Sri Shiv Raksha Stotram
|| श्री शिव रक्षा स्तोत्रम् ||
The Above Recitation is by Ravindra Sathe.
Verse 1
अस्य श्रीशिवरक्षास्तोत्रमन्त्रस्य याज्ञवल्क्य ऋषिः। श्रीसदाशिवो देवता।अनुष्टुप् छन्दः। श्रीसदाशिवप्रीत्यर्थे शिवरक्षास्तोत्रजपे विनियोगः॥
The story of God of Gods, The blessed story of Lord Shiva, Which is great, which is elevating, And blesses one with four types of wealth.
Verse 2
चरितं देवदेवस्य महादेवस्य पावनम् । अपारं परमोदारं चतुर्वर्गस्य साधनम् ॥
Men should read the protection of Lord Shiva.
After meditating on Lord Shiva, Who has five necks and three eyes, And who is accompanied by Parvathi and Ganesa,
Verse 3
गौरीविनायकोपेतं पञ्चवक्त्रं त्रिनेत्रकम् । शिवं ध्यात्वा दशभुजं शिवरक्षां पठेन्नरः ॥
Let he who carries Ganga protect my head, Let he who keeps the crescent of moon protect my forehead, Let the killer of Cupid protect my eyes, Let he who wears Snakes as ornament protect my ears.
Verse 4
॥कवचम्॥ गङ्गाधरः शिरः पातु फालमर्धेन्दुशेखरः । नयने मदनध्वंसी कर्णौ सर्पविभूषणः ॥१॥
Let my nose me protected by the destroyer of puras(cities), Let my face be protected by Lord of Universe. Let my toungue be protected by the Lord of words, And let my neck be protected by Shiva who lives in caves.
Verse 5
घ्राणं पातु पुरारातिः मुखं पातु जगत्पतिः । जिह्वां वागीश्वरः पातु कन्धरां शितिकन्धरः ॥२॥
Let my throat be protected by the God with a blessed throat, Let my shoulders be protected by, he who removes ills of the world, Let my arms be protected by he who lessens the burden of earth, And let he who holds Pinaka bow protect my hands.
Verse 6
श्रीकण्ठः पातु मे कण्ठं स्कन्धौ विश्वधुरन्धरः । भुजौ भूभारसंहर्ता करौ पातु पिनाकधृक् ॥३॥
Let Shankara protect my heart, Let my belly be protected by consort of Girija, Let my navel be protected by he who won over death, And let my waist be protected by he who dresses in Tiger skin.
Verse 7
हृदयं शङ्करः पातु जठरं गिरिजापतिः । नाभिं मृत्युञ्जयः पातु कटिं व्याघ्राजिनाम्बरः ॥४॥
Let the God who takes mercy on the oppressed, Who is dear to those who surrender to him protect my joints, Let my thighs be protected by the great God, And knees by the God of the universe.
Verse 8
सक्थिनी पातु दीनार्तशरणागतवत्सलः । ऊरू महेश्वरः पातु जानुनी जगदीश्वरः ॥५॥
Lat my ankles be protected by leader of Ganas,
Let my calves be protected by the creator of the world, Let my feet be protected by ocean of mercy, And let all my body parts be protected by Sada Shiva.
Verse 9
जङ्घे पातु जगत्कर्ता गुल्फौ पातु गणाधिपः । चरणौ करुणासिन्धुः सर्वाङ्गानि सदाशिवः ॥६॥
Would get all his desires fulfilled, Attain nearness to Lord Shiva after death, Would run immediately, far, far away, Due to the protection given by names of Shiva.
That blessed one who reads this protection, Which is blessed with power of Lord Shiva, And planets, ghosts and ghouls, Which travel in any of the three worlds,
Verse 10
॥फलश्रुतिः॥ एतां शिवबलोपेतां रक्षां यः सुकृती पठेत् । स भुक्त्वा सकलान् कामान् शिवसायुज्यमाप्नुयात् ॥ ग्रहभूतपिशाचाद्याः त्रैलोक्ये विचरन्ति ये । दूरादाशु पलायन्ते शिवनामाभिरक्षणात् ॥
Would remove fears and provide protection,
This armour of the names of the consort of Parvathi, To the devotees who sing these often, And the lord of the three worlds would be within his hold, For this protection of Lord Shiva was revealed, By Lord Vishnu in the dream to Yagna Valkya, Who wrote it, as he was told, as soon as he woke up in the morning.
Verse 11
अभयङ्करनामेदं कवचं पार्वतीपतेः । भक्त्या बिभर्ति यः कण्ठे तस्य वश्यं जगत्त्रयम् ॥ इमां नारायणः स्वप्ने शिवरक्षां यथाऽदिशत् । प्रातरुत्थाय योगीन्द्रो याज्ञवल्क्यः तथाऽलिखत् ॥
॥इति श्रीमद्याज्ञवल्क्यमुनिप्रोक्तं शिवरक्षास्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम्॥
About this stotra
The Shiva Raksha Stotram (शिव रक्षा स्तोत्रम्) is a powerful hymn of protection dedicated to Lord Shiva, also known as the Shiva Kavacham (armour of Shiva). This stotram was revealed by Sage Yajnavalkya, who received it directly from Lord Vishnu himself in a dream.
The stotram is structured as a kavacha (spiritual armour), where each verse invokes a different aspect of Lord Shiva to protect specific parts of the body — from the head (protected by Gangadhara, the bearer of Ganga) to the feet (protected by Karunasindhu, the ocean of mercy). The verses systematically cover every limb: head, forehead, eyes, ears, nose, face, tongue, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, heart, belly, navel, waist, thighs, knees, ankles, calves, and feet.
The hymn consists of 11 verses in total, including the phalashruti (verses 9-11 describing the benefits). According to tradition, anyone who recites this protection hymn, blessed by the power of Lord Shiva, will have all their desires fulfilled, attain nearness to Lord Shiva after death, and be protected from ghosts, ghouls, and all evil forces. The stotram concludes by declaring that the armour of Shiva’s names, when worn with devotion on the neck, brings the three worlds under one’s control.