This Shivashtakam was composed by Adi Shankaracharya. Lord Shiva can be easily impressed. Once impressed, Lord Shiva eradicates all the problems and frees his devotees from all kinds of sorrows. A person benefits from his blessings and is able to understand his own existence. The magnificence of Lord Shiva has been mentioned in the Puranas, Vedas and Shastras. He is the supreme power who is worshipped by everyone in the form of Trayambakam Shiva, Nirakar, Onkar, Lingkar etc.
Lord Shiva blesses his devotees and frees them from all kinds of problems. Lord Shiva has been said to be forgiving, generous and compassionate in the ancient scriptures. Lord Shiva protected the Earth by decreasing the flow of the Ganga river with his hair. He also protected the Earth by drinking poison during the battle between Devas and Demons.
A devotee should take a bath and wear clean white clothes. He should worship Lord Shiva in a temple, with a pure heart. Sandalwood, clothes, rice, Bel leaves, flowers, fruits etc. should be dedicated to Lord Shiva. Ashtak has been written for the worship of Lord Shiva. Shivashtak, Lingashtak and Rudrashtak are the famous ones.
Shiva Ashtakam 3 by Adi Sankara in Tamil:
॥ ஶ்ரீஶிவாஷ்டகம் 3 ॥
தஸ்மை நம: பரமகாரணகாரணாய
தீ³ப்தோஜ்ஜ்வலஜ்வலிதபிங்க³லலோசநாய ॥
நாகே³ந்த்³ரஹாரக்ருʼதகுண்ட³லபூ⁴ஷணாய
ப்³ரஹ்மேந்த்³ரவிஷ்ணுவரதா³ய நம: ஶிவாய ॥ 1 ॥
ஶ்ரீமத்ப்ரஸந்நஶஶிபந்நக³பூ⁴ஷணாய
ஶைலேந்த்³ரஜா வத³ந சும்பி³தலோசநாய ॥
கைலாஸமந்தி³ரமஹேந்த்³ரநிகேதநாய
லோகத்ரயார்திஹரணாய நம: ஶிவாய ॥ 2 ॥
பத்³மாவதா³தமணிகுண்ட³லகோ³வ்ருʼஷாய
க்ருʼஷ்ணாக³ருப்ரசுரசந்த³நசர்சிதாய ॥
ப⁴ஸ்மாநுஷக்தவிகசோத்பலமல்லிகாய
நீலாப்³ஜகண்ட²ஸத்³ருʼஶாய நம: ஶிவாய ॥ 3 ॥
லம்ப³த்ஸபிங்க³ல ஜடாமுகுடோத்கடாய
த³ம்ஷ்ட்ராகராலவிகடோத்கடபை⁴ரவாய ॥
வ்யாக்⁴ராஜிநாம்ப³ரத⁴ராய மநோஹராய
த்ரைலோக்யநாத² நமிதாய நம: ஶிவாய ॥ 4 ॥
த³க்ஷப்ரஜாபதிமஹாமக²நாஶநாய
க்ஷிப்ரம் மஹாத்ரிபுரதா³நவகா⁴தநாய ॥
ப்³ரஹ்மோர்ஜிதோர்த்⁴வக³கரோடிநிக்ருʼந்தநாய
யோகா³ய யோக³நமிதாய நம: ஶிவாய ॥ 5 ॥
ஸம்ஸாரஸ்ருʼஷ்டிக⁴டநாபரிவர்தநாய
ரக்ஷ: பிஶாசக³ணஸித்³த⁴ஸமாகுலாய ॥
ஸித்³தோ⁴ரக³க்³ரஹ க³ணேந்த்³ரநிஷேவிதாய
ஶார்தூ³ல சர்மவஸநாய நம: ஶிவாய ॥ 6 ॥
ப⁴ஸ்மாங்க³ராக³க்ருʼதரூபமநோஹராய
ஸௌம்யாவதா³தவநமாஶ்ரிதமாஶ்ரிதாய ॥
கௌ³ரீகடாக்ஷநயநார்த⁴ நிரீக்ஷணாய
கோ³க்ஷீரதா⁴ரத⁴வளாய நம: ஶிவாய ॥ 7 ॥
ஆதி³த்யஸோமவருணாநிலஸேவிதாய
யஜ்ஞாக்³நிஹோத்ரவரதூ⁴மநிகேதநாய ॥
ருʼக்ஸாமவேத³முநிபி:⁴ ஸ்துதிஸம்யுதாய
கோ³பாய கோ³பநமிதாய நம: ஶிவாய ॥ 8 ॥
ஶிவாஷ்டகமித³ம் புண்யம் ய: படே²த் ஶிவஸந்நிதௌ⁴
ஶிவலோகமவாப்நோதி ஶிவேந ஸஹ மோத³தே ॥
ஶ்ரீ ஶங்கராசார்யக்ருʼதம் ஶிவாஷ்டகம் ஸம்பூர்ணம் ।
Shiva Ashtakam 3 Meaning:
I salute that Shiva, who is the real cause of causes,
Who has reddish brown eyes which shine like the light,
Who wears garlands and ear drops made of the king of snakes,
And who is the one who gives boons to Brahma and Vishnu. || 1 ||
I salute that Shiva, who always wears,
The clear moon and the snake as ornaments,
Whose eyes are kissed by the daughter of the mountain,
Who lives in the Kailasa peak and Mahendra mountain,
And who defeats the sorrow of the people of three worlds. || 2 ||
I salute that Shiva, who has the neck of the color of blue lotus,
Who wears earrings made of Padma raga, who rides on a bull,
Who applies fragrance of aloe and coats himself with plenty of sandal paste,
And who applies ash on his body and wears a garland of opened lotus flowers. || 3 ||
I salute that Shiva who is saluted by lords of the three worlds,
Who has a large matted crown of hair of reddish brown color,
Who appears fierce and fearful due to his pointed teeth,
And who is very pretty wearing the hide of a tiger. || 4 ||
I salute that Shiva, who is yoga and is saluted by yogis,
Who destroyed fire sacrifice conducted by Daksha Prajapati,
Who quickly killed the great asura called Tripurasura,
And who cut off the fifth head of Brahma, who was proud || 5 ||
I salute that Shiva, who wears the skin of a tiger,
Who keeps on destroying and creating the world,
Who takes care of the different demons and crowds of sidhas,
And who is served by sidhas, serpents, planets and chiefs of ganas. || 6 ||
I salute that Shiva, who is as white as a stream of cows milk,
Who applies ash all over him but is bewitchingly handsome,
Who is the support for those pious people who take shelter in forests,
Who with half-closed eyes sees the side-long glance of Gowri. || 7 ||
I salute that Shiva, who takes care of a bull and is venerated by it,
Who is served by Sun, moon, the god of rain and the god of fire,
Who lives in places sanctified by the smoke of fire sacrifices,
And who is sung by sages well learned in Rik and Sama Veda. || 8 ||
He who reads this octet on Shiva,
In front of the temple of Shiva,
Would reach the world of Shiva,
And would be happy along with Shiva.
Also Read:
Lord Shiva Ashtakam 3 / Shankaracharya Kritam in Hindi | English | Bengali | Gujarati | Kannada | Malayalam | Oriya | Telugu | Tamil