Shiva Ashtottara Shatanamavali - all 108 sacred names of Lord Shiva in Sanskrit with Roman transliteration and English meaning.
Chant as: ॐ [नाम]ाय नमः (Om [Name]aya Namah) - offering one bilva leaf or white flower with each name. Especially powerful on Mondays, Pradosham and Maha Shivratri.
| # | Sanskrit | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | शिवः | Shivah | The auspicious one - pure, good and the source of all well-being |
| 2 | महेश्वरः | Maheshvarah | The great lord - the supreme ruler of the universe |
| 3 | शम्भुः | Shambhuh | The source and giver of happiness and bliss |
| 4 | पिनाकी | Pinaki | Who bears the Pinaka bow - the cosmic bow of Rudra |
| 5 | शशिशेखरः | Shashishekharah | Who wears the crescent moon as a crown on his head |
| 6 | वामदेवः | Vamadevah | The beautiful left-hand form; the god of the left side |
| 7 | विरूपाक्षः | Virupakshah | Who has unusual, transcendent eyes - the three-eyed lord |
| 8 | कपर्दी | Kapardi | Who wears matted hair (kaparda/jata) - the great ascetic |
| 9 | नीललोहितः | Nilalohitah | Who is blue-necked and red - Nilakantha who drank poison |
| 10 | शंकरः | Shankarah | Who bestows all happiness; who makes everything auspicious |
| 11 | शूलपाणिः | Shulapanih | Who holds the trident (trishula) in his divine hand |
| 12 | खट्वाङ्गी | Khatvangi | Who carries the skull-topped staff (khatavanga) |
| 13 | विष्णुवल्लभः | Vishnuvallabhah | The beloved friend of Lord Vishnu - the two inseparable ones |
| 14 | शिपिविष्टः | Shipivishtah | Who enters into rays of light; who pervades all sunlight |
| 15 | अम्बिकानाथः | Ambikanathah | Lord of Ambika (Parvati) - the divine husband of the goddess |
| 16 | श्रीकण्ठः | Shrikanthah | Who has a beautiful and auspicious throat; the lotus-throated |
| 17 | भक्तवत्सलः | Bhaktavatsalah | Who is tender and affectionate toward all devoted seekers |
| 18 | भवः | Bhavah | The very existence; the one who is all being and becoming |
| 19 | शर्वः | Sharvah | The archer; the destroyer of all evil with divine arrows |
| 20 | त्रिलोकेशः | Trilokeshuh | The lord and ruler of all the three worlds |
| 21 | शितिकण्ठः | Shitikanthah | Who has a white (pure) throat - alternative reading of Shrikantha |
| 22 | शिवाप्रियः | Shivapriyah | Beloved of Shiva; who is dear to all that is auspicious |
| 23 | उग्रः | Ugrah | The fierce and formidable one - whose power is terrible |
| 24 | कपाली | Kapali | Who wears a garland of skulls; who carries a skull-bowl |
| 25 | कामारिः | Kamari | The enemy and destroyer of Kama (the god of desire) |
| 26 | अन्धकासुरसूदनः | Andhakasurasudanah | Slayer of the demon Andhaka - who attacked Parvati |
| 27 | गङ्गाधरः | Gangadharah | Who bears the sacred River Ganga in his matted locks |
| 28 | ललाटाक्षः | Lalatakshah | Who has an eye in the forehead - the third eye of wisdom |
| 29 | कालकालः | Kalakalah | The death of death itself - who is beyond time and mortality |
| 30 | कृपानिधिः | Kripanidhih | The ocean and treasure of divine grace and compassion |
| 31 | भीमः | Bhimah | The fearsome and awesome one - whose power inspires awe |
| 32 | परशुहस्तः | Parashuhastah | Who holds an axe (parashoo) in his divine hand |
| 33 | मृगपाणिः | Mrigapanih | Who holds a deer in his hand - symbol of the seeker's mind |
| 34 | जटाधरः | Jatadharah | Who bears long, matted ascetic locks of hair (jata) |
| 35 | कैलाशवासी | Kailasavasi | Who dwells on the sacred Mount Kailash in the Himalayas |
| 36 | कवची | Kavachi | Who wears divine armour; the supremely protected one |
| 37 | कठोरः | Kathorah | The hard and firm one - supremely determined |
| 38 | त्रिपुरान्तकः | Tripurantakah | The destroyer of the three demon cities of Tripura |
| 39 | वृषाङ्कः | Vrishankah | Who has the bull as his emblem - Nandi is his vehicle |
| 40 | वृषभारूढः | Vrishabharudhah | Who rides upon the divine bull (Nandi) as his mount |
| 41 | भस्मोद्धूलितविग्रहः | Bhasmoddhulit-avigrahah | Whose body is smeared and radiant with sacred ash (vibhuti) |
| 42 | सामप्रियः | Samapriyah | Who is fond of the Sama Veda and its sacred hymns |
| 43 | स्वरमयः | Svaramayah | Who is composed entirely of divine musical sound and vibration |
| 44 | त्रयीमूर्तिः | Trayimurtih | Who embodies all three Vedas (Rig, Sama, Yajur) in one form |
| 45 | अनीश्वरः | Anishvarah | Who has no superior - the supreme being beyond all others |
| 46 | सर्वज्ञः | Sarvajñah | The omniscient one - who knows all things in all times |
| 47 | परमात्मा | Paramatma | The supreme soul - the ultimate consciousness beyond all |
| 48 | सोमसूर्याग्निलोचनः | Somasurya-gnilochana | Whose three eyes are the Moon, Sun and Fire |
| 49 | हवीः | Havih | The sacred oblation; who accepts and is the fire offering |
| 50 | यज्ञमयः | Yajnamayah | Who is the yajna (sacred ritual) himself - its embodiment |
| 51 | सोमः | Somah | The moon; who contains the divine nectar of immortality |
| 52 | पञ्चवक्त्रः | Panchavaktrah | The five-faced one - bearing the Panchamukhi form of Shiva |
| 53 | सदाशिवः | Sadashivah | The eternally auspicious one - Shiva beyond time |
| 54 | विश्वेश्वरः | Vishveshvarah | The lord of all the universe - Shiva of Kashi (Varanasi) |
| 55 | वीरभद्रः | Virabhadrah | The auspicious hero - the fierce form created to avenge Sati |
| 56 | गणनाथः | Gananathah | Lord of all the Ganas - the divine chief of Shiva's armies |
| 57 | प्रजापतिः | Prajapatih | The lord of all living creatures and all progeny |
| 58 | हिरण्यरेतः | Hiranyaretah | Whose seed is of golden fire - the golden-flamed creator |
| 59 | दुर्धर्षः | Durdharshah | Who is invincible, irresistible and impossible to overcome |
| 60 | गिरीशः | Girishuh | Lord of the mountains - the eternal dweller on mountain peaks |
| 61 | गिरिशः | Girishuh | The lord of Giri (mountain) - Kailasha-pati, the mountain lord |
| 62 | अनघः | Anaghah | The sinless and faultless one - absolutely pure and stainless |
| 63 | भुजङ्गभूषणः | Bhujangabhushana | Who wears serpents as ornaments - adorned with divine cobras |
| 64 | भर्गः | Bhargah | The divine radiance; the one who destroys all sins by his light |
| 65 | गिरिधन्वा | Giridhanva | Who uses the sacred mountain as his bow (during Tripurantaka) |
| 66 | गिरिप्रियः | Giripriyah | Who loves the mountains - always associated with the Himalayas |
| 67 | कृत्तिवासाः | Krittivasa | Who wears the skin of an elephant (or tiger) as his garment |
| 68 | पुरारातिः | Puraratih | Enemy and destroyer of the three demonic cities (Tripura) |
| 69 | भगवान् | Bhagavan | The Supreme Being - possessed of all six divine attributes |
| 70 | प्रमथाधिपः | Pramathadhipah | Lord of the Pramathas - the wild, ecstatic attendants of Shiva |
| 71 | मृत्युञ्जयः | Mrityunjayah | The conquerer of death - who defeats and transcends mortality |
| 72 | सूक्ष्मतनुः | Sukshmatanuh | Of subtle, transcendent body - beyond all gross perception |
| 73 | जगद्व्यापी | Jagadvyapi | Who pervades and encompasses the entire universe |
| 74 | जगद्गुरुः | Jagadguruh | The teacher of the universe - the supreme cosmic guru |
| 75 | व्योमकेशः | Vyomakeshuh | Whose hair is the sky - whose locks fill the endless heavens |
| 76 | महासेनजनकः | Mahasena-janakah | Father of Mahasena (Kartikeya / Skanda / Murugan) |
| 77 | चारुविक्रमः | Charuvikramah | Of beautiful and graceful prowess and divine movements |
| 78 | रुद्रः | Rudrah | The terrible and fierce one who makes all beings weep (with awe) |
| 79 | भूतपतिः | Bhutapatih | Lord of all Bhutas - all ghosts, spirits and elemental beings |
| 80 | स्थाणुः | Sthanuh | The immovable, firm and eternal pillar of the universe |
| 81 | अहिर्बुध्न्यः | Ahirbudhnayah | Who has the serpent Ahi at his base - Lord of the deep ocean |
| 82 | दिगम्बरः | Digambarah | Whose garment is the sky - who wears the directions as clothes |
| 83 | अष्टमूर्तिः | Ashtamurti | Who has eight forms - earth, water, fire, air, ether, sun, moon, soul |
| 84 | अनेकात्मा | Anekatma | Who has many selves - present in all beings simultaneously |
| 85 | सात्त्विकः | Sattvikah | Endowed with the supreme quality of sattva - pure being |
| 86 | शुद्धविग्रहः | Shuddhavigraha | Of absolutely pure and spotless divine body and form |
| 87 | शाश्वतः | Shashvatah | The eternal, everlasting one who never began and will never end |
| 88 | खण्डपरशुः | Khandaparashuh | Who holds the divided axe - weapon of fearless justice |
| 89 | अजः | Ajah | The unborn, beginningless one - who was never created |
| 90 | पाशविमोचनः | Pashavimochanah | Who liberates all beings from the rope of bondage (pasha) |
| 91 | मृडः | Mridah | The gentle, compassionate one who brings bliss to devotees |
| 92 | पशुपतिः | Pashupatih | Lord of all Pashus - all bound beings; the liberator of all souls |
| 93 | देवः | Devah | The divine one - the luminous, ever-radiant god |
| 94 | महादेवः | Mahadevah | The great god - the greatest among all divine beings |
| 95 | अव्ययः | Avyayah | The imperishable, indestructible and inexhaustible one |
| 96 | हरिः | Harih | Who takes away all sins and suffering - the divine remover |
| 97 | भगनेत्रभिदे | Bhaganetra-bhide | Who struck out the eyes of Bhaga - at Daksha's sacrifice |
| 98 | अव्यक्तः | Avyaktah | The unmanifest - whose ultimate nature is beyond perception |
| 99 | दक्षाध्वरहरः | Dakshadhvara-harah | Who destroyed the Daksha yajna - the sacrifice of arrogance |
| 100 | हरः | Harah | Who destroys and removes all evil, suffering and ignorance |
| 101 | पूषदन्तभिदे | Pushad-anta-bhide | Who broke the teeth of Pusha - at Daksha's sacrifice |
| 102 | अव्यग्रः | Avyagrah | Who is never agitated, disturbed or perturbed by anything |
| 103 | सहस्राक्षः | Sahasrakshah | The thousand-eyed one - who perceives all things simultaneously |
| 104 | सहस्रपाद् | Sahasrapat | The thousand-footed one - who is present everywhere at once |
| 105 | अपवर्गप्रदः | Apavargapradah | Who bestows the final liberation - Apavarga (moksha) |
| 106 | अनन्तः | Anantah | The infinite, the boundless, the eternal - without end |
| 107 | तारकः | Taarakah | The redeemer - who enables souls to cross the ocean of samsara |
| 108 | परमेश्वरः | Parameshvarah | The supreme lord - the ultimate reality beyond all conception |
The Shiva Ashtottara Shatanamavali - the 108 sacred names of Lord Shiva - is one of the most revered devotional texts in Shaivism, the tradition devoted to Mahadeva. In Hindu numerology, 108 is a deeply auspicious number: it is the ratio of the distance from Earth to the Sun divided by the Sun's diameter, and the number of beads on a standard Japa mala (prayer rosary). Chanting all 108 names in sequence during Abhishekam (ritual bathing of the Shivalinga), Pradosham, or Maha Shivratri is believed to bestow health, wisdom, and liberation (moksha).
Each name is a Sanskrit epithet describing a specific attribute of Shiva. Names like "Mahadeva" (the great god), "Nataraja" (lord of the cosmic dance), "Bholenath" (the innocent lord), "Pashupatinath" (lord of all beings), and "Gangadhara" (bearer of the Ganga) reveal different dimensions of Shiva's infinite nature. Temples dedicated to Shiva across India - from Somnath in Gujarat to Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu - all form part of the twelve sacred Jyotirlinga pilgrimage circuit.
This page presents all 108 names in Sanskrit Devanagari script with Roman transliteration and English meaning, making it accessible to devotees who may not read Sanskrit. Each name begins with "Om" and ends with "Namah," following the traditional Namavali format. Use this during daily puja, Mondays dedicated to Shiva, or during the special Karthika Masa period observed with particular devotion in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.