श्रीरुद्राष्टकम्

नमामीशमीशान निर्वाणरूपं विभुं व्यापकं ब्रह्मवेदस्वरूपम् ।
अजं निर्गुणं निर्विकल्पं निरीहं चिदाकाशमाकाशवासं भजेऽहम् ॥ १॥

निराकारमोंकारमूलं तुरीयं गिरा ज्ञान गोतीतमीशं गिरीशम् ।
करालं महाकाल कालं कृपालं गुणागार संसारपारं नतोऽहम् ॥ २॥

तुषाराद्रि संकाश गौरं गभीरं मनोभूत कोटिप्रभा श्री शरीरम् ।
स्फुरन्मौलि कल्लोलिनी चारु गङ्गा लसद्भालबालेन्दु कण्ठे भुजङ्गा ॥ ३॥

चलत्कुण्डलं भ्रू सुनेत्रं विशालं प्रसन्नाननं नीलकण्ठं दयालम् ।
मृगाधीशचर्माम्बरं मुण्डमालं प्रियं शंकरं सर्वनाथं भजामि ॥ ४॥

प्रचण्डं प्रकृष्टं प्रगल्भं मरेशं अखण्डं अजं भानुकोटिप्रकाशम् ।
त्रयः शूल निर्मूलनं शूलपाणिं भजेऽहं भवानीपतिं भावगम्यम् ॥ ५॥

कलातीत कल्याण कल्पान्तकारी सदा सज्जनानन्ददाता पुरारी ।
चिदानन्द संदोह मोहापहारी प्रसीद प्रसीद प्रभो मन्मथारी ॥ ६॥

न यावत् उमानाथ पादारविन्दं भजन्तीह लोके परे वा नराणाम् ।
न तावत् सुखं शान्ति सन्तापनाशं प्रसीद प्रभो सर्वभूताधिवासम् ॥ ७॥

न जानामि योगं जपं नैव पूजां नतोऽहं सदा सर्वदा शम्भु तुभ्यम् ।
जरा जन्म दुःखौघ तातप्यमानं प्रभो पाहि आपन्नमामीश शम्भो ॥ ८॥

रुद्राष्टकमिदं प्रोक्तं विप्रेण हरतोषये ।
ये पठन्ति नरा भक्त्या तेषां शम्भुः प्रसीदति ॥

I offer my obeisances to Lord Śiva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the embodiment of Nirvāṇa and who is the all-pervading form of the Vedas.
I worship the unborn, transcendental, transcendental form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who resides in the sky. 1॥
The formless omkara-root is the fourth, and the words of knowledge are transcended by the Lord, the Lord of the mountains.
I bow down to that fearful, great time, time, merciful, repository of the modes of nature, and transcendental to material existence. 2॥
His body was white and deep like a snow mountain and radiant with millions of radiances.
The beautiful Ganges flows with her glittering crown, and the moon is shining like a serpent’s neck. 3॥
He had moving earrings, eyebrows, beautiful eyes, a large cheerful face, a blue throat and a kind heart.
I worship Lord Śiva, the dear Lord of all, who is dressed in the skin of a deer and who wears a garland of beards. 4॥
He is tremendous, excellent, proud, dead, unbroken, unborn and radiant like millions of suns.
I worship the Lord of the goddess Bhavānī, who eradicates the three tridents and who holds a trident in his hand. 5॥
Kalaatit Kalyana Kalpaantakari Sada Sajjanaanandadaata Purari.
O Lord, You are the bliss of consciousness, and You destroy all delusion. Please be merciful to me. 6॥
No one in this world or in the next will worship the lotus feet of Lord Umānatha.
O Lord, please be merciful to me, for I am the abode of all living entities. 7॥
I do not know yoga, nor do I know chanting, nor do I know worship, but I always bow down to You, Lord Śambhu.
O Lord, Lord Śambho, please protect me from the flood of old age, birth and misery. 8॥
This Rudrashtakam was recited by a brāhmaṇa to satisfy Lord Śiva.
Lord Śambhu is pleased with those who recite this mantra with devotion.