What is the Rudrashtakam?

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.

Śrī Rudrāṣṭakam — Namamisham Ishana Nirvana Rupam in Kannada with Meaning

ಶ್ರೀರುದ್ರಾಷ್ಟಕಂ

śrīrudrāṣṭakam

Rudrāṣṭakam — Tulsīdās's eight-verse hymn (from the Rāmacharitamānasa) adoring Śiva as the formless, auspicious Absolute.

Verse 2 — ನಮಾಮೀಶಮೀಶಾನನಿರ್ವಾಣರೂಪಂ ವಿಭುಂ ವ್ಯಾಪಕಂ…

ನಮಾಮೀಶಮೀಶಾನನಿರ್ವಾಣರೂಪಂ ವಿಭುಂ ವ್ಯಾಪಕಂ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮವೇದಸ್ವರೂಪಂ ।
ನಿಜಂ ನಿರ್ಗುಣಂ ನಿರ್ವಿಕಲ್ಪಂ ನಿರೀಹಂ ಚಿದಾಕಾಶಮಾಕಾಶವಾಸಂ ಭಜೇಽಹಂ ॥

namāmīśamīśānanirvāṇarūpaṃ vibhuṃ vyāpakaṃ brahmavedasvarūpam |
nijaṃ nirguṇaṃ nirvikalpaṃ nirīhaṃ cidākāśamākāśavāsaṃ bhaje'ham ||

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.

Verse 3 — ನಿರಾಕಾರಮೋಂಕಾರಮೂಲಂ ತುರೀಯಂ ಗಿರಾಜ್ಞಾನಗೋತೀತಮೀಶಂ…

ನಿರಾಕಾರಮೋಂಕಾರಮೂಲಂ ತುರೀಯಂ ಗಿರಾಜ್ಞಾನಗೋತೀತಮೀಶಂ ಗಿರೀಶಂ ।
ಕರಾಲಂ ಮಹಾಕಾಲಕಾಲಂ ಕೃಪಾಲಂ ಗುಣಾಗಾರಸಂಸಾರಪಾರಂ ನತೋಽಹಂ ॥

nirākāramoṃkāramūlaṃ turīyaṃ girājñānagotītamīśaṃ girīśam |
karālaṃ mahākālakālaṃ kṛpālaṃ guṇāgārasaṃsārapāraṃ nato'ham ||

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.

Verse 4 — ತುಷಾರಾದ್ರಿಸಂಕಾಶಗೌರಂ ಗಭೀರಂ ಮನೋಭೂತಕೋಟಿಪ್ರಭಾಶ್ರೀಶರೀ…

ತುಷಾರಾದ್ರಿಸಂಕಾಶಗೌರಂ ಗಭೀರಂ ಮನೋಭೂತಕೋಟಿಪ್ರಭಾಶ್ರೀಶರೀರಂ ।
ಸ್ಫುರನ್ಮೌಲಿಕಲ್ಲೋಲಿನೀಚಾರುಗಂಗಾ ಲಸದ್ಭಾಲಬಾಲೇಂದು ಕಂಠೇ ಭುಜಂಗಾ ॥

tuṣārādrisaṃkāśagauraṃ gabhīraṃ manobhūtakoṭiprabhāśrīśarīram |
sphuranmaulikallolinīcārugaṅgā lasadbhālabālendu kaṇṭhe bhujaṅgā ||

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.

Verse 5 — ಚಲತ್ಕುಂಡಲಂ ಭ್ರೂಸುನೇತ್ರಂ ವಿಶಾಲಂ ಪ್ರಸನ್ನಾನನಂ…

ಚಲತ್ಕುಂಡಲಂ ಭ್ರೂಸುನೇತ್ರಂ ವಿಶಾಲಂ ಪ್ರಸನ್ನಾನನಂ ನೀಲಕಂಠಂ ದಯಾಲಂ ।
ಮೃಗಾಧೀಶಚರ್ಮಾಂಬರಂ ಮುಂಡಮಾಲಂ ಪ್ರಿಯಂ ಶಂಕರಂ ಸರ್ವನಾಥಂ ಭಜಾಮಿ ॥

calatkuṇḍalaṃ bhrūsunetraṃ viśālaṃ prasannānanaṃ nīlakaṇṭhaṃ dayālam |
mṛgādhīśacarmāmbaraṃ muṇḍamālaṃ priyaṃ śaṅkaraṃ sarvanāthaṃ bhajāmi ||

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.

Verse 6 — ಪ್ರಚಂಡಂ ಪ್ರಕೃಷ್ಟಂ ಪ್ರಗಲ್ಭಂ ಪರೇಶಮಖಂಡಮಜಂ…

ಪ್ರಚಂಡಂ ಪ್ರಕೃಷ್ಟಂ ಪ್ರಗಲ್ಭಂ ಪರೇಶಮಖಂಡಮಜಂ ಭಾನುಕೋಟಿಪ್ರಕಾಶಂ ।
ತ್ರಯಃಶೂಲನಿರ್ಮೂಲನಂ ಶೂಲಪಾಣಿಂ ಭಜೇಽಹಂ ಭವಾನೀಪತಿಂ ಭಾವಗಮ್ಯಂ ॥

pracaṇḍaṃ prakṛṣṭaṃ pragalbhaṃ pareśamakhaṇḍamajaṃ bhānukoṭiprakāśam |
trayaḥśūlanirmūlanaṃ śūlapāṇiṃ bhaje'haṃ bhavānīpatiṃ bhāvagamyam ||

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 — ಕಲಾತೀತಕಲ್ಯಾಣಕಲ್ಪಾಂತಕಾರೀ ಸದಾ ಸಜ್ಜನಾನಂದದಾತಾ…

ಕಲಾತೀತಕಲ್ಯಾಣಕಲ್ಪಾಂತಕಾರೀ ಸದಾ ಸಜ್ಜನಾನಂದದಾತಾ ಪುರಾರೀ ।
ಚಿದಾನಂದಸಂದೋಹಮೋಹಾಪಹಾರೀ ಪ್ರಸೀದ ಪ್ರಸೀದ ಪ್ರಭೋ ಮನ್ಮಥಾರೀ ॥

kalātītakalyāṇakalpāntakārī sadā sajjanānandadātā purārī |
cidānandasandohamohāpahārī prasīda prasīda prabho manmathārī ||

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 — ನ ಯಾವದುಮಾನಾಥಪಾದಾರವಿಂದಂ ಭಜಂತೀಹ ಲೋಕೇ ಪರೇ ವಾ…

ನ ಯಾವದುಮಾನಾಥಪಾದಾರವಿಂದಂ ಭಜಂತೀಹ ಲೋಕೇ ಪರೇ ವಾ ನರಾಣಾಂ ।
ನ ತಾವತ್ಸುಖಂ ಶಾಂತಿ ಸಂತಾಪನಾಶಂ ಪ್ರಸೀದ ಪ್ರಭೋ ಸರ್ವಭೂತಾಧಿವಾಸಂ ॥

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 — ನ ಜಾನಾಮಿ ಯೋಗಂ ಜಪಂ ನೈವ ಪೂಜಾಂ ನತೋಽಹಂ ಸದಾ ಸರ್ವದಾ…

ನ ಜಾನಾಮಿ ಯೋಗಂ ಜಪಂ ನೈವ ಪೂಜಾಂ ನತೋಽಹಂ ಸದಾ ಸರ್ವದಾ ಶಂಭು ತುಭ್ಯಂ ।
ಜರಾಜನ್ಮದುಃಖೌಘತಾತಪ್ಯಮಾನಂ ಪ್ರಭೋ ಪಾಹಿ ಆಪನ್ನಮಾಮೀಶಶಂಭೋ ॥

na jānāmi yogaṃ japaṃ naiva pūjāṃ nato'haṃ sadā sarvadā śambhu tubhyam |
jarājanmaduḥkhaughatātapyamānaṃ prabho pāhi āpannamāmīśaśambho ||

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.

ಫಲಶ್ರುತಿಃ

phalaśrutiḥ

Phalaśruti — the fruit of reciting this Rudrāṣṭaka.

Verse 10 — ರುದ್ರಾಷ್ಟಕಮಿದಂ ಪ್ರೋಕ್ತಂ ವಿಪ್ರೇಣ ಹರತೋಷಯೇ । ಯೇ…

ರುದ್ರಾಷ್ಟಕಮಿದಂ ಪ್ರೋಕ್ತಂ ವಿಪ್ರೇಣ ಹರತೋಷಯೇ ।
ಯೇ ಪಠಂತಿ ನರಾ ಭಕ್ತ್ಯಾ ತೇಷಾಂ ಶಂಭುಃ ಪ್ರಸೀದತಿ ॥

rudrāṣṭakamidaṃ proktaṃ vipreṇa haratoṣaye |
ye paṭhanti narā bhaktyā teṣāṃ śambhuḥ prasīdati ||

Phalaśruti: This Rudrāṣṭaka spoken by the sage for Hara's delight — the people who recite it with devotion, to them Śambhu grows gracious.

Śrī Rudrāṣṭakam