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वैद्यनाथाष्टकम् Meaning — Line by Line

वैद्यनाथाष्टकम्

Every verse and every word explained in English & Hindi

Meaning — Line by Line

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

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  1. Verse 1. Śrīrāmasaumitrijaṭāyuveda-
  2. Verse 2. Gaṅgāpravāhendujaṭādharāya
  3. Verse 3. Bhaktapriyāya tripurāntakāya
  4. Verse 4. Prabhūtavātādisamastaroga-
  5. Verse 5. Vākśrotranetrāṅghrivihīnajantoḥ
  6. Verse 6. Vedāntavedyāya jaganmayāya
  7. Verse 7. Svatīrthamṛdbhasmabhṛdaṅgabhājāṁ
  8. Verse 8. Śrīnīlakaṇṭhāya vṛṣadhvajāya
  9. Verse 9. Bālāmbikeśa vaidyeśa bhavarogahareti cha।
Verse 1#

Śrīrāmasaumitrijaṭāyuveda-

श्रीरामसौमित्रिजटायुवेद- षडाननादित्यकुजार्चिताय। श्रीनीलकण्ठाय दयामयाय श्रीवैद्यनाथाय नमः शिवाय॥१॥

Śrīrāmasaumitrijaṭāyuveda- ṣaḍānanādityakujārchitāya। Śrīnīlakaṇṭhāya dayāmayāya Śrīvaidyanāthāya namaḥ śivāya॥1॥

Meaningजो श्रीराम, लक्ष्मण, जटायु, वेद, षडानन (कार्तिकेय), सूर्य और मङ्गल से अर्चित हैं, उन दयामय नीलकण्ठ — वैद्यराज शिव को नमस्कार है।

Verse 2#

Gaṅgāpravāhendujaṭādharāya

गङ्गाप्रवाहेन्दुजटाधराय त्रिलोचनाय स्मरकालहन्त्रे। समस्तदेवैरपि पूजिताय श्रीवैद्यनाथाय नमः शिवाय॥२॥

Gaṅgāpravāhendujaṭādharāya Trilochanāya smarakālahantre। Samastadevairapi pūjitāya Śrīvaidyanāthāya namaḥ śivāya॥2॥

Meaningजो गङ्गा की धारा और चन्द्र को जटाओं में धारण करते हैं, जो त्रिलोचन हैं, कामदेव और काल (मृत्यु) के संहारक हैं, और समस्त देवों से भी पूजित हैं — उन वैद्यनाथ शिव को नमस्कार।

Verse 3#

Bhaktapriyāya tripurāntakāya

भक्तप्रियाय त्रिपुरान्तकाय पिनाकिने दुष्टहराय नित्यम्। प्रत्यक्षलीलाय मनुष्यलोके श्रीवैद्यनाथाय नमः शिवाय॥३॥

Bhaktapriyāya tripurāntakāya Pinākine duṣṭaharāya nityam। Pratyakṣalīlāya manuṣyaloke Śrīvaidyanāthāya namaḥ śivāya॥3॥

Meaningजो भक्तों के प्रिय हैं, त्रिपुर के अन्तक हैं, पिनाकधारी और दुष्टों के नित्य संहारक हैं, जिनकी लीला मनुष्यलोक में प्रत्यक्ष दिखाई देती है — उन वैद्यनाथ शिव को नमस्कार।

Verse 4#

Prabhūtavātādisamastaroga-

प्रभूतवातादिसमस्तरोग- प्रणाशकर्त्रे मुनिवन्दिताय। प्रभाकरेन्द्वग्निविलोचनाय श्रीवैद्यनाथाय नमः शिवाय॥४॥

Prabhūtavātādisamastaroga- Praṇāśakartre munivanditāya। Prabhākarendvagnivilochanāya Śrīvaidyanāthāya namaḥ śivāya॥4॥

Meaningजो वात आदि समस्त रोगों का नाश करने वाले हैं, मुनियों से वन्दित हैं, जिनके नेत्र सूर्य, चन्द्र और अग्नि हैं — उन वैद्यनाथ शिव को नमस्कार।

Verse 5#

Vākśrotranetrāṅghrivihīnajantoḥ

वाक्श्रोत्रनेत्राङ्घ्रिविहीनजन्तोः वाक्श्रोत्रनेत्राङ्घ्रिसुखप्रदाय। कुष्ठादिसर्वोन्नतरोगहन्त्रे श्रीवैद्यनाथाय नमः शिवाय॥५॥

Vākśrotranetrāṅghrivihīnajantoḥ Vākśrotranetrāṅghrisukhapradāya। Kuṣṭhādisarvonnatarogahantre Śrīvaidyanāthāya namaḥ śivāya॥5॥

Meaningजो वाणी, श्रवण, नेत्र और चरण से रहित प्राणियों को वाणी, श्रवण, नेत्र, चरण और सुख प्रदान करते हैं, तथा कुष्ठ आदि समस्त उग्र रोगों का नाश करते हैं — उन वैद्यनाथ शिव को नमस्कार।

Verse 6#

Vedāntavedyāya jaganmayāya

वेदान्तवेद्याय जगन्मयाय योगीश्वरध्येयपदाम्बुजाय। त्रिमूर्तिरूपाय सहस्रनाम्ने श्रीवैद्यनाथाय नमः शिवाय॥६॥

Vedāntavedyāya jaganmayāya Yogīśvaradhyeyapadāmbujāya। Trimūrtirūpāya sahasranāmne Śrīvaidyanāthāya namaḥ śivāya॥6॥

Meaningजो वेदान्त से ज्ञेय हैं, जगत्स्वरूप हैं, जिनके चरण-कमल योगीश्वरों के ध्येय हैं, जो त्रिमूर्तिस्वरूप और सहस्रनाम वाले हैं — उन वैद्यनाथ शिव को नमस्कार।

Verse 7#

Svatīrthamṛdbhasmabhṛdaṅgabhājāṁ

स्वतीर्थमृद्भस्मभृदङ्गभाजां पिशाचदुःखार्तिभयापहाय। आत्मस्वरूपाय शरीरभाजां श्रीवैद्यनाथाय नमः शिवाय॥७॥

Svatīrthamṛdbhasmabhṛdaṅgabhājāṁ Piśāchaduḥkhārtibhayāpahāya। Ātmasvarūpāya śarīrabhājāṁ Śrīvaidyanāthāya namaḥ śivāya॥7॥

Meaningजो अपने तीर्थ की मृत्तिका और भस्म को शरीर पर धारण करने वालों के पिशाच-दुःख, पीड़ा और भय को दूर करते हैं, और जो समस्त देहधारियों के आत्मस्वरूप हैं — उन वैद्यनाथ शिव को नमस्कार।

Verse 8#

Śrīnīlakaṇṭhāya vṛṣadhvajāya

श्रीनीलकण्ठाय वृषध्वजाय स्रग्गन्धभस्माद्यपिशोभिताय। सुपुत्रदारादिसुभाग्यदाय श्रीवैद्यनाथाय नमः शिवाय॥८॥

Śrīnīlakaṇṭhāya vṛṣadhvajāya Sraggandhabhasmādyapiśobhitāya। Suputradārādisubhāgyadāya Śrīvaidyanāthāya namaḥ śivāya॥8॥

Meaningजो नीलकण्ठ और वृषध्वज हैं, जो माला, गन्ध और भस्म आदि से सुशोभित हैं, जो सुपुत्र, सती-पत्नी आदि सौभाग्य प्रदान करते हैं — उन वैद्यनाथ शिव को नमस्कार।

Verse 9#

Bālāmbikeśa vaidyeśa bhavarogahareti cha।

बालाम्बिकेश वैद्येश भवरोगहरेति च। जपेन्नामत्रयं नित्यं महारोगनिवारणम्॥

Bālāmbikeśa vaidyeśa bhavarogahareti cha। Japennāmatrayaṁ nityaṁ mahāroganivāraṇam॥

Meaning'हे बालाम्बिकेश! हे वैद्येश! हे भवरोगहर!' — जो प्रतिदिन इन तीन नामों का जप करता है, उसके महारोगों का भी निवारण हो जाता है।

Word-by-Word Breakdown

श्रीराम
Śrīrāma
By Sri Rama
सौमित्रि
Saumitri
By Lakshmana (son of Sumitra)
जटायु
Jaṭāyu
By Jatayu, the noble vulture
वेद
Veda
By the Vedas
षडानन
Ṣaḍānana
By the six-faced Skanda (Kartikeya)
आदित्य
Āditya
By the Sun (Aditya)
कुज
Kuja
By Mangala (Mars / Kuja)
अर्चिताय
Architāya
To the one worshipped (by all the above)
श्रीनीलकण्ठाय
Śrīnīlakaṇṭhāya
To the blue-throated Lord (who drank the cosmic poison)
दयामयाय
Dayāmayāya
To the one full of compassion
श्रीवैद्यनाथाय नमः शिवाय
Śrīvaidyanāthāya namaḥ śivāya
Salutations to Shiva, the Lord of physicians (Vaidyanatha) — the refrain of every verse
गङ्गाप्रवाहेन्दुजटाधराय
Gaṅgāpravāhendujaṭādharāya
To the one bearing the flowing Ganga and the moon in his matted locks
त्रिलोचनाय
Trilochanāya
To the three-eyed one
स्मरकालहन्त्रे
Smarakālahantre
To the slayer of Kama (Smara, the god of desire) and of Yama (Death)
भक्तप्रियाय
Bhaktapriyāya
To the one dear to and fond of his devotees
त्रिपुरान्तकाय
Tripurāntakāya
To the destroyer of the three cities of Tripura
प्रत्यक्षलीलाय
Pratyakṣalīlāya
To the one whose divine play is directly visible in the human world
प्रभूतवातादिसमस्तरोगप्रणाशकर्त्रे
Prabhūtavātādisamastarogapraṇāśakartre
To the destroyer of all diseases — of wind (vāta), bile, phlegm and the rest
मुनिवन्दिताय
Munivanditāya
To the one revered by the sages
प्रभाकरेन्द्वग्निविलोचनाय
Prabhākarendvagnivilochanāya
Whose three eyes are the sun, the moon and fire
वाक्श्रोत्रनेत्राङ्घ्रिविहीनजन्तोः
Vākśrotranetrāṅghrivihīnajantoḥ
Of creatures deprived of speech, hearing, sight or limbs
सुखप्रदाय
Sukhapradāya
Who bestows (those very faculties and) well-being
कुष्ठादिसर्वोन्नतरोगहन्त्रे
Kuṣṭhādisarvonnatarogahantre
To the destroyer of leprosy and all severe, advanced diseases
वेदान्तवेद्याय
Vedāntavedyāya
To the one knowable through Vedanta
त्रिमूर्तिरूपाय
Trimūrtirūpāya
To the one who is the form of the trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva)
सहस्रनाम्ने
Sahasranāmne
To the one of a thousand names
आत्मस्वरूपाय
Ātmasvarūpāya
To the one who is the very form of the Self of all embodied beings
सुपुत्रदारादिसुभाग्यदाय
Suputradārādisubhāgyadāya
Who grants the good fortune of worthy children, spouse and prosperity
बालाम्बिकेश
Bālāmbikeśa
O Lord of Balambika (the Goddess consort at Vaidyanatha)
भवरोगहर
Bhavarogahara
O remover of the disease of worldly existence (bhava-roga)
जपेन्नामत्रयं नित्यं महारोगनिवारणम्
Japennāmatrayaṁ nityaṁ mahāroganivāraṇam
One should daily chant these three names — it wards off even the gravest diseases

Origin & History

Source: Vaidyanāthāṣṭakam, a traditional Shaiva ashtakam (often attributed to Adi Shankaracharya)

Author: Traditional; commonly attributed to Adi Shankaracharya

Period: Classical / medieval

The hymn extols Shiva as Vaidyanatha, the cosmic physician enshrined as a Jyotirlinga. The very first verse recalls how Sri Rama, Lakshmana, Jatayu, Skanda, the Sun and Mars worshipped this Lord — weaving together the temple traditions that associate Vaidyanatha with healing and with the Ramayana. Because Shiva became Neelakantha by drinking the Halahala poison to save creation, he is honoured as the supreme healer who absorbs suffering; the ashtakam invokes precisely this compassion to cure every bodily and spiritual ailment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Vaidyanatha?
Vaidyanatha is Lord Shiva worshipped in his form as the divine physician — 'Vaidya-natha' means 'Lord of healers'. He is enshrined as a Jyotirlinga (most famously at Deoghar/Baidyanath Dham in Jharkhand, and also identified with the Vaidyanatha temple in Tamil Nadu), and is invoked above all for healing of body and mind.
What is the Vaidyanatha Ashtakam chanted for?
It is chanted primarily for health and healing. The verses pray for relief from all diseases — fevers, imbalances of vata-pitta-kapha, leprosy and chronic illness — and even for restoring speech, hearing, sight and limbs. On a deeper level it asks Shiva to cure 'bhava-roga', the disease of worldly bondage itself.
What is the meaning of the closing three names?
The final verse gives three names — 'Bālāmbikeśa' (Lord of the Goddess Balambika), 'Vaidyeśa' (Lord of physicians) and 'Bhavarogahara' (remover of the disease of existence). The phalashruti says that chanting these three names daily wards off even the gravest of diseases (mahā-roga-nivāraṇam).
Who can chant the Vaidyanatha Ashtakam, and for whom?
Anyone may chant it with devotion. It is commonly recited for one's own health or on behalf of a sick family member or friend. Many devotees combine it with the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra and the offering of vibhuti (sacred ash) when praying for someone's recovery.

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