I worship the Lord, the ruler of rulers, whose very nature is liberation — all-pervading, the form of Brahman and the Vedas; one's own Self, attributeless, undivided and desireless, the space of consciousness who dwells in space.
I bow to the formless one, the root of Oṃ, the 'fourth' state beyond speech, knowledge and the senses; the Lord of the mountain, dread destroyer of even great Time, yet compassionate — the abode of virtues who is beyond saṃsāra.
Fair as a snow-clad mountain and profound, His body radiant with the beauty of a million Kāmas; the lovely Gaṅgā rippling in His locks, the young moon gleaming on His brow, a serpent at His throat.
With swaying earrings, fine wide eyes and brow, a gracious face, a blue throat and full of pity; robed in a lion's skin, garlanded with skulls — I worship the beloved Śaṅkara, Lord of all.
Fierce, exalted, bold, the supreme Lord — undivided, unborn, blazing like a million suns; uprooter of the three-fold suffering, trident in hand — I worship Bhavānī's Lord, reached through pure feeling.
Verse 7 — कलातीतकल्याणकल्पान्तकारी सदा सज्जनानन्ददाता…
Beyond the arts, all-auspicious, who brings on the aeon's end; ever the giver of joy to the good, foe of the three cities; a mass of consciousness-bliss who steals away delusion — be gracious, be gracious, O Lord, destroyer of Kāma!
Verse 8 — न यावदुमानाथपादारविन्दं भजन्तीह लोके परे वा…
न यावदुमानाथपादारविन्दं भजन्तीह लोके परे वा नराणाम् । न तावत्सुखं शान्ति सन्तापनाशं प्रसीद प्रभो सर्वभूताधिवासम् ॥
na yāvadumānāthapādāravindaṃ bhajantīha loke pare vā narāṇām | na tāvatsukhaṃ śānti santāpanāśaṃ prasīda prabho sarvabhūtādhivāsam ||
So long as people, here or hereafter, do not worship the lotus feet of Umā's Lord, they find no happiness, no peace, no end of grief — be gracious, O Lord, indweller of all beings.
Verse 9 — न जानामि योगं जपं नैव पूजां नतोऽहं सदा सर्वदा…
न जानामि योगं जपं नैव पूजां नतोऽहं सदा सर्वदा शम्भु तुभ्यम् । जराजन्मदुःखौघतातप्यमानं प्रभो पाहि आपन्नमामीशशम्भो ॥
I know neither yoga nor japa nor worship; I only bow to You, always and forever, O Śambhu. Scorched by the floods of age, birth and sorrow, protect me in my distress — I bow to You, O Īśa, O Śambhu.
फलश्रुतिः
फलश्रुतिः
phalaśrutiḥ
Phalaśruti — the fruit of reciting this Rudrāṣṭaka.
Phalaśruti: This Rudrāṣṭaka spoken by the sage for Hara's delight — the people who recite it with devotion, to them Śambhu grows gracious.
About Śrī Rudrāṣṭakam
Śrī Rudrāṣṭakam is a Sanskrit stotra, composed by Tulsīdās, addressed to Shiva — a Ashtakam. It is presented here in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada, each verse with its English meaning. Source text: sanskritdocuments.org.
Also known as: Namamisham Ishana Nirvana Rupam, Namameesham.
A revered Rāma-bhakti saint-poet of the Rāmānandī tradition, author of the Rāmacharitamānasa and a body of devotional hymns; the Rudrāṣṭakam is drawn from the Uttara Kāṇḍa of his Rāmacharitamānasa.
Śrī Rudrāṣṭakam is a hymn of eight verses (aṣṭaka) to Rudra-Śiva, attributed to Tulsīdās. It opens with "Namāmiśam Īśāna Nirvāṇa Rūpam" — "I bow to the Lord, the Īśāna, the form of liberation" — and every verse ends in the refrain of surrender, "namo namaḥ".
Who composed the Rudrashtakam?
Śrī Rudrāṣṭakam is traditionally attributed to the poet-saint Tulsīdās, who sang it in the course of his own devotion to Śiva. The hymn expresses the paradox of Rudra — fearsome in form, yet easily pleased and merciful.
What is the meaning of Namamisham Ishana Nirvana Rupam?
"Namāmiśam Īśāna Nirvāṇa Rūpam" is the opening line of Śrī Rudrāṣṭakam: "I bow to the Lord, the ruler, whose very form is liberation." It sets the tone of the hymn, which celebrates Śiva as both the fierce Rudra and the compassionate Lord.
How do I read the Rudrashtakam on Avabodhak?
Every verse of Śrī Rudrāṣṭakam is shown in Devanagari, Roman (IAST) and English meaning. Free to read, no login required; the practice view lets you chant along verse by verse.