Kashi Vishwanathashtakam
काशी विश्वनाथाष्टकम्
Also known as: kashi vishwanathashtakam · vishwanathashtakam · ganga taranga ramaniya jatakalapam · kashi vishwanath ashtakam · varanasi purapatim bhaja vishwanatham · shri vishwanatha ashtakam shankaracharya
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✦ Meaning
The Kashi Vishwanathashtakam, beginning 'Gaṅgā-taraṅga-ramaṇīya-jaṭā-kalāpaṁ', is a celebrated eight-verse hymn (with a closing phala-shruti) attributed to Adi Shankaracharya in praise of Lord Vishwanatha — Shiva as the Lord of Kashi (Varanasi), one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Each verse describes the Lord's form, glory and supreme nature and ends with the refrain 'Vārāṇasī-pura-patiṁ bhaja Viśvanātham' (worship Vishwanatha, the Lord of Varanasi). The hymn promises knowledge, prosperity, fame and final liberation to those who recite it.
Origin & Story
Shaiva stotra tradition; popularly attributed to Adi Shankaracharya · Adi Shankaracharya (traditional attribution) · c. 8th century CE (traditional)
Kashi (Varanasi), on the banks of the Ganga, is revered as the eternal city of Lord Shiva, where he is enshrined as Vishwanatha — 'Lord of the Universe' — in one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. According to tradition, Shiva never abandons Kashi even at the time of cosmic dissolution, and those who die within its sacred bounds receive the 'Taraka mantra' from his own mouth, leading to liberation. The Vishwanathashtakam distills the glory of this Lord into eight luminous verses, each calling the devotee to 'worship Vishwanatha, the Lord of Varanasi.' It is sung daily by pilgrims and devotees across India.
✦ As told in scripture
It is traditionally held in Kashi that anyone who breathes their last within the sacred precincts of the city receives the Taraka (liberating) mantra directly from Lord Vishwanatha and crosses the ocean of birth and death — a grace echoed in the eighth and ninth verses of this hymn, which promise that steady meditation on the Lord seated in the heart leads to moksha at the body's end.
Complete Text with Meaning
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गङ्गातरङ्गरमणीयजटाकलापं गौरीनिरन्तरविभूषितवामभागम्। नारायणप्रियमनङ्गमदापहारं वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्॥१॥
Gaṅgā-taraṅga-ramaṇīya-jaṭā-kalāpaṁ Gaurī-nirantara-vibhūṣita-vāma-bhāgam। Nārāyaṇa-priyam-anaṅga-madāpahāraṁ Vārāṇasī-pura-patiṁ bhaja Viśvanātham॥1॥
Meaning:Worship Vishwanatha, the Lord of the city of Varanasi — whose mass of matted locks is made lovely by the waves of the Ganga, whose left side is ever adorned by Gauri, who is dear to Narayana, and who destroyed the pride of Kama.
वाचामगोचरमनेकगुणस्वरूपं वागीशविष्णुसुरसेवितपादपीठम्। वामेन विग्रहवरेण कलत्रवन्तं वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्॥२॥
Vācām-agocaram-aneka-guṇa-svarūpaṁ Vāgīśa-viṣṇu-sura-sevita-pāda-pīṭham। Vāmena vigraha-vareṇa kalatra-vantaṁ Vārāṇasī-pura-patiṁ bhaja Viśvanātham॥2॥
Meaning:Worship Vishwanatha — beyond the reach of speech, the embodiment of countless qualities, whose footstool is served by Brahma, Vishnu and the gods, who keeps his beloved (Parvati) on his graceful left side.
भूताधिपं भुजगभूषणभूषिताङ्गं व्याघ्राजिनाम्बरधरं जटिलं त्रिनेत्रम्। पाशाङ्कुशाभयवरप्रदशूलपाणिं वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्॥३॥
Bhūtādhipaṁ bhujaga-bhūṣaṇa-bhūṣitāṅgaṁ Vyāghrājināmbara-dharaṁ jaṭilaṁ trinetram। Pāśāṅkuśābhaya-vara-prada-śūla-pāṇiṁ Vārāṇasī-pura-patiṁ bhaja Viśvanātham॥3॥
Meaning:Worship Vishwanatha — lord of all beings, his body adorned with serpents as ornaments, wearing a tiger-skin, with matted hair and three eyes, holding the noose, goad, the boons of fearlessness and grace, and the trident.
शीतांशुशोभितकिरीटविराजमानं भालेक्षणानलविशोषितपञ्चबाणम्। नागाधिपारचितभासुरकर्णपूरं वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्॥४॥
Śītāṁśu-śobhita-kirīṭa-virājamānaṁ Bhālekṣaṇānala-viśoṣita-pañca-bāṇam। Nāgādhipāracita-bhāsura-karṇa-pūraṁ Vārāṇasī-pura-patiṁ bhaja Viśvanātham॥4॥
Meaning:Worship Vishwanatha — radiant with a crown graced by the moon, who burnt the five-arrowed Kama with the fire of his forehead-eye, whose ears are adorned with the brilliant serpent-king.
पञ्चाननं दुरितमत्तमतङ्गजानां नागान्तकं दनुजपुङ्गवपन्नगानाम्। दावानलं मरणशोकजराटवीनां वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्॥५॥
Pañcānanaṁ durita-matta-mataṅga-jānāṁ Nāgāntakaṁ danuja-puṅgava-pannagānām। Dāvānalaṁ maraṇa-śoka-jarāṭavīnāṁ Vārāṇasī-pura-patiṁ bhaja Viśvanātham॥5॥
Meaning:Worship Vishwanatha — a lion to the rutting elephants of sins, the destroyer of the great serpents that are the demon-chiefs, a forest-fire to the wilderness of death, sorrow and old age.
तेजोमयं सगुणनिर्गुणमद्वितीयम् आनन्दकन्दमपराजितमप्रमेयम्। नागात्मकं सकलनिष्कलमात्मरूपं वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्॥६॥
Tejomayaṁ saguṇa-nirguṇam-advitīyam Ānanda-kandam-aparājitam-aprameyam। Nāgātmakaṁ sakala-niṣkalam-ātma-rūpaṁ Vārāṇasī-pura-patiṁ bhaja Viśvanātham॥6॥
Meaning:Worship Vishwanatha — full of light, with and without attributes, non-dual, the root of bliss, unconquered, immeasurable, of the form of the serpent and of the Self, both with parts and partless.
रागादिदोषरहितं स्वजनानुरागं वैराग्यशान्तिनिलयं गिरिजासहायम्। माधुर्यधैर्यसुभगं गरलाभिरामं वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्॥७॥
Rāgādi-doṣa-rahitaṁ sva-janānurāgaṁ Vairāgya-śānti-nilayaṁ girijā-sahāyam। Mādhurya-dhairya-subhagaṁ garalābhirāmaṁ Vārāṇasī-pura-patiṁ bhaja Viśvanātham॥7॥
Meaning:Worship Vishwanatha — free of attachment and faults yet full of love for his devotees, the abode of dispassion and peace, the companion of Girija, charming with sweetness and courage, beautiful even with the poison (he drank).
आशां विहाय परिहृत्य परस्य निन्दां पापे रतिं च सुनिवार्य मनः समाधौ। आदाय हृत्कमलमध्यगतं परेशं वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्॥८॥
Āśāṁ vihāya parihṛtya parasya nindāṁ Pāpe ratiṁ ca sunivārya manaḥ samādhau। Ādāya hṛt-kamala-madhya-gataṁ pareśaṁ Vārāṇasī-pura-patiṁ bhaja Viśvanātham॥8॥
Meaning:Worship Vishwanatha — abandoning desire, giving up slander of others, restraining the mind from sin, and placing the Supreme Lord, who dwells in the lotus of the heart, in deep meditation.
वाराणसीपुरपतेः स्तवनं शिवस्य व्याख्यातमष्टकमिदं पठते मनुष्यः। विद्यां श्रियं विपुलसौख्यमनन्तकीर्तिं सम्प्राप्य देहविलये लभते च मोक्षम्॥९॥
Vārāṇasī-pura-pateḥ stavanaṁ śivasya Vyākhyātam-aṣṭakam-idaṁ paṭhate manuṣyaḥ। Vidyāṁ śriyaṁ vipula-saukhyam-ananta-kīrtiṁ Samprāpya deha-vilaye labhate ca mokṣam॥9॥
Meaning:The person who recites this octet of praise of Lord Shiva, the Lord of Varanasi, here expounded, attains knowledge, prosperity, abundant happiness and endless fame — and upon the fall of the body, attains liberation.
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting Kashi Vishwanathashtakam
Invokes the grace and protection of Lord Vishwanatha, the presiding Jyotirlinga deity of Kashi (Varanasi)
Said to bestow knowledge (vidya), prosperity (shri), abundant happiness and lasting fame, as stated in the final verse
Cultivates dispassion and a meditative, one-pointed mind by its very theme of renouncing desire and slander
A complete contemplation on Shiva's form and supreme non-dual nature, ideal for daily devotion
Considered especially auspicious to recite on a pilgrimage to Kashi or before the Vishwanath Jyotirlinga
Recitation upon the fall of the body is traditionally held to lead the devotee to liberation (moksha)
How to Chant Kashi Vishwanathashtakam
Sit facing east or toward a Shiva Lingam, take a moment to still the mind, and recite all eight verses with the refrain 'Vārāṇasī-pura-patiṁ bhaja Viśvanātham', concluding with the ninth phala-shruti verse. It may be chanted once or in cycles of nine. As the eighth verse advises, recite it after letting go of worldly cravings and ill-will toward others, placing the mind in quiet meditation on the Lord seated in the heart-lotus. Chanting before the Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga, or while mentally visualising Varanasi on the Ganga, deepens the devotion.
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