Shiva Ramashtakam Stotram: The Hari-Hara Hymn of Victory — Meaning & Benefits
Shri Shivaramashtakam — Sanskrit Text
॥ श्रीशिवरामाष्टकस्तोत्रम् ॥
शिवहरे शिवराम सखे प्रभो
त्रिविधताप-निवारण हे विभो ।
अज जनेश्वर यादव पाहि मां
शिव हरे विजयं कुरु मे वरम् ॥ १ ॥
कमललोचन राम दयानिधे
हर गुरो गजरक्षक गोपते ।
शिवतनो भव शङ्कर पाहि मां
शिव हरे विजयं कुरु मे वरम् ॥ २ ॥
स्वजनरञ्जन मङ्गलमन्दिर
भजति तं पुरुषं परं पदम् ।
भवति तस्य सुखं परमाद्भुतं
शिवहरे विजयं कुरु मे वरम् ॥ ३ ॥
जय युधिष्ठिर-वल्लभ भूपते
जय जयार्जित-पुण्यपयोनिधे ।
जय कृपामय कृष्ण नमोऽस्तु ते
शिव हरे विजयं कुरु मे वरम् ॥ ४ ॥
भवविमोचन माधव मा पते
सुकवि-मानस हंस शिवारते ।
जनक जारत माधव रक्ष मां
शिव हरे विजयं कुरु मे वरम् ॥ ५ ॥
अवनि-मण्डल-मङ्गल मा पते
जलद सुन्दर राम रमापते ।
निगम-कीर्ति-गुणार्णव गोपते
शिव हरे विजयं कुरु मे वरम् ॥ ६ ॥
पतित-पावन-नाममयी लता
तव यशो विमलं परिगीयते ।
तदपि माधव मां किमुपेक्षसे
शिव हरे विजयं कुरु मे वरम् ॥ ७ ॥
अमर तापर देव रमापते
विनयतस्तव नाम धनोपमम् ।
मयि कथं करुणार्णव जायते
शिव हरे विजयं कुरु मे वरम् ॥ ८ ॥
हनुमतः प्रिय चाप कर प्रभो
सुरसरिद्-धृतशेखर हे गुरो ।
मम विभो किमु विस्मरणं कृतं
शिव हरे विजयं कुरु मे वरम् ॥ ९ ॥
नर हरेति परं जन सुन्दरं
पठति यः शिवरामकृतस्तवम् ।
विशति राम-रमा चरणाम्बुजे
शिव हरे विजयं कुरु मे वरम् ॥ १० ॥
प्रातरुत्थाय यो भक्त्या पठेदेकाग्रमानसः ।
विजयो जायते तस्य विष्णुसान्निध्यमाप्नुयात् ॥ ११ ॥
॥ इति श्रीरामानन्दस्वामिना विरचितं श्रीशिवरामाष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ॥
Transliteration (Roman/IAST)
Refrain (every verse): Śiva hare vijayaṁ kuru me varam — “O Shiva, O Hari, grant me the boon of victory.”
Verse 1: Śiva-hare Śiva-rāma sakhe prabho, trividha-tāpa-nivāraṇa he vibho; Aja janeśvara Yādava pāhi māṁ, śiva hare vijayaṁ kuru me varam.
Meaning
This unique hymn addresses Shiva and Rama (Hari) as one and the same Lord. Each verse calls upon the deity by names of both Shiva and Vishnu — “O Shiva-Hari, O Shiva-Rama, my friend and master, remover of the threefold suffering…” — and ends with the refrain “O Shiva, O Hari, grant me the boon of victory.” The poet praises him as lotus-eyed Rama, ocean of mercy, the beloved of Yudhishthira, the all-merciful Krishna, the redeemer of the fallen, the dear Lord of Hanuman who bears the bow and wears the Ganga on his head. The closing verse promises that one who recites it at dawn with a focused mind gains victory and the nearness of Vishnu.
About this Stotra
The Shivaramashtakam is attributed to Ramananda Swami and is treasured as a hymn of Hari-Hara aikya — the oneness of Shiva and Vishnu. In the Hindu tradition Shiva is the greatest devotee of Rama, and Rama is a great devotee of Shiva (he installed the Shiva-lingam at Rameshwaram); this stotra dissolves the apparent distinction between the two, addressing a single supreme Lord by the names of both. Its repeated plea for “vijaya” (victory) makes it a favourite prayer before undertakings, examinations, and any endeavour where success is sought.
Significance & Spiritual Benefits
By worshipping Shiva and Rama as one, the hymn heals the sectarian divide between Shaivas and Vaishnavas and grants the combined grace of both. Reciting it is said to remove the threefold suffering (adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika), grant victory and success, and ultimately bring the devotee to the lotus feet of Rama and Lakshmi (Rama-Rama). The phalashruti promises victory and the abiding presence of Vishnu to the steady, devoted reciter, making it both a practical success-prayer and a path to liberation.
Astrological Relevance
Because it unites Shiva and Vishnu, this stotra draws on two powerful remedial streams at once. Shiva worship pacifies Saturn (Shani) and the nodes Rahu-Ketu; Rama-Vishnu worship strengthens Jupiter (Guru) and the Sun (Surya) (Rama of the solar dynasty). Its repeated prayer for victory makes it especially suited to strengthening a weak Mars (Mangala) — karaka of courage and triumph — and the connection with Hanuman reinforces this. It is an excellent all-round remedy recited before competitions, court cases, interviews and during difficult planetary periods where one seeks victory and protection together.
How to Chant (Vidhi)
The phalashruti directs that it be recited at dawn (pratah), after bath, with a one-pointed mind. Sit before an image of Rama or Shiva (or both), light a lamp, and chant the ten verses with the refrain clearly, finishing with the eleventh phalashruti verse. Recite it especially before any task where success is needed, praying for “vijaya.”
Best Day & Time
Early morning daily; Mondays (Shiva) and Tuesdays/Saturdays (Hanuman-Rama) are especially powerful, as are Ram Navami and Maha Shivaratri. Recite before the start of any important venture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a Shiva hymn or a Rama hymn?
Both. The Shivaramashtakam deliberately addresses Shiva and Rama (Hari) as one supreme Lord, expressing the unity of Shiva and Vishnu (Hari-Hara). Each verse weaves names of both deities together.
What does the refrain mean?
“Śiva hare vijayaṁ kuru me varam” means “O Shiva, O Hari, grant me the boon of victory.” This recurring plea makes the hymn a favoured prayer for success in any undertaking.
When should it be recited for best results?
The hymn itself states that reciting it at dawn with a focused, devoted mind brings victory and the nearness of Vishnu. It is also recited just before important tasks where success is sought.
Hari and Hara as one: the non-dual devotion of the Shivaramashtakam
The Shri Shivaramashtakam, attributed in the tradition to Ramananda Swami, belongs to a genre of devotional poetry that deliberately and joyfully refuses to choose between Shiva and Vishnu. Each of its eight verses holds both names together, and the recurring refrain - a plea for victory addressed simultaneously to Shiva (Hara) and to Vishnu-Rama (Hari) - becomes more than a literary device. It is a statement of lived experience: for the devotee who has genuinely entered the orbit of either Lord's grace, the apparent sectarian divide between Shaiva and Vaishnava simply dissolves. Shiva and Rama are recognised as two faces of the one luminous reality, and to address them together is to honour that unity without suppressing the richness of either devotional form. The mood of the hymn is confident and warm - not the anguished crying of the sinner but the assured petition of one who knows these Lords to be compassionate and near.
The Shivaramashtakam is particularly cherished on occasions that naturally bridge the two traditions: on Shivaratri when the Rama-name is sung through the night, or during Ram Navami when Shiva is simultaneously honoured as Rama's own devotee. In the Jyotish tradition, the combination of Shiva (linked to Saturn and the moon) and Rama-Vishnu (linked to Jupiter and the Sun) in a single prayer is understood to create a comprehensive invocation that addresses multiple planetary energies at once. Devotees believe that the eight-verse structure of the Ashtakam, recited with attention to the dual invocation in each verse, gradually cultivates a broad-hearted devotion that sees the sacred in many forms without losing depth of relationship with any.