Ashtakam · Sheetla Mata

Sheetalashtakam शीतलाष्टक

Shiva's hymn to Sheetala Mata, the goddess who rides a donkey and carries a broom, a water-pot and a winnowing fan, traditionally recited for relief from fevers and pox (visphotaka). After the viniyoga come fifteen verses: praise, the names of her donkey, and the instruction to give the hymn only to the devout.

Commonly recited version Editorially checked

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श्रीगणेशाय नमः ॥śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ ||শ্রীগণেশায নমঃ ॥

अस्य श्रीशीतलास्तोत्रस्य महादेव ऋषिः । अनुष्टुप् छंदः । शीतला देवता । लक्ष्मीर्बीजम् । भवानी शक्तिः । सर्वविस्फोटकनिवृत्तये जपे विनियोगः ।asya śrīśītalāstotrasya mahādeva ṛṣiḥ | anuṣṭup chaṃdaḥ | śītalā devatā | lakṣmīrbījam | bhavānī śaktiḥ | sarvavisphoṭakanivṛttaye jape viniyogaḥ |অস্য শ্রীশীতলাস্তোত্রস্য মহাদেব ঋষিঃ । অনুষ্টুপ্ ছংদঃ । শীতলা দেবতা । লক্ষ্মীর্বীজম্ । ভবানী শক্তিঃ । সর্ববিস্ফোটকনিবৃত্তযে জপে বিনিযোগঃ ।

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ईश्वर उवाच ।īśvara uvāca |ঈশ্বর উবাচ ।

Shloka 1

वंदेहं शीतलां देवीं रासभस्थां दिगंबराम् ।vaṃdehaṃ śītalāṃ devīṃ rāsabhasthāṃ digaṃbarām |বংদেহং শীতলাং দেবীং রাসভস্থাং দিগংবরাম্ ।

मार्जनीकलशोपेतां शूर्पालंकृतमस्तकाम् ॥ १ ॥mārjanīkalaśopetāṃ śūrpālaṃkṛtamastakām || 1 ||মার্জনীকলশোপেতাং শূর্পালংকৃতমস্তকাম্ ॥ 1 ॥

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Shloka 2

वंदेऽहं शीतलां देवीं सर्वरोगभयापहाम् ।vaṃde'haṃ śītalāṃ devīṃ sarvarogabhayāpahām |বংদেঽহং শীতলাং দেবীং সর্বরোগভযাপহাম্ ।

यामासाद्य निवर्तेत विस्फोटकभयं महत् ॥ २ ॥yāmāsādya nivarteta visphoṭakabhayaṃ mahat || 2 ||যামাসাদ্য নিবর্তেত বিস্ফোটকভযং মহত্ ॥ 2 ॥

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Shloka 3

शीतले शीतले चेति यो ब्रूयाद्दाहपीडितः ।śītale śītale ceti yo brūyāddāhapīḍitaḥ |শীতলে শীতলে চেতি যো ব্রূযাদ্দাহপীডিতঃ ।

विस्फोटकभयं घोरं क्षिप्रं तस्य प्रणश्यति ॥ ३ ॥visphoṭakabhayaṃ ghoraṃ kṣipraṃ tasya praṇaśyati || 3 ||বিস্ফোটকভযং ঘোরং ক্ষিপ্রং তস্য প্রণশ্যতি ॥ 3 ॥

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Shloka 4

यस्त्वामुदकमध्ये तु धृत्वा पूजयते नरः ।yastvāmudakamadhye tu dhṛtvā pūjayate naraḥ |যস্ত্বামুদকমধ্যে তু ধৃত্বা পূজযতে নরঃ ।

विस्फोटकभयं घोरं गृहे तस्य न जायते ॥ ४ ॥visphoṭakabhayaṃ ghoraṃ gṛhe tasya na jāyate || 4 ||বিস্ফোটকভযং ঘোরং গৃহে তস্য ন জাযতে ॥ 4 ॥

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Shloka 5

शीतले ज्वरदग्धस्य पूतिगंधयुतस्य च ।śītale jvaradagdhasya pūtigaṃdhayutasya ca |শীতলে জ্বরদগ্ধস্য পূতিগংধযুতস্য চ ।

प्रनष्टचक्षुषः पुंसस्त्वामाहुर्जीवनौषधम् ॥ ५ ॥pranaṣṭacakṣuṣaḥ puṃsastvāmāhurjīvanauṣadham || 5 ||প্রনষ্টচক্ষুষঃ পুংসস্ত্বামাহুর্জীবনৌষধম্ ॥ 5 ॥

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Shloka 6

शीतले तनुजान्रोगान्नृणां हरसि दुस्त्यजान् ।śītale tanujānrogānnṛṇāṃ harasi dustyajān |শীতলে তনুজান্রোগান্নৃণাং হরসি দুস্ত্যজান্ ।

विस्फोटकविदीर्णानां त्वमेकामृतवर्षिणी ॥ ६ ॥visphoṭakavidīrṇānāṃ tvamekāmṛtavarṣiṇī || 6 ||বিস্ফোটকবিদীর্ণানাং ত্বমেকামৃতবর্ষিণী ॥ 6 ॥

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Shloka 7

गलगंडग्रहा रोगा ये चान्ये दारुणा नृणाम् ।galagaṃḍagrahā rogā ye cānye dāruṇā nṛṇām |গলগংডগ্রহা রোগা যে চান্যে দারুণা নৃণাম্ ।

त्वदनुध्यानमात्रेण शीतले यांति संक्षयम् ॥ ७ ॥tvadanudhyānamātreṇa śītale yāṃti saṃkṣayam || 7 ||ত্বদনুধ্যানমাত্রেণ শীতলে যাংতি সংক্ষযম্ ॥ 7 ॥

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Shloka 8

न मंत्रो नौषधं तस्य पापरोगस्य विद्यते ।na maṃtro nauṣadhaṃ tasya pāparogasya vidyate |ন মংত্রো নৌষধং তস্য পাপরোগস্য বিদ্যতে ।

त्वामेकां शीतले धात्रीं नान्यां पश्यामि देवताम् ॥ ८ ॥tvāmekāṃ śītale dhātrīṃ nānyāṃ paśyāmi devatām || 8 ||ত্বামেকাং শীতলে ধাত্রীং নান্যাং পশ্যামি দেবতাম্ ॥ 8 ॥

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Shloka 9

मृणालतंतुसदृशीं नाभिहृन्मध्यसंस्थिताम् ।mṛṇālataṃtusadṛśīṃ nābhihṛnmadhyasaṃsthitām |মৃণালতংতুসদৃশীং নাভিহৃন্মধ্যসংস্থিতাম্ ।

यस्त्वां संचिंतयेद्देवि तस्य मृत्युर्न जायते ॥ ९ ॥yastvāṃ saṃciṃtayeddevi tasya mṛtyurna jāyate || 9 ||যস্ত্বাং সংচিংতযেদ্দেবি তস্য মৃত্যুর্ন জাযতে ॥ 9 ॥

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Shloka 10

अष्टकं शीतलादेव्या यो नरः प्रपठेत्सदा ।aṣṭakaṃ śītalādevyā yo naraḥ prapaṭhetsadā |অষ্টকং শীতলাদেব্যা যো নরঃ প্রপঠেত্সদা ।

विस्फोटकभयं घोरं गृहे तस्य न जायते ॥ १० ॥visphoṭakabhayaṃ ghoraṃ gṛhe tasya na jāyate || 10 ||বিস্ফোটকভযং ঘোরং গৃহে তস্য ন জাযতে ॥ 10 ॥

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Shloka 11

श्रोतव्यं पठितव्यं च श्रद्धाभक्तिसमन्वितैः ।śrotavyaṃ paṭhitavyaṃ ca śraddhābhaktisamanvitaiḥ |শ্রোতব্যং পঠিতব্যং চ শ্রদ্ধাভক্তিসমন্বিতৈঃ ।

उपसर्गविनाशाय परं स्वस्त्ययनं महत् ॥ ११ ॥upasargavināśāya paraṃ svastyayanaṃ mahat || 11 ||উপসর্গবিনাশায পরং স্বস্ত্যযনং মহত্ ॥ 11 ॥

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Shloka 12

शीतले त्वं जगन्माता शीतले त्वं जगत्पिता ।śītale tvaṃ jaganmātā śītale tvaṃ jagatpitā |শীতলে ত্বং জগন্মাতা শীতলে ত্বং জগত্পিতা ।

शीतले त्वं जगद्धात्री शीतलायै नमो नमः ॥ १२ ॥śītale tvaṃ jagaddhātrī śītalāyai namo namaḥ || 12 ||শীতলে ত্বং জগদ্ধাত্রী শীতলাযৈ নমো নমঃ ॥ 12 ॥

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Shloka 13

रासभो गर्दभश्चैव खरो वैशाखनंदनः ।rāsabho gardabhaścaiva kharo vaiśākhanaṃdanaḥ |রাসভো গর্দভশ্চৈব খরো বৈশাখনংদনঃ ।

शीतलावाहनश्चैव दूर्वाकंदनिकृंतनः ॥ १३ ॥śītalāvāhanaścaiva dūrvākaṃdanikṛṃtanaḥ || 13 ||শীতলাবাহনশ্চৈব দূর্বাকংদনিকৃংতনঃ ॥ 13 ॥

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Shloka 14

एतानि खरनामानि शीतलाग्रे तु यः पठेत् ।etāni kharanāmāni śītalāgre tu yaḥ paṭhet |এতানি খরনামানি শীতলাগ্রে তু যঃ পঠেত্ ।

तस्य गेहे शिशूनां च शीतलारुङ् न जायते ॥ १४ ॥tasya gehe śiśūnāṃ ca śītalāruṅ na jāyate || 14 ||তস্য গেহে শিশূনাং চ শীতলারুঙ্ ন জাযতে ॥ 14 ॥

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Shloka 15

शीतलाष्टकमेवेदं न देयं यस्यकस्यचित् ।śītalāṣṭakamevedaṃ na deyaṃ yasyakasyacit |শীতলাষ্টকমেবেদং ন দেযং যস্যকস্যচিত্ ।

दातव्यं च सदा तस्मै श्रद्धाभक्तियुताय वै ॥ १५ ॥dātavyaṃ ca sadā tasmai śraddhābhaktiyutāya vai || 15 ||দাতব্যং চ সদা তস্মৈ শ্রদ্ধাভক্তিযুতায বৈ ॥ 15 ॥

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16

इति श्रीस्कंदपुराणे शीतलाष्टकस्तोत्रं संपूर्णम् ॥iti śrīskaṃdapurāṇe śītalāṣṭakastotraṃ saṃpūrṇam ||ইতি শ্রীস্কংদপুরাণে শীতলাষ্টকস্তোত্রং সংপূর্ণম্ ॥

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Read in another script: ગુજરાતી தமிழ் తెలుగు ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ · letter-for-letter from the Devanagari text, approximate

Text: Brihat Stotra Ratnakara, Nirnaya Sagar Press, Bombay, 1912, no. 82 शीतलाष्टकम्, printed pp. 178–179 = djvu pages 186–187 on Sanskrit Wikisource (https://sa.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A0%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D%3ABrihat_Stotra_Ratnakara_1912.djvu/%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%AE%E0%A5%AC&oldid=377864; https://sa.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A0%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D%3ABrihat_Stotra_Ratnakara_1912.djvu/%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%AE%E0%A5%AD&oldid=377865). Wikisource has only the unproofread OCR layer, so every line was read on the page images. The scan of djvu 186 has lost a few letters at the left margin; they are supplied from the witnesses and marked here: महादेव [ऋ]षिः, [भवानी] शक्तिः (only the final ā-stroke is visible), [ईश्व]र उवाच, दिगंब-[रा]म्, and on djvu 187 [दा]तव्यं (v.15). Witnesses: (GP) Devi Stotra Ratnakar, Gita Press (book no. 1774), OCR on archive.org (gp1774-devi-satotra-ratnakar), no. 59, pp. 236–239 — the same viniyoga, fifteen verses and Skanda Purana colophon; (K) Sri Devi Stotra Ratnakaram, Sri Kamakoti Koshasthanam, Kumbakonam, 1944 (archive.org Acc.No.4245-SriDeviSthothiraRathinagaram-1944), whose Devanagari OCR is legible for the viniyoga (लक्ष्मीर्बीजम्, भवानी शक्तिः) and eight half-verses, all agreeing with the edition apart from OCR noise. Comparison by half-verse with cmp.py --loose: corrected edition vs GP 23 identical, 7 differing, 0 only in edition, 0 only in witness; letter agreement 98.9%; raw OCR vs GP 18 identical, 12 differing; 98.3%. OCR errors corrected on the page image: लक्ष्मीबजम् → लक्ष्मीर्बीजम्; ब्रूयाहाहपीडितः → ब्रूयाद्दाहपीडितः; तनुजान्रोगानृणां → तनुजान्रोगान्नृणां; सदृश नाभिहन्मध्य → सदृशीं नाभिहृन्मध्य; संचिंतयेदेवि → संचिंतयेद्देवि; प्रपत्सदा → प्रपठेत्सदा; शीतलाप्रे → शीतलाग्रे; शीतलारुङ्ग न → शीतलारुङ् न; युताय व → युताय वै; line-break splits joined. Edition readings kept: v.1 वंदेहं without avagraha (v.2 वंदेऽहं), v.5 प्रनष्टचक्षुषः (GP प्रणष्ट), v.15 यस्यकस्यचित् as printed, and the anusvara spellings of the print. GP's remaining differences are OCR slips (विद्याते, सदूशीं, संचिन्तयेद्ेवि, ब्रूयाहाह). The viniyoga is set as prose and ईश्वर उवाच as a heading.

The Roman line is IAST transliteration derived from the Devanagari (ā = long a, ṃ = anusvara, ḥ = visarga, ś/ṣ = sh sounds, c = ch as in “church”). In Hindi, Awadhi and Braj texts the silent final “a” is dropped. Transliteration does not show Vedic accents.

Questions

What is Sheetalashtakam?

Shiva's hymn to Sheetala Mata, the goddess who rides a donkey and carries a broom, a water-pot and a winnowing fan, traditionally recited for relief from fevers and pox (visphotaka). After the viniyoga come fifteen verses: praise, the names of her donkey, and the instruction to give the hymn only to the devout.

Who is Sheetalashtakam associated with?

Sheetalashtakam is associated with Sheetla Mata. A goddess worshipped in North and East India, traditionally invoked for protection from fevers and poxes; Sheetla Ashtami (Basoda) is her observance.

What does Sheetalashtakam mean?

A short paraphrase, not a translation. After the viniyoga (seer Mahadeva, metre anushtubh, deity Sheetala), Ishvara says: I bow to goddess Sheetala, seated on a donkey, clothed by the directions, holding broom and pot, a winnowing fan on her head; I bow to her who removes the fear of every disease, reaching whom the great fear of pox turns away. Whoever, burning with fever, calls 'Sheetale, Sheetale', or worships her image held in water, is freed from that fear in his home. To one scorched by fever, foul with sores and losing his sight she is called the life-giving remedy; she takes away th…

What is the source of Sheetalashtakam?

Skanda Purana — Ascribed to the Skanda Purana in its colophon; Brihat Stotra Ratnakara 1912, no. 82. Tradition: Shakta.

Are there different versions of Sheetalashtakam?

Prints differ only slightly: v.5 प्रनष्टचक्षुषः or प्रणष्टचक्षुषः; v.1 वन्देऽहं with avagraha; v.15 यस्य कस्यचित् spaced. The colophon is sometimes इति श्रीस्कन्दमहापुराणे शीतलाष्टकं सम्पूर्णम्. Although called an ashtaka, the hymn has fifteen verses in all the prints compared.

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