shivachandrashekharaashtakamprotection

චන්ද්රශේඛර අෂ්ටකම්

चन्द्रशेखर अष्टकम् in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 8× repetitions·🕐 Monday mornings, Pradosh Kaal, Maha Shivaratri, or during times of fear, illness, or danger·📜 Traditional Shaiva stotra literature, popularly attributed to the sage Markandeya

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Traditional Shaiva stotra literature, popularly attributed to the sage Markandeya · Traditionally attributed to Markandeya Rishi · 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 — 'I take refuge in Chandrashekhara, what can Yama do to me?' — captures this victory of devotion over death, and it has been chanted ever since for fearlessness and protection.

✦ 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.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

චන්ද්රශේඛර චන්ද්රශේඛර චන්ද්රශේඛර පාහි මාම්. චන්ද්රශේඛර චන්ද්රශේඛර චන්ද්රශේඛර රක්ෂ මාම්..

Chandrashekhara Chandrashekhara Chandrashekhara Pahi Mam Chandrashekhara Chandrashekhara Chandrashekhara Raksha Mam

Meaning:हे चन्द्रशेखर, चन्द्रशेखर, चन्द्रशेखर — मेरी रक्षा करो! हे चन्द्रशेखर, चन्द्रशेखर, चन्द्रशेखर — मुझे बचाओ!

Verse 2

රත්නසානුශරාසනං රජතාද්රිශෘඞ්ගනිකේතනං ශිඤ්ජිනීකෘතපන්නගේශ්වරමච්යුතානනසායකම්. ක්ෂිප්රදග්ධපුරත්රයං ත්රිදශාලයෛරභිවන්දිතං චන්ද්රශේඛරමාශ්රයේ මම කිං කරිෂ්යති වෛ යමඃ..

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:जिनका धनुष रत्नमय पर्वत (मेरु) है, जो रजत पर्वत (कैलास) के शिखर पर निवास करते हैं, जिन्होंने नागराज वासुकि को प्रत्यञ्चा और विष्णु को बाण बनाया, जिन्होंने शीघ्र ही त्रिपुर को भस्म कर दिया, जो देवताओं द्वारा वन्दित हैं — उन चन्द्रशेखर की मैं शरण लेता हूँ। फिर यमराज मेरा क्या कर सकता है?

Verse 3

පඤ්චපාදපපුෂ්පගන්ධපදාම්බුජද්වයශෝභිතං භාලලෝචනජාතපාවකදග්ධමන්මථවිග්රහම්. භස්මදිග්ධකලේවරං භවනාශනං භවමව්යයං චන්ද්රශේඛරමාශ්රයේ මම කිං කරිෂ්යති වෛ යමඃ..

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:जिनके दोनों चरणकमल पुष्पों की सुगन्ध से सुशोभित और पूजित हैं, जिन्होंने अपने ललाट-नेत्र की अग्नि से कामदेव का शरीर भस्म कर दिया, जिनका शरीर भस्म से लिप्त है, जो संसार-बन्धन के नाशक एवं स्वयं अविनाशी हैं — उन चन्द्रशेखर की मैं शरण लेता हूँ। फिर यमराज मेरा क्या कर सकता है?

Verse 4

මත්තවාරණමුඛ්යචර්මකෘතෝත්තරීයමනෝහරං පඞ්කජාසනපද්මලෝචනපූජිතාඞ්ඝ්රිසරෝරුහම්. දේවසින්ධුතරඞ්ගසීකරසික්තශුභ්රජටාධරං චන්ද්රශේඛරමාශ්රයේ මම කිං කරිෂ්යති වෛ යමඃ..

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:जो मतवाले गजराज के चर्म का उत्तरीय धारण किए मनोहर हैं, जिनके चरणकमल कमलासन कमललोचन ब्रह्मा द्वारा पूजित हैं, जो देवनदी गंगा की तरंगों के जल-कणों से सिक्त उज्ज्वल जटा धारण करते हैं — उन चन्द्रशेखर की मैं शरण लेता हूँ। फिर यमराज मेरा क्या कर सकता है?

Verse 5

යක්ෂරාජසඛං භගාක්ෂහරං භුජඞ්ගවිභූෂණං ශෛලරාජසුතාපරිෂ්කෘතචාරුවාමකලේවරම්. ක්ෂ්වේලනීලගලං පරශ්වධධාරිණං මෘගධාරිණං චන්ද්රශේඛරමාශ්රයේ මම කිං කරිෂ්යති වෛ යමඃ..

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:जो यक्षराज (कुबेर) के मित्र हैं, जिन्होंने भग के नेत्र हरे, जो सर्पों से विभूषित हैं, जिनके सुन्दर वाम अंग को पर्वतराज-पुत्री (पार्वती) सुशोभित करती हैं, जिनका कण्ठ विष से नीला है, जो परशु और मृग धारण करते हैं — उन चन्द्रशेखर की मैं शरण लेता हूँ। फिर यमराज मेरा क्या कर सकता है?

Verse 6

කුණ්ඩලීකෘතකුණ්ඩලීශ්වරකුණ්ඩලං වෘෂවාහනං නාරදාදිමුනීශ්වරස්තුතවෛභවං භුවනේශ්වරම්. අන්ධකාන්තකමාශ්රිතාමරපාදපං ශමනාන්තකං චන්ද්රශේඛරමාශ්රයේ මම කිං කරිෂ්යති වෛ යමඃ..

Kundali-krita-kundalishvara-kundalam Vrisha-vahanam Naradadi-muneeshvara-stuta-vaibhavam Bhuvaneshvaram Andhakantakam-ashritamara-padapam Shamanantakam Chandrashekharam-ashraye Mama Kim Karishyati Vai Yamah

Meaning:जो कुण्डलित नागराज को कुण्डल रूप में धारण करते हैं, जो वृषभ पर सवार हैं, जिनका वैभव नारद आदि मुनीश्वरों द्वारा स्तुत है, जो भुवनेश्वर हैं, अन्धकासुर के अन्तक हैं, शरणागतों के लिए कल्पवृक्ष हैं, यम के भी अन्तक हैं — उन चन्द्रशेखर की मैं शरण लेता हूँ। फिर यमराज मेरा क्या कर सकता है?

Verse 7

භේෂජං භවරෝගිණාමඛිලාපදාමපහාරිණං දක්ෂයජ්ඤවිනාශනං ත්රිගුණාත්මකං ත්රිවිලෝචනම්. භුක්තිමුක්තිඵලප්රදං සකලාඝසඞ්ඝනිබර්හණං චන්ද්රශේඛරමාශ්රයේ මම කිං කරිෂ්යති වෛ යමඃ..

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:जो संसार-रोगियों के लिए औषधि हैं, समस्त आपदाओं को हरने वाले हैं, जिन्होंने दक्ष-यज्ञ का विनाश किया, जो त्रिगुणात्मक और त्रिनेत्र हैं, जो भोग और मोक्ष दोनों के फलदाता तथा सब पाप-समूहों के नाशक हैं — उन चन्द्रशेखर की मैं शरण लेता हूँ। फिर यमराज मेरा क्या कर सकता है?

Verse 8

භක්තවත්සලමර්චිතං නිධිමක්ෂයං හරිදම්බරං සර්වභූතපතිං පරාත්පරමප්රමේයමනුත්තමම්. සෝමවාරිනභෝහුතාශනසෝමපාමරමේශ්වරං චන්ද්රශේඛරමාශ්රයේ මම කිං කරිෂ්යති වෛ යමඃ..

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:जो भक्तवत्सल, पूजित, अक्षय निधि, दिगम्बर (आकाश रूपी वस्त्रधारी), सर्वभूतपति, परात्पर, अप्रमेय और अनुत्तम हैं, जो चन्द्र, जल, आकाश, अग्नि, सोमपान करने वाले तथा महेश्वर हैं — उन चन्द्रशेखर की मैं शरण लेता हूँ। फिर यमराज मेरा क्या कर सकता है?

Word-by-Word Meaning

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චන්ද්රශේඛර🔊ChandrashekharaOne who wears the moon (chandra) upon his crest (shekhara) — Lord Shiva

පාහි මාම්🔊Pahi MamProtect me

රක්ෂ මාම්🔊Raksha MamSave me, guard me

රත්නසානුශරාසනං🔊Ratna-sanu-sharasanamOne whose bow is the jewelled mountain Meru

රජතාද්රිශෘඞ්ගනිකේතනං🔊Rajatadri-shringa-niketanamOne whose abode is the peak of the silver mountain (Kailasa)

ශිඤ්ජිනීකෘතපන්නගේශ්වරම්🔊Shinjini-krita-pannageshvaramOne who made Vasuki, the king of serpents, his bowstring

ක්ෂිප්රදග්ධපුරත්රයං🔊Kshipra-dagdha-pura-trayamOne who swiftly burned the three cities (Tripura)

ත්රිදශාලයෛරභිවන්දිතං🔊Tridashalayair-abhivanditamOne who is worshipped by the dwellers of heaven (the devas)

මාශ්රයේ🔊AshrayeI take refuge in

මම කිං කරිෂ්යති වෛ යමඃ🔊Mama Kim Karishyati Vai YamahWhat indeed can Yama, the lord of death, do to me?

භාලලෝචනජාතපාවක🔊Bhala-lochana-jata-pavakaThe fire born from the eye on his forehead (third eye)

දග්ධමන්මථවිග්රහම්🔊Dagdha-manmatha-vigrahamOne who burned the body of Manmatha (Kamadeva, god of desire)

භස්මදිග්ධකලේවරං🔊Bhasma-digdha-kalevaramOne whose body is smeared with sacred ash (vibhuti)

දේවසින්ධුතරඞ්ග🔊Deva-sindhu-tarangaThe waves of the celestial river (Ganga)

ශුභ්රජටාධරං🔊Shubhra-jatadharamOne who bears bright, matted locks of hair

ක්ෂ්වේලනීලගලං🔊Kshvela-neela-galamOne whose throat is blue from the (halahala) poison

වෘෂවාහනං🔊Vrisha-vahanamOne whose vehicle is the bull (Nandi)

අන්ධකාන්තකම්🔊AndhakantakamThe slayer of the demon Andhaka

භේෂජං භවරෝගිණාම්🔊Bheshajam Bhava-roginamThe medicine for those afflicted with the disease of worldly existence

භුක්තිමුක්තිඵලප්රදං🔊Bhukti-mukti-phala-pradamThe bestower of both worldly enjoyment and liberation

සර්වභූතපතිං🔊Sarva-bhuta-patimThe lord of all beings

පරාත්පරම්🔊ParatparamHigher than the highest, supreme

Benefits of Chanting चन्द्रशेखर अष्टकम्

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Grants fearlessness and freedom from the fear of death (mrityu-bhaya)

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Invokes Shiva's protection against accidents, illness and untimely danger

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The refrain 'what can Yama do to me?' instils deep courage and surrender

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Associated with Markandeya's victory over death — chanted for longevity

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Removes obstacles, calamities and the burden of accumulated sins

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Bestows both worldly well-being (bhukti) and liberation (mukti)

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Calms the mind and deepens unwavering devotion to Lord Shiva

How to Chant चन्द्रशेखर अष्टकम्

Repetitions8times

Best TimeMonday mornings, Pradosh Kaal, Maha Shivaratri, or during times of fear, illness, or danger

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete चन्द्रशेखर अष्टकम् written in the Sinhala 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.

Chandrashekhara means 'one who wears the moon (chandra) as his crest-jewel (shekhara)'. It is one of Lord Shiva's most beloved names, depicting the crescent moon adorning his matted locks — a symbol of his serenity and his mastery over time.

The refrain 'I take refuge in Chandrashekhara — what indeed can Yama do to me?' expresses fearless surrender. Once one has taken complete refuge in Shiva, the conqueror of death (Mrityunjaya), even Yama holds no terror. This is why the hymn is chanted for protection and freedom from the fear of death.

Yes. The boy-sage Markandeya, destined to die at sixteen, embraced the Shiva Lingam and was saved when Shiva burst forth and stopped Yama. The fearless spirit of this hymn — clinging to Shiva and defying death — reflects that timeless story, and it is often chanted for longevity and protection.

It is ideally chanted on Mondays (Shiva's day), during Pradosh Kaal, and on Maha Shivaratri. It is also recited in times of illness, fear, or danger, and on behalf of those who are sick, to invoke Shiva's protective grace.