It was when Devī Pārvatī, yearning to unite with Bhagavān Śiva, sought guidance from Bhagavān Viṣṇu that He revealed the Śiva Aṣṭottara Śatanāmāvali Stotram. He assured Her that chanting these sacred names fulfills all desires and ultimately leads the seeker to Self-realisation.
It is important to understand that these names are not mere words of reverence. Each name carries profound meaning and highlights an aspect or attribute of a form of Bhagavān Śiva. Contemplation upon them is a transformative practice that helps us to imbibe these qualities, deepen our faith, sharpen our intellect, and ultimately surrender the ego, culminating in union with the Supreme.
The Name of Bhagavān holds immense power. Continuous chanting purifies the mind, making it single-pointed, sharp and subtle. Pūjya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda beautifully expresses this in his commentary on the Viṣṇu Sahasranāmaḥ.
“These names are like clear arrow marks rising from the known, indicating the unknown. Contemplation upon these can deepen our faith in, broaden our devotion to, and steel our understanding of the All-Pervading Reality.”
Swami Chinmayananda
For a student of Vedānta, the divine names also serve as a powerful medium of contemplation upon Bhagavān. The more we reflect upon them, the more we internalise their attributes.
Dialogue Between Devī Pārvatī and Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa
शरीरार्धमहं शम्भोः येन प्राप्स्यामि केशव ।
तदिदानीं ममाचक्ष्व स्तोत्रं शीघ्रफलप्रदं ॥
Pārvatyuvāca
śarīrārdhamahaṃ śambhoḥ
Devī Pārvatī addressed Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa and said, “O Keśava, tell me now that hymn which gives fruit quickly, by which I shall obtain half of the body of Śambhu.”
नारायण उवाच
अस्ति गुह्यतमं गौरि नाम्नामष्टोत्तरं शतं ।
शम्भोरहं प्रवक्ष्यामि पठतां शीघ्रकामदं ॥
Nārāyaṇa uvāca
asti guhyatamaṃ gauri nāmnāmaṣṭottaraṃ śataṃ
śambhorahaṃ pravakṣyāmi paṭhatāṃ śīghrakāmadaṃ
Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa replied, “O Gaurī, there exists a most secret set of one hundred and eight names of Śambhu. I shall declare it; it grants desires quickly to those who recite it.”
न्यास:
अस्य श्री शिवाष्टोत्तरशतनामस्तोत्र मन्त्रस्य
नारायण ऋषि: अनुष्टुप्छन्दः सदाशिवो देवता ।
Nyāsaḥ
asya śrī śivāṣṭottaraśatanāmastotra-mantrasya
nārāyaṇa ṛṣiḥ anuṣṭupchandaḥ sadāśivo devatā
For this sacred hymn of the Śrī Śiva Aṣṭottara Śatanāma Stotra,
Nārāyaṇa is the Ṛṣi, Anuṣṭup is the metre, and Sadāśiva is the presiding Deity.
धवलवपुषमिन्दोर्मण्डले सन्निविष्टं
भुजगवलयहारं भस्मदिग्धाङ्गमीशम् ।
हरिणपरशुपाणिं चारुचन्द्रार्धमौलिं
हृदयकमलमध्ये सन्ततं चिन्तयामि ॥
“In the middle of the lotus of the heart, I constantly meditate upon the Lord, white-bodied, situated in the orb of the moon, having serpents as bracelets and garlands, whose limbs are smeared with ash, holding a deer and an axe in His hands, whose crest bears a beautiful crescent moon.”
शिव-अष्टोत्तर-शतनामावलि-स्तोत्रम्
(Watch a video on the stotram & learn the chanting)
शिवो महेश्वरः शम्भुः पिनाकी शशिशेखरः ।
वामदेवो विरूपाक्षः कपर्दी नीललोहितः ॥१॥
शङ्करः शूलपाणिश्च खट्वाङ्गी विष्णुवल्लभः ।
शिपिविष्टोऽम्बिकानाथः श्रीकण्ठो भक्तवत्सलः ॥२॥
भवः शर्वस्त्रिलोकेशः शितिकण्ठ: शिवाप्रियः ।
उग्रः कपाली कामारिरन्धकासुरसूदनः ॥ ३ ॥
गङ्गाधरो ललाटाक्षः कालकालः कृपानिधिः ।
भीमः परशुहस्तश्च मृगपाणिर्जटाधरः ॥४॥
कैलासवासी कवची कठोरस्त्रिपुरान्तकः ।
वृषाङ्को वृषभारूढो भस्मोद्धूलितविग्रहः ॥५॥
सामप्रियः स्वरमयस्त्रयीमूर्तिरनीश्वरः ।
सर्वज्ञः परमात्मा च सोमसूर्याग्निलोचनः ॥६॥
हविर्यज्ञमयः सोमः पञ्चवक्त्रः सदाशिवः ।
विश्वेश्वरो वीरभद्रो गणनाथः प्रजापतिः ॥७॥
हिरण्यरेता दुर्धर्षो गिरीशो गिरिशोऽनघः ।
भुजङ्गभूषणो भर्गो गिरिधन्वा गिरिप्रियः ॥८॥
कृत्तिवासाः पुरारातिर्भगवान् प्रमथाधिपः ।
मृत्युञ्जयः सूक्ष्मतनुर्जगद्व्यापी जगद्गुरुः ॥९॥
व्योमकेशो महासेनजनकश्चारुविक्रमः ।
रुद्रो भूतपतिः स्थाणुरहिर्बुध्न्यो दिगम्बरः ॥१०॥
अष्टमूर्तिरनेकात्मा सात्त्विक: शुद्धविग्रहः ।
शाश्वतः खण्डपरशुरज: पाशविमोचक: ॥११॥
मृडः पशुपतिर्देवो महादेवोऽव्ययो हरिः ।
पूषदन्तभिदव्यग्रो दक्षाध्वरहरो हरः ॥१२॥
भगनेत्रभिदव्यक्तः सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात् ।
अपवर्गप्रदोऽनन्तस्तारकः परमेश्वरः ॥१३॥
इति श्रीशिवाष्टोत्तरशतनामावलिस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ॥
śiva-aṣṭottara-śatanāmāvali-stotram
1
śivo maheśvaraḥ śambhuḥ pinākī śaśiśekharaḥ
vāmadevo virūpākṣaḥ kapardī nīlalohitaḥ
2
śaṅkaraḥ śūlapāṇiśca khaṭvāṅgī viṣṇuvallabhaḥ
śipiviṣṭo'mbikānāthaḥ śrīkaṇṭho bhaktavatsalaḥ
3
bhavaḥ śarvastrilokeśaḥ śitikaṇṭhaḥ śivāpriyaḥ
ugraḥ kapālī kāmārirandhakāsurasūdanaḥ
4
gaṅgādharo lalāṭākṣaḥ kālakālaḥ kṛpānidhiḥ
bhīmaḥ paraśuhastaśca mṛgapāṇirjaṭādharaḥ
5
kailāsavāsī kavacī kaṭhorastripurāntakaḥ
vṛṣāṅko vṛṣabhārūḍho bhasmoddhūlitavigrahaḥ
6
sāmapriyaḥ svaramayastrayīmūrtiranīśvaraḥ
sarvajñaḥ paramātmā ca somasūryāgnilocanaḥ
7
haviryajñamayaḥ somaḥ pañcavaktraḥ sadāśivaḥ
viśveśvaro vīrabhadro gaṇanāthaḥ prajāpatiḥ
8
hiraṇyaretā durdharṣo girīśo giriśo'naghaḥ
bhujaṅgabhūṣaṇo bhargo giridhanvā giripriyaḥ
9
kṛttivāsāḥ purārātirbhagavān pramathādhipaḥ
mṛtyuñjayaḥ sūkṣmatanurjagadvyāpī jagadguruḥ
10
vyomakeśo mahāsenajanakaścāruvikramaḥ
rudro bhūtapatiḥ sthāṇurahirbudhnyo digambaraḥ
11
aṣṭamūrtiranekātmā sāttvikaḥ śuddhavigrahaḥ
śāśvataḥ khaṇḍaparaśurajaḥ pāśavimocakaḥ
12
mṛḍaḥ paśupatirdevo mahādevo'vyayo hariḥ
pūṣadantabhidavyagro dakṣādhvaraharo haraḥ
13
bhaganetrabhidavyaktaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt
apavargaprado'nantastārakaḥ parameśvaraḥ
iti śrīśivāṣṭottaraśatanāmāvali stotraṃ sampūrṇam
Meaning:
Verse 1: Śivaḥ – The Auspicious One; Maheśvaraḥ – The Great Lord; Śambhuḥ – The source of bliss; Pinākī – The Wielder of Pināka; Śaśiśekharaḥ – He who adorns the crescent moon; Vāmadevaḥ – The gentle and benevolent aspect of Śiva; Virūpākṣaḥ – The three-eyed one, beyond form; Kapardī – The one with matted locks; Nīlalohitaḥ – He who shines in blue and red hues.
Verse 2: Śaṅkaraḥ – Bestower of auspiciousness; Śūlapāṇiḥ – Holder of the trident; Khaṭvāṅgī – Holder of the cot-leg; Viṣṇuvallabhaḥ – Dear to Viṣṇu; Śipiviṣṭaḥ – All-pervading Enlivener; Ambikānāthaḥ – Lord of Ambikā; Śrīkaṇṭhaḥ – Beautiful-necked one; Bhaktavatsalaḥ – Protector of devotees.
Verse 3: Bhavaḥ – The source of existence; Śarvaḥ – The destroyer of sorrow; Trilokeśaḥ – The Lord of the three worlds; Śitikaṇṭhaḥ – One whose neck is white and blue; Śivāpriyaḥ – The beloved of Pārvatī; Ugraḥ – The fierce and powerful one; Kapālī – The bearer of the skull; Kāmāriḥ – The destroyer of Kāma; Andhakāsurasūdanaḥ – The slayer of Andhakā.
Verse 4: Gaṅgādharaḥ – The Bearer of the Gaṅgā; Lalāṭākṣaḥ – The One with the Third Eye; Kālākālaḥ – The One Beyond Time and Death; Kṛpānidhiḥ – The Ocean of Compassion; Bhīmaḥ – The Fierce One; Paraśuhastaḥ – The Wielder of the Axe; Mṛgapāṇiḥ – The One Who Holds the Deer; Jaṭādharaḥ – The Bearer of Matted Locks.
Verse 5: Kailāsavāsī – The One Who Dwells in Kailāsa; Kavacī – The Armoured One (protector); Kaṭhoraḥ – The Firm and Unyielding One; Tripurāntakaḥ – The Destroyer of the Tripurāsuras; Vṛṣāṅkaḥ – The One Whose Emblem Is the Bull; Vṛṣabhārūḍhaḥ – The One Who Rides upon Nandi; Bhasmoddhūlita-vigrahaḥ – The One Whose Body Is Smeared with Bhasma.
Verse 6: Sāmapriyaḥ – One to Whom the Sāma Veda Is Dear; Svaramayaḥ – The Very Essence of Sound; Trayīmūrtiḥ – The Embodiment of the Three Vedas; Anīśvaraḥ – The One Above Whom There Is None; Sarvajñaḥ – The Omniscient One; Paramātmā – The Supreme Self; Soma-sūryāgni-locanaḥ – One Whose Eyes Are the Moon, the Sun, and Fire.
Verse 7: Haviḥ– The One Who Is the Oblation; Yajñamayaḥ – The One Whose Nature Is Sacrifice; Somaḥ – The Lord of Nectar and Bliss; Pañcavaktraḥ – The Five-Faced Lord; Sadāśivaḥ – The Ever-Auspicious One; Viśveśvaraḥ – The Master of All Creation; Vīrabhadraḥ – The Courageous and Auspicious One; Gaṇanāthaḥ – The Lord of the Gaṇas; Prajāpatiḥ – The Creator
Verse 8: Hiraṇyaretāḥ – The One Whose Seed Is Golden; Durdharṣaḥ – The Invincible One; Girīśaḥ – The Lord of the Mountains; Giriśah – The One Who Dwells in the Mountains; Anaghaḥ – The Flawless and Pure One; Bhujaṅgabhūṣaṇaḥ – The One Adorned with Serpents; Bhargaḥ – The Effulgent One; Giridhanvā – The One Whose Bow Is a Mountain; Giripriyaḥ – The One Who Loves the Mountains
Verse 9: Kṛttivāsāḥ – The one clothed in elephant hide; Purārātiḥ – The enemy of the demon cities; Bhagavān – The possessor of six divine qualities; Pramathādhipaḥ – The Lord of gaṇas (pramathas); Mṛtyuñjayaḥ – The conqueror of death; Sūkṣmatanuḥ – The one of subtle form; Jagadvyāpī – The all-pervading Lord; Jagadguruḥ – The teacher of the universe.
Verse 10: Vyomakeśaḥ – The one whose hair is the sky itself; Mahāsena-janakaḥ – The father of Skanda; Cāruvikramaḥ – The one of a graceful stride; Rudraḥ – Howler, remover of suffering; Bhūtapatiḥ – The Lord of all beings; Sthāṇuḥ – The immovable and eternal one; Ahirbudhnyaḥ – Serpent of the deep (primordial power); Digambaraḥ – The one clothed in directions (naked).
Verse 11: Aṣṭamūrtiḥ – The one manifesting in eight forms (pañca-bhūtas + sun, moon, yajña); Anekātmā – Many-souled, yet One; Sāttvikaḥ – Purely sattvic; Śuddhavigrahaḥ – The one of pure form; Śāśvataḥ – The eternal one; Khaṇḍaparaśuḥ – The wielder of the broken axe; Ajaḥ – The unborn one; Pāśavimocanaḥ – The liberator from bondage.
Verse 12: Mṛḍaḥ – The compassionate one; Paśupatiḥ – The Lord of all beings; Devaḥ – The divine one; Mahādevaḥ – The great God; Avyayaḥ – The imperishable one; Hariḥ – The remover; Pūṣadantabhid – The breaker of Pūṣan’s teeth (for siding with Dakṣa); Avyagraḥ – The one free from distraction; Dakṣādhvaraharo – The destroyer of Dakṣa’s sacrifice; Haraḥ – The Destroyer.
Verse 13: Bhaganetra-bhit – The breaker of Bhaga’s eye; Avyaktaḥ – The unmanifest reality; Sahasrākṣaḥ – The thousand-eyed Lord; Sahasrapāt – Thousand-footed (viśvarūpa); Apavargapradaḥ – The bestower of liberation; Anantaḥ – The endless, infinite one; Tārakaḥ – The savior; Parameśvaraḥ – The Supreme Lord.
Phalaśruti (glorification of benefits)
एतदष्टोत्तरं नाम्नां शतमाम्नायगोपितम् ।
शंकरस्य प्रिया गौरी जप्त्वा शंभुप्रसाददम् ॥
त्रैकाल्यमन्वहं देवी वर्षमेकं प्रयत्नत: ।
अवाप सा शरीरार्धं प्रसादाच्छूलपाणिन: ॥
यस्त्रिसन्ध्यं पठेन्नित्यं नाम्नामष्टोत्तरं शतम् ।
शतरुद्रत्रिरावृत्या यत्फलं लभते नर: ॥
तत्फलं प्राप्नुयान्नित्यं एकावृत्या न संशय: ।
सकृद्वा नामभि: पूज्य कुलकोटिं समुद्धरेत् ॥
बिल्वपत्रै: प्रशस्तैश्च पुष्पैश्च तुलसीदलै: ।
तिलाक्षतै: यजेद्यस्तु जीवन्मुक्तो न संशय: ॥
1
etadaṣṭottaraṃ nāmnāṃ śatamāmnāyagopitam
śaṅkarasya priyā gaurī japtvā śaṃbhuprasādadam
2
traikālyamanvahaṃ devī varṣamekaṃ prayatnataḥ
avāpa sā śarīrārdhaṃ prasādācchūlapāṇinaḥ
3
yastrisandhyaṃ paṭhennityaṃ nāmnāmaṣṭottaraṃ śatam
śatarudratrirāvṛttyā yatphalaṃ labhate naraḥ
4
tatphalaṃ prāpnuyānnityaṃ ekāvṛtyā na saṃśayaḥ
sakṛdvā nāmabhiḥ pūjya kulakoṭiṃ samuddharet
5
bilvapatraiḥ praśastaiśca puṣpaiśca tulasīdalaiḥ
tilākṣataiḥ yajedyastu jīvanmukto na saṃśayaḥ
Verse 1: This set of one hundred and eight names, protected by tradition and giving the grace of Śambhu — Gaurī, beloved of Śaṅkara, having chanted it (obtained that grace).
Verse 3: He who daily recites the one hundred and eight names at the three sandhyās obtains the fruit that a man obtains by three repetitions of the Śatarudrīya
Verse 4: One would obtain that (same) fruit always by a single repetition; there is no doubt. Even by worshipping once with the names, one would uplift a crore of (one’s) lineage.
Verse 5: He who worships with bilva leaves, proper flowers, tulasī leaves, sesame and rice grains — he is liberated while living; there is no doubt.
