shivasharabhasharabheshvaraashtakam

ශරභේශාෂ්ටකම්

शरभेशाष्टकम् in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 8× repetitions·🕐 Pradosham, Maha Shivaratri, Tuesdays or Saturdays (for protection), or during fierce-form Shiva worship·📜 Shaiva-Shakta tantras (Sharabheshvara Ashtakam / Sharabhesha Ashtakam, traditionally associated with the Rudrayamala / Shiva-Shakti tantric tradition)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Shaiva-Shakta tantras (Sharabheshvara Ashtakam / Sharabhesha Ashtakam, traditionally associated with the Rudrayamala / Shiva-Shakti tantric tradition) · Traditional (attributed to the tantric Shaiva tradition) · Classical / medieval

When Vishnu took the Narasimha (man-lion) form to slay the demon Hiranyakashipu, his terrible wrath did not subside even after the demon's death, and the worlds trembled. To restore balance, Shiva manifested as Sharabha — a colossal lion-bird being — and pacified Narasimha. The Sharabha Ashtakam celebrates this Sharabheshvara form, framed as a tantric stotra with ritual meditation (dhyana) preceding the eight verses of praise.

✦ As told in scripture

It is said that the very form of Sharabha was able to absorb and calm a fury that the gods themselves could not approach — the unbearable rage of Narasimha. For this reason devotees hold that the Sharabha Ashtakam can quell even the most violent unseen forces, black magic and afflictions, transmuting fierce energy into the protective grace of Shiva.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

දේවාදිදේවාය ජගන්මයාය ශිවාය නාලීකනිභානනාය. ශර්වාය භීමාය ශරාධිපාය නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තුභ්යං ශරභේශ්වරාය..1..

Devadi-Devaya Jagan-Mayaya Shivaya Nalika-Nibhananaya। Sharvaya Bhimaya Sharadhipaya Namo'stu Tubhyam Sharabheshvaraya॥1॥

Meaning:हे शरभेश्वर, आपको नमस्कार हो — देवों के भी देव, समस्त जगत् में व्याप्त, कमल-समान मुखमण्डल वाले मंगलमय शिव, शर्व, भीम, और शरों के अधिपति।

Verse 2

ශීතාංශුචූඩාය දිගම්බරාය සෘෂ්ටිස්ථිතිධ්වංසනකාරණාය. ජටාකලාපාය ජිතේන්ද්රියාය නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තුභ්යං ශරභේශ්වරාය..2..

Shitamshu-Chudaya Digambaraya Srishti-Sthiti-Dhvamsana-Karanaya। Jata-Kalapaya Jitendriyaya Namo'stu Tubhyam Sharabheshvaraya॥2॥

Meaning:हे शरभेश्वर, आपको नमस्कार हो — शीतल चन्द्र को शिखा पर धारण करने वाले, दिगम्बर, सृष्टि-स्थिति-संहार के कारण, जटाजूटधारी, जितेन्द्रिय।

Verse 3

කලඞ්කකණ්ඨාය භවාන්තකාය කපාලශූලාත්තකරාම්බුජාය. භුජඞ්ගභූෂාය පුරාන්තකාය නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තුභ්යං ශරභේශ්වරාය..3..

Kalanka-Kanthaya Bhavantakaya Kapala-Shulatta-Karambujaya। Bhujanga-Bhushaya Purantakaya Namo'stu Tubhyam Sharabheshvaraya॥3॥

Meaning:हे शरभेश्वर, आपको नमस्कार हो — जिनका कण्ठ (विष से) कलंकित है, संसार के अन्तकर्ता, कर-कमलों में कपाल और शूल धारण करने वाले, सर्पभूषित, त्रिपुरान्तक।

Verse 4

ශමාදිෂට්කාය යමාන්තකාය යමාදියෝගාෂ්ටකසිද්ධිදාය. උමාධිනාථාය පුරාතනාය නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තුභ්යං ශරභේශ්වරාය..4..

Shamadi-Shatkaya Yamantakaya Yamadi-Yogashtaka-Siddhidaya। Umadhinathaya Puratanaya Namo'stu Tubhyam Sharabheshvaraya॥4॥

Meaning:हे शरभेश्वर, आपको नमस्कार हो — शमादि छह सद्गुणों से युक्त, यम (मृत्यु) के अन्तक, यमादि अष्टांगयोग की सिद्धि देने वाले, उमा के अधिनाथ, पुरातन।

Verse 5

ඝෘණාදිපාශාෂ්ටකවර්ජිතාය ඛිලීකෘතාස්මත්පථි පූර්වගාය. ගුණාදිහීනාය ගුණත්රයාය නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තුභ්යං ශරභේශ්වරාය..5..

Ghrinadi-Pashashtaka-Varjitaya Khili-Kritasmat-Pathi Purvagaya। Gunadi-Hinaya Gunatrayaya Namo'stu Tubhyam Sharabheshvaraya॥5॥

Meaning:हे शरभेश्वर, आपको नमस्कार हो — घृणा आदि आठ पाशों से रहित, हमारे विकट मार्ग में अग्रगामी पथप्रदर्शक, गुणातीत होते हुए भी तीनों गुणों के स्रोत।

Verse 6

කාලාය වේදාමෘතකන්දලාය කල්යාණකෞතූහලකාරණාය. ස්ථූලාය සූක්ෂ්මාය ස්වරූපගාය නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තුභ්යං ශරභේශ්වරාය..6..

Kalaya Vedamrita-Kandalaya Kalyana-Kautuhala-Karanaya। Sthulaya Sukshmaya Svarupa-Gaya Namo'stu Tubhyam Sharabheshvaraya॥6॥

Meaning:हे शरभेश्वर, आपको नमस्कार हो — जो स्वयं काल हैं, वेदामृत के कन्द (मूल) हैं, कल्याणमय कौतूहल के कारण हैं, स्थूल और सूक्ष्म दोनों, अपने स्वरूप में स्थित।

Verse 7

පඤ්චානනායානිලභාස්කරාය පඤ්චාශදර්ණාද්යපරාක්ෂයාය. පඤ්චාක්ෂරේශාය ජගද්ධිතාය නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තුභ්යං ශරභේශ්වරාය..7..

Panchananayanila-Bhaskaraya Panchashad-Arnady-Aparakshayaya। Panchaksharesaya Jagad-Dhitaya Namo'stu Tubhyam Sharabheshvaraya॥7॥

Meaning:हे शरभेश्वर, आपको नमस्कार हो — पञ्चानन, वायु और सूर्यस्वरूप, पचास अक्षरों एवं समस्त परात्पर से परे अक्षय, पञ्चाक्षर मन्त्र के ईश, जगत् के हितकारी।

Verse 8

හරාය භීමාය හරිප්රියාය භවාය ශාන්තාය පරාත්පරාය. මෘඩාය රුද්රාය විලෝචනාය නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තුභ්යං ශරභේශ්වරාය..8..

Haraya Bhimaya Hari-Priyaya Bhavaya Shantaya Paratparaya। Mridaya Rudraya Vilochanaya Namo'stu Tubhyam Sharabheshvaraya॥8॥

Meaning:हे शरभेश्वर, आपको नमस्कार हो — हर, भीम, हरि के प्रिय, भव, शान्त, परात्पर, मृड, रुद्र, त्रिनेत्र।

Word-by-Word Meaning

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දේවාදිදේවාය🔊Devadi-DevayaTo the God of gods (the first and foremost among the deities)

ජගන්මයාය🔊Jagan-MayayaTo him who pervades and is the very substance of the universe

ශිවාය🔊ShivayaTo the auspicious one, Shiva

නාලීකනිභානනාය🔊Nalika-NibhananayaTo him whose face is radiant like a lotus (nalika)

ශරාධිපාය🔊SharadhipayaTo the lord of arrows (and lord of the Sharabha form)

නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තුභ්යං ශරභේශ්වරාය🔊Namo'stu Tubhyam SharabheshvarayaSalutations be unto you, O Sharabheshvara! — the refrain ending every verse

ශීතාංශුචූඩාය🔊Shitamshu-ChudayaTo him who bears the cool-rayed moon as his crest

දිගම්බරාය🔊DigambarayaTo the sky-clad one (clad in the directions)

සෘෂ්ටිස්ථිතිධ්වංසනකාරණාය🔊Srishti-Sthiti-Dhvamsana-KaranayaTo the cause of creation, preservation and destruction

ජිතේන්ද්රියාය🔊JitendriyayaTo him who has fully conquered the senses

කලඞ්කකණ්ඨාය🔊Kalanka-KanthayaTo him whose throat bears the dark mark (from drinking the halahala poison)

භවාන්තකාය🔊BhavantakayaTo the ender of worldly existence (samsara)

කපාලශූලාත්තකරාම්බුජාය🔊Kapala-Shulatta-KarambujayaTo him in whose lotus hands are held the skull and the trident

පුරාන්තකාය🔊PurantakayaTo the destroyer of the three cities (Tripura)

යමාන්තකාය🔊YamantakayaTo the conqueror of Yama (death)

යමාදියෝගාෂ්ටකසිද්ධිදාය🔊Yamadi-Yogashtaka-SiddhidayaTo the giver of mastery over the eight limbs of yoga beginning with yama

උමාධිනාථාය🔊UmadhinathayaTo the supreme lord (and consort) of Uma

කාලාය🔊KalayaTo him who is Time itself

වේදාමෘතකන්දලාය🔊Vedamrita-KandalayaTo the wellspring of the nectar of the Vedas

ස්ථූලාය සූක්ෂ්මාය🔊Sthulaya SukshmayaTo him who is both the gross and the subtle

පඤ්චානනාය🔊PanchananayaTo the five-faced one (and also: the lion-faced — fitting the Sharabha)

පඤ්චාක්ෂරේශාය🔊PanchaksharesayaTo the Lord of the five-syllabled mantra (Namah Shivaya)

හරිප්රියාය🔊Hari-PriyayaTo him who is dear to Hari (Vishnu) — the Sharabha form pacified Narasimha yet remains his friend

මෘඩාය රුද්රාය🔊Mridaya RudrayaTo the gracious Mrida and the fierce Rudra (the gentle and the terrible together)

Benefits of Chanting शरभेशाष्टकम्

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Invokes the fierce protective Sharabha form of Shiva, traditionally for the strongest spiritual protection

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Believed to pacify and absorb intense, uncontrolled or destructive energies (as Sharabha calmed Narasimha)

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Removes deep-seated fear and grants the courage of the lion-bird god

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Each verse meditates on Shiva as both gross and subtle, fierce and gracious — uniting Rudra and Mrida

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Recited for protection from black magic, evil influences and unseen dangers

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Praises Shiva as Lord of the five-syllabled mantra and giver of the eight yogic perfections, supporting sadhana

How to Chant शरभेशाष्टकम्

Repetitions8times

Best TimePradosham, Maha Shivaratri, Tuesdays or Saturdays (for protection), or during fierce-form Shiva worship

This is a tantric stotra; recite it with reverence and inner steadiness. After the customary nyasa and dhyana of Sharabheshvara given in the tantras, chant the eight verses, each sealed by 'Namo'stu Tubhyam Sharabheshvaraya'. It is recited facing a Sharabha or Shiva image, ideally before a lamp. As a protective hymn it may be repeated 8 times. Those new to fierce-form worship may simply chant it devotionally as a Shiva stuti.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete शरभेशाष्टकम् 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.

Sharabha (Sharabheshvara) is a fierce form of Lord Shiva, described in the Shaiva tantras as an enormous being — part lion, part bird (sometimes eight-legged) — mightier than the lion or the elephant. Shiva assumed this form to calm Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu, whose fury after slaying Hiranyakashipu was endangering creation.

It is an eight-verse hymn (also called the Sharabheshvara Ashtakam) praising Shiva as Sharabheshvara. Each verse strings together names and attributes of the Lord and ends with the refrain 'Namo'stu Tubhyam Sharabheshvaraya' — 'Salutations to you, O Sharabheshvara'.

Because Sharabha is the form in which Shiva subdued the most overwhelming of fierce energies, devotees invoke him for the strongest protection — to absorb negativity, calm destructive forces, ward off black magic and evil influences, and dispel deep fear.

No. Although Sharabha pacified Narasimha, the eighth verse itself calls Shiva 'Hari-Priya' (dear to Hari). The episode is understood as the harmonising of two fierce divine energies, not enmity, and Shaiva and Vaishnava traditions both honour the deeper unity of Shiva and Vishnu.