𑌶𑍀𑌤𑌲𑌾𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌕𑌮𑍍
शीतलाष्टकम् in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥
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Origin & Story
Skanda Purana · Traditionally spoken by Lord Shiva (recorded by Sage Veda Vyasa) · Ancient / Puranic
In the Skanda Purana, Lord Shiva reveals the glory of Goddess Shitala, the cooling mother who governs fevers and pox-diseases. Where she is propitiated, epidemics are pacified; where she is neglected, eruptive fevers may spread. The Ashtakam is the hymn given for her worship, picturing her astride a donkey with a broom to sweep away disease, a kalasha of healing water and a winnowing fan to fan away heat. It became the central prayer of her cult across North and East India, sung especially on Sheetala Ashtami.
✦ As told in scripture
Tradition holds that during devastating outbreaks of smallpox, communities that took up the worship of Shitala and the recitation of this Ashtakam saw the epidemic recede. Many families relate that a feverish child grew calm and cool as the verses 'Shitale! Shitale!' were chanted at the bedside, the goddess answering her own name with the gift of healing.
Complete Text with Meaning
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𑌵𑌨𑍍𑌦𑍇𑌽𑌹𑌂 𑌶𑍀𑌤𑌲𑌾𑌂 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑍀𑌂 𑌰𑌾𑌸𑌭𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌾𑌂 𑌦𑌿𑌗𑌮𑍍𑌬𑌰𑌾𑌮𑍍। 𑌮𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌜𑌨𑍀𑌕𑌲𑌶𑍋𑌪𑍇𑌤𑌾𑌂 𑌶𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌪𑌾𑌲𑌙𑍍𑌕𑍃𑌤𑌮𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌕𑌾𑌮𑍍॥
Vande-Aham Shitalam Devim Rasabhastham Digambaram Marjani-Kalashopetam Shurpalankrita-Mastakam
Meaning:मैं गर्दभ पर विराजमान, दिगम्बरा, हाथ में झाड़ू एवं कलश धारण किए और मस्तक पर सूप से सुशोभित देवी शीतला की वन्दना करता हूँ।
𑌵𑌨𑍍𑌦𑍇𑌽𑌹𑌂 𑌶𑍀𑌤𑌲𑌾𑌂 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑍀𑌂 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍋𑌗𑌭𑌯𑌾𑌪𑌹𑌾𑌮𑍍। 𑌯𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌸𑌾𑌦𑍍𑌯 𑌨𑌿𑌵𑌰𑍍𑌤𑍇𑌤 𑌵𑌿𑌸𑍍𑌫𑍋𑌟𑌕𑌭𑌯𑌂 𑌮𑌹𑌤𑍍॥
Vande-Aham Shitalam Devim Sarva-Roga-Bhaya-Apaham Yam-Asadya Nivarteta Visphotaka-Bhayam Mahat
Meaning:मैं समस्त रोगों के भय को हरने वाली देवी शीतला की वन्दना करता हूँ, जिनकी शरण पाकर विस्फोटक (चेचक आदि) का महान भय दूर हो जाता है।
𑌶𑍀𑌤𑌲𑍇 𑌶𑍀𑌤𑌲𑍇 𑌚𑍇𑌤𑌿 𑌯𑍋 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑍂𑌯𑌾𑌦𑍍𑌦𑌾𑌹𑌪𑍀𑌡𑌿𑌤𑌃। 𑌵𑌿𑌸𑍍𑌫𑍋𑌟𑌕𑌭𑌯𑌂 𑌘𑍋𑌰𑌂 𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌿𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌂 𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌣𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌤𑌿॥
Shitale Shitale Cheti Yo Bruyad-Daha-Piditah Visphotaka-Bhayam Ghoram Kshipram Tasya Pranashyati
Meaning:जो दाह (ज्वर की जलन) से पीड़ित मनुष्य 'शीतले! शीतले!' कहता है, उसका घोर विस्फोटक-भय शीघ्र ही नष्ट हो जाता है।
𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌮𑍁𑌦𑌕𑌮𑌧𑍍𑌯𑍇 𑌤𑍁 𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾 𑌸𑌮𑍍𑌪𑍂𑌜𑌯𑍇𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌰𑌃। 𑌵𑌿𑌸𑍍𑌫𑍋𑌟𑌕𑌭𑌯𑌂 𑌘𑍋𑌰𑌂 𑌗𑍃𑌹𑍇 𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌨 𑌜𑌾𑌯𑌤𑍇॥
Yas-Tvam-Udaka-Madhye Tu Dhyatva Sampujayen-Narah Visphotaka-Bhayam Ghoram Grihe Tasya Na Jayate
Meaning:जो मनुष्य जल के मध्य खड़े होकर आपका ध्यान कर पूजन करता है, उसके घर में घोर विस्फोटक का भय कभी नहीं होता।
𑌶𑍀𑌤𑌲𑍇 𑌜𑍍𑌵𑌰𑌦𑌗𑍍𑌧𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌪𑍂𑌤𑌿𑌗𑌨𑍍𑌧𑌯𑍁𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌚। 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌨𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍁𑌷𑌃 𑌪𑍁𑌂𑌸𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌹𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌜𑍀𑌵𑌨𑍗𑌷𑌧𑌮𑍍॥
Shitale Jvara-Dagdhasya Puti-Gandha-Yutasya Cha Pranashta-Chakshushah Pumsas-Tvam-Ahur-Jivana-Aushadham
Meaning:हे शीतले! ज्वर से जले हुए, दुर्गन्धयुक्त, नेत्रहीन हुए मनुष्य के लिए आपको ही जीवनदायिनी औषधि कहा गया है।
𑌶𑍀𑌤𑌲𑍇 𑌤𑌨𑍁𑌜𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌰𑍋𑌗𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌨𑍃𑌣𑌾𑌂 𑌹𑌰𑌸𑌿 𑌦𑍁𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌜𑌾𑌨𑍍। 𑌵𑌿𑌸𑍍𑌫𑍋𑌟𑌕𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍀𑌰𑍍𑌣𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌂 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌮𑍇𑌕𑌾𑌽𑌮𑍃𑌤𑌵𑌰𑍍𑌷𑌿𑌣𑍀॥
Shitale Tanujan-Rogan-Nrinam Harasi Dustyajan Visphotaka-Vidirnanam Tvam-Eka-Amrita-Varshini
Meaning:हे शीतले! आप मनुष्यों के शरीर के दुस्त्यज रोगों को हर लेती हैं; विस्फोटक से विदीर्ण हुए लोगों के लिए आप ही एकमात्र अमृत-वर्षिणी हैं।
𑌗𑌲𑌗𑌣𑍍𑌡𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌹𑌾 𑌰𑍋𑌗𑌾 𑌯𑍇 𑌚𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌯𑍇 𑌦𑌾𑌰𑍁𑌣𑌾 𑌨𑍃𑌣𑌾𑌮𑍍। 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌦𑌨𑍁𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌨𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍇𑌣 𑌶𑍀𑌤𑌲𑍇 𑌯𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌸𑌙𑍍𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌯𑌮𑍍॥
Gala-Ganda-Graha Roga Ye Chanye Daruna Nrinam Tvad-Anudhyana-Matrena Shitale Yanti Sankshayam
Meaning:गलगण्ड, ग्रह-पीड़ा तथा मनुष्यों के अन्य भयंकर रोग — हे शीतले! केवल आपके ध्यान-मात्र से ही नष्ट हो जाते हैं।
𑌨 𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍋 𑌨𑍗𑌷𑌧𑌂 𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌪𑌾𑌪𑌰𑍋𑌗𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍇। 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌮𑍇𑌕𑌾𑌂 𑌶𑍀𑌤𑌲𑍇 𑌧𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍀 𑌨𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌂 𑌪𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌮𑌿 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌤𑌾𑌮𑍍॥
Na Mantro Nausadham Tasya Papa-Rogasya Vidyate Tvam-Ekam Shitale Dhatri Nanyam Pashyami Devatam
Meaning:उस पापरूपी घोर रोग का न कोई मन्त्र है न औषध; हे शीतले! मैं आपको ही धात्री (पालनकर्त्री) के रूप में देखता हूँ, अन्य किसी देवता को नहीं।
𑌮𑍃𑌣𑌾𑌲𑌤𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍁𑌸𑌦𑍃𑌶𑍀𑌂 𑌨𑌾𑌭𑌿𑌹𑍃𑌨𑍍𑌮𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌸𑌂𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌿𑌤𑌾𑌮𑍍। 𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌂 𑌸𑌞𑍍𑌚𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌯𑍇𑌦𑍍𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌿 𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌮𑍃𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌨 𑌜𑌾𑌯𑌤𑍇॥
Mrinala-Tantu-Sadrishim Nabhi-Hrin-Madhya-Samsthitam Yas-Tvam Sanchintayed-Devi Tasya Mrityur-Na Jayate
Meaning:हे देवी! जो आपको कमल-नाल के तन्तु के समान सूक्ष्म रूप में नाभि और हृदय के मध्य स्थित मानकर चिन्तन करता है, उसकी मृत्यु नहीं होती।
𑌅𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌕𑌂 𑌶𑍀𑌤𑌲𑌾𑌦𑍇𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾 𑌯𑍋 𑌨𑌰𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌪𑌠𑍇𑌤𑍍𑌸𑌦𑌾। 𑌵𑌿𑌸𑍍𑌫𑍋𑌟𑌕𑌭𑌯𑌂 𑌘𑍋𑌰𑌂 𑌗𑍃𑌹𑍇 𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌨 𑌜𑌾𑌯𑌤𑍇॥
Ashtakam Shitala-Devya Yo Narah Prapathet-Sada Visphotaka-Bhayam Ghoram Grihe Tasya Na Jayate
Meaning:जो मनुष्य शीतला देवी के इस अष्टक का सदा पाठ करता है, उसके घर में घोर विस्फोटक का भय कभी नहीं होता।
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting शीतलाष्टकम्
Invokes Goddess Shitala for protection from and cure of fevers, pox and skin diseases
Traditionally chanted during outbreaks of smallpox, chickenpox, measles and epidemic fevers
Believed to keep the home free from the 'fear of pox' (visphotaka) when recited regularly
Brings cooling relief to those burning with fever, as her very name means 'the cool one'
Soothes restlessness, heat and irritation of body and mind
Regular recitation, especially on Sheetala Ashtami, is held to grant lasting health and longevity
How to Chant शीतलाष्टकम्
Bathe and chant facing the rising sun, ideally after worshipping Shitala Mata with cooled (basi) food, water and a lamp. The hymn is traditionally recited while standing in or near water. It may be chanted for a sick person, with the cool water offered before the goddess afterward given as prasada. Many recite the full eight verses with the concluding phala-shruti once daily during illness or every Tuesday for ongoing protection.
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