Vishwanathashtakam
verse 1
गङ्गातरंगरमणीयजटाकलापं
Gaṅgātaraṃgaramaṇīyajaṭākalāpaṃ
गौरीनिरन्तरविभूषितवामभागम् ।
Gaurīnirantaravibhūṣitavāmabhāgam |
नारायणप्रियमनंगमदापहारं
Nārāyaṇapriyamanaṃgamadāpahāraṃ
वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्
Vārāṇasīpurapatiṃ bhaja viśvanātham
Meaning
Him whose mass of matted locks is made lovely by the waves of Ganga,
His left side forever adorned by Gauri,
beloved of Narayana, who stripped Ananga (Kamadeva) of his pride:
worship Vishwanatha, lord of the city of Varanasi.
verse 2
वाचामगोचरमनेकगुणस्वरूपं
Vācāmagocaramanekaguṇasvarūpaṃ
वागीशविष्णुसुरसेवितपादपीठम् ।
Vāgīśaviṣṇusurasevitapādapīṭham |
वामेनविग्रहवरेणकलत्रवन्तं
Vāmenavigrahavareṇakalatravantaṃ
वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्
Vārāṇasīpurapatiṃ bhaja viśvanātham
Meaning
Him beyond the reach of speech, whose nature is the sum of countless excellences,
His footstool attended by Vagisha (Brahma), Vishnu and the gods,
who bears His consort in gracious form upon His left:
worship Vishwanatha, lord of the city of Varanasi.
verse 3
भूताधिपं भुजगभूषणभूषितांगं
Bhūtādhipaṃ bhujagabhūṣaṇabhūṣitāṃgaṃ
व्याघ्राजिनांबरधरं जटिलं त्रिनेत्रम् ।
Vyāghrājināṃbaradharaṃ jaṭilaṃ trinetram |
पाशांकुशाभयवरप्रदशूलपाणिं
Pāśāṃkuśābhayavarapradaśūlapāṇiṃ
वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्
Vārāṇasīpurapatiṃ bhaja viśvanātham
Meaning
Him, lord of the bhuta hosts, His limbs adorned with serpents for ornaments,
wrapped in a tiger's hide, matted-haired, three-eyed,
noose, goad and trident in His hands, granting fearlessness and boons:
worship Vishwanatha, lord of the city of Varanasi.
verse 4
शीतांशुशोभितकिरीटविराजमानं
Śītāṃśuśobhitakirīṭavirājamānaṃ
भालेक्षणानलविशोषितपंचबाणम् ।
Bhālekṣaṇānalaviśoṣitapaṃcabāṇam |
नागाधिपारचितभासुरकर्णपूरं
Nāgādhipāracitabhāsurakarṇapūraṃ
वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्
Vārāṇasīpurapatiṃ bhaja viśvanātham
Meaning
Him, shining in a crown graced by the cool-rayed moon,
who dried up the Five-Arrowed One (Kamadeva) in the fire of the eye on His brow,
the king of serpents coiled as the gleaming ornament at His ear:
worship Vishwanatha, lord of the city of Varanasi.
verse 5
पंचाननं दुरितमत्तमतङ्गजानां
Paṃcānanaṃ duritamattamataṅgajānāṃ
नागान्तकं दनुजपुंगवपन्नगानाम् ।
Nāgāntakaṃ danujapuṃgavapannagānām |
दावानलं मरणशोकजराटवीनां
Dāvānalaṃ maraṇaśokajarāṭavīnāṃ
वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्
Vārāṇasīpurapatiṃ bhaja viśvanātham
Meaning
Him, a lion to the rutting elephants that are our sins,
a Garuda to the serpents that are the foremost of the danavas,
a wildfire to the forests of death, grief and old age:
worship Vishwanatha, lord of the city of Varanasi.
verse 6
तेजोमयं सगुणनिर्गुणमद्वितीयं
Tejomayaṃ saguṇanirguṇamadvitīyaṃ
आनन्दकन्दमपराजितमप्रमेयम् ।
Ānandakandamaparājitamaprameyam |
नागात्मकं सकलनिष्कलमात्मरूपं
Nāgātmakaṃ sakalaniṣkalamātmarūpaṃ
वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्
Vārāṇasīpurapatiṃ bhaja viśvanātham
Meaning
Him, made of light, with attributes and without them, without a second,
the very root of bliss, unconquered, beyond measure,
one with the serpents themselves, with parts and partless alike, the very form of the Self:
worship Vishwanatha, lord of the city of Varanasi.
verse 7
रागादिदोषरहितं स्वजनानुरागं
Rāgādidoṣarahitaṃ svajanānurāgaṃ
वैराग्यशान्तिनिलयं गिरिजासहायम् ।
Vairāgyaśāntinilayaṃ girijāsahāyam |
माधुर्यधैर्यसुभगं गरलाभिरामं
Mādhuryadhairyasubhagaṃ garalābhirāmaṃ
वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्
Vārāṇasīpurapatiṃ bhaja viśvanātham
Meaning
Him, free of passion and every such flaw, yet full of love for His own,
the dwelling place of dispassion and peace, companion of Girija (Parvati),
lovely with sweetness and steadfastness, beautiful even in the poison He holds:
worship Vishwanatha, lord of the city of Varanasi.
verse 8
आशां विहाय परिहृत्य परस्य निन्दां
Āśāṃ vihāya parihṛtya parasya nindāṃ
पापे रतिं च सुनिवार्य मनः समाधौ ।
Pāpe ratiṃ ca sunivārya manaḥ samādhau |
आदाय हृत्कमलमध्यगतं परेशं
Ādāya hṛtkamalamadhyagataṃ pareśaṃ
वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्
Vārāṇasīpurapatiṃ bhaja viśvanātham
Meaning
Letting go of craving, setting aside the fault-finding of others,
checking firmly the taste for sin, settling the mind in samadhi,
and taking hold of the supreme Lord who dwells at the heart-lotus's centre:
worship Vishwanatha, lord of the city of Varanasi.
phalashruti
वाराणसीपुरपतेः स्तवनं शिवस्य
Vārāṇasīpurapateḥ stavanaṃ śivasya
व्याख्यातमष्टकमिदं पठते मनुष्यः ।
Vyākhyātamaṣṭakamidaṃ paṭhate manuṣyaḥ |
विद्यां श्रियं विपुलसौख्यमनन्तकीर्तिं
Vidyāṃ śriyaṃ vipulasaukhyamanantakīrtiṃ
सम्प्राप्य देहविलये लभते च मोक्षम् ॥
Samprāpya dehavilaye labhate ca mokṣam ||
विश्वनाथाष्टकमिदं यः पठेच्छिवसन्निधौ ।
Viśvanāthāṣṭakamidaṃ yaḥ paṭhecchivasannidhau |
शिवलोकमवाप्नोति शिवेन सह मोदते ॥
Śivalokamavāpnoti śivena saha modate ||
Meaning
This hymn in praise of Shiva, lord of the city of Varanasi,
this ashtaka as set out here, the person who recites it
gains learning, prosperity, ample comfort and unending fame,
and when the body falls away, wins liberation as well.
Whoever recites this Vishwanathashtakam in Shiva's presence
reaches Shivaloka and rejoices there in Shiva's company.
colophon
॥ इति श्रीमहर्षिव्यासप्रणीतं श्रीविश्वनाथाष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ॥
Iti śrīmaharṣivyāsapraṇītaṃ śrīviśvanāthāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam
Meaning
Thus ends the Shri Vishwanathashtakam composed by the great sage Vyasa.
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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