Original text
प्रभुं प्राणनाथं विभुं विश्वनाथं जगन्नाथनाथं सदानन्दभाजम् । भवद्भव्यभूतेश्वरं भूतनाथं शिवं शङ्करं शम्भुमीशानमीडे ॥ १ ॥ गले रुण्डमालं तनौ सर्पजालं महाकालकालं गणेशाधिपालम् । जटाजूटगङ्गोत्तरङ्गैर्विशालं शिवं शङ्करं शम्भुमीशानमीडे ॥ २ ॥ मुदामाकरं मण्डनं मण्डयन्तं महामण्डलं भस्मभूषाधरं तम् । अनादिह्यपारं महामोहहारं शिवं शङ्करं शम्भुमीशानमीडे ॥ ३ ॥ वटाधोनिवासं महाट्टाट्टहासं महापापनाशं सदासुप्रकाशम् । गिरीशं गणेशं महेशं सुरेशं शिवं शङ्करं शम्भुमीशानमीडे ॥ ४ ॥ गिरिन्द्रात्मजासंग्रहीतार्धदेहं गिरौ संस्थितं सर्वदा सन्नगेहम् । परब्रह्मब्रह्मादिभिर्वन्द्यमानं शिवं शङ्करं शम्भुमीशानमीडे ॥ ५ ॥ कपालं त्रिशूलं कराभ्यां दधानं पदाम्भोजनम्राय कामं ददानम् । बलीवर्दयानं सुराणां प्रधानं शिवं शङ्करं शम्भुमीशानमीडे ॥ ६ ॥ शरच्चन्द्रगात्रं गुणानन्द पात्रं त्रिनेत्रं पवित्रं धनेशस्य मित्रम् । अपर्णाकलत्रं चरित्रं विचित्रं शिवं शङ्करं शम्भुमीशानमीडे ॥ ७ ॥ हरं सर्पहारं चिता भूविहारं भवं वेदसारं सदा निर्विकारम् । श्मशाने वसन्तं मनोजं दहन्तं शिवं शङ्करं शम्भुमीशानमीडे ॥ ८ ॥ स्तवं यः प्रभाते नरः शूलपाणे पठेत् सर्वदा भर्गभावानुरक्तः । स पुत्रं धनं धान्यमित्रं कलत्रं विचित्रं समासाद्य मोक्षं प्रयाति ॥ ९ ॥ ॥ इति शिवाष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ॥
Transliteration
Prabhum prananatham vibhum vishvanatham jagannathanatham sadanandabhajam Bhavadbhavyabhuteshvaram bhutanatham shivam shankaram shambhumishanamide ||1|| Gale rundamalam tanau sarpajalam mahakalakalam ganeshadhipalam Jatajutagangottarangairvishalam shivam shankaram shambhumishanamide ||2|| Mudamakaram mandanam mandayantam mahamandalam bhasmabhushadharam tam Anadihyaparam mahamohaharam shivam shankaram shambhumishanamide ||3|| Vatadhonivasam mahattattahasam mahapapanasham sadasuprakasham Girisham ganesham mahesham suresham shivam shankaram shambhumishanamide ||4|| Girindratmajasangrahitardhadeham girau sansthitam sarvada sannageham Parabrahmabrahmadibhirvandyamanam shivam shankaram shambhumishanamide ||5|| Kapalam trishulam karabhyam dadhanam padambhojanamraya kamam dadanam Balivardayanam suranam pradhanam shivam shankaram shambhumishanamide ||6|| Sharachchandragatram gunananda patram trinetram pavitram dhaneshasya mitram Aparnakalatram charitram vichitram shivam shankaram shambhumishanamide ||7|| Haram sarpaharam chita bhuviharam bhavam vedasaram sada nirvikaram Shmashane vasantam manojam dahantam shivam shankaram shambhumishanamide ||8|| Stavam yah prabhate narah shulapane pathet sarvada bhargabhavanuraktah Sa putram dhanam dhanyamitram kalatram vichitram samasadya moksham prayati ||9|| Iti shivashtakam sampurnam ||
Four names in every verse
Several hymns are called "Shivashtakam"; this is the one that begins Prabhum prananatham vibhum vishvanatham. Every verse closes with the same line, "Shivam Shankaram Shambhum Ishanam Ide" — "I praise Shiva, Shankara, Shambhu, Ishana". The four names say four things: Shiva, the auspicious; Shankara, the giver of happiness; Shambhu, the source of well-being; Ishana, the ruler. Written in the rolling bhujangaprayata metre, it is easy to sing and a favourite in temples and at home.
What the verses picture
- Lord of life: the master, lord of the breath, the all-pervading lord of the universe, lord even of Jagannatha, ever blissful; lord of past, present and future, lord of all beings.
- The ascetic: a garland of skulls at his throat, a web of serpents on his body, the death of Death (Mahakala-kala), protector of the ganas, his matted hair spread wide with the Ganga's waves.
- Beyond beginning: the source of joy, adorned with ash, the great mandala itself, beginningless and boundless, remover of great delusion.
- Under the banyan: dwelling beneath the banyan tree (as Dakshinamurti, the silent teacher), laughing his great laugh, destroyer of great sin, always shining — Girisha, Ganesha, Mahesha, Suresha.
- Ardhanarishvara: half his body taken by the mountain-king's daughter, dwelling on the mountain, worshipped by Brahma and the gods.
- The giver: holding skull and trident, granting wishes to those who bow at his lotus feet, riding the bull, foremost of the gods.
- The beloved: bright as the autumn moon, vessel of the ganas' joy, three-eyed, pure, friend of Kubera, husband of Aparna (Parvati), of wonderful deeds.
- The cremation ground: Hara, garlanded with snakes, roaming the burning ground, the essence of the Vedas, ever unchanging, dwelling among the dead, the burner of Kama.
The ninth verse is the phalashruti: whoever, devoted to Shiva, recites this hymn to the trident-bearer each morning, gains children, wealth, grain, friends and a good spouse, and at last attains liberation. (Editions differ slightly in the wording of this verse; the meaning is the same.)
When to sing it
- Mondays, Pradosh, Shravan and Mahashivaratri.
- Each morning, as the phalashruti says, or during abhishek — see Shivling Jalabhishek.
- It pairs well with the Lingashtakam and Rudrashtakam, the other short Shiva hymns most often sung together.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote the Shivashtakam "Prabhum Prananatham"?
It is often attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, but the attribution is not certain. Several different hymns share the name "Shivashtakam".
What does "Shivam Shankaram Shambhum Ishanam Ide" mean?
"I praise Shiva (the auspicious), Shankara (giver of joy), Shambhu (source of well-being) and Ishana (the ruler)."
How is it different from the Rudrashtakam?
The Rudrashtakam ("Namamishamishan") was written by Tulsidas and is in a different metre. This Shivashtakam is a separate Sanskrit hymn.
When should it be recited?
In the morning, especially on Mondays, Pradosh and Mahashivaratri.
What is the banyan-tree reference in verse 4?
Shiva as Dakshinamurti, the teacher who sits beneath the banyan and teaches in silence.
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