Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga Mantra
Meaning, pronunciation and long-form chant of the Kashi Vishwanath verse
Kashi — Varanasi — is called the Forest of Bliss, and this verse plays on that name in almost every line. Its warmest phrase is anātha-nātha: Lord of those who have no lord, protector of anyone with no one else.
Jyotirlinga mantra — the Kashi Vishwanath verse of the Dvādaśa Jyotirliṅga Stotram · 2h 37m chant
Verse 7 of 12 — part of the Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram — all 12 verses.
Listen
This is Spiritual Awakening's own long-form recording — the official way to listen. There is no separate audio hosted on this page.
Best suited for: Anyone who feels they have no standing to ask · Devotion at the end of a long day · Warm, repeated remembrance
Sacred text
Devanagari
सानन्दमानन्दवने वसन्तमानन्दकन्दं हतपापवृन्दम्। वाराणसीनाथमनाथनाथं श्रीविश्वनाथं शरणं प्रपद्ये॥
IAST transliteration
Sānandamānandavane Vasantamānandakandaṃ Hatapāpavṛndam | Vārāṇasīnāthamanāthanāthaṃ Śrīviśvanāthaṃ Śaraṇaṃ Prapadye ||
Simple pronunciation
Saa-nan-da-maa-nan-da-va-ne Va-san-ta-maa-nan-da-kan-dam Ha-ta-paa-pa-vrin-dam; Vaa-raa-na-see-naa-tha-ma-naa-tha-naa-tham Shree-vish-va-naa-tham Sha-ra-nam Pra-pad-ye
Meaning
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.
- Literal meaning
- Dwelling blissfully in Anandavana, the root of bliss, destroyer of the multitude of sins; Lord of Varanasi, Lord of the lordless — to Shri Vishvanatha I go for refuge.
- Devotional interpretation
- Three times the verse repeats 'bliss', and then quietly says the thing that matters most: he is the Lord of those who have none. Kashi's promise has never been for the deserving only — it is for whoever arrives.
Word-by-word meaning
| Word | IAST | Literal meaning | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| सानन्दम् | sānandam | blissfully, with joy | How he dwells there — the mood of the shrine. |
| आनन्दवने | ānanda-vane | in the Forest of Bliss | Anandavana, an old name for the city now called Kashi or Varanasi. |
| वसन्तम् | vasantam | dwelling | Not visiting — living there. |
| आनन्दकन्दं | ānanda-kandaṃ | the root of bliss | Kanda is a root or bulb from which a plant grows — joy's source, not its effect. |
| हतपापवृन्दम् | hata-pāpa-vṛndam | destroyer of the host of sins | Vṛnda — a whole crowd of them, not one at a time. |
| वाराणसीनाथम् | vārāṇasī-nātham | Lord of Varanasi | The city's presiding deity. |
| अनाथनाथं | anātha-nāthaṃ | Lord of the lordless | Protector of those with no protector — the verse's tenderest phrase. |
| श्रीविश्वनाथं | śrī-viśvanāthaṃ | Shri Vishwanath, Lord of the universe | The shrine's name: viśva (all) + nātha (lord). |
| शरणं प्रपद्ये | śaraṇaṃ prapadye | I go for refuge | The surrender formula that closes several verses of this stotra. |
सानन्दम्sānandam
- Literal meaning
- blissfully, with joy
- Explanation
- How he dwells there — the mood of the shrine.
आनन्दवनेānanda-vane
- Literal meaning
- in the Forest of Bliss
- Explanation
- Anandavana, an old name for the city now called Kashi or Varanasi.
वसन्तम्vasantam
- Literal meaning
- dwelling
- Explanation
- Not visiting — living there.
आनन्दकन्दंānanda-kandaṃ
- Literal meaning
- the root of bliss
- Explanation
- Kanda is a root or bulb from which a plant grows — joy's source, not its effect.
हतपापवृन्दम्hata-pāpa-vṛndam
- Literal meaning
- destroyer of the host of sins
- Explanation
- Vṛnda — a whole crowd of them, not one at a time.
वाराणसीनाथम्vārāṇasī-nātham
- Literal meaning
- Lord of Varanasi
- Explanation
- The city's presiding deity.
अनाथनाथंanātha-nāthaṃ
- Literal meaning
- Lord of the lordless
- Explanation
- Protector of those with no protector — the verse's tenderest phrase.
श्रीविश्वनाथंśrī-viśvanāthaṃ
- Literal meaning
- Shri Vishwanath, Lord of the universe
- Explanation
- The shrine's name: viśva (all) + nātha (lord).
शरणं प्रपद्येśaraṇaṃ prapadye
- Literal meaning
- I go for refuge
- Explanation
- The surrender formula that closes several verses of this stotra.
Translations are prepared with editorial review against the Sanskrit text, transliteration and English master meaning. Sanskrit words may carry layers of meaning that no single translation can fully express.
How to chant
Preparation
- You need bring nothing to this one — that is more or less its point.
- Sit, and let the first word be 'sānandam': blissfully.
Pronunciation notes
- The verse plays on ānanda three times; let the word stay recognisable in each compound rather than blurring.
- Anāthanāthaṃ — 'a-naa-tha-naa-tham'; the near-repetition is deliberate, so keep it audible.
How many times
Kashi's devotion tends toward the constant rather than the counted. Repeat it as long as it holds you, or once with attention — both are traditional.
To close
Finish with the phrase anātha-nātha held in mind, and let that be the last thought.
How to use the recording
Chanting along
Sing along freely; this is the least formal-feeling verse of the twelve.
Meditation
Rest on one phrase: Lord of those who have no lord. Let the rest of the verse fall away.
Prayer or pūjā
Suited to prayer offered on someone else's behalf, especially someone without help.
Sleep listening
Its warmth makes it a natural last sound of the night.
Morning practice
A gentle way to start when the day already feels like too much.
Background atmosphere
Good company for ordinary tasks — Kashi's devotion has always lived in the middle of daily life.
Background & sourcesClassification, origin, historical context, symbolism, intentions & occasions
What kind of sacred text is this?
This is chanted as a mantra, and it helps to know exactly what it is: textually it is verse 7 of the Dvādaśa Jyotirliṅga Stotram, a twelve-verse hymn in which each verse salutes one Jyotirlinga. Its protective, settling feeling comes from that devotion rather than from a limb-by-limb protective hymn. Chanted alone it stands complete as a salutation to Kashi Vishwanath; read in sequence with the other eleven it becomes a pilgrimage in sound. You can read the whole hymn on the Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram — all 12 verses page.
Origin and textual source
- Tradition / work
- Dvādaśa Jyotirliṅga Stotram
- Section
- Verse 7 of 12 — the Kashi Vishwanath verse
- Attribution
- Traditionally attributed to Ādi Śaṅkarācārya
- Variants
- Spellings and word-splits vary slightly between printed editions of the stotra.
Historical and devotional context
Varanasi is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the most famous centre of Shiva worship. Kashi Vishwanath sits close to the Ganga ghats, and the city has long drawn those who come to live out their last years there.
The verse is chanted by pilgrims at the ghats and by devotees far away who think of Kashi as a spiritual home. Its 'lord of the lordless' phrase is often quoted on its own, as reassurance for anyone who feels they have no standing to ask.
Symbolism and inner meaning
- Bliss named three ways — as mood, as place, and as root — until joy sounds like the substance of the city itself.
- 'Forest of Bliss' for a dense city: the sacred imagined as somewhere you can get lost and still be held.
- Anātha-nātha: worth is not the entry condition for refuge.
Traditionally associated intentions
Traditional purpose
- Salutation to Shiva as worshipped at Kashi Vishwanath
- Devotional remembrance of the twelve Jyotirlingas
- Recitation as part of the complete stotra
Devotional intentions
- Devotion
- Surrender
- Reverence for the sacred shrines
- Inner steadiness
This recording is for
- Long-form devotional chanting
- Meditation
- Calm listening before sleep
- A quiet devotional atmosphere at home
A note on wellbeing: Its promise is refuge without qualification, which many find quietly relieving. Offered as devotion, not as treatment.
When is it traditionally chanted?
Monday (Somvār) and Pradosha
Days traditionally kept for Shiva worship. The verse may be chanted on any day with devotion — these are customs, not conditions.
Maha Shivaratri
Many devotees recite the complete twelve-verse stotra through the night of Shivaratri.
Dev Deepawali and the Ganga ārati evenings
Kashi's riverfront festivals draw enormous crowds. Many chant this verse at their own shrine on those evenings instead.
Related mantras
2h 35mMahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Mantra
अवन्तिकायां विहितावतारं मुक्तिप्रदानाय च सज्जनानाम्। अकालमृत्योः परिरक्षणार्थं वन्दे महाकाल-महासुरेशम्॥
2h 34mKarpur Gauram Karunavataram — Shiva Stuti
कर्पूरगौरं करुणावतारं संसारसारम् भुजगेन्द्रहारम् । सदावसन्तं हृदयारविन्दे भवं भवानी सहितं नमामि ॥
2h 31mSomnath Jyotirlinga Mantra
सौराष्ट्रदेशे विशदेऽतिरम्ये ज्योतिर्मयं चन्द्रकलावतंसम्। भक्तिप्रदानाय कृपावतीर्णं तं सोमनाथं शरणं प्रपद्ये॥