शरभेशाष्टकम् Meaning — Line by Line

शरभेशाष्टकम्

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Meaning — Line by Line

Every verse of शरभेशाष्टकम् with its Hindi meaning. Tap any word to hear it, or ▶ to recite the verse.

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Verse 1. Devadi-Devaya Jagan-Mayaya Shivaya Nalika-Nibhananaya।
Verse 2. Shitamshu-Chudaya Digambaraya Srishti-Sthiti-Dhvamsana-Karanaya।
Verse 3. Kalanka-Kanthaya Bhavantakaya Kapala-Shulatta-Karambujaya।
Verse 4. Shamadi-Shatkaya Yamantakaya Yamadi-Yogashtaka-Siddhidaya।
Verse 5. Ghrinadi-Pashashtaka-Varjitaya Khili-Kritasmat-Pathi Purvagaya।
Verse 6. Kalaya Vedamrita-Kandalaya Kalyana-Kautuhala-Karanaya।
Verse 7. Panchananayanila-Bhaskaraya Panchashad-Arnady-Aparakshayaya।
Verse 8. Haraya Bhimaya Hari-Priyaya Bhavaya Shantaya Paratparaya।

Verse 1#

देवादिदेवाय जगन्मयाय शिवाय नालीकनिभाननाय। शर्वाय भीमाय शराधिपाय नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं शरभेश्वराय॥१॥

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

Meaningहे 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#

शीतांशुचूडाय दिगम्बराय सृष्टिस्थितिध्वंसनकारणाय। जटाकलापाय जितेन्द्रियाय नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं शरभेश्वराय॥२॥

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

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

Verse 3#

कलङ्ककण्ठाय भवान्तकाय कपालशूलात्तकराम्बुजाय। भुजङ्गभूषाय पुरान्तकाय नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं शरभेश्वराय॥३॥

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

Meaningहे 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#

शमादिषट्काय यमान्तकाय यमादियोगाष्टकसिद्धिदाय। उमाधिनाथाय पुरातनाय नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं शरभेश्वराय॥४॥

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

Meaningहे 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#

घृणादिपाशाष्टकवर्जिताय खिलीकृतास्मत्पथि पूर्वगाय। गुणादिहीनाय गुणत्रयाय नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं शरभेश्वराय॥५॥

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

Meaningहे 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#

कालाय वेदामृतकन्दलाय कल्याणकौतूहलकारणाय। स्थूलाय सूक्ष्माय स्वरूपगाय नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं शरभेश्वराय॥६॥

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

Meaningहे 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#

पञ्चाननायानिलभास्कराय पञ्चाशदर्णाद्यपराक्षयाय। पञ्चाक्षरेशाय जगद्धिताय नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं शरभेश्वराय॥७॥

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

Meaningहे 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#

हराय भीमाय हरिप्रियाय भवाय शान्ताय परात्पराय। मृडाय रुद्राय विलोचनाय नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं शरभेश्वराय॥८॥

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

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

Word-by-Word Breakdown

देवादिदेवाय

Devadi-Devaya

To the God of gods (the first and foremost among the deities)

जगन्मयाय

Jagan-Mayaya

To him who pervades and is the very substance of the universe

शिवाय

Shivaya

To the auspicious one, Shiva

नालीकनिभाननाय

Nalika-Nibhananaya

To him whose face is radiant like a lotus (nalika)

शराधिपाय

Sharadhipaya

To the lord of arrows (and lord of the Sharabha form)

नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं शरभेश्वराय

Namo'stu Tubhyam Sharabheshvaraya

Salutations be unto you, O Sharabheshvara! — the refrain ending every verse

शीतांशुचूडाय

Shitamshu-Chudaya

To him who bears the cool-rayed moon as his crest

दिगम्बराय

Digambaraya

To the sky-clad one (clad in the directions)

सृष्टिस्थितिध्वंसनकारणाय

Srishti-Sthiti-Dhvamsana-Karanaya

To the cause of creation, preservation and destruction

जितेन्द्रियाय

Jitendriyaya

To him who has fully conquered the senses

कलङ्ककण्ठाय

Kalanka-Kanthaya

To him whose throat bears the dark mark (from drinking the halahala poison)

भवान्तकाय

Bhavantakaya

To the ender of worldly existence (samsara)

कपालशूलात्तकराम्बुजाय

Kapala-Shulatta-Karambujaya

To him in whose lotus hands are held the skull and the trident

पुरान्तकाय

Purantakaya

To the destroyer of the three cities (Tripura)

यमान्तकाय

Yamantakaya

To the conqueror of Yama (death)

यमादियोगाष्टकसिद्धिदाय

Yamadi-Yogashtaka-Siddhidaya

To the giver of mastery over the eight limbs of yoga beginning with yama

उमाधिनाथाय

Umadhinathaya

To the supreme lord (and consort) of Uma

कालाय

Kalaya

To him who is Time itself

वेदामृतकन्दलाय

Vedamrita-Kandalaya

To the wellspring of the nectar of the Vedas

स्थूलाय सूक्ष्माय

Sthulaya Sukshmaya

To him who is both the gross and the subtle

पञ्चाननाय

Panchananaya

To the five-faced one (and also: the lion-faced — fitting the Sharabha)

पञ्चाक्षरेशाय

Panchaksharesaya

To the Lord of the five-syllabled mantra (Namah Shivaya)

हरिप्रियाय

Hari-Priyaya

To him who is dear to Hari (Vishnu) — the Sharabha form pacified Narasimha yet remains his friend

मृडाय रुद्राय

Mridaya Rudraya

To the gracious Mrida and the fierce Rudra (the gentle and the terrible together)

Origin & History

Source: Shaiva-Shakta tantras (Sharabheshvara Ashtakam / Sharabhesha Ashtakam, traditionally associated with the Rudrayamala / Shiva-Shakti tantric tradition)

Author: Traditional (attributed to the tantric Shaiva tradition)

Period: 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Sharabha?▼

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.

What is the Sharabha Ashtakam?▼

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'.

Why is the Sharabha form invoked for protection?▼

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.

Is the Sharabha form opposed to Vishnu?▼

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.

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