Rudrashtakam – Audio, Lyrics and Meaning

Nama misha mishana-nirvana rupam
vibhum vyapakam brahma-veda-svaroopam
nijam nirgunam nirvikalpam niriham
chidakasha makasha-vasam bhaje ham

nirakara monkara-moolam turiyam
gira gnana gotita misham girisham
karalam maha-kala-kalam krpalam
gunagara samsara param nato ham

tusha radri-sankasha-gauram gabhiram
manobhuta-koti prabha sri sariram
sphuran mauli-kallolini-charu-ganga
lasad-bhala-balendu kanthe bhujanga

chalatkundalam bhru sunetram visalam
prasanna-nanam nila-kantham dayalam
mrgadhisa charmambaram mundamalam
priyam sankaram sarvanatham bhajami

pracandam prakrstam pragalbham paresham
akhandam ajam bhanukoti-prakasam
trayah-shula-nirmulanam shula-panim
bhaje ham bhavani-patim bhava-gamyam

kalatitata-kalyana-kalpanta-kari
sada sajjana-nanda-data purarih
chidananda-sandoha-mohapahari
prasida praslda prabho manmatharih

na yavad umanatha-padaravindam
bhajantiha loke pareva naranam
na tavat-sukham shanti-santapa-nasham
praslda prabho sarva bhuta-dhivasam

na janami yogam japam naiva pujam
nato ham sada sarvada sambhu tubhyam
jara janma-duhkhaugha tatapya manam
prabho pahi apan-namamisha shambho

Sanskrit

नमामीशमीशान निर्वाणरूपं
विभुं व्यापकं ब्रह्मवेदस्वरूपम्
निजं निर्गुणं निर्विकल्पं निरीहं
चिदाकाशमाकाशवासं भजेहम्

निराकारमोङ्करमूलं तुरीयं
गिराज्ञानगोतीतमीशं गिरीशम् ।
करालं महाकालकालं कृपालं
गुणागारसंसारपारं नतोहम्

तुषाराद्रिसंकाशगौरं गभिरं
मनोभूतकोटिप्रभाश्री शरीरम् ।
स्फुरन्मौलिकल्लोलिनी चारुगङ्गा
लसद्भालबालेन्दु कण्ठे भुजङ्गा

चलत्कुण्डलं भ्रूसुनेत्रं विशालं
प्रसन्नाननं नीलकण्ठं दयालम् ।
मृगाधीशचर्माम्बरं मुण्डमालं
प्रियं शङ्करं सर्वनाथं भजामि

प्रचण्डं प्रकृष्टं प्रगल्भं परेशं
अखण्डं अजं भानुकोटिप्रकाशं ।
त्र्यःशूलनिर्मूलनं शूलपाणिं
भजेहं भवानीपतिं भावगम्यम्

कलातीतकल्याण कल्पान्तकारी
सदा सज्जनानन्ददाता पुरारी ।
चिदानन्दसंदोह मोहापहारी
प्रसीद प्रसीद प्रभो मन्मथारी

न यावद् उमानाथपादारविन्दं
भजन्तीह लोके परे वा नराणाम् ।
न तावत्सुखं शान्ति सन्तापनाशं
प्रसीद प्रभो सर्वभूताधिवासं

न जानामि योगं जपं नैव पूजां
नतोहं सदा सर्वदा शम्भुतुभ्यम् ।
जराजन्मदुःखौघ तातप्यमानं
प्रभो पाहि आपन्नमामीश शंभो

Meaning

Vibhu moksha personified, Veda incarnate, all-pervading Lord,
Lord, master of all, I pay obeisance to you, and am ever-worshipful,
Away from maya and the cycles of nature, of conscious desire,
I chant to you Lord Digambara, who wears the sky as a garment.

Who is formless, Aumkar’s origin, beyond the three gunas,
Beyond speech, knowledge, senses, giver of grace,
Perfect One who brings awe and reverence within, Lord of Time,
Lord of Kailash, beyond this world, my obeisance to you.

Fair-skinned like Himanchal, serene, unmoved,
Of beauty and grace greater than a million Kamadevas, ever glowing,
Upon whose head resides the sacred Goddess Ganga,
Upon whose head is the crescent moon, whose neck is adorned by a snake.

In his ears are kundalas, whose eyes and eyebrows are beautiful,
Cheerful, blue necked, kind, compassionate, understanding,
Wrapped in animal skin, wearing a garland of skulls,
Dearest to all, Lord of all, I chant his name – Shankara.

Rudrarup, best, perfect, eternal, unborn, the opulent one,
With the effulgence of a million suns, with a trident in hand,
Who uproots the three kinds of griefs, who by love can be gained,
I chant Bhavani’s husband’s name – Shankar – to you I pray.

Beyond time, timeless, welfare incarnate, the creation’s end,
Enemy of Tripura, who gives pleasure and happiness to the worthy,
Giver of eternal bliss, who removes worldly entanglements,
Kamadeva’s destroyer, bless me, you churn my heart.

Husband of Parvati, till we worship your lotus feet,
We can never attain peace and joy in this world or in heaven,
Or mitigate or lessen our suffering,
Lord who resides in the heart of all, be pleased with me and my offering.

Oh Shambho, I know not yoga, or penance or worship or prayer,
But I always honor you, Oh my Lord, always be my savior,
Suffering the cycle of death, birth and old age, I burn,
Lord, protect this pained one from grief, I offer you my devotion.