Shiva Chalisa (English)

The Shiva Chalisa is a 40-verse hymn dedicated to Lord Shiva — Mahadeva, Shankar, Bholenath. It traces his form, recounts his major puranic exploits, and presents the devotee’s prayers.

Opening doha — invocation of Ganesha and the author’s intent

“Glory to Ganesha, the son of Girija (Parvati), root of all auspiciousness; Ayodhyadas says: grant the boon of fearlessness.” The author Ayodhyadas first invokes Ganesha (as is customary at the start of any sacred text) and asks for the boon of abhaya (fearlessness).

Chaupais 1–4 — Shiva’s form

“Glory to the husband of Girija, compassionate to the destitute, ever the protector of saints.” The moon adorns his forehead; serpent-fang earrings hang from his ears; his body is fair, and the Ganga flows from his head; a garland of skulls hangs around his neck and ash covers his body. His garment is the tiger-skin — a sight at which even serpents are entranced. This is the Adi-Yogi form of Shiva.

Chaupais 5–8 — the family

“Mena’s daughter Parvati is at his left side, her beauty unmatched.” In his hand is the trident, which forever destroys enemies. Nandi (the bull) and Ganesha appear beside him like lotuses in the midst of the ocean. Together with Kartikeya (the dark one) and Ganapati, the scene is beyond description.

Chaupais 9–12 — the slaying of demons

Whenever the gods called out, Shiva removed their suffering. When Tarakasura caused great trouble, all the gods came to him; he immediately sent Shadanan (six-faced Kartikeya), who slew Tarakasura in a moment. Shiva himself slew the demon Jalandhar — his fame is known throughout the world.

Chaupais 13–16 — generosity and ineffable glory

He waged war with Tripurasura and saved all by his grace. Bhagiratha performed great austerities; Purari (Shiva, “the foe of Tripura”) fulfilled his vow (by descending the Ganga to earth). “Among the generous none equal you; servants ever sing your praise. The Vedas sing your glory but cannot reach to its end — you are akatha (beyond speech) and anadi (without beginning).”

Chaupais 17–20 — churning of the ocean and Rama’s worship

When the cosmic poison rose during the Samudra-Manthan and gods and demons alike grew distraught, Shiva took pity and consumed it — earning the name Neelkanth (the blue-throated one). When Sri Ramachandra worshipped Shiva (after winning Lanka and granting it to Vibhishana), Rama was offering a thousand lotuses; Purari decided to test his devotion.

Chaupais 21–24 — Rama’s test

Shiva concealed one lotus from the thousand. Discovering one missing, Rama prepared to pluck out his own lotus-eye to complete the offering. Seeing such intense devotion, Shankar was pleased and granted the desired boon. “Glory, glory, glory to the eternal, indestructible one — gracious to all, dwelling in every heart.” Then the devotee voices his suffering: “The wicked torment me; I wander restlessly, find no peace.”

Chaupais 25–28 — cry for protection

“Trāhi, trāhi! O Lord, save me at this moment. Take up your trident, slay my enemies, lift me out of trouble. Mother, father, brother — none asks after one in trouble; only your hope sustains me, my Lord.”

Chaupais 29–32 — universal grace

“You give wealth to the destitute; whoever asks of you obtains the fruit. How shall we praise you? Forgive our every fault. Shankar, destroyer of trouble, source of auspiciousness, remover of obstacles. Yogis, ascetics and sages meditate upon you; Sharada (Saraswati) and Narada bow their heads.”

Chaupais 33–36 — fruits of recitation

“Salutations, salutations — Om Namaḥ Shivāya! Even the gods and Brahma cannot reach your end. Whoever recites this with full mind — Shambhu becomes his support. The debtor who recites becomes purified. The childless who desires a son surely receives one by Shiva’s grace.”

Chaupais 37–40 — vrat and the author’s prayer

“On Trayodashi, the priest performs havan with full attention. Whoever observes the Trayodashi vrat regularly — affliction does not remain in his body. Offer dhup, deep, naivedya; chant the path before Shankar; the sins of countless lives are destroyed; in the end, one finds a place in Shivpura (Kailash).” Ayodhyadas closes — “Our hope rests on you alone; remove all our sorrow.”

Closing dohas

“Daily I shall recite the chalisa each morning; you, O Jagdish, fulfil my heart’s wish.” The final doha names the date of composition — Margashirsha krishna shashthi, hemant season, samvat sixty-four — placing the work in Vikram Samvat 1864 (1807 CE) by most scholarly readings.

The Shiva Chalisa was composed by Ayodhyadas — his name appears in the opening doha (“kahata ayodhyādāsa”) and in the final chaupai (“kahaiṃ ayodhyādāsa”). Biographical details about Ayodhyadas are scarce; he was likely a 19th-century bhakti poet devoted to Shiva.

The closing doha gives the date of composition — “magasar chaṭhi hemant ṛtu, saṃvat causaṭha jāna” (the sixth day of Margashirsha, in the Hemant season, in samvat sixty-four). “Samvat sixty-four” is most often read as Vikram Samvat 1864 (1807 CE), making the chalisa about two centuries old. Some scholars place it in samvat 1964 (1907 CE).

The language mixes Khari Boli with Braj Bhasha — a hallmark of late-medieval Hindi devotional poetry. Words like Purari, Neelkanth, Bholanath and Tripurari are poetic puranic names of Shiva.

The structure mirrors the Hanuman Chalisa — two opening dohas, forty chaupais, and two closing dohas. Ayodhyadas evidently modelled his chalisa on Tulsidas’s hymn, which preceded it by about two centuries.

A distinguishing feature is that the chalisa compresses many puranic episodes — Samudra-Manthan, halahala-pana, Tarakasura-vadha, Jalandhar-vadha, Tripurasura-vadha, Bhagiratha-tap, Rama’s worship of Shiva — into a single text. It is in effect a compact darshan of the Shiva Purana’s major narratives.

The traditional procedure for reciting the Shiva Chalisa —

• Special days: Mondays (Shiva’s day); Trayodashi (Pradosh) — the thirteenth day of every fortnight; Mahashivratri (Phalguna krishna chaturdashi) — the most important Shiva festival; the Mondays of Shravan month are exceptionally auspicious.
• Best time: After bathing in the morning, or in the evening Pradosh (the two-hour window around sunset). On Mahashivratri, recitation continues into the nishita (midnight).
• Posture: Wear clean clothes; sit facing east or north on a white or red asana. Keep the back straight.
• Materials: A Shivalinga or image of Shiva; bilva (bel) leaves — three-leaflet sprigs symbolising the three gunas; bhasma (ash); chandan; white flowers (especially datura, ak); milk for abhishek; Ganga water; a diya with sesame oil or ghee; dhup; naivedya (fruit, sweets).
• Pre-chant mantra: Recite “Om Namaḥ Shivāya” 21 times before starting.
• Repetitions: One recitation daily. On Mahashivratri or Pradosh, 3, 11, 21 or 108 times. The eight-Monday or full-Shravan vrat is especially fruitful.
• Closing: After the chalisa, chant the Mahamrityunjaya mantra — “Om Tryambakaṃ yajāmahe…” — eleven times. Then accept the abhishek water and prasad.

There is no caste, gender or age restriction. Shiva is the deity of complete equality — the abhishek water is offered identically by every devotee, from chandala to brahmin.

A compendium of Shiva’s puranic stories — The chalisa references many key episodes — becoming Neelkanth (drinking halahala during the churning, ch. 17–18), the slaying of Tarakasura by Kartikeya (ch. 11), Jalandhar’s death (ch. 12), Tripurasura’s destruction (ch. 13), Bhagiratha’s vow and the descent of the Ganga (ch. 14), Rama’s lotus-pūja (ch. 19–22). One short hymn covers a large slice of the Shiva Purana.

Reconciliation of contradictions — Shiva is at once the Adi-Yogi (the supreme ascetic) and a family man (husband of Parvati, father of Ganesha and Kartikeya); the fearsome dweller of cremation grounds and Bholanath (the simple-hearted). The chalisa holds both forms together.

The Trayodashi vrat — Chaupais 37–38 emphasise the Trayodashi (Pradosh) vrat. The pradosh kala — the period straddling sunset — is held to be ideal for Shiva worship, since Shiva is said to dance the tandava on Mount Kailash at that hour.

The accessibility of Shiva — As Bholenath (the simple-hearted), Shiva is pleased by the most modest offering — water and a bilva leaf are enough. The chalisa repeats — “among the generous none equal you.”

The symbol of Neelkanth — By drinking the world’s poison, Shiva not only enabled the churning to continue but set the supreme example of self-sacrifice. Neelkanth — one who holds the world’s poison in himself — has become a metaphor for selfless service.

The non-dualist note — The closing message of the chalisa is that Shiva is ghaṭa-ghaṭa-vāsī — the indweller of every heart. This is the simple articulation of the Advaita doctrine — Shiva is not a distant deity but the consciousness within every living being.

Who composed the Shiva Chalisa?

The Shiva Chalisa was composed by Ayodhyadas, likely a 19th-century Shiva-devotee poet. His name appears explicitly twice in the chalisa — in the opening doha and in the final chaupais.

When was the Shiva Chalisa written?

The closing doha mentions “samvat causaṭha” — most often read as Vikram Samvat 1864 (1807 CE), making the chalisa roughly two centuries old. Some scholars place it in samvat 1964 (1907 CE).

When is the best time to recite the Shiva Chalisa?

Monday is Shiva’s day. Trayodashi (Pradosh) and Mahashivratri are the most important festival days. The Mondays of Shravan month are especially auspicious. For daily recitation, morning and evening pradosh are preferred.

What offerings are appropriate for Shiva?

Shiva is especially fond of bilva (bel) leaves — three leaflets representing the three gunas and the three eyes. Other offerings include milk (for abhishek), datura, ak flowers, Ganga water, bhasma, chandan, and white sweets like kheer or barfi. Tulsi leaves are not offered to Shiva — they are reserved for Vishnu.

Can women recite the Shiva Chalisa?

Yes, women can recite the Shiva Chalisa. There is no scriptural restriction in the text. The Sodash Somvar Vrat (sixteen Mondays’ fast) is traditionally observed by unmarried women seeking a good husband.

Why is Shiva called “Neelkanth”?

During the Samudra-Manthan (churning of the cosmic ocean), the halahala poison emerged and threatened all creation. To save gods and demons alike, Shiva drank the poison; Parvati held it in his throat to stop it from spreading further. The poison turned his throat blue, earning him the name Neelkanth (“blue-throated”). It is the supreme example of self-sacrifice and service.

What does “Tripurari” mean?

Tripurari = “the foe of Tripura.” According to the puranas, three sons of the demon Taraka — Tarakaksha, Vidyunmali and Kamalaksha — built three flying cities (Tripura) of gold, silver and iron, that aligned only once every thousand years. Shiva caught that single moment and burned all three cities with a single arrow, earning the title Tripurari.

What are the benefits of reciting the Shiva Chalisa?

The chalisa promises four kinds of benefit — destruction of enemies and removal of distress (ch. 25–26), wealth for the destitute (ch. 29), grant of a son (ch. 36), and ultimately attainment of Shivpura/Kailash (ch. 40). Also the destruction of the sins of countless lives.