नमामीशमीशान निर्वाणरूपं
विभुं व्यापकं ब्रह्मवेदस्वरूपम्।
निजं निर्गुणं निर्विकल्पं निरीहं
चिदाकाशमाकाशवासं भजेऽहम्॥1॥
निराकारमोङ्कारमूलं तुरीयं
गिराज्ञानगोतीतमीशं गिरीशम्।
करालं महाकालकालं कृपालं
गुणागारसंसारपारं नतोऽहम्॥2॥
तुषाराद्रिसंकाशगौरं गभीरं
मनोभूतकोटिप्रभा श्रीशरीरम्।
स्फुरन्मौलिकल्लोलिनी चारुगङ्गा
लसद्भालबालेन्दु कण्ठे भुजङ्गा॥3॥
चलत्कुण्डलं भ्रूसुनेत्रं विशालं
प्रसन्नाननं नीलकण्ठं दयालम्।
मृगाधीशचर्माम्बरं मुण्डमालं
प्रियं शंकरं सर्वनाथं भजामि॥4॥
प्रचण्डं प्रकृष्टं प्रगल्भं परेशं
अखण्डं अजं भानुकोटिप्रकाशम्।
त्रयःशूलनिर्मूलनं शूलपाणिं
भजेऽहं भवानीपतिं भावगम्यम्॥5॥
कलातीतकल्याण कल्पान्तकारी
सदा सज्जनानन्ददाता पुरारी।
चिदानन्दसन्दोह मोहापहारी
प्रसीद प्रसीद प्रभो मन्मथारी॥6॥
न यावत् उमानाथपादारविन्दं
भजन्तीह लोके परे वा नराणाम्।
न तावत्सुखं शान्ति सन्तापनाशं
प्रसीद प्रभो सर्वभूताधिवासम्॥7॥
न जानामि योगं जपं नैव पूजां
नतोऽहं सदा सर्वदा शम्भु तुभ्यम्।
जराजन्मदुःखौघ तातप्यमानं
प्रभो पाहि आपन्नमामीश शम्भो॥8॥
रुद्राष्टकमिदं प्रोक्तं विप्रेण हरतोषये।
ये पठन्ति नरा भक्त्या तेषां शम्भुः प्रसीदति॥
namāmīśam īśāna nirvāṇarūpaṃ vibhuṃ vyāpakaṃ brahmavedasvarūpam।
nijaṃ nirguṇaṃ nirvikalpaṃ nirīhaṃ cidākāśam ākāśavāsaṃ bhaje’ham॥1॥
nirākāram oṅkāramūlaṃ turīyaṃ girājñānagotītam īśaṃ girīśam।
karālaṃ mahākālakālaṃ kṛpālaṃ guṇāgārasaṃsārapāraṃ nato’ham॥2॥
tuṣārādrisaṃkāśagauraṃ gabhīraṃ manobhūtakoṭiprabhā śrīśarīram।
sphuranmaulikallolinī cārugaṅgā lasadbhālabālendu kaṇṭhe bhujaṅgā॥3॥
calatkuṇḍalaṃ bhrūsunetraṃ viśālaṃ prasannānanaṃ nīlakaṇṭhaṃ dayālam।
mṛgādhīśacarmāmbaraṃ muṇḍamālaṃ priyaṃ śaṃkaraṃ sarvanāthaṃ bhajāmi॥4॥
pracaṇḍaṃ prakṛṣṭaṃ pragalbhaṃ pareśaṃ akhaṇḍaṃ ajaṃ bhānukoṭiprakāśam।
trayaḥśūlanirmūlanaṃ śūlapāṇiṃ bhaje’haṃ bhavānīpatiṃ bhāvagamyam॥5॥
kalātītakalyāṇa kalpāntakārī sadā sajjanānandadātā purārī।
cidānandasandoha mohāpahārī prasīda prasīda prabho manmathārī॥6॥
na yāvat umānāthapādāravindaṃ bhajantīha loke pare vā narāṇām।
na tāvatsukhaṃ śānti santāpanāśaṃ prasīda prabho sarvabhūtādhivāsam॥7॥
na jānāmi yogaṃ japaṃ naiva pūjāṃ nato’haṃ sadā sarvadā śambhu tubhyam।
jarājanmaduḥkhaugha tātapyamānaṃ prabho pāhi āpannamāmīśa śambho॥8॥
The Rudrashtakam is eight verses of pure surrender to Rudra-Shiva. The poet first salutes the Lord as the form of liberation itself — all-pervading, the very essence of the Vedas, attributeless, changeless and desireless, dwelling in the sky of consciousness. He hails Shiva as formless, the root of Om, the fourth state beyond speech and knowledge, fierce yet compassionate, the death of even Mahakala (great Death), and the abode of virtues who carries us across the ocean of worldly existence.
The middle verses paint his beauty: fair as a snow-mountain, deep and serene, his body radiant as countless cupids, the Ganga tossing in his matted locks, a crescent moon on his brow and a serpent at his throat; swinging earrings, lovely eyes and brows, a gracious face, the blue throat, the lion-skin garment and garland of skulls — the dear Shankara, Lord of all. He is fierce, supreme, unbroken, unborn, blazing like a million suns, uprooter of the three sorrows, trident in hand, consort of Bhavani, reached only through pure feeling.
The final verses confess that until one worships the lotus-feet of Uma’s Lord there is no happiness, peace or end of suffering in this world or the next; and humbly admit, "I know neither yoga nor japa nor ritual worship — I simply bow to you always. Tormented by old age, birth and waves of sorrow, O Shambhu, protect me." The concluding verse promises that those who recite this Rudrashtakam with devotion win Shiva’s grace.
The Shri Rudrashtakam is one of the most cherished hymns to Lord Shiva, composed by the great saint-poet Goswami Tulsidas and set within his Ramcharitmanas, in the Uttara Kanda. There it is sung by Lutbavan (the crow-sage Kakbhushundi’s account) — in the epic it is the hymn with which the sage propitiates Shiva. Because Tulsidas wrote it as part of a sixteenth-century devotional classic that has long been in the public domain, the full text is reproduced here.
The hymn is "ashtakam" — a set of eight verses — in the flowing Bhujangaprayata metre, whose rolling rhythm makes it especially powerful when chanted aloud.
The Rudrashtakam is prized as a hymn of swift grace. It is recited to please Shiva, to dispel fear, disease and untimely death, and to cultivate vairagya (detachment) and devotion. Its closing verses model the ideal devotional attitude: not pride in one’s spiritual achievements but humble surrender, admitting that ritual and technique mean nothing without love. Regular recitation is believed to calm the restless mind, heal chronic suffering, and draw the protective presence of Shiva, who is invoked here as "the dweller in all beings".
As a direct invocation of Rudra, the fierce-yet-merciful form of Shiva, the Rudrashtakam is a classic remedy for Saturn (Shani) afflictions, the Sade Sati and dhaiya periods, and for the shadow planets Rahu and Ketu. Shiva’s crescent moon links the hymn to remedies for an afflicted or weak Moon (Chandra), helping to steady the emotions and the mind. Because it explicitly prays for the removal of the "three sorrows" and untimely death, it is also chanted alongside the Mahamrityunjaya practice during health crises and difficult transits.
After bathing, sit before a Shiva Linga or image. Offer bilva leaves, white flowers, water and dhatura. Light a lamp, invoke Ganesha briefly, then recite the eight verses with feeling, ideally aloud to honour the metre. Performing jalabhishek (pouring water) or rudrabhishek on the Linga while reciting greatly enhances the practice. Conclude with "Om Namah Shivaya" and a moment of silent surrender.
Monday and Pradosh Kaal are ideal, as are Maha Shivaratri and the whole month of Shravan. Early-morning Brahma Muhurta suits daily recitation; the evening Pradosh hour is favoured for relief from planetary distress.
It was composed by Goswami Tulsidas, the sixteenth-century author of the Ramcharitmanas, in which the hymn appears. It is entirely in the public domain.
It is chanted to please Lord Shiva, to remove fear, disease and the threat of untimely death, and to deepen devotion and detachment. It is a popular remedy during Saturn periods.
Both invoke Rudra-Shiva for protection and healing. Many devotees recite the Rudrashtakam together with the Mahamrityunjaya mantra during illness or adverse planetary phases.
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