।
स्कंदपुराण, काशीखण्ड तथा शिवमहापुराण रुद्रसंहिता के अनुसार भृगुनन्दन शुक्र ने काशी में शुक्रेश्वर महादेव की स्थापना की। भगवान् विश्वनाथ का ध्यान करते हुए इन्होने बहुत काल तक घोर तप किया। उनकी उग्र तपस्या से प्रसन्न होकर भगवान् शिव लिंग से साक्षात प्रकट हो गए। भगवान् का दर्शन पाकर शुक्राचार्य ने अष्टमूर्त्यष्टक स्तोत्र अथवा अष्टमूर्तिस्तव अथवा मूर्त्यष्टकस्तोत्र से शिव की स्तुति की। पृथ्वी, जल, अग्नि, वायु, आकाश, यजमान (क्षेत्रज्ञ या आत्मा), चन्द्रमा और सूर्य- इन आठों में अधिष्ठित शर्व, भव, रूद्र, उग्र, भीम, पशुपति, महादेव और ईशान- ये शिव की अष्ट मूर्तियों के नाम हैं।
।। अष्टमूर्त्यष्टक स्तोत्र ।।
भार्गव उवाच
त्वं भाभिराभिरभिभूय तमः समस्तमस्तं नयस्यभिमतानि निशाचराणाम्।
देदीप्यसे मणेगगनेहिताय लोकत्रयस्य जगदीश्वर तन्नमस्ते।।१।।
लोकेतिवेलमतिवेलमहामहोभिर्निर्मासि कौमुदमुदं च समुत्समुद्रम्।
विद्राविताखिलतमाः सुतमोहिमांशो पीयूषपूरपरिपूरित तन्नमस्ते।।२।।
त्वं पावने पथि सदागतिरस्युपास्यः कस्त्वां विना भुवनजीवनजीवतीह।
स्तब्धप्रभंजन विवर्धित सर्वजंतोसंतोषिताहि कुलसर्वगतन्नमस्ते।।३।।
विश्वैकपावकनतावकपावकैक शक्तेर्ऋतेऽमृतवतामृत दिव्यकार्यम्।
प्राणित्यदो जगदहो जगदंतरात्मंस्तत्पावक प्रतिपदं शमदं नमस्ते।।४।।
पानीयरूप परमेश जगत्पवित्र चित्रं विचित्रसुचरित्र करोषि नूनम्।
विश्वपवित्रममलं किल विश्वनाथ पानावगाहनत एतदतो नतोस्मि।।५।।
आकाशरूप बहिरंतरुतावकाश दानाद्विकस्वरमिहेश्वर विश्वमैतत्।
त्वत्तः सदा सदयसंश्वसिति स्वभावात्संकोचमेति भवतोस्मि नतस्ततस्त्वाम्।।६।।
विश्वंभरात्मक बिभर्ति विभोऽत्रविश्वं को विश्वनाथ भवतोन्य तमस्तमोरे।
तत्त्वां विना न शमिनां हिमजाहिभूषस्तव्योऽपरः परपरप्रणतस्ततस्त्वाम्।।७।।
आत्मस्वरूप तव रूप परंपराभिराभिस्ततं हर चराचर रूपमेतत्।
सर्वांतरात्मनिलयप्रतिरूपरूपनित्यंनतोस्मि परमात्मतनोऽष्टमूर्ते।।८।।
इत्यष्टमूर्तिभि रिमाभिरुमाभिवंद्यवंद्यातिवंद्य भव विश्वजनीनमूर्ते।
एतत्ततं सुविततं प्रणतप्रणीत सर्वाथर्सार्थपरमार्थ ततो नतोस्मि।।९।।
शुक्राचार्य की इस स्तुति से मृत्युञ्जय भगवान् शिव इतने प्रसन्न हुए कि उन्होंने मृत व्यक्तियों को भी जीवित करने वाली संजीवनी विद्या उन्हें दे दी।
।। ॐ नमः शिवाय ।।
।
According to Skanda Purana, Kashi Khand and Shiva Maha Purana Rudra Samhita, Bhrigu Nandan Shukra established Shukreshwar Mahadev in Kashi. He performed severe penance for a long time while meditating on Lord Vishwanath. Pleased with his fierce penance, Lord Shiva appeared directly from the Linga. Having seen the Lord, Shukracharya praised Shiva with the Ashtamurtyashtaka Stotra or Ashtamurtistava or Murtyashtakastotra. Earth, water, fire, air, sky, Yajmana (Kshetrajna or soul), Moon and Sun – Sharva, Bhava, Rudra, Ugra, Bhima, Pashupati, Mahadeva and Ishan – these are the names of the eight idols of Shiva.
।। Ashtamurtyashtaka Stotra.
Bhargava said You will overcome all darkness with your rays and carry away the darkness desired by the nightrangers O Lord of the three worlds, you are the light of the gems and the sky. I offer my obeisances to you.
You created the ocean of lily and joy with the great great days of the world I offer my obeisances to you, who have driven away all the darkest of sons, whose flesh is deluded, who are filled with nectar.
Thou art the ever-going and worshipable on the holy path Who can live the life of this world without Thee? O breaker of the stunned, enlarged, satisfied of all living beings, I offer my obeisances to you, who are all-pervading in the family.
The divine work of the immortals except the one power of the one fire of the universe. O giver of life to the universe, O Self within the universe, I offer my obeisances to You, whose fire is the counterpart of peace.
O Lord in the form of water You surely make the universe holy picture wonderful and of good character O Lord of the universe, I offer my obeisances to this holy and immaculate drink of the universe.
This is the universe of the Lord in the form of the sky, the external and internal space, the gift of the two voices. I always breathe in compassion from you and by nature shrink from you I bow to you and then to you.
O Lord, who holds the universe here, O Lord of the universe, who is other than You in the darkness of darkness? Without Thee there is no other who is adorned with the snow-white ornament of the peaceful and who bows to others and therefore to Thee.
Self-form, Thy form, by the traditions, take away this moving and non-moving form. I ever bow to the eight-form form of the Supreme Soul, the form of the abode of the innermost Self.
Thus, with the eight idols, Rima, worship the tree, worship it and worship it, O idol of the mother of the universe. This is the well-spread, bowed down, all-pervading, supreme, meaning, and therefore I bow to you.
Mrityunjaya Lord Shiva was so pleased with this praise of Shukracharya that he gave him Sanjeevani Vidya which can bring even the dead people back to life.
।। Om Namah Shivaya.
