Complete · Name garland · ~5 min · ~5 min chant
Shiva Namavalyashtakam
शिवनामावल्यष्टकम्
Śivanāmāvalyaṣṭakam
Eight verses weaving many names of Shiva, each closing with a prayer to be rescued from the ocean of worldly sorrow.
8 verses · About 5 min · Lord Shiva
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Shiva Namavalyashtakam strings together the many epithets of Mahadeva - Chandramauli, Girisha, Vishvanatha, Mrityunjaya, and more - in eight devotional verses. Each verse gathers a cluster of sacred names and ends with the refrain begging Jagadisha to save the singer from samsara's grief.
At a glance
- Deity
- Lord Shiva
- Verses
- 8 verses
- Chant time
- About 5 minutes (Name garland · ~5 min)
- Attribution
- Traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya
- Sanskrit source
- sanskritdocuments.org · All sources
Verse overview
- 1
The names heap upon the one Lord who ends desire's god and the dread that haunts the helpless; calling him from the thick of worldly sorrow turns the mind from…
- 2
Beloved of the heart's Shakti and lord of hosts of beings, he answers to every sacred name because names point to one reality; refuge in Rudra is refuge in the…
- 3
Blue throat and five faces, Pashupati of every creature, show the Lord as protector of all bonds and releaser from them; when the mind cries from samsara's…
- 4
Vishvanatha of Kashi and Gangadhara unite place and purifying stream in one Lord; the prayer from sorrow's forest seeks the devadeva in whom destruction of…
- 5
Lord of Kashi and dweller in every heart names the same reality as outer pilgrimage and inner presence; sarvajna refuge is the recognition that the one who…
- 6
Mercy and ash, compassion and the garland of skulls, are not contradictions in the Lord but one face of truth; the kapalin who wears death's signs is the very…
- 7
Mrityunjaya on Kailasa and beloved of Narayana reveal Shiva as death's conqueror and Vishnu's friend in one; refuge in him is trust that the power which…
- 8
Destroyer of becoming and Vishvarupa, world-Self beyond the gunas, the final cry names the Lord as compassion itself; when sorrow's density is admitted, the…
All verses
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Common questions
- When do people recite Shiva Namavalyashtakam?
- 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 "Name garland · ~5 min" and takes about 5 minutes to chant.
- What is the opening focus of Shiva Namavalyashtakam?
- The names heap upon the one Lord who ends desire's god and the dread that haunts the helpless; calling him from the thick of worldly sorrow turns the mind from its orphaned state toward the jagadisha who is the Self of all. Read verse 1 in Study mode for the full editorial note beside the Sanskrit.
- Which hymns pair well with Shiva Namavalyashtakam?
- On this site, related reading includes Shiva Panchakshara Stotram, and Vishwanathashtakam. Open those hubs for their own Sanskrit, English meaning, and study notes.