๐๐จ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐๐ฐ ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐ฎ๐
Chandrashekhara Ashtakam in Grantha ยท ๐๐๐ฐ๐จ๐๐ฅ
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Origin & Story
Traditional Shaiva stotra literature, popularly attributed to the sage Markandeya ยท Traditionally attributed to Markandeya Rishi ยท Classical (ancient)
The Chandrashekhara Ashtakam is traditionally linked to Markandeya, the boy who was fated to die at the age of sixteen. As the appointed hour arrived and Yama's noose descended, Markandeya clung to the Shiva Lingam and poured out his devotion. Lord Shiva, the conqueror of death, emerged from the Lingam, struck down Yama, and blessed the boy with deathlessness. The hymn's defiant refrain โ 'I take refuge in Chandrashekhara, what can Yama do to me?' โ captures this victory of devotion over death, and it has been chanted ever since for fearlessness and protection.
โฆ As told in scripture
It is said that the boy-sage Markandeya, embracing the Shiva Lingam as Yama's noose fell upon him, was spared death itself when Lord Shiva burst forth and granted him eternal youth. Devotees believe that chanting the Chandrashekhara Ashtakam with this same spirit of total refuge shields one from untimely death and turns the heart utterly fearless.
Complete Text with Meaning
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๐๐จ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐๐ฐ ๐ช๐พ๐น๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐พ๐ฎ๐เฅค ๐๐จ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ท ๐ฎ๐พ๐ฎ๐เฅฅ
Chandrashekhara Chandrashekhara Chandrashekhara Pahi Mam Chandrashekhara Chandrashekhara Chandrashekhara Raksha Mam
Meaning:O Chandrashekhara, Chandrashekhara, Chandrashekhara โ protect me! O Chandrashekhara, Chandrashekhara, Chandrashekhara โ save me!
๐ฐ๐ค๐๐จ๐ธ๐พ๐จ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐พ๐ธ๐จ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ค๐พ๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐จ๐ฟ๐๐๐ค๐จ๐ ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐จ๐๐๐๐ค๐ช๐จ๐๐จ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ค๐พ๐จ๐จ๐ธ๐พ๐ฏ๐๐ฎ๐เฅค ๐๐๐ท๐ฟ๐ช๐๐ฐ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐ช๐๐ฐ๐ค๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ ๐ค๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฆ๐ถ๐พ๐ฒ๐ฏ๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฟ๐ต๐จ๐๐ฆ๐ฟ๐ค๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐พ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฎ ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ท๐๐ฏ๐ค๐ฟ ๐ต๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐เฅฅ
Ratna-sanu-sharasanam Rajatadri-shringa-niketanam Shinjini-krita-pannageshvaram Achyutanana-sayakam Kshipra-dagdha-pura-trayam Tridashalayair-abhivanditam Chandrashekharam-ashraye Mama Kim Karishyati Vai Yamah
Meaning:He whose bow is the jewelled mountain, who dwells upon the peak of the silver mountain, who made the king of serpents his bowstring and Vishnu his arrow, who swiftly burned the three cities, who is worshipped by the dwellers of heaven โ I take refuge in that Chandrashekhara. What indeed can the lord of death do to me?
๐ช๐๐๐๐ช๐พ๐ฆ๐ช๐ช๐๐ท๐๐ช๐๐จ๐๐ง๐ช๐ฆ๐พ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ต๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐ญ๐ฟ๐ค๐ ๐ญ๐พ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐๐๐จ๐๐พ๐ค๐ช๐พ๐ต๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐ฎ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ต๐ฟ๐๐๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐เฅค ๐ญ๐ธ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฟ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฐ๐ ๐ญ๐ต๐จ๐พ๐ถ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ต๐ฎ๐ต๐๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐พ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฎ ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ท๐๐ฏ๐ค๐ฟ ๐ต๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐เฅฅ
Pancha-padapa-pushpa-gandha-padambuja-dvaya-shobhitam Bhala-lochana-jata-pavaka-dagdha-manmatha-vigraham Bhasma-digdha-kalevaram Bhava-nashanam Bhavam-avyayam Chandrashekharam-ashraye Mama Kim Karishyati Vai Yamah
Meaning:He whose two lotus feet are fragrant and worshipped with flowers, who burned the body of Manmatha with the fire of his forehead eye, whose body is smeared with ash, who destroys worldly bondage and is himself imperishable โ I take refuge in that Chandrashekhara. What indeed can the lord of death do to me?
๐ฎ๐ค๐๐ค๐ต๐พ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฐ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ค๐๐ค๐๐ค๐ฐ๐๐ฏ๐ฎ๐จ๐๐น๐ฐ๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐พ๐ธ๐จ๐ช๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ฒ๐๐๐จ๐ช๐๐๐ฟ๐ค๐พ๐๐๐๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฐ๐๐ฐ๐๐น๐ฎ๐เฅค ๐ฆ๐๐ต๐ธ๐ฟ๐จ๐๐ง๐๐ค๐ฐ๐๐๐๐ธ๐๐๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฟ๐๐๐ค๐ถ๐๐ญ๐๐ฐ๐๐๐พ๐ง๐ฐ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐พ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฎ ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ท๐๐ฏ๐ค๐ฟ ๐ต๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐เฅฅ
Matta-varana-mukhya-charma-kritottariya-manoharam Pankajasana-padma-lochana-pujitanghri-saroruham Deva-sindhu-taranga-sikara-sikta-shubhra-jatadharam Chandrashekharam-ashraye Mama Kim Karishyati Vai Yamah
Meaning:He who is beautiful, wearing the hide of the mighty elephant as an upper garment, whose lotus feet are worshipped by the lotus-eyed lotus-seated Brahma, who bears bright matted locks moistened by the spray of the celestial Ganga's waves โ I take refuge in that Chandrashekhara. What indeed can the lord of death do to me?
๐ฏ๐๐๐ท๐ฐ๐พ๐๐ธ๐๐ ๐ญ๐๐พ๐๐๐ท๐น๐ฐ๐ ๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ญ๐๐ท๐ฃ๐ ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐พ๐๐ธ๐๐ค๐พ๐ช๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ท๐๐๐๐ค๐๐พ๐ฐ๐๐ต๐พ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฐ๐ฎ๐เฅค ๐๐๐ท๐๐ต๐๐ฒ๐จ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ช๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ต๐ง๐ง๐พ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐พ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐พ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฎ ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ท๐๐ฏ๐ค๐ฟ ๐ต๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐เฅฅ
Yaksha-raja-sakham Bhagaksha-haram Bhujanga-vibhushanam Shaila-raja-sutaparishkrita-charu-vama-kalevaram Kshvela-neela-galam Parashvadha-dharinam Mriga-dharinam Chandrashekharam-ashraye Mama Kim Karishyati Vai Yamah
Meaning:He who is the friend of Kubera, who destroyed Bhaga's eyes, who is adorned with serpents, whose lovely left half is shared by the daughter of the mountain king (Parvati), whose throat is blue from poison, who holds an axe and a deer โ I take refuge in that Chandrashekhara. What indeed can the lord of death do to me?
๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฐ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ต๐๐ท๐ต๐พ๐น๐จ๐ ๐จ๐พ๐ฐ๐ฆ๐พ๐ฆ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐จ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฐ๐ธ๐๐ค๐๐ค๐ต๐๐ญ๐ต๐ ๐ญ๐๐ต๐จ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฐ๐ฎ๐เฅค ๐ ๐จ๐๐ง๐๐พ๐จ๐๐ค๐๐ฎ๐พ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ค๐พ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ช๐พ๐ฆ๐ช๐ ๐ถ๐ฎ๐จ๐พ๐จ๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐พ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฎ ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ท๐๐ฏ๐ค๐ฟ ๐ต๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐เฅฅ
Kundali-krita-kundalishvara-kundalam Vrisha-vahanam Naradadi-muneeshvara-stuta-vaibhavam Bhuvaneshvaram Andhakantakam-ashritamara-padapam Shamanantakam Chandrashekharam-ashraye Mama Kim Karishyati Vai Yamah
Meaning:He who wears coiled serpent earrings, who rides the bull, whose glory is praised by Narada and the great sages, the lord of the worlds, the slayer of Andhaka, the wish-fulfilling tree for those who take refuge, the ender of Yama โ I take refuge in that Chandrashekhara. What indeed can the lord of death do to me?
๐ญ๐๐ท๐๐ ๐ญ๐ต๐ฐ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฃ๐พ๐ฎ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐พ๐ช๐ฆ๐พ๐ฎ๐ช๐น๐พ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฃ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ท๐ฏ๐๐๐๐ต๐ฟ๐จ๐พ๐ถ๐จ๐ ๐ค๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฃ๐พ๐ค๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐เฅค ๐ญ๐๐๐๐ค๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ค๐ฟ๐ซ๐ฒ๐ช๐๐ฐ๐ฆ๐ ๐ธ๐๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ธ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฟ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ฃ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐พ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฎ ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ท๐๐ฏ๐ค๐ฟ ๐ต๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐เฅฅ
Bheshajam Bhava-roginam-akhilapadam-apaharinam Daksha-yajna-vinashanam Triguna-atmakam Tri-vilochanam Bhukti-mukti-phala-pradam Sakalagha-sangha-nibarhanam Chandrashekharam-ashraye Mama Kim Karishyati Vai Yamah
Meaning:He who is the medicine for those sick with worldly existence, who removes all calamities, who destroyed Daksha's sacrifice, who embodies the three gunas and has three eyes, who grants both enjoyment and liberation and annihilates all heaps of sin โ I take refuge in that Chandrashekhara. What indeed can the lord of death do to me?
๐ญ๐๐๐ค๐ต๐ค๐๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฟ๐ค๐ ๐จ๐ฟ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐๐ท๐ฏ๐ ๐น๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐๐ต๐ญ๐๐ค๐ช๐ค๐ฟ๐ ๐ช๐ฐ๐พ๐ค๐๐ช๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ช๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฏ๐ฎ๐จ๐๐ค๐๐ค๐ฎ๐ฎ๐เฅค ๐ธ๐๐ฎ๐ต๐พ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐จ๐ญ๐๐น๐๐ค๐พ๐ถ๐จ๐ธ๐๐ฎ๐ช๐พ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฐ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐พ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฎ ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ท๐๐ฏ๐ค๐ฟ ๐ต๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐เฅฅ
Bhakta-vatsalam-architam Nidhim-akshayam Haridambaram Sarva-bhuta-patim Paratparam-aprameyam-anuttamam Soma-vari-nabho-hutashana-somapa-mareshvaram Chandrashekharam-ashraye Mama Kim Karishyati Vai Yamah
Meaning:He who is affectionate to devotees, who is worshipped, an inexhaustible treasure, who wears the directions as his garment (sky-clad), the lord of all beings, supreme beyond the supreme, immeasurable, unsurpassed, who is the moon, water, sky, fire, and the great lord โ I take refuge in that Chandrashekhara. What indeed can the lord of death do to me?
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting Chandrashekhara Ashtakam
Grants fearlessness and freedom from the fear of death (mrityu-bhaya)
Invokes Shiva's protection against accidents, illness and untimely danger
The refrain 'what can Yama do to me?' instils deep courage and surrender
Associated with Markandeya's victory over death โ chanted for longevity
Removes obstacles, calamities and the burden of accumulated sins
Bestows both worldly well-being (bhukti) and liberation (mukti)
Calms the mind and deepens unwavering devotion to Lord Shiva
How to Chant Chandrashekhara Ashtakam
Sit facing east or north before an image or Lingam of Shiva, light a lamp, and begin with the opening refrain 'Chandrashekhara... Pahi Mam... Raksha Mam' three times. Then chant the eight verses slowly, returning in your heart to the closing line 'Mama Kim Karishyati Vai Yamah' as a declaration of complete refuge. It is especially recited during illness or fear, and on behalf of the sick for protection and recovery.
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