Complete · Crown to feet · ~8 min · ~8 min chant

Shiva Keshadi Padanta Varnana Stotram

शिवकेशादिपादान्तवर्णनस्तोत्रम्

Śivakeśādipādāntavarṇanastotram

Twelve verses descending from Shiva's crown to his feet in vivid sensory praise.

12 verses · About 8 min · Lord Shiva

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Shivakeshadipadantavarnanastotram contemplates the Lord from crown to feet. Twelve verses move through matted locks, forehead, eyes, ears, nose, lips, teeth, voice, smile, five faces, throat, arms, and feet - each limb a doorway into Shiva's beauty and power.

At a glance

Deity: Lord Shiva
Verses: 12 verses
Chant time: About 8 minutes (Crown to feet · ~8 min)
Attribution: Traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya
Sanskrit source: sanskritdocuments.org · All sources

Verse overview

1
The matted locks that rescue the fallen are the Lord's own grace made visible, ropes cast into the pit of suffering. In Advaita, what lifts the bound soul is…
2
The forehead mark as stairway to liberation shows that the sign on the body points beyond the body to the formless. The three lines marked with sun, moon, and…
3
The third eye born of Gauri's grace and the fire of sacrifice is the eye of knowledge that burns away the illusion of separation. What appears as a mark on the…
4
The brows that govern creation, preservation, and dissolution remind the devotee that cosmic functions are the play of the one Lord. When pride is gone and the…
5
The three eyes that veil and unveil the world are the Lord's power of knowledge, will, and action. To pray that they restrain the senses is to seek the Self's…
6
The earrings that flash like the fire of the Goddess's offering cheek are ornaments of the Lord who accepts even fierce sacrifice. Sound that shatters…
7
The nose splendid as the lotus of the face is the doorway of prana, the breath of life that links inner and outer. In the Lord's form, even the breath that…
8
The cheeks bright as the full moon reflect the joy of Shiva and Shakti, never truly separate though appearing as lord and consort. The radiance on the face is…
9
The lower lip where Parvati drinks the nectar of poison turned wine is the meeting of Shiva and Shakti, destroyer and grace. What the world sees as deadly…
10
The teeth like foam on the stream of speech-nectar are the syllables of sacred sound arising from silence. When speech flows from the moon of the face, words…
11
The voice deep as thunder and supreme Brahman is Nada, the primal sound from which form unfolds. The lord of life's utterance grants birth without blemish…
12
The laughter of Ashtamurti, vast as the ocean, fills the three worlds with light because it is the joy of the Self recognizing itself in all forms. Fullness…

All verses

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Common questions

When do people recite Shiva Keshadi Padanta Varnana Stotram?: Shaiva hymns are often chanted on Pradosham, during Shravan, and on Maha Shivaratri, as well as in short daily practice. This edition is labeled for practice as "Crown to feet · ~8 min" and takes about 8 minutes to chant.
What is the opening focus of Shiva Keshadi Padanta Varnana Stotram?: The matted locks that rescue the fallen are the Lord's own grace made visible, ropes cast into the pit of suffering. In Advaita, what lifts the bound soul is not other than the Self that was never truly trapped. Read verse 1 in Study mode for the full editorial note beside the Sanskrit.
Which hymns pair well with Shiva Keshadi Padanta Varnana Stotram?: On this site, related reading includes Shiva Padadi Keshanta Varnana Stotram, and Shivananda Lahari. Open those hubs for their own Sanskrit, English meaning, and study notes.