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Shiva Sahasranamavali: Names and Meanings, One Line Each (Part 1) | EkOmkaar Musicals

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Nandita Ashok
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Shiva Sahasranamavali: Names and Meanings, One Line Each (Part 1) | EkOmkaar Musicals

The Thousand Names, One Line at a Time

The Shiva Sahasranama is not a list. It is a description of one reality approached from a thousand directions, and each name is a door that opens on the same room. Read straight through, the effect is cumulative — you are not learning a thousand facts about a deity, you are watching a single description refuse to be finished.

This page gives each name in Devanagari, in Roman transliteration, in the nāmāvalī form used for recitation and archana, and in one line of plain English. No commentary, no digression. Where a name carries a second reading that the traditional commentators preserve, the second reading is noted in the same line.

This is Part 1, covering the first 160 names. Further parts will follow. The text used here is the Mahabharata Anushasana Parva recension — if you want to know why that matters, and how it differs from the Linga Purana and Shiva Purana versions, see Shiva Sahasranama: History and the Different Versions.

Two Forms, One Hymn

The same hymn circulates in two shapes, and knowing which one you are holding saves a good deal of confusion.

The stotra form gives the names as they stand in the verse, strung together in metre: sthiraḥ sthāṇuḥ prabhur bhīmaḥ… This is the form printed in most editions of the Mahabharata, and it is the form given in the second column below.

The nāmāvalī form takes each name, puts it in the dative, and wraps it: ॐ स्थिराय नमः — “Om, salutations to the Steadfast One.” This is the form used for archana, where one bilva leaf, one flower or one drop of water is offered at each name. It is the form used in our recitation, and it is given in the fourth column so the page can be followed along with the audio.

The two are the same hymn. Only the grammar differs, and the difference is not always guessable: jaṭī becomes jaṭine, bhagavat becomes bhagavate, sarva becomes sarvasmai and not sarvāya, because sarva declines pronominally.

Names 1–10

# Name Transliteration For recitation Meaning
1 स्थिर Sthira ॐ स्थिराय नमः The steadfast; that which does not waver.
2 स्थाणु Sthāṇu ॐ स्थाणवे नमः The immovable pillar; the motionless trunk that remains when all else falls.
3 प्रभु Prabhu ॐ प्रभवे नमः The Lord; the one capable of all things.
4 भीम Bhīma ॐ भीमाय नमः The formidable; terrible to whatever opposes dharma.
5 प्रवर Pravara ॐ प्रवराय नमः The foremost; first among all that is.
6 वरद Varada ॐ वरदाय नमः The giver of boons.
7 वर Vara ॐ वराय नमः The choicest; the best that can be asked for.
8 सर्वात्मन् Sarvātman ॐ सर्वात्मने नमः The Self of all.
9 सर्वविख्यात Sarvavikhyāta ॐ सर्वविख्याताय नमः Renowned everywhere; known in all the worlds.
10 सर्व Sarva ॐ सर्वस्मै नमः The All; that outside which nothing stands.

Names 11–20

# Name Transliteration For recitation Meaning
11 सर्वकर Sarvakara ॐ सर्वकराय नमः The doer of all; every action anywhere is his.
12 भव Bhava ॐ भवाय नमः Existence itself; the source of all becoming.
13 जटी Jaṭī ॐ जटिने नमः The one with matted ascetic locks.
14 चर्मी Charmī ॐ चर्मिणे नमः Clad in hide; also read as bearer of the shield.
15 शिखण्डी Shikhaṇḍī ॐ शिखण्डिने नमः Crested; wearing the peacock-feather crest.
16 सर्वाङ्ग Sarvāṅga ॐ सर्वाङ्गाय नमः All-bodied; every form in existence is his limb.
17 सर्वभावन Sarvabhāvana ॐ सर्वभावनाय नमः He who brings all beings into being.
18 हर Hara ॐ हराय नमः The remover; he who takes away sorrow and sin.
19 हरिणाक्ष Hariṇākṣa ॐ हरिणाक्षाय नमः Deer-eyed; of gentle gaze.
20 सर्वभूतहर Sarvabhūtahara ॐ सर्वभूतहराय नमः He who withdraws all beings at the dissolution.

Names 21–30

# Name Transliteration For recitation Meaning
21 प्रभु Prabhu ॐ प्रभवे नमः The Lord; the source from which all arises.
22 प्रवृत्ति Pravṛtti ॐ प्रवृत्तये नमः The outward current; the impulse toward manifestation.
23 निवृत्ति Nivṛtti ॐ निवृत्तये नमः The inward return; the turning back toward the source.
24 नियत Niyata ॐ नियताय नमः The ordained; that which is fixed and certain.
25 शाश्वत Shāshvata ॐ शाश्वताय नमः The eternal, untouched by time.
26 ध्रुव Dhruva ॐ ध्रुवाय नमः The immovable; the pole star around which all else turns.
27 श्मशानवासी Shmashānavāsī ॐ श्मशानवासिने नमः Dweller in the cremation ground.
28 भगवत् Bhagavat ॐ भगवते नमः Possessor of the six glories: majesty, might, fame, beauty, knowledge, dispassion.
29 खचर Khachara ॐ खचराय नमः Mover through the sky.
30 गोचर Gochara ॐ गोचराय नमः Mover upon the earth; also, that which the senses can reach.

Names 31–40

# Name Transliteration For recitation Meaning
31 अर्दन Ardana ॐ अर्दनाय नमः He who crushes affliction and adharma.
32 अभिवाद्य Abhivādya ॐ अभिवाद्याय नमः Worthy of salutation.
33 महाकर्मा Mahākarmā ॐ महाकर्मणे नमः Of mighty deeds.
34 तपस्वी Tapasvī ॐ तपस्विने नमः The great ascetic.
35 भूतभावन Bhūtabhāvana ॐ भूतभावनाय नमः Nurturer of all beings.
36 उन्मत्तवेषप्रच्छन्न Unmattaveṣhaprachchhanna ॐ उन्मत्तवेषप्रच्छन्नाय नमः Concealed in the guise of a madman.
37 सर्वलोकप्रजापति Sarvalokaprajāpati ॐ सर्वलोकप्रजापतये नमः Lord of the creatures of all the worlds.
38 महारूप Mahārūpa ॐ महारूपाय नमः Of great form.
39 महाकाय Mahākāya ॐ महाकायाय नमः Of vast body.
40 वृषरूप Vṛṣharūpa ॐ वृषरूपाय नमः Bull-formed; and since vṛṣha also means dharma, righteousness embodied.

Names 41–50

# Name Transliteration For recitation Meaning
41 महायशा Mahāyashā ॐ महायशसे नमः Of vast renown; self-luminous glory.
42 महात्मा Mahātmā ॐ महात्मने नमः The Great Self.
43 सर्वभूतात्मा Sarvabhūtātmā ॐ सर्वभूतात्मने नमः The Self residing within every being.
44 विश्वरूप Vishvarūpa ॐ विश्वरूपाय नमः The universal form; the cosmos is his body.
45 महाहनु Mahāhanu ॐ महाहनवे नमः The great-jawed; the devourer of time.
46 लोकपाल Lokapāla ॐ लोकपालाय नमः Guardian of the worlds.
47 अन्तर्हितात्मा Antarhitātmā ॐ अन्तर्हितात्मने नमः The hidden Self; he who veils himself by his own freedom.
48 प्रसाद Prasāda ॐ प्रसादाय नमः Grace; the act of self-revealing.
49 हयगर्दभि Hayagardabhi ॐ हयगर्दभये नमः Present alike in the horse and the ass; in highest and lowest without distinction.
50 पवित्र Pavitra ॐ पवित्राय नमः The purifier, himself untouched by what he purifies.

Names 51–60

# Name Transliteration For recitation Meaning
51 महत् Mahat ॐ महते नमः The Great; that beyond which there is no beyond.
52 नियम Niyama ॐ नियमाय नमः Restraint; the law itself.
53 नियमाश्रित Niyamāshrita ॐ नियमाश्रिताय नमः The refuge of those who keep the disciplines.
54 सर्वकर्मा Sarvakarmā ॐ सर्वकर्मणे नमः All action; the single doer behind every deed.
55 स्वयंभूत Svayambhūta ॐ स्वयंभूताय नमः Self-existent, arising from no cause.
56 आदि Ādi ॐ आदये नमः The beginning.
57 आदिकर Ādikara ॐ आदिकराय नमः The maker of the beginning, himself beginningless.
58 निधि Nidhi ॐ निधये नमः The treasure-store; the inexhaustible source.
59 सहस्राक्ष Sahasrāksha ॐ सहस्राक्षाय नमः Thousand-eyed.
60 विशालाक्ष Vishālāksha ॐ विशालाक्षाय नमः Wide-eyed; the opening of whose eye is creation itself.

Names 61–70

# Name Transliteration For recitation Meaning
61 सोम Soma ॐ सोमाय नमः The nectar-moon; also read as sa-Umā, “the one with Umā”.
62 नक्षत्रसाधक Nakṣhatrasādhaka ॐ नक्षत्रसाधकाय नमः Orderer of the lunar mansions.
63 चन्द्र Chandra ॐ चन्द्राय नमः The moon; the cooling one.
64 सूर्य Sūrya ॐ सूर्याय नमः The sun; the light by which all seeing occurs.
65 शनि Shani ॐ शनये नमः Saturn; the discipline of limitation and slow time.
66 केतु Ketu ॐ केतवे नमः The shadow-node; the severing that liberates.
67 ग्रह Graha ॐ ग्रहाय नमः The seizer.
68 ग्रहपति Grahapati ॐ ग्रहपतये नमः Lord of every seizer; nothing grasps a life without his sanction.
69 वर Vara ॐ वराय नमः The boon; and the best.
70 अत्रि Atri ॐ अत्रये नमः The sage Atri; read as a-tri, beyond the three guṇas and the three states.

Names 71–80

# Name Transliteration For recitation Meaning
71 अत्र्या नमस्कर्ता Atryā Namaskartā ॐ अत्र्या नमस्कर्त्रे नमः Honoured by Atri and by Anasūyā.
72 मृगबाणार्पण Mṛgabāṇārpaṇa ॐ मृगबाणार्पणाय नमः He who loosed the arrow at the deer, fixing the pursuit forever in the sky.
73 अनघ Anagha ॐ अनघाय नमः Stainless; without fault.
74 महातपा Mahātapā ॐ महातपसे नमः Of great austerity.
75 घोरतपा Ghoratapā ॐ घोरतपसे नमः Of terrible austerity.
76 अदीन Adīna ॐ अदीनाय नमः Never diminished, never wretched.
77 दीनसाधक Dīnasādhaka ॐ दीनसाधकाय नमः The accomplisher of the purposes of the destitute.
78 संवत्सरकर Saṃvatsarakara ॐ संवत्सरकराय नमः Maker of the year.
79 मन्त्र Mantra ॐ मन्त्राय नमः The mantra itself.
80 प्रमाण Pramāṇa ॐ प्रमाणाय नमः The standard of measure; the very means of valid knowledge.

Names 81–90

# Name Transliteration For recitation Meaning
81 परमतपा Paramatapā ॐ परमाय तपसे नमः The supreme austerity.
82 योगी Yogī ॐ योगिने नमः The yogin.
83 योज्य Yojya ॐ योज्याय नमः The one to be united with.
84 महाबीज Mahābīja ॐ महाबीजाय नमः The great seed of all that exists.
85 महारेता Mahāretā ॐ महारेतसे नमः The great creative essence.
86 महाबल Mahābala ॐ महाबलाय नमः Of infinite power.
87 सुवर्णरेता Suvarṇaretā ॐ सुवर्णरेतसे नमः Of golden creative essence.
88 सर्वज्ञ Sarvajña ॐ सर्वज्ञाय नमः All-knowing.
89 सुबीज Subīja ॐ सुबीजाय नमः The auspicious seed.
90 बीजवाहन Bījavāhana ॐ बीजवाहनाय नमः Bearer of the seeds across the void.

Names 91–100

# Name Transliteration For recitation Meaning
91 दशबाहु Dashabāhu ॐ दशबाहवे नमः Ten-armed; the full deployment of his powers.
92 अनिमिष Animiṣha ॐ अनिमिषाय नमः The unwinking; whose eye never closes.
93 नीलकण्ठ Nīlakaṇṭha ॐ नीलकण्ठाय नमः Blue-throated, from the poison he held and neither swallowed nor released.
94 उमापति Umāpati ॐ उमापतये नमः Lord of Umā; awareness together with its own self-knowing.
95 विश्वरूप Vishvarūpa ॐ विश्वरूपाय नमः The universal form.
96 स्वयंश्रेष्ठ Svayamshreṣhṭha ॐ स्वयंश्रेष्ठाय नमः Supreme by his own nature, there being nothing to compare him with.
97 बलवीर Balavīra ॐ बलवीराय नमः Heroic in might.
98 अबलागण Abalāgaṇa ॐ अबलोगणाय नमः Attended by hosts of goddesses.
99 गणकर्ता Gaṇakartā ॐ गणकर्त्रे नमः Maker of the gaṇas.
100 गणपति Gaṇapati ॐ गणपतये नमः Lord of the gaṇas.

Names 101–110

# Name Transliteration For recitation Meaning
101 दिग्वासा Digvāsā ॐ दिग्वाससे नमः Sky-clad; the directions themselves are his garment.
102 काम Kāma ॐ कामाय नमः Desire; the source of all longing.
103 मन्त्रविद् Mantravid ॐ मन्त्रविदे नमः Knower of every mantra.
104 परम मन्त्र Parama Mantra ॐ परमाय मन्त्राय नमः The supreme mantra.
105 सर्वभावकर Sarvabhāvakara ॐ सर्वभावकराय नमः Maker of all states of being.
106 हर Hara ॐ हराय नमः The remover.
107 कमण्डलुधर Kamaṇḍaludhara ॐ कमण्डलुधराय नमः Bearer of the ascetic’s water-pot.
108 धन्वी Dhanvī ॐ धन्विने नमः Bearer of the bow Pināka.
109 बाणहस्त Bāṇahasta ॐ बाणहस्ताय नमः Arrow in hand.
110 कपालवान् Kapālavān ॐ कपालवते नमः Bearer of the skull; the mark of transcended ego and time.

Names 111–120

# Name Transliteration For recitation Meaning
111 अशनि Ashani ॐ अशनये नमः The thunderbolt.
112 शतघ्नी Shataghnī ॐ शतघ्निने नमः Wielder of the hundred-slaying weapon.
113 खड्गी Khaḍgī ॐ खड्गिने नमः Sword-bearer.
114 पट्टिशी Paṭṭishī ॐ पट्टिशिने नमः Bearer of the paṭṭisha, the broad-bladed spear.
115 आयुधी Āyudhī ॐ आयुधिने नमः The armed one.
116 महत् Mahat ॐ महते नमः The Great.
117 स्रुवहस्त Sruvahasta ॐ स्रुवहस्ताय नमः Sacrificial ladle in hand.
118 सुरूप Surūpa ॐ सुरूपाय नमः Of beautiful form.
119 तेजा Tejā ॐ तेजसे नमः Radiance itself.
120 तेजस्करनिधि Tejaskaranidhi ॐ तेजस्कराय निधये नमः The treasury from which all radiance is drawn.

Names 121–130

# Name Transliteration For recitation Meaning
121 उष्णीषी Uṣhṇīṣhī ॐ उष्णीषिणे नमः Crowned with the turban of coiled matted hair.
122 सुवक्त्र Suvaktra ॐ सुवक्त्राय नमः Of beautiful countenance.
123 उदग्र Udagra ॐ उदग्राय नमः Towering; lofty.
124 विनत Vinata ॐ विनताय नमः Inclining; bending toward the one who calls.
125 दीर्घ Dīrgha ॐ दीर्घाय नमः Vast in extent.
126 हरिकेश Harikesha ॐ हरिकेशाय नमः Golden-haired; also, whose rays are his hair.
127 सुतीर्थ Sutīrtha ॐ सुतीर्थाय नमः The auspicious crossing-place.
128 कृष्ण Kṛṣhṇa ॐ कृष्णाय नमः The dark one.
129 शृगालरूप Shṛgālarūpa ॐ शृगालरूपाय नमः Jackal-formed, haunting the cremation grounds.
130 सिद्धार्थ Siddhārtha ॐ सिद्धार्थाय नमः He whose every purpose stands already fulfilled.

Names 131–140

# Name Transliteration For recitation Meaning
131 मुण्ड Muṇḍa ॐ मुण्डाय नमः The shaven-headed renunciate.
132 सर्वशुभंकर Sarvashubhaṃkara ॐ सर्वशुभङ्कराय नमः Maker of all auspiciousness.
133 अज Aja ॐ अजाय नमः The unborn.
134 बहुरूप Bahurūpa ॐ बहुरूपाय नमः Of many forms.
135 गन्धधारी Gandhadhārī ॐ गन्धधारिणे नमः Bearer of divine fragrance.
136 कपर्दी Kapardī ॐ कपर्दिने नमः Wearer of the kaparda, the coiled ascetic hair-knot.
137 ऊर्ध्वरेता Ūrdhvaretā ॐ ऊर्ध्वरेतसे नमः Of upward-turned energy; the perfect celibate.
138 ऊर्ध्वलिङ्ग Ūrdhvaliṅga ॐ ऊर्ध्वलिङ्गाय नमः The upward pillar of light, whose top and bottom none could find.
139 ऊर्ध्वशायी Ūrdhvashāyī ॐ ऊर्ध्वशायिने नमः Reclining face-upward.
140 नभस्थल Nabhasthala ॐ नभस्थलाय नमः Whose standing-ground is the open sky.

Names 141–150

# Name Transliteration For recitation Meaning
141 त्रिजटी Trijaṭī ॐ त्रिजटिने नमः Of the three matted locks.
142 चीरवासा Chīravāsā ॐ चीरवाससे नमः Clad in bark-cloth and rags.
143 रुद्र Rudra ॐ रुद्राय नमः The Roarer; and by the older reading, he who drives away sorrow.
144 सेनापति Senāpati ॐ सेनापतये नमः Commander of the hosts.
145 विभु Vibhu ॐ विभवे नमः The all-pervading.
146 अहश्चर Ahashchara ॐ अहश्चराय नमः Walker by day.
147 नक्तंचर Naktaṃchara ॐ नक्तंचराय नमः Walker by night.
148 तिग्ममन्यु Tigmamanyu ॐ तिग्ममन्यवे नमः Of sharp-edged wrath.
149 सुवर्चा Suvarchā ॐ सुवर्चसाय नमः Of blazing splendour.
150 गजघ्न Gajaghna ॐ गजघ्ने नमः Slayer of the elephant-demon.

Names 151–160

# Name Transliteration For recitation Meaning
151 दैत्यघ्न Daityaghna ॐ दैत्यघ्ने नमः Destroyer of the daityas.
152 काल Kāla ॐ कालाय नमः Time itself.
153 लोकधाता Lokadhātā ॐ लोकधात्रे नमः Upholder of the worlds.
154 गुणाकर Guṇākara ॐ गुणाकराय नमः The mine from which all excellences are drawn.
155 सिंहशार्दूलरूप Siṃhashārdūlarūpa ॐ सिंहशार्दूलरूपाय नमः Lion-formed and tiger-formed.
156 आर्द्रचर्माम्बरावृत Ārdracharmāmbarāvṛta ॐ आर्द्रचर्माम्बरावृताय नमः Wrapped in the fresh, glistening hide.
157 कालयोगी Kālayogī ॐ कालयोगिने नमः The yogin of Time.
158 महानाद Mahānāda ॐ महानादाय नमः The great sound.
159 सर्वकाम Sarvakāma ॐ सर्वकामाय नमः The fulfiller of all desires.
160 चतुष्पथ Chatuṣhpatha ॐ चतुष्पथाय नमः Lord of the crossroads, where every road meets.

A Note on Reading These

Several names in this list appear more than once — Hara, Vishvarūpa, Mahat, Prabhu. This is not an error in transmission. The stotra returns to certain names deliberately, in different company each time, and the surrounding names change what each repetition means. Hara beside Hariṇākṣa, the deer-eyed, is a gentler word than Hara beside Sarvabhāvakara, the maker of all states.

A few names carry two established readings that the commentators preserve side by side rather than choosing between. Soma is both the nectar-moon and sa-Umā, “the one accompanied by Umā”. Atri is both the ṛṣi and a-tri, “beyond the three”. Where this happens, both readings are given above, because in the tradition both are meant.

One variant is worth naming because printed editions differ on it. Name 14 is given here as charmī, clad in hide; a well-attested alternate reading is khaḍgī, sword-bearing, with shikhī in place of shikhaṇḍī at 15. Both lines are old. We follow the charmī shikhaṇḍī reading throughout.

Following Along With the Recitation

The names on this page correspond to the opening of our recitation, ending at Chatuṣhpatha, the lord of the crossroads. If you are performing archana, this is a natural first sitting: 160 names, 160 offerings, and a clear place to stop and resume.

Watch the full recitation on YouTube →
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ॐ नमः शिवाय

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