# Rudrashtakam

Rudrashtakam (Sanskrit: रुद्राष्टकम्, IAST: Rudrāṣṭakam) is a Sanskrit meditation mantra invoking Rudra, an epithet of Shiva. It was composed by the Hindu Bhakti poet Tulsidas (Sanskrit: तुलसीदास). Tulsidas composed this mantra in the late fifteenth century in what is now Uttar Pradesh and created many other literary pieces including the magnum opus Ramcharitmanas.
Rudrashtakam appears in the Uttara Kand of the Ramcharitmanas, where the sage Lomasha composed the hymn to invoke the energy of Shiva.
This is composed in Bhujangaprayāt chhanda and Jagati meter which consists of 12 letters in each of the four stages having only YAGANA four times in single verse consists of 48 letters.

## Poetry

The term "Astakam" is derived from the Sanskrit word aṣṭan, meaning "eight". An astakam is made up of eight stanzas.
In Rudrashtakam, each stanza is written in Jagati meter, and hence contains 48 syllables per stanza. Each line is written in the Bhujangaprayāt chhand, containing four groups of light-heavy-heavy syllables (।ऽऽ ।ऽऽ ।ऽऽ ।ऽऽ).
An astakam belong to the genre of lyric poetry, which tends to be short, extremely melodic, and contemplative. It reflects and portrays the poet's own feelings, states of mind, and perceptions about the theme or character in the Astakam.

## Context

The Rudrashtakam narrates the qualities and deeds of Rudra.
The body of the Rudrashtakam includes many qualities, attributes and motifs associated with Shiva, including the destruction of Tripura, the annihilation of Kamadeva, etc. These symbols and motifs related to the life and deeds of Rudra.

## Text

See Sanskrit for details of pronunciation.
| Devanagari | IAST | English Translation |
| ॥ श्री रुद्राष्टकम् ॥ | .. Śri Rudrāṣṭakam.. | Eight Stanzas on Rudra |
| आचार्य तुलसीदास | Ācārya tulasīdāsa | Acharya Tulsidas |
| नमामीशमीशान | Namāmīśamīśāna | O Lord, O' Īśāna! I prostrate before thee |
| निर्वाणरुपम् | nirvāṇa rūpaṃ | Who is the embodiment of Nirvāṇa bliss |
| विभुम् व्यापकम् | vibhuṃ vyāpakaṃ | Who is omni-present |
| ब्रह्मवेदस्वरूपम्, । | brahma veda svarūpaṃ, | Who is knowledge of the Brahman in reality and totality/ Who is origin of Brahma, the originator and of the Veda |
| निजम् | nijaṃ | Who is ever dwelling in his own self, |
| निर्गुणम् | nirguṇaṃ | Who is quality-less, beyond attributes/ origin of every (3) qualities, hence cannot be measured by standards of qualities |
| निर्विकल्पम् | nirvikalpaṃ | Who is immutable |
| निरीहम् | nirīhaṃ | Who is dispassionate, desireless |
| चिदाकाशमाकाशवासम् | cidākāśamākāśavāsaṃ | Who is immeasurable like the sky, and Who dwells in the sky. |
| भजेऽहम् ॥ १ ॥ | bhāje'haṃ .. 1 .. | I beseech. |
| निराकारम् | nirākāraṃ | Formless |
| ओंकारमूलम् | oṃkāramūlaṃ | The root of Om |
| तुरीयम् | turīyaṃ | Always in stateless Turiya – The fourth and most sublime state of existence |
| गिरा | girā | Gira == Vani, Voice words / Mount Kailash |
| ज्ञान गोतीतम् ईशम् | jñāna gotītaṃ īśaṃ | Who is beyond the scope of voice, knowledge and words/ origin of Vani, Gyan, Words etc. |
| गिरीशम् | girīśaṃ | The ruler of Mount Kailash/ God of mount Kailash |
| करालम् । | karālaṃ | Fierce |
| महाकाल कालम् । | mahākāla kālaṃ | Destroyer of Death/ Mahakaal is when the entire universe dies and He is the destroyer of that Mahakaal |
| कृपालम् | kṛpālaṃ | benevolent and compassionate |
| गुणागार | guṇāgāra | Who is the treasury of all qualities |
| संसारपारम् | saṃsārapāraṃ | beyond the Samsara, the mundane universe |
| नतोऽहम् ॥ २ ॥ | nato'haṃ .. 2 .. | I bow. |
| तुषाराद्रि | tuṣārādri | Like a snowy white mountain |
| संकाश | saṃkāśa | (His) face is sweet |
| गौरम् | gauraṃ | Fair and resplendent / Fair like a snowy mountain (tusharadri = snowy mountain (tushar+adri), sankash = like, gauram = Fair/ white) |
| गभीरम् । | gabhīraṃ | Who is profound / He is so deep that to understand Him one has to go to absolute depth of divinity |
| मनोभूत | manobhūta | Who is the mind of all beings/ elements |
| कोटिप्रभा | koṭiprabhā | Of immense splendor |
| श्री शरीरम् | śrī śarīraṃ | Beautiful bodied ( His beautiful body if of immense splendor) |
| स्फुरन्मौलि | sphuranmauli | shining forehead |
| कल्लोलिनी चारु गङ्गा | kallolinī cāru gaṅgā | Wavy and enticing Ganges / sacred Ganges flows cheerfully from His shining forehead |
| लसद् | lasad | Shiny |
| भाल | bhāla | forehead |
| बालेन्दु | bālendu | A youthful (crescent) moon / young moon is shining on His forehead |
| कण्ठे भुजङ्गा ॥ ३ ॥ | kaṇṭhe bhujaṅgā.. 3 .. | Snake garlands around the neck |
| चलत्कुण्डलम् | calat kuṇdalaṃ | swaying earrings |
| भ्रू सुनेत्रम् विशालम् | bhrū sunetraṃ viśālaṃ | With beautiful eyebrow and broad eyes |
| प्रसन्नाननम् | prasannānanaṃ | happy countenance/ facial expression reveals satisfaction or peace |
| नीलकण्ठम् । | nīla kaṇṭhaṃ | blue throated one |
| दयालम् | dayālaṃ | Compassionate |
| मृगाधीश चर्माम्बरम् | mrigāḍhiśa carmāmbaraṃ | lion-skin around His waist / skin of God of deers, which is lion, is His garment |
| मुण्ड मालम् | muṇḍa mālaṃ | Skull-cap garland |
| प्रियम् शंकरम् | priyaṃ śaṃkaraṃ | Beloved Shankar |
| सर्वनाथम् भजामि ॥ ४ ॥ | Sarvanāthaṃ bhajāmi.. 4 .. | I meditate upon the Lord of the Universe. (sarva+natham = God of everything) |
| प्रचण्डम् | pracaṇḍaṃ | Fierce / full of immeasurable energy |
| प्रकृष्टम् | prakriśhtam | Immense / Better than everything |
| प्रगल्भम् | pragalbhaṃ | Mature and bold |
| परेशम्। | pareśaṃ | The supreme Lord |
| अखण्डम् | akhanḍam | Whole and Immeasurable |
| अजम् | ajaṃ | Birthless |
| भानुकोटि प्रकाशम् | bhānukoṭiprakāṣaṃ | Splendor of a billion Suns |
| त्रयः शूल | trayaha śūla | Three kind of obstacles in human life – 1. Physical 2. Divine/Devil / 3. Environmental |
| निर्मूलनम् | nirmūlanaṃ | One who does not have any origin or One who removes from root (terminates all three kinds of issues from root of it) |
| शूलपाणिम् भजेऽहम् | śulapāṇim bhaje'haṃ | I pray the holder of the trident |
| भवानीपतिम् | bhavānīpatiṃ | The divine consort of Bhavani |
| भावगम्यम् ॥ ५ ॥ | bhāvagamyaṃ.. 5 .. | One who is achieved easily through emotions (devotion) |
| कलातीत | Kaalātīta | Timeless, beyond time and death (it's कलातीत i.e. one who is having command on all forms of art, the one from whom art takes birth) |
| कल्याण | kalyāṇa | Blissful |
| कल्पान्तकारी | kalpāntakārī | The terminator of Kalpas - The destroyer (Kalpa = when our universe dies) |
| सदा सज्जनानन्ददाता | sadā sajjanānanda dātā | Always blissful and giver of boons to righteous |
| पुरारि । | purāri | The enemy of the Puras – The destroyer of Tripura (mythology) |
| चिदानंद संदोह मोहापहारी | cidānaṃdā saṃdohā mohāpahārī | Who is eternal bliss, and Who absolves abundant passion (absorbs happiness which comes from materialistic wishes) |
| प्रसीद प्रसीद | prasīda prasīda | Be pleased with me. |
| प्रभो मन्मथारी॥ ६ ॥ | prabho manmathārī.. 6 .. | Lord, the destroyer of Kamadeva |
| न यावत् | Na yāvat | Those who do not / until or unless |
| उमानाथ पादाराविन्दम् | Umānātha pādārāvindaṃ | The lotus feet of Umanath |
| भजंतीह | bhajaṃtīha | Pray |
| लोके परे वा | loke pare vā | In the universe |
| नराणाम् | narāṇāṃ | Of men |
| न तावत् । | na tāvat | Not their / till then men will not get |
| सुखम् शांति | sukhaṃ śāñti | Happiness and peace |
| सन्ताप नाशम् | sañtāpa nāṣaṃ | Destroy agonies |
| प्रसीद | prasīda | Be propitious |
| प्रभो सर्वभूताधिवासम् ॥ ७ ॥ | prabho sarvabhūtādhivāsaṃ.. 7 .. | O’ Lord! The Lord of all beings/ elements |
| न जानामि | na jānāmi | I don’t know |
| योगम् | yogaṃ | Yoga |
| जपम् | japaṃ | Meditation |
| नैव | naiva | nor |
| पूजाम् | pūjāṃ | Oblations |
| नतोऽहम् | nato'haṃ | I always bow |
| सदा सर्वदा | sadā sarvadā | Ever, always |
| शम्भुः | Śambhuhu | O shambhu, the bliss-giver |
| तुभ्यम् । | tubhyaṃ | Before you |
| जरा | jarā | Old age |
| जन्म | janma | Birth and life |
| दुःखौघ | duhkhaugha | Immense sorrows of mundane life and existence |
| तातप्यमानम् | tātāpyamānaṃ. | Pangs of pain and agony |
| प्रभो | prabho | O Lord |
| पाहि | pāhi | Redeem me |
| आपन्नमामीश | āpannamāmīśa | I am saluting You, O Lord! |
| शम्भो ॥ ८ ॥ | Śambho.. 8 .. | O Shambhu! |
| रुद्राष्टकम् इदम् प्रोक्तम् विप्रेण हर तोषये । (this Brahman, tulsidas, has written Rudrashtakam to praise/ satisfy Har (Shiva)) ये पठन्ति नरा भक्त्या तेषाम् शम्भुः प्रसीदति॥ (whoever men will read this with intense devotion, O Shambhu please be propitious to them) | | |