Shri Pandurang Ashtakam: Sanskrit Text, Meaning & Benefits
Shri Pandurang Ashtakam — Sanskrit Text
महायोगपीठे तटे भीमरथ्या
वरं पुण्डरीकाय दातुं मुनीन्द्रैः ।
समागत्य तिष्ठन्तमानन्दकन्दं
परब्रह्मलिङ्गं भजे पाण्डुरङ्गम् ॥१॥
तटिद्वाससं नीलमेघावभासं
रमामन्दिरं सुन्दरं चित्प्रकाशम् ।
वरं त्विष्टकायां समन्यस्तपादं
परब्रह्मलिङ्गं भजे पाण्डुरङ्गम् ॥२॥
प्रमाणं भवाब्धेरिदं मामकानां
नितम्बः कराभ्यां धृतो येन तस्मात् ।
विधातुर्वसत्यै धृतो नाभिकोशः
परब्रह्मलिङ्गं भजे पाण्डुरङ्गम् ॥३॥
स्फुरत्कौस्तुभालङ्कृतं कण्ठदेशे
श्रिया जुष्टकेयूरकं श्रीनिवासम् ।
शिवं शान्तमीड्यं वरं लोकपालं
परब्रह्मलिङ्गं भजे पाण्डुरङ्गम् ॥४॥
शरच्चन्द्रबिम्बाननं चारुहासं
लसत्कुण्डलाक्रान्तगण्डस्थलान्तम् ।
जपारागबिम्बाधरं कञ्जनेत्रं
परब्रह्मलिङ्गं भजे पाण्डुरङ्गम् ॥५॥
किरीटोज्ज्वलत्सर्वदिक्प्रान्तभागं
सुरैरर्चितं दिव्यरत्नैरनर्घैः ।
त्रिभङ्गाकृतिं बर्हमाल्यावतंसं
परब्रह्मलिङ्गं भजे पाण्डुरङ्गम् ॥६॥
विभुं वेणुनादं चरन्तं दुरन्तं
स्वयं लीलया गोपवेषं दधानम् ।
गवां बृन्दकानन्ददं चारुहासं
परब्रह्मलिङ्गं भजे पाण्डुरङ्गम् ॥७॥
अजं रुक्मिणीप्राणसञ्जीवनं तं
परं धाम कैवल्यमेकं तुरीयम् ।
प्रसन्नं प्रपन्नार्तिहं देवदेवं
परब्रह्मलिङ्गं भजे पाण्डुरङ्गम् ॥८॥
स्तवं पाण्डुरङ्गस्य वै पुण्यदं ये
पठन्त्येकचित्तेन भक्त्या च नित्यम् ।
भवाम्भोनिधिं तेऽपि तीर्त्वान्तकाले
हरेरालयं शाश्वतं प्राप्नुवन्ति ॥९॥
Transliteration (Roman/IAST)
mahāyogapīṭhe taṭe bhīmarathyā
varaṃ puṇḍarīkāya dātuṃ munīndraiḥ |
samāgatya tiṣṭhantamānandakandaṃ
parabrahmaliṅgaṃ bhaje pāṇḍuraṅgam ||1||
taṭidvāsasaṃ nīlameghāvabhāsaṃ
ramāmandiraṃ sundaraṃ citprakāśam |
varaṃ tviṣṭakāyāṃ samanyastapādaṃ
parabrahmaliṅgaṃ bhaje pāṇḍuraṅgam ||2||
pramāṇaṃ bhavābdheridaṃ māmakānāṃ
nitambaḥ karābhyāṃ dhṛto yena tasmāt |
vidhāturvasatyai dhṛto nābhikośaḥ
parabrahmaliṅgaṃ bhaje pāṇḍuraṅgam ||3||
sphuratkaustubhālaṅkṛtaṃ kaṇṭhadeśe
śriyā juṣṭakeyūrakaṃ śrīnivāsam |
śivaṃ śāntamīḍyaṃ varaṃ lokapālaṃ
parabrahmaliṅgaṃ bhaje pāṇḍuraṅgam ||4||
śaraccandrabimbānanaṃ cāruhāsaṃ
lasatkuṇḍalākrāntagaṇḍasthalāntam |
japārāgabimbādharaṃ kañjanetraṃ
parabrahmaliṅgaṃ bhaje pāṇḍuraṅgam ||5||
kirīṭojjvalatsarvadikprāntabhāgaṃ
surairarcitaṃ divyaratnairanarghaiḥ |
tribhaṅgākṛtiṃ barhamālyāvataṃsaṃ
parabrahmaliṅgaṃ bhaje pāṇḍuraṅgam ||6||
vibhuṃ veṇunādaṃ carantaṃ durantaṃ
svayaṃ līlayā gopaveṣaṃ dadhānam |
gavāṃ bṛndakānandadaṃ cāruhāsaṃ
parabrahmaliṅgaṃ bhaje pāṇḍuraṅgam ||7||
ajaṃ rukmiṇīprāṇasañjīvanaṃ taṃ
paraṃ dhāma kaivalyamekaṃ turīyam |
prasannaṃ prapannārtihaṃ devadevaṃ
parabrahmaliṅgaṃ bhaje pāṇḍuraṅgam ||8||
stavaṃ pāṇḍuraṅgasya vai puṇyadaṃ ye
paṭhantyekacittena bhaktyā ca nityam |
bhavāmbhonidhiṃ te'pi tīrtvāntakāle
harerālayaṃ śāśvataṃ prāpnuvanti ||9||
Meaning
“I worship Panduranga, the very emblem of the Supreme Brahman.” The hymn describes Lord Vitthala (Vithoba) standing on the great yoga-seat on the bank of the river Bhima (Bhimarathi/Chandrabhaga) at Pandharpur. He came there, the sages say, to grant a boon to his devotee Pundarika, and remains standing — the very root of bliss — with his hands on his hips, his feet placed upon a brick.
Successive verses paint his beauty: clad in lightning-yellow, shining like a dark rain-cloud, the abode of Lakshmi, his face a serene autumn moon, lips red as the hibiscus, lotus-eyed, cheeks graced by gleaming earrings, crowned with a brilliant diadem, adorned with peacock feathers and worshipped by the gods with priceless gems. He is the cowherd playing the flute, delight of the cattle, the unborn one who is the very life-breath of Rukmini, the supreme abode, the one undivided Turiya state, ever-gracious remover of the suffering of those who surrender. The closing verse promises that those who recite this meritorious hymn daily with single-minded devotion cross the ocean of worldly existence and reach Hari’s eternal abode.
About this Stotra
The Pandurangashtakam (also called Pandurang Ashtakam) is attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, who is said to have composed it on visiting Pandharpur, the great Vaishnava pilgrimage town in Maharashtra. The deity Panduranga — popularly Vitthala or Vithoba — is a form of Vishnu/Krishna who, by legend, came to bless the devoted Pundalik (Pundarika) and waited, standing on a brick, while Pundalik finished serving his parents. The image of the Lord with hands on hips, standing on a brick, is unique to Pandharpur and central to the Varkari devotional tradition of saints like Tukaram and Jnaneshwar.
Significance & Spiritual Benefits
This hymn is a meditation on the saguna (form) of the formless Brahman — hence the refrain “Parabrahmalingam,” the symbol of the Supreme. Reciting it cultivates loving devotion (bhakti), inner contentment and surrender. Its phalashruti expressly promises liberation: those who chant it daily cross samsara and attain Hari’s eternal abode. Devotees also chant it for peace of mind, relief from worldly anxieties, and the cultivation of a simple, service-filled life modelled on Pundalik’s devotion to his parents.
Astrological Relevance
As a Vishnu/Krishna stotra, the Pandurangashtakam strengthens the benefic Vaishnava energies of the chart and is a gentle, sattvic remedy suitable for all. It is particularly recommended for cultivating devotion and emotional steadiness (a well-disposed Moon and Jupiter), for harmony in family duty, and for those seeking moksha-oriented sadhana governed by the 9th and 12th houses. Because Vitthala is honoured as the protector who removes the suffering of the surrendered, the hymn is a soothing upaya during emotionally turbulent dashas and for strengthening Guru (Jupiter), the karaka of dharma and devotion. Ekadashi and Thursdays are favoured.
How to Chant (Vidhi)
Bathe and sit before an image of Vitthala or Krishna, facing east. Light a lamp and offer tulsi leaves, flowers and a little food (naivedya). Begin with a salutation to Vitthala-Rukmini, then recite the eight verses with a calm, devotional heart, concluding with the ninth (phalashruti) verse. Daily recitation, ideally as part of morning worship, is the traditional practice; singing it melodiously in the Varkari spirit is especially cherished.
Best Day & Time
Ekadashi (especially Ashadhi and Kartiki Ekadashi, the great Pandharpur festival days) and Thursdays are most auspicious. Early morning during worship is the ideal time, though the hymn may be sung at any hour with devotion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Panduranga?
Panduranga, or Vitthala/Vithoba, is a form of Lord Vishnu/Krishna enshrined at Pandharpur in Maharashtra. He is the presiding deity of the Varkari bhakti tradition.
What does “Parabrahmalingam” in the refrain mean?
It means “the symbol (linga) of the Supreme Brahman.” The hymn worships the visible, beautiful form of the Lord as the emblem of the formless Absolute.
What does the hymn promise to those who recite it?
The final verse states that those who recite it daily with devotion cross the ocean of worldly existence and attain the eternal abode of Hari (liberation).
Panduranga's still, compassionate presence on the sacred brick
The Pandurangashtakam, attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, is one of the most cherished hymns in the Varkari tradition of Maharashtra, though its appeal reaches well beyond any regional boundary. Each of its eight verses meditates upon a different aspect of Lord Panduranga - his serene stance on the brick, his blue-tinged complexion, the bliss-radiating expression on his face - before arriving at the same luminous refrain that identifies him as the very form of Parabrahman, the ultimate reality beyond name and form. This philosophical identification of a beloved personal deity with the impersonal Absolute is characteristic of Shankaracharya's devotional stotras, and it gives the hymn an unusual depth: one can approach it as a simple prayer of love, or as a pointer toward the non-dual truth.
Devotees, especially those on the Varkari pilgrimage path to Pandharpur, recite or sing the Pandurangashtakam as part of their daily bhajan practice, on Ekadashi, and during the great Ashadhi and Kartiki wari festivals. Vitthala, the presiding deity here, is understood in bhakti as the form that runs to embrace the devotee without pretension or hierarchy - the god who stands waiting, arms resting on his hips, inviting approach. Chanting this ashtakam with sincerity, devotees believe, gradually dissolves the sense of distance between the worshipper and the worshipped, revealing the same stillness in one's own heart that Panduranga embodies on the banks of the Bhima.