Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam
Lyrics in Sanskrit
देवराज सेव्यमानपावनांघ्रिपङ्कजं
व्यालयज्ञसूत्रमिन्दुशेखरं कृपाकरम् ।
नारदादियोगिवृन्दवन्दितं दिगंबरं
काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥१॥भानुकोटि भास्वरं भवाब्धितारकं परं
नीलकण्ठमीप्सितार्थदायकं त्रिलोचनम् ।
कालकालमंबुजाक्षमक्षशूलमक्षरं
काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥२॥शूल टङ्कपाशदण्डपाणिमादिकारणं
श्यामकायमादिदेवमक्षरं निरामयम् ।
भीमविक्रमं प्रभुं विचित्रताण्डवप्रियं
काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥३॥भुक्ति मुक्तिदायकं प्रशस्तचारुविग्रहं
भक्तवत्सलं स्थितं समस्तलोकविग्रहम् ।
विनिक्वणन्मनोज्ञहेमकिङ्किणीलसत्कटिं
काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥४॥धर्मसेतु पालकं त्वधर्ममार्गनाशकं
कर्मपाशमोचकं सुशर्मदायकं विभुम् ।
स्वर्णवर्णशेषपाशशोभिताङ्गमण्डलं
काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥५॥रत्न पादुकाप्रभाभिरामपादयुग्मकं
नित्यमद्वितीयमिष्टदैवतं निरंजनम् ।
मृत्युदर्पनाशनं करालदंष्ट्रमोक्षणं
काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥६॥अट्टहास भिन्नपद्मजाण्डकोशसंततिं
दृष्टिपातनष्टपापजालमुग्रशासनम् ।
अष्टसिद्धिदायकं कपालमालिकाधरं
काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥७॥भूत संघनायकं विशालकीर्तिदायकं
काशिवासलोकपुण्यपापशोधकं विभुम् ।
नीतिमार्गकोविदं पुरातनं जगत्पतिं
काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥८॥
( फलश्रुति )
कालभैरवाष्टकं पठंति ये मनोहरं
ज्ञानमुक्तिसाधनं विचित्रपुण्यवर्धनम् ।
शोकमोहदैन्यलोभकोपतापनाशनं
प्रयान्ति कालभैरवांघ्रिसन्निधिं नरा ध्रुवम् ॥९॥
Meaning
| Sanskrit words | Literal Meaning And Explanation |
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1.1 देवराज सेव्यमानपावनांघ्रिपङ्कजं
1.2 व्यालयज्ञसूत्रमिन्दुशेखरं कृपाकरम् । 1.3 नारदादियोगिवृन्दवन्दितं दिगंबरं 1.4 काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥१॥
1.1 देवराज = King of Gods / Indra
1.1 सेव्यमानपावनांघ्रिपङ्कजं = Serves at your lotus feet 1.2 व्यालयज्ञसूत् = Who wears a snake as a Yajnopavita 1.2 मिन्दुशेखरं = Who adorns the crescent moon at his head 1.2 कृपाकरम् = The benevolent one 1.3 नारदादियोगिवृन्दवन्दितं = Whose glory is sung by celestial beings like Narada 1.3 दिगंबरं = Sky-clad / naked 1.4 काशिकापुराधिनाथ = The Lord of Kashi - the city of light 1.4 कालभैरवं भजे = We bow to you, Lord Kaal Bhairav. 1.4 काल = Time / death ॥१॥ = End of stanza 1. |
The king of gods serves at your lotus feet. Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam is a composition / small poem written by Shri Adi Shankar-acharya - one of the most well regarded scholar-mystics of India who lived around 700 CE. The poem sings praises of Lord Kaal Bhairav - an alternate form of Lord Shiva - the chief of the trinity of gods. The hymn opens with a description of the grandeur of Lord Kaal Bhairav - that the king of the devas / gods Indra stands near his feet ready to serve, and celestial beings like Narada sing his praises. It mentions facets of his visual description - the crescent moon at his forehead, being grace personified - with a compassionate stance, wearing snakes on his body as a Yajnopavita, and being naked (signifying that he is the naked truth. Contrary to popular modern perception, Lord Shiva is depicted with a snake Yagnopavita and being naked in many Puranas as well as in Adi Shankara's other compositions). We bow to you, Lord Kaal Bhairav, the lord of Kashi. |
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2.1 भानुकोटि भास्वरं भवाब्धितारकं परं
2.2 नीलकण्ठमीप्सितार्थदायकं त्रिलोचनम् । 2.3 कालकालमंबुजाक्षमक्षशूलमक्षरं 2.4 काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥२॥
2.1 भानुकोटि भास्वरं = With the brilliance of millions of suns
2.1 भवाब्धितारकं = Who swims us across Bhavsagar - the wordly ocean 2.1 परं = The exalted one 2.2 नीलकण्ठ = The blue necked one 2.2 ईप्सितार्थ = heartfelt wishes 2.2 दायकं = giver 2.2 त्रिलोचनम् = The three eyed one 2.3 कालकालम् = The death of death (the one above death) 2.3 अम्बुजाक्ष = The lotus eyed one 2.3 अक्षशूल = The one whose Trident is the axis (of the three worlds) 2.3 अक्षरं = The elemental one 2.4 = 1.4 = We bow to you, Lord Kaal Bhairav, the Lord of Kashi, the city of light. ॥२॥ = end of stanza 2. |
Shri Adi Shankar writes the next stanza just as he visualizes the Lord - as if he is standing in front of him. Wrapped in the aura with a brilliance of a million suns, the lord is the exalted one, who exalts us from the worldly ocean. He is the blue necked one, who sucks the poison away from the lives of followers, and grants their most deeply-held wishes. He is the three-eyed one, who burns away lust and sees beyond. He is the death of death, the elemental lotus eyed one with his trident supporting the world. We bow to you, Lord Kaal Bhairav, the lord of Kashi, the city of light. |
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3.1 शूलटङ्कपाशदण्डपाणिमादिकारणं
3.2 श्यामकायमादिदेवमक्षरं निरामयम् । 3.3 भीमविक्रमं प्रभुं विचित्रताण्डवप्रियं 3.4 काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥३॥
3.1 शूल = Trident
3.1 टङ्क = Spade 3.1 पाश = Noose 3.1 दण्डपाणि = Staff 3.1 आदि कारणं = Primordial Reason of Existence 3.2 श्यामकाय = Whose body is black 3.2 आदि देव = The god at the beginning (of the universe) 3.2 अक्षरं = The elemental one (also in 2.3) 3.2 निरामयम् = Without flaws 3.3 भीमविक्रमं = Of Terrifying Prowess 3.3 प्रभुं = Lord 3.3 विचित्र = Strange 3.3 ताण्डव = Tandava, the dance of chaos 3.3 प्रियं = Who loves 3.4 = 1.4 = We bow to you, Lord Kaal Bhairav, the Lord of Kashi. ॥३॥ = end of stanza 3. |
He who holds a trident, spade, noose and staff. He who is the primordial reason for existence. Whose body looks black, the elemental god of the beginning of the universe, is without flaws. He who has terrifying prowess, who loves the dance of chaos. We bow to you, Lord Kaal Bhairav, the lord of Kashi. |
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4.1 भुक्ति मुक्तिदायकं प्रशस्तचारुविग्रहं
4.2 भक्तवत्सलं स्थितं समस्तलोकविग्रहम् । 4.3 विनिक्वणन्मनोज्ञहेमकिङ्किणीलसत्कटिं 4.4 काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥४॥
4.1 भुक्ति = Worldly Prosperity
4.1 मुक्ति = Liberation 4.1 दायकं = Giver (also in 2.2) 4.1 प्रशस्त = Expansive / Formidable 4.1 चारु = Beautiful / Charming 4.1 विग्रहं = Form 4.2 भक्त = Devotee 4.2 वत्सलं = Affection 4.2 स्थितं = Firm / Resolute / Situated 4.2 समस्त लोक = Entire World / Universe 4.2 विग्रहं = Form (also 4.1) 4.3 विनिक्वण मनोज्ञ = Various pleasing tingling sounds 4.3 हेम किङ्किणी लस कटि = Shining golden bells in belt 4.4 = 1.4 = We bow to you, Lord Kaal Bhairav, the Lord of Kashi. ॥४॥ = end of stanza 4. |
He, who is the giver of worldly prosperity and eternal liberation, looks beautiful with a large physical body. He, who is resolutely affectionate with his devotees (and stands firm with his devotees even when they are in trouble), this entire world is his form (he is in every speck). Many pleasing sounds come from shining small bells he wears on his belt announcing his arrival. We bow to you, Lord Kaal Bhairav, the lord of Kashi. |
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धर्मसेतु पालकं त्वधर्ममार्गनाशकं
कर्मपाशमोचकं सुशर्मदायकं विभुम् । स्वर्णवर्णशेषपाशशोभिताङ्गमण्डलं काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥५॥ |
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रत्न पादुकाप्रभाभिरामपादयुग्मकं
नित्यमद्वितीयमिष्टदैवतं निरंजनम् । मृत्युदर्पनाशनं करालदंष्ट्रमोक्षणं काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥६॥ |
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अट्टहास भिन्नपद्मजाण्डकोशसंततिं
दृष्टिपातनष्टपापजालमुग्रशासनम् । अष्टसिद्धिदायकं कपालमालिकाधरं काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥७॥ |
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भूत संघनायकं विशालकीर्तिदायकं
काशिवासलोकपुण्यपापशोधकं विभुम् । नीतिमार्गकोविदं पुरातनं जगत्पतिं काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥८॥ |
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( फलश्रुति )
कालभैरवाष्टकं पठंति ये मनोहरं
ज्ञानमुक्तिसाधनं विचित्रपुण्यवर्धनम् । शोकमोहदैन्यलोभकोपतापनाशनं प्रयान्ति कालभैरवांघ्रिसन्निधिं नरा ध्रुवम् ॥९॥ |
Commentary
References to the city of light are found in various other cultures.