Sri Lingashtakam

Overview

The Lingashtakam ("Brahma Murari Surarchita Lingam") is an eight-verse hymn attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, in praise of Shiva in his Lingam form. Each verse praises a different quality of the Lingam — its worship by the gods, its power to destroy sin, sorrow, and desire, its adornments — and every verse closes with the same refrain: tat praṇamāmi sadāśiva liṅgam, "I bow to that eternal Shiva Lingam." It is widely chanted during Shiva puja, especially through the month of Shravan, and closes with a phalashruti verse describing the fruit of reciting it.

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Verse 1

ब्रह्ममुरारिसुरार्चितलिङ्गं निर्मलभासितशोभितलिङ्गम्। जन्मजदुःखविनाशकलिङ्गं तत् प्रणमामि सदाशिवलिङ्गम् ॥ १ ॥

brahma-murāri-surārcita-liṅgaṃ nirmala-bhāsita-śobhita-liṅgam | janmaja-duḥkha-vināśaka-liṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśiva-liṅgam || 1 ||

Meaning: I bow to that eternal Shiva Lingam — worshipped by Brahma, Murari (Vishnu), and the gods; pure, radiant, and beautifully adorned; and the destroyer of the sorrows born of birth (worldly existence).

Verse 2

देवमुनिप्रवरार्चितलिङ्गं कामदहं करुणाकरलिङ्गम्। रावणदर्पविनाशनलिङ्गं तत् प्रणमामि सदाशिवलिङ्गम् ॥ २ ॥

deva-muni-pravara-arcita-liṅgaṃ kāma-dahaṃ karuṇākara-liṅgam | rāvaṇa-darpa-vināśana-liṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśiva-liṅgam || 2 ||

Meaning: I bow to that eternal Shiva Lingam — worshipped by the gods and the greatest sages; the burner of desire (Kama); the source of compassion; and the destroyer of Ravana's pride.

Verse 3

सर्वसुगन्धिसुलेपितलिङ्गं बुद्धिविवर्धनकारणलिङ्गम्। सिद्धसुरासुरवन्दितलिङ्गं तत् प्रणमामि सदाशिवलिङ्गम् ॥ ३ ॥

sarva-sugandhi-sulepita-liṅgaṃ buddhi-vivardhana-kāraṇa-liṅgam | siddha-sura-asura-vandita-liṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśiva-liṅgam || 3 ||

Meaning: I bow to that eternal Shiva Lingam — beautifully anointed with fragrant pastes; the cause of the growth of wisdom and discernment; and venerated by Siddhas, gods, and demons alike.

Verse 4

कनकमहामणिभूषितलिङ्गं फणिपतिवेष्टितशोभितलिङ्गम्। दक्षसुयज्ञविनाशनलिङ्गं तत् प्रणमामि सदाशिवलिङ्गम् ॥ ४ ॥

kanaka-mahāmaṇi-bhūṣita-liṅgaṃ phaṇipati-veṣṭita-śobhita-liṅgam | dakṣa-suyajña-vināśana-liṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśiva-liṅgam || 4 ||

Meaning: I bow to that eternal Shiva Lingam — adorned with gold and great gems; beautifully wrapped with the serpent-lord (Vasuki); and the one who destroyed Daksha's grand sacrifice.

Verse 5

कुङ्कुमचन्दनलेपितलिङ्गं पङ्कजहारसुशोभितलिङ्गम्। सञ्चितपापविनाशनलिङ्गं तत् प्रणमामि सदाशिवलिङ्गम् ॥ ५ ॥

kuṅkuma-candana-lepita-liṅgaṃ paṅkaja-hāra-suśobhita-liṅgam | sañcita-pāpa-vināśana-liṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśiva-liṅgam || 5 ||

Meaning: I bow to that eternal Shiva Lingam — anointed with kumkum and sandal paste; beautifully adorned with garlands of lotuses; and the destroyer of accumulated sins.

Verse 6

देवगणार्चितसेवितलिङ्गं भावैर्भक्तिभिरेव च लिङ्गम्। दिनकरकोटिप्रभाकरलिङ्गं तत् प्रणमामि सदाशिवलिङ्गम् ॥ ६ ॥

deva-gaṇa-arcita-sevita-liṅgaṃ bhāvair bhaktibhir eva ca liṅgam | dinakara-koṭi-prabhākara-liṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśiva-liṅgam || 6 ||

Meaning: I bow to that eternal Shiva Lingam — worshipped and served by the hosts of gods, with true feeling and devotion; and radiant with the brilliance of a million suns.

Verse 7

अष्टदलोपरिवेष्टितलिङ्गं सर्वसमुद्भवकारणलिङ्गम्। अष्टदरिद्रविनाशितलिङ्गं तत् प्रणमामि सदाशिवलिङ्गम् ॥ ७ ॥

aṣṭadalopari-veṣṭita-liṅgaṃ sarva-samudbhava-kāraṇa-liṅgam | aṣṭadaridra-vināśita-liṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśiva-liṅgam || 7 ||

Meaning: I bow to that eternal Shiva Lingam — enveloped upon an eight-petalled lotus; the cause of the arising of all creation; and the destroyer of the eight forms of poverty.

Verse 8

सुरगुरुसुरवरपूजितलिङ्गं सुरवनपुष्पसदार्चितलिङ्गम्। परात्परं परमात्मकलिङ्गं तत् प्रणमामि सदाशिवलिङ्गम् ॥ ८ ॥

suraguru-suravara-pūjita-liṅgaṃ suravana-puṣpa-sadā-arcita-liṅgam | parātparaṃ paramātmaka-liṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśiva-liṅgam || 8 ||

Meaning: I bow to that eternal Shiva Lingam — worshipped by Brihaspati (guru of the gods) and the greatest of the gods; ever adorned with flowers from the celestial garden; and higher than the highest, the very embodiment of the Supreme Self.

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Phalashruti

लिङ्गाष्टकमिदं पुण्यं यः पठेत् शिवसन्निधौ। शिवलोकमवाप्नोति शिवेन सह मोदते ॥

liṅgāṣṭakam idaṃ puṇyaṃ yaḥ paṭhet śiva-sannidhau | śivalokam avāpnoti śivena saha modate ||

Meaning: Whoever recites this sacred Lingashtakam in the presence of Shiva attains the world of Shiva, and rejoices there in his company.

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Structure at a glance: all eight verses follow the same pattern — two attributes or deeds of the Shiva Lingam per verse, closing with the shared refrain "I bow to that eternal Shiva Lingam." The hymn moves through the Lingam's worship by gods and sages (1–3), its adornments and mythic associations (4–5), its cosmic radiance and role as source of creation (6–7), and its supremacy as the Paramatma itself (8), before the closing phalashruti promises union with Shiva to whoever recites it.