Kalabhairava Ashtakam With Meaning

कालभैरवा कम् ( ी आद शंकराचाय कृ तम्)
kālabhairavāṣṭakam of śri ādi śaṅkara
(Kalabhairava is the God who is the protector of Benares. He is supposed to be the fearsome
aspect of Lord Shiva. Once Brahma insulted Lord Shiva and his fifth head teasingly laughed at
Lord Shiva. From Lord Shiva came out the Kalabhairava (Black Bhairava) who tore off the fifth
head of Lord Brahma. On the entreaties of Lord Vishnu, Shiva pardoned Lord Brahma. But the
sin (in the form of a lady) of beheading Lord Brahma followed Kalabhairava everywhere. Also
the head of Brahma stuck to him. To keep away the sin and punishment which were chasing
him, Kalabhairava entered the city of Benares. The sin could not enter the city. Kalabhairava was
made as the Kotwal (Inspector general) of the city of Benares. Kalabhairava rides on a dog. A
pilgrimage to Kasi (Benares) is not supposed to be complete without visiting the temple of
Kalabhairava.
Another story identifies Kalabhairava with Veerabhadra who cut off the head of Daksha the
father of Sathi Devi, when he insulted Lord Shiva. Sathi’s body was cut into pieces and strewn all
over India giving rise to Shakthi Peetas. Outside every Shakthi Peeta is the temple for Bhairava.
There is also another interpretation. He is the form of Shiva who controls the growth and
management of time. (Kala means time). Whoever wants to spend, manage or ration their time
in a proper manner should pray him.
He is also considered as the guardian of temples of Lord Shiva. After locking the doors of the
temple of Lord Shiva, the keys are ceremonially offered to Bhairava and taken back in most of
the Shiva temples.
This very musical stotra of Lord Kalabhairava is supposed to be written by Adi Sankara Bhagawt
Pada. Even today this ashtakam is recited by the priests of the temple of Kalabhairava in
Benares before blessing the devotee with a tap by the cane of Lord Kalabhairava.)
॥ तो म् / stotram ॥
दे वराजसे मानपावनाङ् पङ् कजं
ालय सू म शेखरं कृ पाकरम् ।
नारदा दयो गबृ दव दतं दग बरं
का शकापुरा धनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥ १ ॥
devarājasevyamānapāvanāṅghripaṅkajaṃ
vyālayajñasūtraminduśekharaṃ kṛpākaram ;
nāradādiyogibṛndavanditaṃ digambaraṃ
kāśikāpurādhināthakālabhairavaṃ bhaje . 1 .
भानुको टभा वरं भवा तारकं परं

नीलक ठमी सताथदायकं लोचनम् ।
कालकालम बुजा म तशू यम रं
का शकापुरा धनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥ २ ॥
bhānukoṭibhāsvaraṃ bhavābdhitārakaṃ paraṃ
nīlakaṇṭhamīpsitārthadāyakaṃ trilocanam ;
kālakālamambujākṣamastaśūnyamakṣaraṃ
शूलटङ् कपाशद डपा णमा दकारणं

यामकायमा ददे वम रं नरामयम् ।
भीम व मं भुं व च ता डव यं
का शकापुरा धनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥ ३ ॥
śūlaṭaṅkapāśadaṇḍapāṇimādikāraṇaṃ
śyāmakāyamādidevamakṣaraṃ nirāmayam ;
bhīmavikramaṃ prabhuṃ vicitratāṇḍavapriyaṃ
भु मु दायकं श तचा व हं
भ व सलं रं सम तलोक व हम् ।
न वण मनो हेम कङ् कणीलस क ट
का शकापुरा धनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥ ४ ॥
bhuktimuktidāyakaṃ praśastacāruvigrahaṃ
bhaktavatsalaṃ sthiraṃ samastalokavigraham ;
nikvaṇanmanojñahemakiṅkiṇīlasatkaṭiṃ
धमसेतुपालकं वधममागनाशकं
कमपाशमोचकं सुशमदायकं वभुम् ।
वणवणके शपाशशो भता नमलं
का शकापुरा धनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥ ५ ॥
dharmasetupālakaṃ tvadharmamārganāśakaṃ
karmapāśamocakaṃ suśarmadāyakaṃ vibhum ;
svarṇavarṇakeśapāśaśobhitāṅganirmalaṃ
र नपा का भा भरामपादयु मकं

न यम तीय म दै वतं नर नम् ।
मृ युदपनाशनं करालदं भूषणं
का शकापुरा धनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥ ६ ॥
ratnapādukāprabhābhirāmapādayugmakaṃ
nityamadvitīyamiṣṭadaivataṃ nirañjanam ;
mṛtyudarpanāśanaṃ karāladaṃṣṭrabhūṣaṇaṃ
अ हास भ प जा डकोशस त त
पातन पापजालमु शासनम् ।
अ स दायकं कपालमा लकाधरं
का शकापुरा धनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥ ७ ॥
aṭṭahāsabhinnapadmajāṇḍakośasantatiṃ
dṛṣṭipātanaṣṭapāpajālamugraśāsanam ;
aṣṭasiddhidāyakaṃ kapālamālikādharaṃ
भूतसङ् घनायकं वशालक तदायकं

का शवा सलोकपु यपापशोधकं वभुम् ।
नी तमागको वदं पुरातनं जग प त
का शकापुरा धनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥ ८ ॥
bhūtasaṅghanāyakaṃ viśālakīrtidāyakaṃ
kāśivāsilokapuṇyapāpaśodhakaṃ vibhum ;
nītimārgakovidaṃ purātanaṃ jagatpatiṃ
कालभैरवा कं पठ त ये मनोहरं
ानमु साधकं व च पु यवधनम् ।
शोकमोहलोभदै यकोपतापनाशनं
ते या त कालभेरवाङ् स ध ुवम् ॥ ९ ॥
kālabhairavāṣṭakaṃ paṭhanti ye manoharaṃ
jñānamuktisādhakaṃ vicitrapuṇyavardhanam ;
śokamohalobhadainyakopatāpanāśanaṃ
te prayānti kālabheravāṅghrisannidhiṃ dhruvam . 9 .
॥ इ त ी आ द शंकराचाय वर चत कालभैरवा कं स ूणम् ॥

. iti śri ādi śaṅkara viracita kālabhairavāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam .
Meaning:
(Translated by: P. R. Ramachander)
1. I salute Kalabhairava, the lord of the city of Kasi, Whose lotus like feet is being served by
Devendra, Who is merciful and wears the moon on his forehead, Who wears a snake as his
sacred thread, Who wears the different directions as his cloth, And who is worshipped by sages
like Narada.
2. I salute Kalabhairava, the lord of the city of Kasi, Who shines like billions of suns, Who helps us
cross this miserable ocean of life, Who is supreme and has a blue neck, Who has three eyes and
grants us our desires, Who is the death to the God of death, Who has lotus flower like eyes, Who
has the undefeatable trident, And who does not have decay.
3. I salute Kalabhairava, the lord of the city of Kasi, Who has a spear, a chord and a stick as
weapons, Who is black in colour and the primeval cause, Who is deathless and the first God, Who
is free from decay and ill health, Who is the Lord who is a great hero, And who likes the special
vigorous thandava.
4. I salute Kalabhairava, the lord of the city of Kasi, Who fulfills desires and also grants salvation,
Who is well known for his pretty mien, Who is a form of Shiva, who loves his devotees, Who is
the God of the entire world, Who assumes various forms, And who has a golden waist thread, On
which jingling bells are tied.
5. I salute Kalabhairava, the lord of the city of Kasi, Who maintains the bridge of dharma in life,
Who destroys paths which are not right, Who saves us from the ties of Karma, Who is the lord
who makes us ashamed, When trying to do wrong things, Who has a shining body because of
golden rope, With bells tied in various places.
6. I salute Kalabhairava, the lord of the city of Kasi, Who has feet adorned by the shine of gem
studded sandals, Who is eternal and does not have any one second to him, Who is our favorite
God who bestows everything, Who takes away the fear of death from humans, And who grants
them salvation by his terrible teeth.
7. I salute Kalabhairava, the lord of the city of Kasi, Whose loud roar is enough to destroy all
those created by Brahma, Whose sight is sufficient to destroy all sins, Who is crafty and strict
ruler, Who can grant the eight occult powers, And who wears the garland of skulls.
8. I salute Kalabhairava, the lord of the city of Kasi, Who is the chief of the society of Bhoothas,
Who grants broad based fame, Who is the lord who judges good and bad deeds, Of those who
live in Varanasi, Who is an expert in the way of righteousness, And who is eternally old and lord of
the universe.
9. Those who read this enticing octet on Kalabhairava, Which is the source of eternal knowledge,
Which increases the effect of righteous deeds, And which destroys grief, passion, poverty, want
and anger, Would surely reach the holy presence of Kalabhairava.
. Thus ends the kālabhairavāṣṭakaṃ of śri ādi śaṅkara .

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कालभैरवा कम् ( ी आद शंकराचाय कृ तम्)

kālabhairavāṣṭakam of śri ādi śaṅkara

भानुको टभा वरं भवा तारकं परं

शूलटङ् कपाशद डपा णमा दकारणं

र नपा का भा भरामपादयु मकं

भूतसङ् घनायकं वशालक तदायकं

॥ इ त ी आ द शंकराचाय वर चत कालभैरवा कं स ूणम् ॥

. Thus ends the kālabhairavāṣṭakaṃ of śri ādi śaṅkara .

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