śaṅkarācārya aṣṭottara śata nāmastotram (with select meaning)

 

Using the translation done by  Sri Ravi Mayavaram and Sri Saraswathi from sanskritdocuments.org, as starting point, I've reworded them, as needed to be consistent with my internalization of Vedanta, from the Guru sampradhaaya. 

(purpose of this blogpost, is for quick reference in Thursdy Guru Puja)

VERSE 1

śrīśaṅkarācāryavaryo brahmānandapradāyakaḥ .

ajñāna timirādityassujñānāmbudhi candramāḥ .. 1..

 

1) oṃ śrīśaṅkarācāryavaryāya namaḥ

 2) oṃ brahmānanda pradāyakāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who confers brahmānanda with Atmajnaana upadesam. 

3) oṃ ajnāna timirādityāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who (instantly) dispels (the otherwise) stubborn ajnāna with brahmajnānam like brilliant Sun rays instantly dispels the darkness of the night.

4) oṃ sujñānāmbudhi candramase namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who bestows the auspicious knowledge of brahman to his disciples, like a full moon showering its cool rays to a large body of water. (this upamāna is important – for the moon controls the large waterbody like the ocean, while staying detached and cool).

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VERSE 2

varṇāśramapratiṣṭātā śrīmānmuktipradāyakaḥ .

śiṣyopadeśanirato bhaktābhīṣṭapradāyakaḥ .. 2..

 

5) oṃ varṇāśramapratiṣṭhātre namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who firmly [re-]stablished the varnāshrama system.

6) oṃ śrīmate namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who possesses all auspicious attributes. Śrimate is one – whose mind is immersed in the truth on one’s svarūpa which is śuddha chit – which is the nitya sāśvataḥ aishwaryam.

7) oṃ muktipradāyakāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who bestows mukti to his devotees by conferring Atma jnāna to them.

8) oṃ śiṣyopadeśaniratāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who is ever keen to instruct his disciples.

9) oṃ bhaktābhīṣṭapradāyakāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who fulfills the ennobling wishes (abhīṣTa) of his devotees (i.e. sādhanā chatuśtaya Sampatti culminating in jnāna niṣta).

 VERSE 3

sūkṣmatattvarahasyajñaḥ kāryākāryaprabodhakaḥ .

jñānamudrāñcitakaraśśiṣyahṛttāpahārakaḥ .. 3..

 

10) oṃ sūkṣma-tattva-rahasya-jñāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who knows heart of the sruti prokta brahmavidya, which is often called rahasyam  (as it ought to be learnt from Srotriya Brahmanishta Guru).

11) oṃ kāryākāryaprabodhakāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who teaches what ought ought to be done and what not

12) oṃ jñāna-mudrāñcitakarāya namaḥ

I bow to śri shankara whose hands hold the jnāna mudra (as a gesture of true eternal abhayam that he confers on us).  The term jnāna mudra also means one who gives (ra) the bliss (mud) of jnAna.

13) oṃ śiṣyahṛttāpahārākāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who destroys the tāpa trayam plaguing the heart of his disciples. He destroys that heat by bestowing cool nectar like Ātmajnānam (tāpatrayāgni saṃtapta sāmhlādana candrikā)

 VERSE 4

parivrājāśramoddhartā sarvatantrasvatantradhīḥ .

advaitasthāpanācāryassākṣācchaṅkararūpabhṛt .. 4..

 

14) oṃ parivrājāśramoddhartre namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who uplifted and renewed the sannyāsa āshrama, by getting rid of any asampradhāya influence and establishing the daśanāmi sampradhāya.

15) oṃ sarvatantrasvantradhiye namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who is the master of all knowledge systems (past, present and future) and yet established beyond doubt the advaita system, in all its self-glory.

16) oṃ advaita-sthāpanācāryāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who firmly [re-]established the Advaita vedānta siddhānta – through prasthāna traya bhāṣyam.

17) oṃ sākṣācchaṅkararūpabhṛte namaḥ

I bow to śri shankara who is indeed Lord shiva. śri shankara is considered by his disciples as none but the great Lord shiva himself.

The verse in toTakAShTakam

bhava eva bhavā niti me nitaraṃ samajāyata cetasi kautikitā mama

vāraya moha mahājaladhiṃ bhava śaṅkara deśikame śaraṇam

 and the famous verse attributed to padmapAda which he realized and

uttered during the great debate between śri vedavyAsa and śri

shankara

śanṅkaraśśaṅkarassākṣād vyāso nārāyaṇa svayam .

tayor vivāde samprāpte kiṅkaraḥ kiṃ karomyaham ..

 indicates this.

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 VERSE 5

ṣaṇmatasthāpanācāryastrayīmārga prakāśakaḥ .

vedavedāntatattvajño durvādimatakhaṇḍanaḥ .. 5..

 

18) oṃ ṣaṇmatasthāpanācāryāya namaḥ

19) oṃ trayīmārgaprakāśakāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who made veda trayī mārga accessible and luminous, to all its followers (for all times to come).

20) oṃ vedavedāntatattvajñāya namaḥ

21) oṃ durvādimatakhaṇḍanāya namaḥ

I bow to śri shankara who cut the arguments those who did not understand or willingly twist or ignore the traditional meaning of the sastra sampradhāya and also the nāstikas.

 VERSE 6

vairāgyanirataśśāntassaṃsārārṇavatārakaḥ .

prasannavadanāmbhojaḥ paramārthaprakāśakaḥ .. 6..

 

22) oṃ vairāgyaniratāya namaḥ

I bow to śri shankara who on account of his Advaita svarūpa niṣta is nitya vairāgi.

23) oṃ śāntāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara whose svarūpam is śāntiḥ

24) oṃ saṃsārṇavatārakāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who helps us cross the ocean of birth-rebirth (with the raft of jnāna).

25) oṃ prasannavadanāmbhojāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara whose face is bright and beautiful like a lotus (i.e. implying his jnāna niṣta and ahetuka dayā constantly pours its grace on it, while amidst us and yet untainted by our sorrow).

26) oṃ paramārthaprakāśakāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who illumines the paths to mokṣa through his bhāṣya

 

 VERSE 7

purāṇasmṛtisārajño nityatṛpto mahāñchuciḥ .

nityānando nirātaṅko nissaṅgo nirmalātmakaḥ .. 7..

 

27) oṃ purāṇasmṛtisārajñāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who knows the essence of itihāsa-purānas and other smriti grantha. (which is to pave the way, for śruti janita brahmavidya to take deep root in us).

28) oṃ nityatṛptāya namaḥ

29) oṃ mahate namaḥ

30) oṃ śucaye namaḥ

31) oṃ nityānandāya namaḥ

32) oṃ nirātaṅkāya namaḥ

33) oṃ nissaṅgāya namaḥ

34) oṃ nirmalātmakāya namaḥ

 VERSE 8

nirmamo nirahaṅkāro viśvavandyapadāmbujaḥ .

sattvapradhānassadbhāvassaṅkhyātītaguṇojjvalaḥ .. 8..

 

35) oṃ nirmamāya namaḥ

36) oṃ nirahaṅkārāya namaḥ

37) oṃ viśva-vandya-padāmbujāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara at whose lotus feet the entire universe bows

38) oṃ sattvapradhānāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara in whom sattva guNa is predominant – for our sake.

39) oṃ sadbhāvāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who is always contemplating on Brahman (brahmaniśta).

40) oṃ saṅkhyātītaguṇojjvalāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who is endowed with countless kalyāna guNas.

VERSE 9

anaghassārahṛdayassudhīssārasvatapradaḥ .

satyātmā puṇyaśīlaśca sāṅkhyayogavilakṣaṇaḥ .. 9..

41) oṃ anaghāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who is free from any blemish, pāpa vāsana – since all his vāsanas – both good and bad are burnt in the fire of the knowledge of Advaita svarūpa niṣta.

42) oṃ sārahṛdayasudhiye namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara the essence of whose heart is nectar (i.e. brahmavidya which confers immortality and always tastes delicious).

43) oṃ sārasvatapradāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who bestows brahmajnānam

44) oṃ satyātmane namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara whose very Self is Satyam – Satyasyasatyam.

45) oṃ puṇyaśīlāya namaḥ

46) oṃ sāṅkhyayogavilakṣaṇāya namaḥ

I bow to śri shankara who through his brahmasutra bhāsya corrected the sankhya mata.

 VERSE 10

taporāśir mahātejo guṇatrayavibhāgavit .

kalighnaḥ kālakarmajñastamoguṇanivārakaḥ .. 10..

 

 

47) oṃ taporāśaye namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who is the abode of tapas (yasya jnāna mayam tapaḥ).

48) oṃ mahātejase namaḥ

49) oṃ guṇatrayavibhāgavide namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who understood and articulated how to understand and modify one’s svabhāva mades of three gunas, so that we can develop svarūpa svabhāva viveka.

50) oṃ kalighnāya namaḥ

I bow to śri shankara who is the destroyer of the kali vāsana

51) oṃ kālakarmajñāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who knows the appropriate time for appropriate actions (as she is sarvagya murti)

52) oṃ tamoguṇanivārakāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who removes the tamo guNam prabhāvam, standing in the way of Advaita svarūpa jnāna niṣta.

 VERSE 11

bhagavānbhāratījetā śāradāhvānapaṇḍitaḥ .

dharmādharmavibhāvajño lakṣyabhedapradarśakaḥ .. 11..

 

53) oṃ bhagavate namaḥ

54) oṃ bhāratījetre namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who defeated śri sarasvatI in debate.

55) oṃ śārāda ahvāna paṇḍitāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara the great scholar who was invited by śri sarasvatI for debate.

56) oṃ dharmādharmavibhāga jñāya namaḥ (pāṭhabheda vibhāga)

 I bow to śri shankara who has in-depth understanding  & distinction between dharma (abhyudaya and nihsreyasa hetu) and adharma

57) oṃ lakṣyabhedapradarśakāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who shows how the laksya is to be discerned (with viveka) and thus realized (as “I am that”, on the basis of brahmavidya sampradhaya

 VERSE 12

nādabindukalābhijño yogihṛtpadmabhāskaraḥ .

atīndriyajñānanidhirnityānityavivekavān .. 12..

 

58) oṃ nāda bindu kalābhijñāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who knows the philosophy of nAda-bindu-kalA – i.e one who knows Brahman in its unmodified and manifested forms (of varying degree).

59) oṃ yogihṛtpadmabhāskarāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who (like the sun), makes the heart of yogis bloom in joy.

60) oṃ atīndriya jñānanidhaye namaḥ

61) oṃ nityānityavivekavate namaḥ

 VERSE 13

cidānandaścinmayātmā parakāyapraveśakṛt .

amānuṣacaritrāḍhyaḥ kṣemadāyī kṣamākaraḥ .. 13..

62) oṃ cidānandāya namaḥ

63) oṃ cinmayātmane namaḥ

64) oṃ parakāyapraveśakṛte namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who knows the art of para kAya praveshaM

65) oṃ amānuṣacaritra aḍhyāya namaḥ

66) oṃ kṣemadāyine namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who offers protection and preservation – by teaching us path to ananya bhakti or parābhakti (chaturtha bhakti).

67) oṃ kṣamakāraya namaḥ

 (Jnaanaagnih sarvakarmaani bhasmasaat kurute tathaa.)

 VERSE 14

bhavyo bhadraprado bhūri mahimā viśvarañjakaḥ .

svaprakāśassadādhāro viśvabandhuśśubhodayaḥ .. 14..

68) oṃ bhavyāya namaḥ

(brahmavid brahmaiva bhavati)

69) oṃ bhadrapradāya namaḥ

70) oṃ bhūrimahimne namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who has countless glories.

71) oṃ viśvarañjakāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who (through his teachings) made the world happy.

72) oṃ svaprakāśāya namaḥ

73) oṃ sadādhāraya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who is the eternal support of all āstikās.

74) oṃ viśvabandhave namaḥ

(from digvijayam).

75) oṃ śubhodayāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who is the auspicious dawn of jnāna, to any sincere āstika.

  VERSE 15

viśālakīrtirvāgīśassarvalokahitotsukaḥ .

kailāsayātrāsamprāptacandramauliprapūjakaḥ .. 15..

 

76) oṃ viśālakīrtaye namaḥ

77) oṃ vāgīśāya namaḥ

78) oṃ sarvalokahitotsukāya namaḥ

79) oṃ kailāsayātrāsamprāptacandramauliprapūjakāya namaḥ

 VERSE 16

kāṃcyāṃ śrīcakrarājākhyayantrasthāpanadīkṣitaḥ .

śrīcakrātmaka tāṭaṅka toṣitāmbā manorathaḥ .. 16..

 

80) oṃ kāṃcyāṃ śrīcakrarājākhya yantra sthāpana dīkṣitāya namaḥ

81) oṃ śrīcakrātmaka tāṭaṅka toṣitāmbā manorathāya namaḥ

 

 VERSE 17

brahmasūtropaniṣadbhāṣyādigranthakalpakaḥ .

caturdikcaturāmnāyapratiṣṭhātā mahāmatiḥ .. 17..

 

82) oṃ brahmasūtropaniṣadbhāṣyādigranthakalpakāya namaḥ

83) oṃ caturdik caturāmnāya pratiṣṭhātre namaḥ

84) oṃ mahāmataye namaḥ

(Talk of nāyamātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena .

yamevaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhya-tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūṃ svām

bhaṣyam)

 

 VERSE 18

dvisaptati matocchettā sarvadigvijayaprabhuḥ .

kāṣāyavasanopeto bhasmoddhūl̤itavigrahaḥ .. 18..

 

85) oṃ dvispatati matocchettre namaḥ

86) oṃ sarvadigvijayaprabhave namaḥ

87) oṃ kāṣāyavasanopetāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who dressed in ochre robes signifies that jnāna has burnt away all vāsanas.

(jñāna-agni-dagdha-karmāṇam 4.19, jñānāgniḥ sarvakarmāṇi bhasmasātkurute tathā 4.37, na hi jñānena sadṛśam pavitram iha vidyate 4.38).

88) oṃ bhasmoddhūl̤itavigrahāya namaḥ

 

 VERSE 19

jñānatmakaikadaṇḍāḍhyaḥ kamaṇḍalulasatkaraḥ .

gurubhūmaṇḍalācāryobhagavatpādasaṃjñakaḥ .. 19..

 

89) oṃ jñānatmakaika daṇḍāḍhyāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who bears a single daNDa  to signify atman is Advaita svarūpam (Atman Alone Is).

90) oṃ kamaṇḍalulasatkarāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who shows with the kamaNDalam that simplicity is the hall mark of sanyāsa dharma (yaḥ tu ātma-ratiḥ eva syāt ātma-tṛptaḥ ca mānavaḥ .

ātmani eva ca santuṣṭaḥ tasya kāryam na vidyate .. 3-17..

nitya-tṛptaḥ nirāśrayaḥ  4.20

jñāna-vijñāna-tṛpta-ātmā kūṭasthaḥ vijita-indriyaḥ 6.8

91) oṃ gurave namaḥ

92) oṃ bhūmaṇḍalācāryāya namaḥ

93) oṃ bhagavatpādasaṃjñakāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who is known as bhagavatpāda.

  VERSE 20

vyāsasaṃdarśanaprītaḥ ṛṣyaśṛṅgapureśvaraḥ .

saundaryalaharī mukhya bahustotra vidhāyakaḥ .. 20..

 

94) oṃ vyāsasaṃdarśanaprītāya namaḥ

śanṅkaraśśaṅkarassākṣādvyāso nārāyaṇa svayam .

tayor vivāde samprāpte kiṅkaraḥ kiṃ karomyaham ..

Pleased with shankara's bhAshya, sage vyAsa blessed him with additional 16 years of life.

95) oṃ ṛṣyaśṛṅgapureśvarāya namaḥ

96) oṃ saundaryalaharīmukhyabahustotravidhāyakāya namaḥ

(Lakshanas of Swami’s slokas).

 VERSE 21

catuṣṣaṣṭikalābhijño brahmarākṣasapoṣakaḥ .

śrīmanmaṇḍanamiśrākhyasvayambhūjayasannutaḥ .. 21..

 

97) oṃ catuṣṣaṣṭikalābhijñāya namaḥ

98) oṃ brahmarākṣasapoṣakāya namaḥ

99) oṃ śrīman maṇḍanamiśrākhya svayambhūjaya sannutāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who was hailed as svayambhU by śri maNDana mishra and others.

 

 VERSE 22

toṭakācāryasampūjya padmapādarcitāṅghrikaḥ .

hastāmalayogindra brahmajñānapradāyakaḥ .. 22..

 

100) oṃ toṭakācāryasampūjyāya namaḥ

 101) oṃ padmapādarcitāṅghrikāya namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara whose feet were worshipped by padmapAda.

102) oṃ hastāmalayogindra brahmajñānapradāyakāya namaḥ

 

 

 VERSE 23

sureśvarākhya sacchiṣya saṃnyāsāśrama dāyakaḥ .

nṛsiṃhabhaktassadratnagarbhaherambapūjakaḥ .. 23..

 

103) oṃ sureśvarākhya sacchiṣyasaṃnyāsāśramadāyakāya namaḥ (pāṭhabheda sureśvarādiṣaṭśiṣya)

 104) oṃ nṛsiṃhabhaktāya namaḥ

 105)oṃ sadratnagarbhaherambapūjakāya namaḥ

 There is a temple for ratna garbha heramba gaNapati in shR^ingeri.

 

 VERSE 24

vyākhyasiṃhāsanādhīśo jagatpūjyo jagadguruḥ .

iti śrīmacchaṅkarācāryasarvalokaguroḥ param .. 24..

 

106) oṃ vyākhyāsiṃhāsanādhīśāya namaḥ

 107) oṃ jagatpūjyāya namaḥ

(One who is always praiseworthy, in this otherwise changeful world).

 108) oṃ jagadgurave namaḥ

 I bow to śri shankara who is the teacher of the world.

nāmnāmaṣṭottaraśataṃ bhukti mukti phalapradam .

trisandhyāṃ yaḥ paṭhed bhaktyā sarvānkāmānavāpnuyāt ..

(brahmavid āpnōti param).