Rudrashtakam

The Rudrashtakam (Sanskrit: रुद्राष्टकम, Rudrāṣṭakam) is a Sanskrit composition in devotion of Rudra, composed by the Hindu Bhakti poet Tulsidas (Sanskrit: तुलसीदास). Tulsidas composed in the late fifteenth century in Uttar Pradesh in India and created many other literary pieces including the magnum opus Ram Charit Manas.

The devotional hymn "Rudrashtakam" appears in the Uttara Kand of the celebrated Ram Charit Manas, where Lomash Rishi composed the hymn to propitiate Lord Shiva. His main purpose was to set his pupil free from the curse of Shiva. He succeeded and asked also a second boon (devotion for himself). His pupil would be the bird ' Kaga-Bhusundi' in a next life, a devotee of Shri Rama and an excellent teller of the life story of Shri Rama.

The Ashtakam is in reverence to Rudra, though the context pertains to the Shiva, the post-Vedic transformation of Rudra. It is arguable that the distinction between Rudra and Shiva was already lost by the time of Tulsidas.

The Rudrashtakam is lucid and simple in style and plays an instrumental role in the Shaiva traditions.

Astakam as a Form and a Genre

The term "Astakam" is derived from the Sanskrit word aṣṭan, meaning "eight". An astakam is made up of eight stanzas.

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 Shiva.

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

Text

See Sanskrit for details of pronunciation.

Devanagari	IAST	English Translation
॥ रुद्राष्टकम ॥	.. Rudrāṣṭakama ..	Eight Stanzas on Rudra
आचार्य तुलसीदास	Ācārya tulasīdāsa	Acharya Tulsidas
नमामीशमीशान	Namāmīśamīśāna	O Lord, O' Īśāna! I prostrate before thee
निर्वानारुपम्	Nirvānārupam	Who is the embodiment of Nirvāṇa bliss
विभुं व्यापकं	Vibhuṃ vyāpakaṃ	Who is omni-present
ब्रह्मवेदस्वरूपम्, ।	Brahmavedasvarūpam,	Who is knowledge of the Brahman in reality and totality
निजम्	Nijam	Who is ever dwelling in his own self,
निर्गुणं	Nirguṇaṃ	Who is quality-less, beyond attributes
निर्विकल्पं	Nirvikalpaṃ	Who is immutable
निरीहं	Nirīhaṃ	Who is dispassionate, desireless
चिदाकाशमाकाशवासम्	Cidākāśamākāśavāsam	Who is immeasurable like the sky, and Who dwells in the sky.
भाजेहम ॥ १ ॥	Bhājehama .. 1 ..	I beseech.
निराकारम्	Nirākāram	Formless
ओंकारमूलम्	oṃkāramūlam	The root of Om
तुरीयं	turīyaṃ	Always in stateless Turiya – The fourth and most sublime state of existence
गिरा	Girā	Gira == Vani, Voice words / Mount Kailash
ज्ञान गोतीतमीशम्	jñāna gotītam īśam	Who is beyond the scope of voice, knowledge and words
गिरीशं	Girīśaṃ	The ruler of Mount Kailash
करालं ।	Karālaṃ	Fierce
महाकाल कालम् ।	Mahākāla kālam.	Destroyer of Death
कृपालं	Kṛpālaṃ	benevolent and compassionate
गुणागार	Guṇāgāra	Who is the treasury of all qualities
संसारपारं	Saṃsārapāraṃ	beyond the Samsara, the mundane universe
नतोऽहम् ॥ २ ॥	Nato'ham .. 2 ..	I bow.
तुषाराद्रि	Tuṣārādri	Like a snowy mountain
संकाश	Saṃkāśa	(His) face is sweet
गौरम्	Gauram	Fair and resplendent
गभीरं ।	Gabhīraṃ	Who is profound
मनोभूत	Manobhūta	Who is the mind of all beings
कोटिप्रभा	Koṭiprabhā	Of immense splendor
श्री शरीरम्	śrī śarīram	Beautiful bodied
स्फुरन्मौलि	Sphuranmauli	shining forehead
कल्लोलिनी चारु गङ्गा	Kallolinī cāru gaṅgā	Wavy and enticing Ganges
लसद्	Lasad	Shiny
भाल	bhāla	forehead
बालेन्दु	balendu	A youthful (crescent) moon
कण्ठे भुजङ्गा ॥ ३ ॥	Kaṇṭhe bhujaṅgā.. 3 ..	Snake garlands around the neck
चलात्कुंदालम	Calātkuṃdālama	swaying earrings
भ्रू सुनेत्रं विशालं	Bhrū sunetraṃ viśālaṃ	With beautiful eyebrow and broad eyes
प्रसन्नाननं	Prasannānanaṃ	happy countenance
नीलकंठं।	Nīlakaṃṭhaṃ	blue throated one
दयालं	Dayālaṃ	Compassionate
म्रिगढिशाचार्माम्बरम	Mrigaḍhiśācārmāmbarama	lion-skin around His waist
मुंडा मालाम	Muṃḍā mālāma	Skull-cap garland
प्रियं संकरं	Priyaṃ saṃkaraṃ	Beloved Shankar
सर्वनाथं भजामि ॥ ४ ॥	Sarvanāthaṃ bhajāmi.. 4 ..	I meditate upon the Lord of the Universe.
प्रचंडं	Pracaṃḍaṃ	Fierce
प्रक्रिश्ह्तम	Prakriśhtama	Immense
प्रगल्भं	Pragalbhaṃ	Mature and bold
परेशं।	Pareśaṃ	The supreme Lord
अखंडम	Akhaṃḍama	Whole and Immeasurable
अजम	Ajama	Birthless
भानुकोतिप्रकषम	Bhānukotiprakaṣama	Splendor of a billion Suns
त्रयह शुला	Trayaha śulā	Three kind of obstacles in human life – 1. Physical 2. Divine/Devil / 3. Environmental
निर्मुलानम	Nirmulānama	One who does not have any origin or One who removes from root (terminates all three kinds of issues from root of it)
शुलापनिम भजेअहम	Śulāpanima bhajeahama	I pray the holder of the trident
भवनिपतिम	Bhavanipatima	The divine consort of Bhavani
भावगम्यं॥ ५ ॥	Bhāvagamyaṃ.. 5 ..	One who is achieved easily through emotions (devotion)
कालातीत	Kālātīta	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
सदा सज्जनानन्ददाता	Sadā sajjanānandadātā	Always blissful and giver of boons to righteous
पुरारी।	Purārī	The enemy of the Puras – The destroyer of Tripura (mythology)
चिदानंदा संदोहा मोहापहारी	Cidānaṃdā saṃdohā mohāpahārī	Who is eternal bliss, and Who absolves abundant passion
प्रसीद प्रसीद	Prasida prasida	Be pleased with me.
प्रभो मन्मथारी॥ ६ ॥	Prabho manmathārī.. 6 ..	Lord, the destroyer of Kamadeva
न यावथ	Na yāvatha	Those who do not
उमानाथ पदाराविन्दम	Umānātha padārāvindama	The lotus feet of Umanath
भजंतीह	Bhajaṃtīha	Pray
लोके परे वा	Loke pare vā	In the universe
नारानाम	Nārānāma	Of men
न तावथ ।	Na tāvatha	Not their
सुखं शांति	Sukhaṃ śāṃti	Happiness and peace
संतापनाषम	Saṃtāpanāṣama	Destroy agonies
प्रसिद	Prasida	Be propitious
प्रभो सर्वभुताधिवासम॥ ७ ॥	Prabho sarvabhutādhivāsama.. 7 ..	O’ Lord! The Lord of all beings
न जानामि	Na jānāmi	I don’t know
योगम	Yogama	Yoga
जपम	Japama	Meditation
नैव	Naiva	nor
पूजाम	Pūjāma	Oblations
नतोहम	Natohama	I always bow
सदा सर्वदा	Sadā sarvadā	Ever, always
शम्भू	Śambhū	O shambhu, the bliss-giver
तुभ्यं ।	Tubhyaṃ	Before you
जरा	Jarā	Old age
जन्म	Janma	Birth and life
दुह्खओघ	Duhkhaogha	Immense sorrows of mundane life and existence
ताताप्यामनम	Tātāpyāmanama	Pangs of pain and agony
प्रभो	Prabho	O Lord
पाहि	Pāhi	Redeem me
अपन्नामामिषा	Apannāmāmiṣā	I am saluting You, O Lord!
शम्भो ॥ ८ ॥	Śambho.. 8 ..	O Shambhu!

See also

• Tulsidas
• Shiva
• Rudra
• Ram Charit Manas

References

External links

• Information in Hindi
• Rudrastakam
• Rudrastakam pdf
• Rudrastakam in Devnagari
• Rudrastakam Meanings
• Rudrastakam on Youtube