Vishwanathashtakam
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.
verse 1
गङ्गातरंगरमणीयजटाकलापं
Gaṅgātaraṃgaramaṇīyajaṭākalāpaṃ
Him whose mass of matted locks is made lovely by the waves of Ganga,
गौरीनिरन्तरविभूषितवामभागम् ।
Gaurīnirantaravibhūṣitavāmabhāgam |
His left side forever adorned by Gauri,
नारायणप्रियमनंगमदापहारं
Nārāyaṇapriyamanaṃgamadāpahāraṃ
beloved of Narayana, who stripped Ananga (Kamadeva) of his pride:
वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्
Vārāṇasīpurapatiṃ bhaja viśvanātham
worship Vishwanatha, lord of the city of Varanasi.
verse 2
वाचामगोचरमनेकगुणस्वरूपं
Vācāmagocaramanekaguṇasvarūpaṃ
Him beyond the reach of speech, whose nature is the sum of countless excellences,
वागीशविष्णुसुरसेवितपादपीठम् ।
Vāgīśaviṣṇusurasevitapādapīṭham |
His footstool attended by Vagisha (Brahma), Vishnu and the gods,
वामेनविग्रहवरेणकलत्रवन्तं
Vāmenavigrahavareṇakalatravantaṃ
who bears His consort in gracious form upon His left:
वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्
Vārāṇasīpurapatiṃ bhaja viśvanātham
worship Vishwanatha, lord of the city of Varanasi.
verse 3
भूताधिपं भुजगभूषणभूषितांगं
Bhūtādhipaṃ bhujagabhūṣaṇabhūṣitāṃgaṃ
Him, lord of the bhuta hosts, His limbs adorned with serpents for ornaments,
व्याघ्राजिनांबरधरं जटिलं त्रिनेत्रम् ।
Vyāghrājināṃbaradharaṃ jaṭilaṃ trinetram |
wrapped in a tiger's hide, matted-haired, three-eyed,
पाशांकुशाभयवरप्रदशूलपाणिं
Pāśāṃkuśābhayavarapradaśūlapāṇiṃ
noose, goad and trident in His hands, granting fearlessness and boons:
वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्
Vārāṇasīpurapatiṃ bhaja viśvanātham
worship Vishwanatha, lord of the city of Varanasi.
verse 4
शीतांशुशोभितकिरीटविराजमानं
Śītāṃśuśobhitakirīṭavirājamānaṃ
Him, shining in a crown graced by the cool-rayed moon,
भालेक्षणानलविशोषितपंचबाणम् ।
Bhālekṣaṇānalaviśoṣitapaṃcabāṇam |
who dried up the Five-Arrowed One (Kamadeva) in the fire of the eye on His brow,
नागाधिपारचितभासुरकर्णपूरं
Nāgādhipāracitabhāsurakarṇapūraṃ
the king of serpents coiled as the gleaming ornament at His ear:
वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्
Vārāṇasīpurapatiṃ bhaja viśvanātham
worship Vishwanatha, lord of the city of Varanasi.
verse 5
पंचाननं दुरितमत्तमतङ्गजानां
Paṃcānanaṃ duritamattamataṅgajānāṃ
Him, a lion to the rutting elephants that are our sins,
नागान्तकं दनुजपुंगवपन्नगानाम् ।
Nāgāntakaṃ danujapuṃgavapannagānām |
a Garuda to the serpents that are the foremost of the danavas,
दावानलं मरणशोकजराटवीनां
Dāvānalaṃ maraṇaśokajarāṭavīnāṃ
a wildfire to the forests of death, grief and old age:
वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्
Vārāṇasīpurapatiṃ bhaja viśvanātham
worship Vishwanatha, lord of the city of Varanasi.
verse 6
तेजोमयं सगुणनिर्गुणमद्वितीयं
Tejomayaṃ saguṇanirguṇamadvitīyaṃ
Him, made of light, with attributes and without them, without a second,
आनन्दकन्दमपराजितमप्रमेयम् ।
Ānandakandamaparājitamaprameyam |
the very root of bliss, unconquered, beyond measure,
नागात्मकं सकलनिष्कलमात्मरूपं
Nāgātmakaṃ sakalaniṣkalamātmarūpaṃ
one with the serpents themselves, with parts and partless alike, the very form of the Self:
वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्
Vārāṇasīpurapatiṃ bhaja viśvanātham
worship Vishwanatha, lord of the city of Varanasi.
verse 7
रागादिदोषरहितं स्वजनानुरागं
Rāgādidoṣarahitaṃ svajanānurāgaṃ
Him, free of passion and every such flaw, yet full of love for His own,
वैराग्यशान्तिनिलयं गिरिजासहायम् ।
Vairāgyaśāntinilayaṃ girijāsahāyam |
the dwelling place of dispassion and peace, companion of Girija (Parvati),
माधुर्यधैर्यसुभगं गरलाभिरामं
Mādhuryadhairyasubhagaṃ garalābhirāmaṃ
lovely with sweetness and steadfastness, beautiful even in the poison He holds:
वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्
Vārāṇasīpurapatiṃ bhaja viśvanātham
worship Vishwanatha, lord of the city of Varanasi.
verse 8
आशां विहाय परिहृत्य परस्य निन्दां
Āśāṃ vihāya parihṛtya parasya nindāṃ
Letting go of craving, setting aside the fault-finding of others,
पापे रतिं च सुनिवार्य मनः समाधौ ।
Pāpe ratiṃ ca sunivārya manaḥ samādhau |
checking firmly the taste for sin, settling the mind in samadhi,
आदाय हृत्कमलमध्यगतं परेशं
Ādāya hṛtkamalamadhyagataṃ pareśaṃ
and taking hold of the supreme Lord who dwells at the heart-lotus's centre:
वाराणसीपुरपतिं भज विश्वनाथम्
Vārāṇasīpurapatiṃ bhaja viśvanātham
worship Vishwanatha, lord of the city of Varanasi.
phalashruti
वाराणसीपुरपतेः स्तवनं शिवस्य
Vārāṇasīpurapateḥ stavanaṃ śivasya
This hymn in praise of Shiva, lord of the city of Varanasi,
व्याख्यातमष्टकमिदं पठते मनुष्यः ।
Vyākhyātamaṣṭakamidaṃ paṭhate manuṣyaḥ |
this ashtaka as set out here, the person who recites it
विद्यां श्रियं विपुलसौख्यमनन्तकीर्तिं
Vidyāṃ śriyaṃ vipulasaukhyamanantakīrtiṃ
gains learning, prosperity, ample comfort and unending fame,
सम्प्राप्य देहविलये लभते च मोक्षम् ॥
Samprāpya dehavilaye labhate ca mokṣam ||
and when the body falls away, wins liberation as well.
विश्वनाथाष्टकमिदं यः पठेच्छिवसन्निधौ ।
Viśvanāthāṣṭakamidaṃ yaḥ paṭhecchivasannidhau |
Whoever recites this Vishwanathashtakam in Shiva's presence
शिवलोकमवाप्नोति शिवेन सह मोदते ॥
Śivalokamavāpnoti śivena saha modate ||
reaches Shivaloka and rejoices there in Shiva's company.
colophon
॥ इति श्रीमहर्षिव्यासप्रणीतं श्रीविश्वनाथाष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ॥
Iti śrīmaharṣivyāsapraṇītaṃ śrīviśvanāthāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam
Thus ends the Shri Vishwanathashtakam composed by the great sage Vyasa.
Sourced and cross-checked against two independent sources; our meanings are written in our own words, never copied. Personal, devotional use — including printing and sharing short excerpts with attribution — is free and encouraged.