Lingashtakam
brahmamurārisurārcitaliṅgaṃ nirmalabhāsitaśobhitaliṅgam| janmajaduḥkhavināśakaliṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśivaliṅgam||1||
devamunipravarārcitaliṅgaṃ kāmadaham karuṇākaraliṅgam| rāvaṇadarpavināśanaliṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśivaliṅgam||2||
sarvasugandhisulepitaliṅgaṃ buddhivivardhanakāraṇaliṅgam| siddhasurāsuravanditaliṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśivaliṅgam||3||
kanakamahāmaṇibhūṣitaliṅgaṃ phaṇipativeṣṭitaśobhitaliṅgam| dakṣasuyajñavināśanaliṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśivaliṅgam||4||
kuṅkumacandanalepitaliṅgaṃ paṅkajahārasuśobhitaliṅgam| sañcitapāpavināśanaliṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśivaliṅgam||5||
devagaṇārcitasevitaliṅgaṃ bhāvairbhaktibhireva ca liṅgam| dinakarakoṭiprabhākaraliṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśivaliṅgam||6||
aṣṭadalopariveṣṭitaliṅgaṃ sarvasamudbhavakāraṇaliṅgam| aṣṭadaridravināśanaliṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśivaliṅgam||7||
suragurusuravarapūjitaliṅgaṃ suravanapuṣpasadārcitaliṅgam| parātparaṃ paramātmakaliṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśivaliṅgam||8||
liṅgāṣṭakamidaṃ puṇyaṃ yaḥ paṭhet śivasannidhau| śivalokamavāpnoti śivena saha modate||
brahmamurārisurārcitaliṅgaṃ nirmalabhāsitaśobhitaliṅgam| janmajaduḥkhavināśakaliṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśivaliṅgam||1||
devamunipravarārcitaliṅgaṃ kāmadaham karuṇākaraliṅgam| rāvaṇadarpavināśanaliṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśivaliṅgam||2||
sarvasugandhisulepitaliṅgaṃ buddhivivardhanakāraṇaliṅgam| siddhasurāsuravanditaliṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśivaliṅgam||3||
kanakamahāmaṇibhūṣitaliṅgaṃ phaṇipativeṣṭitaśobhitaliṅgam| dakṣasuyajñavināśanaliṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśivaliṅgam||4||
kuṅkumacandanalepitaliṅgaṃ paṅkajahārasuśobhitaliṅgam| sañcitapāpavināśanaliṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśivaliṅgam||5||
devagaṇārcitasevitaliṅgaṃ bhāvairbhaktibhireva ca liṅgam| dinakarakoṭiprabhākaraliṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśivaliṅgam||6||
aṣṭadalopariveṣṭitaliṅgaṃ sarvasamudbhavakāraṇaliṅgam| aṣṭadaridravināśanaliṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśivaliṅgam||7||
suragurusuravarapūjitaliṅgaṃ suravanapuṣpasadārcitaliṅgam| parātparaṃ paramātmakaliṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśivaliṅgam||8||
liṅgāṣṭakamidaṃ puṇyaṃ yaḥ paṭhet śivasannidhau| śivalokamavāpnoti śivena saha modate||
Introduction
The Lingashtakam is an eight-verse hymn in praise of Lord Sadashiva in his Linga form. Every verse closes on the same refrain — tat praṇamāmi sadāśivaliṅgam, “to that Sadashiva Linga I bow.”
The verses describe the Linga as worshipped by Brahma, Vishnu and all the gods, as the destroyer of the sorrow born of birth, as radiant as ten million suns, and as the Supreme Self beyond the highest. No author is named in the text itself; devotional tradition often associates it with Adi Shankaracharya, though that attribution is traditional rather than established.
The closing phalashruti verse promises that whoever recites it in the presence of Shiva attains Shivaloka.
How to Recite
- It is commonly recited on Mondays, Pradosha, during Shravan, and on Maha Shivaratri.
- Recite before a Shiva Linga, or while holding its image in mind.
- It is often chanted during abhisheka or while offering bilva leaves.
- Recite the eight verses in order, with clear pronunciation and a calm devotional mind.
Sources 2
- liNgAShTakaM (sanskritdocuments.org) — doc_shiva/lingashh.itx — encoded and proofread by Srinivas Sunder
Canonical ITRANS witness for the eight verses and the closing phalashruti couplet.
- sArtha liNgAShTakaM (sanskritdocuments.org) — doc_shiva/lingashhMean.itx — verse text with English gloss
The Devanagari here follows this annotated file, which marks anusvara (लिङ्गं) mid-pada and keeps म् at the pada break. Only compound word-spacing was normalised — the akshara sequence is unchanged. Verse 1 pada 1 has the variant reading निर्मलभाषित for निर्मलभासित; verse 7 pada 3 has विनाशित for विनाशन.
Meanings are compiled and edited by the Ved Path team, and are being progressively reviewed for accuracy.
