Shiva Raksha Stotram
Draft — pending review. This text has been sourced and translated per our editorial policy, but has not yet completed human review against sung versions. Wording may change.
viniyoga
अस्य श्रीशिवरक्षास्तोत्रमन्त्रस्य याज्ञवल्क्य ऋषिः। श्रीसदाशिवो देवता। अनुष्टुप् छन्दः।
Asya śrī-śivarakṣā-stotra-mantrasya Yājñavalkya ṛṣiḥ; Śrī-Sadāśivo devatā; Anuṣṭup chandaḥ
For this Shri Shivaraksha Stotra mantra, the sage (seer) is Yajnavalkya; the deity is Shri Sadashiva; the meter is Anushtup.
श्रीसदाशिवप्रीत्यर्थं शिवरक्षास्तोत्रजपे विनियोगः।
Śrī-Sadāśiva-prītyarthaṃ śivarakṣā-stotra-jape viniyogaḥ
The application (viniyoga) of this stotra is the recitation of the Shivaraksha for the pleasure of Shri Sadashiva.
verse 1
चरितं देवदेवस्य महादेवस्य पावनम्।
Caritaṃ deva-devasya mahādevasya pāvanam
The purifying life-story of Mahadeva, the god of gods,
अपारं परमोदारं चतुर्वर्गस्य साधनम्॥1॥
Apāraṃ paramodāraṃ catur-vargasya sādhanam
is boundless, supremely generous, and the very means of attaining the four goals of life (dharma, wealth, desire, and liberation).
verse 2
गौरीविनायकोपेतं पञ्चवक्त्रं त्रिनेत्रकम्।
Gaurī-vināyakopetaṃ pañca-vaktraṃ tri-netrakam
Accompanied by Gauri and Vinayaka (Ganesha), five-faced, three-eyed,
शिवं ध्यात्वा दशभुजं शिवरक्षां पठेन्नरः॥2॥
Śivaṃ dhyātvā daśa-bhujaṃ śivarakṣāṃ paṭhen naraḥ
and ten-armed -- meditating on Shiva in this form, one should recite the Shivaraksha.
verse 3
गंगाधरः शिरः पातु भालं अर्धेन्दुशेखरः।
Gaṃgādharaḥ śiraḥ pātu bhālaṃ ardhendu-śekharaḥ
May Gangadhara (the bearer of the Ganga) protect my head; may the one crowned with the crescent moon protect my forehead;
नयने मदनध्वंसी कर्णो सर्पविभूषण॥3॥
Nayane madana-dhvaṃsī karṇo sarpa-vibhūṣaṇa
may the destroyer of Madana (the love-god) protect my eyes; may the one adorned with serpents protect my ears.
verse 4
घ्राणं पातु पुरारातिः मुखं पातु जगत्पतिः।
Ghrāṇaṃ pātu purārātiḥ mukhaṃ pātu jagatpatiḥ
May the enemy of the (triple) city protect my nose; may the lord of the universe protect my mouth;
जिह्वां वागीश्वरः पातु कंधरां शितिकंधरः॥4॥
Jihvāṃ vāgīśvaraḥ pātu kaṃdharāṃ śiti-kaṃdharaḥ
may the lord of speech protect my tongue; may the dark-throated one (who drank the poison) protect my neck.
verse 5
श्रीकण्ठः पातु मे कण्ठं स्कन्धौ विश्वधुरन्धरः।
Śrīkaṇṭhaḥ pātu me kaṇṭhaṃ skandhau viśva-dhurandhraḥ
May Shrikantha protect my throat; may the bearer of the world's burden protect my shoulders;
भुजौ भूभारसंहर्ता करौ पातु पिनाकधृक्॥5॥
Bhujau bhū-bhāra-saṃhartā karau pātu pināka-dhṛk
may the remover of the earth's burden protect my arms; may the wielder of the Pinaka bow protect my hands.
verse 6
हृदयं शंकरः पातु जठरं गिरिजापतिः।
Hṛdayaṃ śaṃkaraḥ pātu jaṭharaṃ girijāpatiḥ
May Shankara protect my heart; may the lord of Girija (Parvati) protect my belly;
नाभिं मृत्युञ्जयः पातु कटी व्याघ्राजिनाम्बरः॥6॥
Nābhiṃ mṛtyuñjayaḥ pātu kaṭī vyāghrājinā-mbaraḥ
may Mrityunjaya (the conqueror of death) protect my navel; may the one clad in tiger-skin protect my waist.
verse 7
सक्थिनी पातु दीनार्तशरणागतवत्सलः।
Sakthinī pātu dīnārta-śaraṇāgata-vatsalaḥ
May the one affectionate toward the distressed, the afflicted, and those who take refuge protect my shanks;
उरू महेश्वरः पातु जानुनी जगदीश्वरः॥7॥
Urū maheśvaraḥ pātu jānunī jagadīśvaraḥ
may Maheshvara protect my thighs; may the lord of the universe protect my knees.
verse 8
जङ्घे पातु जगत्कर्ता गुल्फौ पातु गणाधिपः।
Jaṅghe pātu jagat-kartā gulphau pātu gaṇādhipaḥ
May the creator of the universe protect my calves; may the lord of the Ganas protect my ankles;
चरणौ करुणासिंधुः सर्वाङ्गानि सदाशिवः॥8॥
Caraṇau karuṇā-sindhuḥ sarvāṅgāni sadāśivaḥ
may the ocean of compassion protect my feet; may Sadashiva protect all my limbs, head to toe.
verse 9
एतां शिवबलोपेतां रक्षां यः सुकृती पठेत्।
Etāṃ śiva-balopetāṃ rakṣāṃ yaḥ sukṛtī paṭhet
Whoever, being virtuous, recites this protective hymn charged with Shiva's power,
स भुक्त्वा सकलान्कामान् शिवसायुज्यमाप्नुयात्॥9॥
Sa bhuktvā sakalān-kāmān śiva-sāyujyam-āpnuyāt
he, having enjoyed all his desires, attains union with Shiva.
verse 10
ग्रहभूतपिशाचाद्यास्त्रैलोक्ये विचरन्ति ये।
Graha-bhūta-piśācādyās-trailokye vicaranti ye
The malefic grahas, spirits (bhutas), pishachas, and other such beings that wander through the three worlds,
दूरादाशु पलायन्ते शिवनामाभिरक्षणात्॥10॥
Dūrād-āśu palāyante śiva-nāmābhi-rakṣaṇāt
flee swiftly from afar, warded off by the protection of Shiva's name.
verse 11
अभयङ्करनामेदं कवचं पार्वतीपतेः।
Abhayaṃkara-nāmedaṃ kavacaṃ pārvatī-pateḥ
This armor of the lord of Parvati is named 'Abhayankara', the bestower of fearlessness;
भक्त्या बिभर्ति यः कण्ठे तस्य वश्यं जगत्त्रयम्॥11॥
Bhaktyā bibharti yaḥ kaṇṭhe tasya vaśyaṃ jagat-trayam
whoever wears it with devotion around the neck, the three worlds become subject to him.
verse 12
इमां नारायणः स्वप्ने शिवरक्षां यथाऽऽदिशत्।
Imāṃ Nārāyaṇaḥ svapne śivarakṣāṃ yathā'diśat
Just as Narayana revealed this Shivaraksha in a dream,
प्रातरुत्थाय योगीन्द्रो याज्ञवल्क्यः तथाऽलिखत्॥12॥
Prātar-utthāya yogīndro Yājñavalkya tathā'likhat
the great yogi Yajnavalkya, rising in the morning, wrote it down exactly as it was revealed.
colophon
॥ इति श्रीयाज्ञवल्क्यप्रोक्तं शिवरक्षास्तोत्रं (अथवा अभयङ्करकवचं) सम्पूर्णम् ॥
Iti śrī-yājñavalkya-proktaṃ śivarakṣāstotraṃ (athavā abhayaṅkarakavacaṃ) sampūrṇam
Thus concludes the Shivaraksha Stotram (also known as the Abhayankara Kavacham) spoken by Shri Yajnavalkya.
Kavacham pattern stotra
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