Shiva Namavalyashtakam

शिवनामावल्यष्टकम्

Śivanāmāvalyaṣṭakam

All 8 verses

Verse by verse

Verse 1

हे चन्द्रचूड मदनान्तक शूलपाणे स्थाणो गिरीश गिरिजेश महेश शम्भो भूतेश भीतभयसूदन मामनाथं संसारदुःखगहनाज्जगदीश रक्ष ॥१॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

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हे चन्द्रचूड मदनान्तक शूलपाणे: O moon-crested one, destroyer of Madana, bearer of the trident in hand,
स्थाणो गिरीश गिरिजेश महेश शम्भो: O Sthanu, lord of the mountain, lord of Girija, great Lord, Shambhu,
भूतेश भीतभयसूदन मामनाथं: O lord of beings, destroyer of the fear of terror, me who am without a lord,
संसारदुःखगहनाज्जगदीश रक्ष: from the dense sorrow of samsara, O lord of the world, protect.

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.

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Verse 2

हे पार्वतीहृदयवल्लभ चन्द्रमौले भूताधिप प्रमथनाथ गिरीशचाप हे वामदेव भव रुद्र पिनाकपाणे संसारदुःखगहनाज्जगदीश रक्ष ॥२॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

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हे पार्वतीहृदयवल्लभ चन्द्रमौले: O beloved of Parvati's heart, O moon-crested one,
भूताधिप प्रमथनाथ गिरीशचाप: O lord of beings, lord of the pramathas, O bow of Girisha,
हे वामदेव भव रुद्र पिनाकपाणे: O Vamadeva, Bhava, Rudra, bearer of Pinaka in hand,
संसारदुःखगहनाज्जगदीश रक्ष: from the dense sorrow of samsara, O lord of the world, protect.

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 awareness that wears all forms yet remains one.

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Verse 3

हे नीलकण्ठ वृषभध्वज पञ्चवक्त्र लोकेश शेषवलय प्रमथेश शर्व हे धूर्जटे पशुपते गिरिजापते मां संसारदुःखगहनाज्जगदीश रक्ष ॥३॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

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हे नीलकण्ठ वृषभध्वज पञ्चवक्त्र: O blue-throated one, bull-bannered, five-faced,
लोकेश शेषवलय प्रमथेश शर्व: O lord of worlds, circled by Shesha, lord of pramathas, Sharva,
हे धूर्जटे पशुपते गिरिजापते मां: O Dhurjati, O Pashupati, lord of Girija, me
संसारदुःखगहनाज्जगदीश रक्ष: from the dense sorrow of samsara, O lord of the world, protect.

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 depth, it calls the one who is already the inner ruler of every life.

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Verse 4

हे विश्वनाथ शिव शङ्कर देवदेव गङ्गाधर प्रमथनायक नन्दिकेश बाणेश्वरान्धकरिपो हर लोकनाथ संसारदुःखगहनाज्जगदीश रक्ष ॥४॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

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हे विश्वनाथ शिव शङ्कर देवदेव: O Vishvanatha, Shiva, Shankara, god of gods,
गङ्गाधर प्रमथनायक नन्दिकेश: O bearer of Ganga, leader of pramathas, Nandikeshvara,
बाणेश्वरान्धकरिपो हर लोकनाथ: O foe of Baneshvara and Andhaka, O Hari, lord of worlds,
संसारदुःखगहनाज्जगदीश रक्ष: from the dense sorrow of samsara, O lord of the world, protect.

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 demons and compassion for worlds are one act of consciousness.

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Verse 5

वाराणसीपुरपते मणिकर्णिकेश वीरेश दक्षमखकाल विभो गणेश सर्वज्ञ सर्वहृदयैकनिवास नाथ संसारदुःखगहनाज्जगदीश रक्ष ॥५॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

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वाराणसीपुरपते मणिकर्णिकेश: O lord of the city of Varanasi, O Manikarnikeshvara,
वीरेश दक्षमखकाल विभो गणेश: O Virabhadresha, O Vibhu, time of Daksha's sacrifice, Ganesha,
सर्वज्ञ सर्वहृदयैकनिवास नाथ: O all-knowing one, O lord who alone dwells in every heart,
संसारदुःखगहनाज्जगदीश रक्ष: from the dense sorrow of samsara, O lord of the world, protect.

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 knows all already inhabits the seeker's own awareness.

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Verse 6

श्रीमन्महेश्वर कृपामय हे दयालो हे व्योमकेश शितिकण्ठ गणाधिनाथ भस्माङ्गराग नृकपालकलापमाल संसारदुःखगहनाज्जगदीश रक्ष ॥६॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

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श्रीमन्महेश्वर कृपामय हे दयालो: O gracious Maheshvara, full of mercy, O compassionate one,
हे व्योमकेश शितिकण्ठ गणाधिनाथ: O sky-haired one, white-throated one, lord of the ganas,
भस्माङ्गराग नृकपालकलापमाल: O one anointed with ash on the limbs, with skull and peacock feather garland,
संसारदुःखगहनाज्जगदीश रक्ष: from the dense sorrow of samsara, O lord of the world, protect.

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 mercy that frees the mind from fear of ending.

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Verse 7

कैलासशैलविनिवास वृषाकपे हे मृत्युञ्जय त्रिनयन त्रिजगन्निवास नारायणप्रिय मदापह शक्तिनाथ संसारदुःखगहनाज्जगदीश रक्ष ॥७॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

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कैलासशैलविनिवास वृषाकपे हे: O dweller on Mount Kailasa, O bull-bannered one,
मृत्युञ्जय त्रिनयन त्रिजगन्निवास: O conqueror of death, three-eyed one, abode of the three worlds,
नारायणप्रिय मदापह शक्तिनाथ: O beloved of Narayana, remover of pride, lord of Shakti,
संसारदुःखगहनाज्जगदीश रक्ष: from the dense sorrow of samsara, O lord of the world, protect.

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 sustains the three worlds also swallows the pride that binds the soul.

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Verse 8

विश्वेश विश्वभवनाशक विश्वरूप विश्वात्मक त्रिभुवनैकगुणाधिकेश हे विश्वनाथ करुणामय दीनबन्धो संसारदुःखगहनाज्जगदीश रक्ष ॥८॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

Word breakdown

विश्वेश विश्वभवनाशक विश्वरूप: O Vishvesha, destroyer of worldly becoming, O Vishvarupa,
विश्वात्मक त्रिभुवनैकगुणाधिकेश: O world-Self, sole supreme over the gunas of the three worlds,
हे विश्वनाथ करुणामय दीनबन्धो: O Vishvanatha, full of compassion, friend of the humble,
संसारदुःखगहनाज्जगदीश रक्ष: from the dense sorrow of samsara, O lord of the world, protect.

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 dinabandhu answers as the one Self in whom the universe arises and subsides.

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