Stotra · 12 verses · Shiva
All twelve Jyotirlinga mantras — Sanskrit, meaning, and the shrines they praise
The Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram is a short hymn in which each verse salutes one of the twelve Jyotirlingas — the shrines where Shiva is revered as a “pillar of light”. Each verse names the place, paints the form of Shiva worshipped there, and ends in surrender. Read together they form a pilgrimage made of sound: from Somnath on the western shore to Rameshwaram in the far south.
The eleven recordings in the library are not eleven separate hymns — they are the verses of this one.
Traditionally attributed to Ādi Śaṅkarācārya · 12 verses plus a closing phalaśruti · Devanagari follows the site's existing mantra data; where a printed edition differs, the individual mantra page says so
Jyoti means light and liṅga the mark or sign in which the formless is worshipped. The Jyotirlingas are the twelve shrines where, in tradition, Shiva revealed himself as an endless column of light — beyond beginning and end. They are among the most visited places of Shiva devotion in India.
This stotra is how many devotees hold all twelve in mind at once. Chanting it is treated as a way of offering respect at every one of the shrines without leaving home — which is also why each verse works beautifully on its own, as a single mantra for the shrine it names.
All twelve verses in order. Each verse has its own page with word-by-word meaning, transliteration, pronunciation and a long-form chant — 11 of the twelve so far.
सौराष्ट्रदेशे विशदेऽतिरम्ये ज्योतिर्मयं चन्द्रकलावतंसम्। भक्तिप्रदानाय कृपावतीर्णं तं सोमनाथं शरणं प्रपद्ये॥
Saurāṣṭradeśe Viśade'tiramye Jyotirmayaṃ Candrakalāvataṃsam | Bhaktipradānāya Kṛpāvatīrṇaṃ Taṃ Somanāthaṃ Śaraṇaṃ Prapadye ||
In the bright and lovely land of Saurashtra dwells the one made of light, crowned with the crescent moon, who descended in compassion to grant devotion — to that Somnath I surrender.
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श्रीशैलश्रृङ्गे विबुधातिसङ्गे तुलाद्रितुङ्गेऽपि मुदा वसन्तम्। तमर्जुनं मल्लिकपूर्वमेकं नमामि संसारसमुद्रसेतुम्॥
Śrīśailaśṛṅge Vibudhātisaṅge Tulādrituṅge'pi Mudā Vasantam | Tamarjunaṃ Mallikapūrvamekaṃ Namāmi Saṃsārasamudrasetum ||
I bow to that one Mallikarjuna who dwells in joy on the lofty peak of Shri Shaila amid the company of the gods — the bridge across the ocean of worldly existence.
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अवन्तिकायां विहितावतारं मुक्तिप्रदानाय च सज्जनानाम्। अकालमृत्योः परिरक्षणार्थं वन्दे महाकालमहासुरेशम्॥
Avantikāyāṃ Vihitāvatāraṃ Muktipradānāya Ca Sajjanānām | Akālamṛtyoḥ Parirakṣaṇārthaṃ Vande Mahākālamahāsureśam ||
I bow to Mahakala, lord even of the great asuras, who took form in Avantika to grant liberation to the good and to guard them from untimely death.
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कावेरिकानर्मदयोः पवित्रे समागमे सज्जनतारणाय। सदैव मान्धातृपुरे वसन्तम् ओंकारमीशं शिवमेकमीडे॥
Kāverikānarmadayoḥ Pavitre Samāgame Sajjanatāraṇāya | Sadaiva Māndhātṛpure Vasantam Oṃkāramīśaṃ Śivamekamīḍe ||
I praise the one Lord Shiva, Omkareshwar, who dwells always in Mandhata at the sacred confluence of the Kaveri and Narmada, to carry the good across.
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महाद्रिपार्श्वे च तटे रमन्तं सम्पूज्यमानं सततं मुनीन्द्रैः। सुरासुरैर्यक्षमहोरगाढ्यैः केदारमीशं शिवमेकमीडे॥
Mahādripārśve Ca Taṭe Ramantaṃ Sampūjyamānaṃ Satataṃ Munīndraiḥ | Surāsurairyakṣamahoragāḍhyaiḥ Kedāramīśaṃ Śivamekamīḍe ||
I praise the one Lord of Kedara, who delights on the slope of the great mountain, ever worshipped by the foremost sages and attended by gods, asuras, yakshas and great serpents.
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यं डाकिनीशाकिनिकासमाजे निषेव्यमाणं पिशिताशनैश्च। सदैव भीमादिपदप्रसिद्धं तं शङ्करं भक्तहितं नमामि॥
Yaṃ Ḍākinīśākinikāsamāje Niṣevyamāṇaṃ Piśitāśanaiśca | Sadaiva Bhīmādipadaprasiddhaṃ Taṃ Śaṅkaraṃ Bhaktahitaṃ Namāmi ||
I bow to that Shankara, ever renowned by the name beginning with 'Bhima', devoted to the welfare of his devotees, who is attended even by the wild hosts of dakinis and shakinis.
On the location: The Bhimashankar tradition is most commonly placed in the Sahyadri hills of Maharashtra; some traditions identify other sites.
Recording not yet available
सानन्दमानन्दवने वसन्तमानन्दकन्दं हतपापवृन्दम्। वाराणसीनाथमनाथनाथं श्रीविश्वनाथं शरणं प्रपद्ये॥
Sānandamānandavane Vasantamānandakandaṃ Hatapāpavṛndam | Vārāṇasīnāthamanāthanāthaṃ Śrīviśvanāthaṃ Śaraṇaṃ Prapadye ||
I take refuge in Shri Vishwanath, Lord of Varanasi and protector of the unprotected — who dwells blissfully in the Forest of Bliss, the very root of joy, destroyer of the host of sins.
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सह्याद्रिशीर्षे विमले वसन्तं गोदावरीतीरपवित्रदेशे। यद्दर्शनात्पातकमाशु नाशं प्रयाति तं त्र्यम्बकमीशमीडे॥
Sahyādriśīrṣe Vimale Vasantaṃ Godāvarītīrapavitradeśe | Yaddarśanātpātakamāśu Nāśaṃ Prayāti Taṃ Tryambakamīśamīḍe ||
I praise the three-eyed Lord Tryambaka, who dwells on the pure crest of the Sahyadri in the holy land by the Godavari's bank, at whose sight wrongdoing swiftly falls away.
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पूर्वोत्तरे प्रज्वलिकानिधाने सदा वसन्तं गिरिजासमेतम्। सुरासुराराधितपादपद्मं श्रीवैद्यनाथं तमहं नमामि॥
Pūrvottare Prajvalikānidhāne Sadā Vasantaṃ Girijāsametam | Surāsurārādhitapādapadmaṃ Śrīvaidyanāthaṃ Tamahaṃ Namāmi ||
I bow to Shri Vaidyanath, who dwells always in the north-eastern shrine of Prajvalika together with Girija (Parvati), whose lotus feet are worshipped by gods and asuras alike.
On the location: Traditions differ: Vaidyanath is identified with Deoghar (Jharkhand) and also with Parli (Maharashtra), among others. Both are held with devotion.
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याम्ये सदङ्गे नगरेऽतिरम्ये विभूषिताङ्गं विविधैश्च भोगैः। सद्भक्तिमुक्तिप्रदमीशमेकं श्रीनागनाथं शरणं प्रपद्ये॥
Yāmye Sadaṅge Nagare'tiramye Vibhūṣitāṅgaṃ Vividhaiśca Bhogaiḥ | Sadbhaktimuktipradamīśamekaṃ Śrīnāganāthaṃ Śaraṇaṃ Prapadye ||
I take refuge in Shri Naganath, the one Lord who grants true devotion and liberation — adorned in splendour, in the lovely southern city of Sadanga.
On the location: The Nageshwar tradition is most often placed near Dwarka in Gujarat; other sites are also revered under this name.
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सुताम्रपर्णीजलराशियोगे निबध्य सेतुं विशिखैरसंख्यैः। श्रीरामचन्द्रेण समर्पितं तं रामेश्वराख्यं नियतं नमामि॥
Sutāmraparṇījalarāśiyoge Nibadhya Setuṃ Viśikhairasaṃkhyaiḥ | Śrīrāmacandreṇa Samarpitaṃ Taṃ Rāmeśvarākhyaṃ Niyataṃ Namāmi ||
I bow constantly to the one called Rameshwara, consecrated by Shri Ramachandra where the waters meet, after he bound a bridge with countless arrows.
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इलापुरे रम्यविशालकेऽस्मिन् समुल्लसन्तं च जगद्वरेण्यम्। वन्दे महोदारतरस्वभावं घृष्णेश्वराख्यं शरणं प्रपद्ये॥
Ilāpure Ramyaviśālake'smin Samullasantaṃ Ca Jagadvareṇyam | Vande Mahodāratarasvabhāvaṃ Ghṛṣṇeśvarākhyaṃ Śaraṇaṃ Prapadye ||
In this lovely and spacious Ilapura shines the one most worthy in all the world; I bow to him of the most generous nature and take refuge in the one called Ghrishneshwar.
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ज्योतिर्मयद्वादशलिङ्गकानां शिवात्मनां प्रोक्तमिदं क्रमेण। स्तोत्रं पठित्वा मनुजोऽतिभक्त्या फलं तदालोक्य निजं भजेच्च॥
Jyotirmayadvādaśaliṅgakānāṃ Śivātmanāṃ Proktamidaṃ Krameṇa | Stotraṃ Paṭhitvā Manujo'tibhaktyā Phalaṃ Tadālokya Nijaṃ Bhajecca ||
This hymn of the twelve light-filled lingas, whose very self is Shiva, has been recited here in order. Whoever reads it with deep devotion comes to behold its fruit and to worship what is truly their own.
Hymns often close with a phalaśruti — a verse describing the fruit of the recitation. It is part of the traditional text and is given here for completeness.
Some recite all twelve verses in order as a single practice, especially on Mondays, at Pradosha, or during Maha Shivaratri. Others keep to one verse — the shrine they feel closest to, or the one nearest home — and return to it daily.
There is no compulsory order, count, or day. Read slowly, let the place-names settle, and treat the recitation as a quiet visit rather than a task to complete.
The verses are devotional poetry, not geography. For two of the twelve — Vaidyanath and Nageshwar — different regions hold different traditions about which shrine the verse names, and each is worshipped with sincerity. We note those differences on the verses concerned rather than declaring one correct.
Sanskrit spellings and place-name transliterations also vary between printed editions. Where the sung recording differs from the most commonly printed text, we say so on the individual mantra page.