Sharabha Ashtakam is practiced to eliminate sins and enemies. Sharabha or Sarabha is a part-lion and part-bird beast in Hindu chronology, who is described as eight-legged and more strong than a lion or an elephant, having the capability to clear a valley in one jump.
The top part of the body is shown as human but with the face of a lion with an ornamented crown; side tusks are also depicted giving an overall frightening sight. It also shows the Narasimha beneath Sharabha’s legs as a human with Anjali (hands folded in prayer).
The Shaiva scriptures depict that god Shiva embraced the form of Sharabha to soothe Narasimha - the fierce man-lion avatar of Vishnu worshipped by the Vaishnava sect. This form is popularly known as Sharabeshwara.
Sharabha is explained in the form of a bird with golden color, with two uplifted wings, two red eyes, four legs in the form of a lion touching the ground, four legs with claws upwards, and with an animal tail.
The Shiva Purana cites: After butchering Hiranyakashipu, Narasimha's wrath endangered the world. At the behest of the gods, Shiva sent Virabhadra to tackle Narasimha. When that failed, Shiva personified as Sharabha.
शिवजी के अनेको दिव्यावतारों में से अत्यन्त उग्र, क्रोधयुक्त तथा विचित्रावतार भगवान् ‘शरभराज' हैं । इनकी विचित्र देह में पशु और पक्षि के विराट अंगों का अनूठा मिश्रण है। अद्भुत एवं विशाल पंखों के कारण इन्हें 'पक्षिराज' भी कहा जाता है। भगवान् शरभेश्वर समस्त देवताओं और प्राणियों को ऊर्जा प्रदान करने वाले स्रोत हैं।
इनकी उपासना से प्राप्त फल का शब्दों में वर्णन नहीं किया जा सकता है। संक्षेप में कहा जाये तो इनका उपासक प्रत्येक क्षेत्र में असाधारण सफलता प्राप्त कर परम सौभाग्य को अति शीघ्र सिद्ध कर सकता है।
शैवग्रन्थों में शिवजी की महिमा बताते हुए लिखा है- कि हिरण्यकशिपु का वध करने के पश्चात् जब भगवान् नृसिंह का क्रोध शान्त न हुआ और वे समस्त सष्टि का संहार करने हेत आतर हो गये तो समस्त देवताओं द्वारा प्रार्थना करने पर भगवान् नृसिंह के स्वरूप को शान्त करने हेतु स्वयं शिवजी विराट पक्षी के रूप में अवतरित हुए।
आपका आधा शरीर मृग का और आधा शरीर मनुष्य का है एवं मुख उल्लू पक्षी का है जिसमें तीन नेत्रों में अग्नि-सूर्य-चन्द्र का वास है। अष्टपादयुक्त, जिसमें शिव की अष्टमूर्तियां विराजित हैं। अपने हाथों में दिव्यास्त्रों को धारण किये हुए हैं, वज्र के समान कठोर नख हैं एवं अत्यन्त उग्र व चंचल जीभ है। इनके एक पंख पर काली और दूसरे पंख पर दुर्गा विराजमान हैं।
हृदय और उदर में प्रलयकाल की अग्नि व्याप्त है। कटिप्रदेश के नीचे का भाग हिरण की तरह एवं पूंछ सिंह के समान लम्बी और दोनों विशाल जंघाओं पर व्याधि एवं मृत्यु बैठे हैं। उड़ने की गति वायु के समान प्रचण्ड है। ऐसे महाविराट पक्षिराज ने नृसिंह को अपने पंजों से उठाकर आकाश में उड़ते हुए इतना भीषण चक्कर लगाया कि सम्पूर्ण ब्रह्माण्ड में कम्पन होने लगा।
तत्पश्चात् भगवान् नृसिंह ने अपने क्रोध का त्याग करते हुए दीनमुख होकर परमेश्वर शिव को स्तुति से प्रसन्न किया और अपने स्वरूप का विसर्जन किया तो शिवजी ने उनकी चर्म को प्रिय मानकर उसे बाघाम्बर रूप में धारण किया और उनके मुण्ड को अपनी मुण्डमाला में धारण किया, ऐसी प्राचीन शास्त्र - ग्रन्थों में कथा है
Sharabha Ashtakam | Meaning
शरभेशाष्टकम्
ध्यानम् -
ज्वलनकुटिलकेशं सूर्यचन्द्राग्निनेत्रं
निशिततरनखाग्रोद्धूतहेमाभदेहम् ।
शरभमथ मुनीन्द्रैः सेव्यमानं सिताङ्गं
प्रणतभयविनाशं भावयेत्पक्षिराजम् ॥ ३॥
dhyaanam -
jvalanakut'ilakesham sooryachandraagninetram
nishitataranakhaagroddhootahemaabhadeham .
sharabhamatha muneendraih' sevyamaanam sitaangam
pranatabhayavinaasham bhaavayetpakshiraajam .. 3..
With the moon, sun, and fire as his three eyes, with a moving fierce tongue which is like an ax,
With Kali and Durga as his wings, with his heart and abdomen as Bhairava and fire in the ocean,
His thighs are diseases and death, the great Saraba is like a storm,
He would kill all his enemies and Sarabha is like a fierce king of birds.
अथ स्तोत्रम् -
देवादिदेवाय जगन्मयाय शिवाय नालीकनिभाननाय ।
शर्वाय भीमाय शराधिपाय नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं शरभेश्वराय ॥ ४॥
atha stotram -
devaadidevaaya jaganmayaaya shivaaya naaleekanibhaananaaya .
sharvaaya bheemaaya sharaadhipaaya namo'stu tubhyam sharabheshvaraaya .. 4..
I Salute you God Sarabha,
Who is God of Gods, Who is spread all over the world,
Who is Shiva, who is similar to a lotus flower,
And who is like a huge strong cloud?
शीतांशुचूडाय दिगम्बराय सृष्टिस्थितिध्वंसनकारणाय ।
जटाकलापाय जितेन्द्रियाय नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं शरभेश्वराय ॥ ६॥
sheetaamshuchood'aaya digambaraaya sri'sht'isthitidhvamsanakaaranaaya .
jat'aakalaapaaya jitendriyaaya namo'stu tubhyam sharabheshvaraaya .. 6..
I Salute you God Sarabha,
Who wears the moon, Who wears the directions as apparel,
Who are the reason for creation, upkeep, and destruction,
Who has matted hair and who has won over his senses?
कलङ्ककण्ठाय भवान्तकाय कपालशूलात्तकराम्बुजाय ।
भुजङ्गभूषाय पुरान्तकाय नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं शरभेश्वराय ॥ ७॥
kalankakant'haaya bhavaantakaaya kapaalashoolaattakaraambujaaya .
bhujangabhooshaaya puraantakaaya namo'stu tubhyam sharabheshvaraaya .. 7..
I Salute you God Sarabha,
Who has a blue neck, Who is the destroyer of earth,
Who is starved and holds the skull in his lotus-like hands,
He decorates himself with a snake and was the destroyer of three cities.
शमादिषट्काय यमान्तकाय यमादियोगाष्टकसिद्धिदाय ।
उमाधिनाथाय पुरातनाय नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं शरभेश्वराय ॥ ८॥
shamaadishat'kaaya yamaantakaaya yamaadiyogaasht'akasiddhidaaya .
umaadhinaathaaya puraatanaaya namo'stu tubhyam sharabheshvaraaya .. 8..
I Salute you God Sarabha,
Who is an expert in six types of deep meditation, Killer of Yama,
Who has realized the eight types of Yogas like self-control,
Who is the Lord of Uma and one who is very old?
घृणादिपाशाष्टकवर्जिताय खिलीकृतास्मत्पथि पूर्वगाय ।
गुणादिहीनाय गुणत्रयाय नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं शरभेश्वराय ॥ ९॥
ghri'naadipaashaasht'akavarjitaaya khileekri'taasmatpathi poorvagaaya .
gunaadiheenaaya gunatrayaaya namo'stu tubhyam sharabheshvaraaya .. 9..
I Salute you God Sarabha,
Who avoids the six types of attachments like disgust,
Who makes us powerless as he was our lord earlier,
Who does not have any characteristics like the three types of Gunas?(Stahva, Rajas, and Tamas.)
कालाय वेदामृतकन्दलाय कल्याणकौतूहलकारणाय ।
स्थूलाय सूक्ष्माय स्वरूपगाय नमोऽस्तु तुस्तु तुभ्यं शरभेश्वराय ॥ १०॥
kaalaaya vedaamri'takandalaaya kalyaanakautoohalakaaranaaya .
sthoolaaya sookshmaaya svaroopagaaya namo'stu tustu tubhyam sharabheshvaraaya .. 10..
I Salute you God Sarabha,
Who is filled with the nectar of Vedas from primeval times,
Who is the reason for freedom from auspiciousness,
And who has both forms of very huge as well as tiny?
पञ्चाननायानिलभास्कराय पञ्चाशदर्णाद्यपराक्षयाय ।
पञ्चाक्षरेशाय जगद्धिताय नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं शरभेश्वराय ॥ ११॥
panchaananaayaanilabhaaskaraaya panchaashadarnaadyaparaakshayaaya .
panchaakshareshaaya jagaddhitaaya namo'stu tubhyam sharabheshvaraaya .. 11.
I Salute you God Sarabha,
Who has five faces, who gives light for all,
Who is honored and served in five ways,
Who is the God of five letters and who stays in the universe?
हराय भीमाय हरिप्रियाय भवाय शान्ताय परात्पराय ।
मृडाय रुद्राय विलोचनाय नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं शरभेश्वराय ॥ ५॥
haraaya bheemaaya haripriyaaya bhavaaya shaantaaya paraatparaaya .
mri'd'aaya rudraaya vilochanaaya namo'stu tubhyam sharabheshvaraaya .. 5.
I Salute you God Sarabha,
Who is the destroyer, very huge, one who likes Vishnu,
Who is divine, who is peaceful, who is superior to the best,
Who Is Shiva, Who is Rudra, and who is three-eyed?
इमं स्तवं जपेद्यस्तु शरभेशाष्टकं नरः ।
तस्य नश्यन्ति पापानि रिपवश्च सुरोत्तमाः ॥ ३० ॥
imam stavam japedyastu sharabheshaasht'akam narah' .
tasya nashyanti paapaani ripavashcha surottamaah' .. 30 ..
If this prayer called octet to Sarabha is chanted by men,
Then the great God will destroy all his sins as well as enemies.
