅgā
Meaning
Fair as the snow-clad mountain; profound; whose radiant body shines with the splendour of countless forms
On His head the surging lovely Ganga; on His brow the young moon shining; around His throat the serpent
verse 4
चलद्कुण्डलं भ्रू सुनेत्रं विशालं प्रसन्नाननं नीलकण्ठं दयालम्।
Calad-kuṇḍalaṃ bhrū su-netraṃ viśālaṃ prasannānanaṃ nīlakaṇṭhaṃ dayālam
मृगाधीशचर्माम्बरं मुण्डमालं प्रियं शंकरं सर्वनाथं भजामि॥4॥
Mṛgādhīśa-carmāmbaraṃ muṇḍa-mālaṃ priyaṃ śaṃkaraṃ sarvanāthaṃ bhajāmi
Meaning
Swaying earrings; beautiful brows; wide and lovely eyes; a serene face; the blue-throated and compassionate One
Clad in the lion's skin; wearing a garland of skulls; I worship the beloved Shankara Lord of all
verse 5
प्रचण्डं प्रकृष्टं प्रगल्भं परेशं अखण्डं अजं भानुकोटिप्रकाशम्।
Pracaṇḍaṃ prakṛṣṭaṃ pragalbhaṃ pareśaṃ akhaṇḍaṃ ajaṃ bhānu-koṭi-prakāśam
त्रयः शूलनिर्मूलनं शूलपाणिं भजेऽहं भवानीपतिं भावगम्यम्॥5॥
Trayaḥ śūla-nirmūlanaṃ śūla-pāṇiṃ bhaje'haṃ bhavānī-patiṃ bhāva-gamyam
Meaning
Fierce; supreme; bold; the highest Lord; undivided; unborn; shining with the light of ten million suns
I worship Him who uproots the three torments; who holds the trident; the Lord of Bhavani; reached through pure feeling
verse 6
कलातीतकल्याण कल्पान्तकारी सदा सज्जनानन्ददाता पुरारी।
Kalātīta-kalyāṇa kalpānta-kārī sadā sajjanānanda-dātā purārī
चिदानन्दसंदोह मोहापहारी प्रसीद प्रसीद प्रभो मन्मथारी॥6॥
Cidānanda-sandoha mohāpahārī prasīda prasīda prabho manmathārī
Meaning
Beyond time and ever auspicious; who brings the ages to their end; who forever gives joy to the good; the foe of Tripura
Fullness of consciousness and bliss; remover of delusion; be gracious be gracious O Lord; foe of Manmatha
verse 7
न यावद्उमानाथपादारविन्दं भजन्तीह लोके परे वा नराणाम्।
Na yāvad umānātha-pādāravindaṃ bhajantīha loke pare vā narāṇām
न तावत्सुखं शान्ति सन्तापनाशं प्रसीद प्रभो सर्वभूताधिवासम्॥7॥
Na tāvat sukhaṃ śānti santāpa-nāśaṃ prasīda prabho sarva-bhūtādhivāsam
Meaning
So long as people do not worship the lotus feet of Uma's Lord in this world or the next
until then there is no happiness no peace and no end of sorrow; be gracious O Lord who dwells in all beings
verse 8
न जानामि योगं जपं नैव पूजां नतोऽहं सदा सर्वदा शम्भुतुभ्यम्।
Na jānāmi yogaṃ japaṃ naiva pūjāṃ nato'haṃ sadā sarvadā śambhu-tubhyam
जरा जन्म दुःखौघ तातप्यमानं प्रभो पाहि आपन्नमामीश शम्भो॥8॥
Jarā janma duḥkhaugha tātapyamānaṃ prabho pāhi āpannam āmīśa śambho
Meaning
I know neither yoga nor recitation nor worship; always and at all times I simply bow to You O Shambhu
I am scorched by the flood of old age birth and sorrow; protect me in my distress O Lord Shambhu
phalashruti
रुद्राष्टकमिदं प्रोक्तं विप्रेण हरतोषये।
Rudrāṣṭakam idaṃ proktaṃ vipreṇa hara-toṣaye
ये पठन्ति नरा भक्त्या तेषां शम्भुः प्रसीदति॥
Ye paṭhanti narā bhaktyā teṣāṃ śambhuḥ prasīdati
Meaning
This Rudrashtakam was uttered by a brahmin for the pleasing of Hara
Shambhu becomes gracious to those who recite it with devotion
colophon
॥ इति श्रीरामचरितमानसे उत्तरकाण्डे श्रीगोस्वामितुलसीदासकृतं श्रीरुद्राष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ॥
Iti śrī-rāmacaritamānase uttarakāṇḍe śrī-gosvāmī-tulasīdāsa-kṛtaṃ śrī-rudrāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam
Meaning
Thus ends the Shri Rudrashtakam, composed by the venerable Goswami Tulsidas, in the Uttara Kanda of the Shri Ramcharitmanas.
Sourced and cross-checked against two independent sources; our meanings are written in our own words, never copied. Personal, devotional use — including printing and sharing short excerpts with attribution — is free and encouraged.
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