shivabhairavabatuka-bhairavaapaduddharaka

Batuka Bhairava Stotram

Batuka Bhairava Stotram in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 Evening or night, on Ashtami, Kalashtami, Bhairava Ashtami, and especially on Tuesdays and Sundays·📜 Shaiva-Tantra tradition; the Apaduddharaka Batuka Bhairava worship

Read in your language / script

हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

The Batuka Bhairava Stotram is a set of meditation (dhyana) verses on Batuka Bhairava — the gentle yet powerful boy-form of Bhairava, the fierce aspect of Lord Shiva. Beginning 'Vande bālaṁ sphaṭika-sadṛśaṁ', it visualises the Lord as crystal-bright, three-eyed and gracious, bearing the trident, staff, skull-bowl, damaru and serpents, his crest lit by the moon. Worshipped especially as 'Apaduddharaka' — the one who lifts devotees out of calamity — Batuka Bhairava is invoked for protection, courage and removal of fear, dangers and obstacles.

Origin & Story

Shaiva-Tantra tradition; the Apaduddharaka Batuka Bhairava worship · Traditional (anonymous); from the Tantric Bhairava liturgy · Ancient (Tantric/Puranic)

Bhairava is the fierce, guardian form of Lord Shiva, famed as the Kotwal (protector-magistrate) of Kashi, whom pilgrims honour before darshan of Vishwanatha. Among his many forms, Batuka Bhairava is worshipped as a luminous young boy — fierce enough to destroy all dangers, yet utterly gracious to those who take refuge in him. These dhyana verses belong to the Apaduddharaka Batuka Bhairava tradition, recited to invoke his protection in times of distress and to dispel fear, obstacles and negativity from the devotee's path.

✦ As told in scripture

Devotees of Apaduddharaka Batuka Bhairava recount that sincere worship of his crystal-bright form has turned away sudden calamities, illness and the harm of enemies — for it is said that wherever this fearless boy-Bhairava is meditated upon with faith, fear itself cannot remain.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

Vande bālaṁ sphaṭika-sadṛśaṁ kuṇḍalodbhāsi-vaktraṁ Divyākalpair-nava-maṇi-mayaiḥ kiṅkiṇī-nūpurādyaiḥ। Dīptākāraṁ viśada-vadanaṁ suprasannaṁ trinetraṁ Hastābjābhyāṁ baṭukam-aniśaṁ śūla-daṇḍau dadhānam॥1॥

Meaning:I bow to Batuka — the boy-form of Bhairava — whose complexion is clear as crystal and whose face shines with earrings; adorned with divine ornaments set with the nine gems, with little bells and anklets; of blazing form yet bright-faced, three-eyed and exceedingly gracious, who ever holds in his two lotus-hands the trident and the staff.

Verse 2

Udyad-bhāskara-sannibhaṁ tri-nayanaṁ raktāṅga-rāga-srajaṁ Smerāsyaṁ varadaṁ kapālam-abhayaṁ śūlaṁ dadhānaṁ karaiḥ। Nīla-grīvam-udāra-bhūṣaṇa-śataṁ śītāṁśu-cūḍojjvalaṁ Bandhūkāruṇa-vāsasaṁ bhaya-haraṁ devaṁ sadā bhāvaye॥2॥

Meaning:I ever meditate on that God, fear-dispelling, who shines like the rising sun, three-eyed, anointed in red and garlanded in red; with a smiling face, holding in his hands the boon-giving gesture, the skull-bowl, the gesture of fearlessness and the trident; the blue-throated one, adorned with a hundred noble ornaments, brilliant with the cool-rayed moon on his crest, clad in the russet-red colour of the bandhuka flower.

Verse 3

Dhyāyen-nīlādri-kāntaṁ śaśi-kala-dhavalaṁ muṇḍa-mālaṁ maheśaṁ Dig-vastraṁ piṅga-keśaṁ ḍamarum-atha sṛṇiṁ khaḍga-śūlābhayāni। Nāgaṁ ghaṇṭāṁ kapālaṁ kara-sarasiruhair-bibhrataṁ bhīma-daṁṣṭraṁ Sarpākalpaṁ trinetraṁ maṇi-maya-vilasat-kiṅkiṇī-nūpurāḍhyam॥3॥

Meaning:One should meditate on Mahesha, lovely as a dark-blue mountain, white with the crescent moon, wearing a garland of skulls; clad in the directions (sky-clad), with tawny hair, bearing in his lotus-hands the damaru drum, the goad, the sword, the trident and the gesture of fearlessness, a serpent, a bell and the skull-bowl; with fearsome fangs, serpents for ornaments, three eyes, and resplendent with jewel-studded little bells and anklets.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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vande🔊I bow / I salute

bālaṁ🔊the boy / youthful one (Batuka = Bhairava in his child form)

sphaṭika-sadṛśaṁ🔊resembling (clear) crystal (in complexion)

kuṇḍalodbhāsi-vaktraṁ🔊whose face shines with (bright) earrings

divyākalpaiḥ🔊with divine ornaments / adornments

nava-maṇi-mayaiḥ🔊made of the nine gems

kiṅkiṇī-nūpurādyaiḥ🔊with tiny bells, anklets and the like

dīptākāraṁ🔊of a blazing / radiant form

viśada-vadanaṁ🔊with a clear / bright face

suprasannaṁ🔊exceedingly gracious and serene

trinetraṁ🔊the three-eyed one

hastābjābhyāṁ🔊with his two lotus-like hands

baṭukam🔊Batuka — the boy-form of Bhairava

śūla-daṇḍau dadhānam🔊holding the trident and the staff

udyad-bhāskara-sannibhaṁ🔊resembling the rising sun (in radiance)

raktāṅga-rāga-srajaṁ🔊anointed red and wearing red garlands

varadaṁ ... abhayaṁ🔊showing the boon-giving and the fear-dispelling gestures

kapālaṁ🔊(holding) the skull-bowl

nīla-grīvam🔊the blue-throated one

bhaya-haraṁ devaṁ sadā bhāvaye🔊I ever meditate upon the God who removes all fear

dhyāyet🔊one should meditate (upon)

muṇḍa-mālaṁ🔊wearing a garland of skulls

dig-vastraṁ🔊clad in the directions (digambara — sky-clad)

ḍamarum ... khaḍga-śūlābhayāni🔊(holding) the damaru drum, goad, sword, trident and the fearless gesture

bhīma-daṁṣṭraṁ🔊with fearsome (protruding) tusks/fangs

Benefits of Chanting Batuka Bhairava Stotram

✦

Invokes the protection of Batuka Bhairava, the guardian who 'lifts devotees out of calamity' (Apaduddharaka)

✦

Traditionally recited to remove fear, danger, enemies, black magic and sudden misfortune

✦

The repeated 'bhaya-haraṁ' (fear-dispelling) makes it a powerful prayer for courage and fearlessness

✦

Bestows the steady mind needed for protection and grants confidence in difficult times

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The dhyana verses give a clear meditative image of the Lord, aiding focused upasana (worship)

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Bhairava being the Kotwal (guardian) of Kashi, his worship is held to clear obstacles on the spiritual path

How to Chant Batuka Bhairava Stotram

Repetitions3times

Best TimeEvening or night, on Ashtami, Kalashtami, Bhairava Ashtami, and especially on Tuesdays and Sundays

Sit facing a image or yantra of Bhairava, ideally after sunset, and recite the dhyana verses while holding the visualised form of Batuka Bhairava clearly in mind — crystal-bright, three-eyed, bearing trident, staff, damaru and skull-bowl, his crest aglow with the moon. These verses are meant for dhyana (meditative visualisation), so chant them slowly and steadily, dwelling on each detail of the Lord's form. They may precede the Batuka Bhairava mula mantra or a longer kavacham. Offering a lamp and observing inner and outer cleanliness is recommended for this fierce yet compassionate deity.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Batuka Bhairava Stotram written in the English script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

Batuka Bhairava is a form of Bhairava — the fierce manifestation of Lord Shiva — visualised as a radiant boy (batuka means 'young boy'). Though fierce in nature, this form is gentle and gracious to devotees. He is widely worshipped as a powerful protector and guardian deity.

It is a set of dhyana (meditation) verses describing the form of Batuka Bhairava for worship, beginning 'Vande bālaṁ sphaṭika-sadṛśaṁ'. The verses portray him as crystal-bright, three-eyed and serene, bearing the trident, staff, skull-bowl, damaru, sword and serpents, crowned by the crescent moon.

'Apaduddharaka' means 'the one who lifts (devotees) out of calamity'. Batuka Bhairava in this form is invoked to rescue devotees from danger, misfortune, illness, enemies and fear, which is why the dhyana repeatedly calls him 'bhaya-haraṁ', the remover of all fear.

It is best recited in the evening or night, especially on Ashtami, Kalashtami and Bhairava Ashtami, and on Tuesdays or Sundays. Since these are meditation verses, one should chant them while steadily visualising the Lord's form, ideally before a Bhairava image with a lamp lit and proper cleanliness observed.