Rudrashtakam — verse 1
I bow to Ishana, whose form is nirvana — Tulsidas's eight-verse hymn to Shiva, opening stanza.
Rudrashtakam, Tulsidas — Ramcharitmanas, Uttara Kanda verse 1edition
Sanskrit · संस्कृत
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No verified recitation yet. We publish audio only with a named reciter and a recorded licence, rather than files of unknown provenance.
Meaning
I bow to the Lord, to Ishana, whose form is liberation itself; the all-pervading one, whose own nature is Brahman and the Veda. I worship him who is self-existent, without attributes, without division, without any want — the sky of consciousness, who dwells in space.
This rendering is by a DharmSetu editor, not a quotation from a published translation. Compare with the public-domain translation.
A Hindi meaning has not been written for this mantra yet. Hindi is authored by a named editor rather than machine-translated, so it arrives more slowly.
How to recite
- Repetitions
- 1 · 3
- Time
- brahma muhurta, sandhya
Pronunciation key — sounds commonly got wrong
- ट ठ ड ढ ण · ṭ ṭh ḍ ḍh ṇ
- Retroflex — the tongue curls back and touches the roof of the mouth. Distinct from the dental त थ द ध न, where the tongue touches the teeth.
- श ष स · ś ṣ s
- Three different sounds: ś as in “shy”, ṣ retroflex and further back, s plain. Collapsing them changes words.
- ः · ḥ (visarga)
- A soft outward breath echoing the preceding vowel — not a hard “ha”.
- ं · ṃ (anusvara)
- Nasalises the vowel; the closing sound follows the consonant that comes next.
- Long vs short vowels — a / ā, i / ī, u / ū
- Vowel length is meaningful in Sanskrit. Hold the macron vowels roughly twice as long.
- Aspirated consonants — kh, gh, ch, th, dh, ph, bh
- A distinct puff of breath. ph is an aspirated p, never an English “f”.
Word by word
- नमामिnamāmi
- I bow to(1st sg. pres.)MW1899-CDSL p.528
- ईशम्īśam
- the Lord(acc. sg.)MW1899-CDSL p.171
- ईशानīśāna
- O Ishana, the ruler — a name of Shiva(voc. sg.)MW1899-CDSL p.171
- निर्वाणरूपम्nirvāṇarūpam
- whose form is liberation
- विभुम्vibhum
- the all-pervadingMW1899-CDSL p.978
- व्यापकम्vyāpakam
- extending everywhereMW1899-CDSL p.1037
- ब्रह्मवेदस्वरूपम्brahmavedasvarūpam
- whose own nature is Brahman and the Veda
- निजम्nijam
- self-existent, resting in himselfMW1899-CDSL p.547
- निर्गुणम्nirguṇam
- without attributesMW1899-CDSL p.541
- निर्विकल्पम्nirvikalpam
- without division or alternativeMW1899-CDSL p.542
- निरीहम्nirīham
- without desire, wanting nothingMW1899-CDSL p.540
- चिदाकाशम्cidākāśam
- the sky of consciousness
- आकाशवासम्ākāśavāsam
- dwelling in space
- भजेऽहम्bhaje'ham
- I worship
Glosses are confirmed against a Sanskrit–English dictionary; the reference after each entry names the edition consulted.
Context
Shadanga — the six limbs
The traditional analytic frame for a mantra. Blank limbs are simply not recorded for this text.
- chhanda
- Bhujangaprayata
- devata
- Shiva (Rudra)
Recited at / traditionally recited for
Classified as Stotra — Devotional hymn literature — praise poetry rather than a Vedic formula. Basis for this classification.
Related mantras
Namaste Rudra Manyava — opening of the Shri Rudram
The first line of the Shri Rudram, the central Vedic hymn to Rudra — Taittiriya Samhita 4.5.1.
Aham Brahmasmi
The mahavakya of the Yajurveda — I am Brahman. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10.
Ayam Atma Brahma
The mahavakya of the Atharvaveda — this self is Brahman. Mandukya Upanishad 2.
Bhaja Govindam — opening verse
Worship Govinda, you fool — when the hour comes, grammar will not save you.
Om Ityetad Aksharam — the opening of the Mandukya
The definition of Om that opens the Mandukya Upanishad: all that was, is, and will be is Om — and what lies outside time is Om too.
Prajnanam Brahma
The mahavakya of the Rigveda — consciousness is Brahman. Aitareya Upanishad 3.3.