Bilvashtakam · बिल्वाष्टकम्

A short Sanskrit hymn on offering the bilva leaf to Shiva, each verse ending "ekabilvam shivarpanam".

  1. त्रिदलं त्रिगुणाकारं त्रिनेत्रं च त्रियायुधम् । त्रिजन्मपापसंहारं एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम् ॥

    tridalaṃ triguṇākāraṃ trinetraṃ ca triyāyudham । trijanmapāpasaṃhāraṃ ekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ॥

    तीन पत्तियों वाला, तीन गुणों के आकार का, तीन नेत्रों और त्रिशूल के समान, तीन जन्मों के पापों का नाश करने वाला: एक बेलपत्र शिव को अर्पित।

    The bilva leaf with three leaflets, in the form of the three gunas, like the three eyes and the three-pronged trident, destroyer of the sins of three births: one bilva leaf, offered to Shiva.

  2. त्रिशाखैर्बिल्वपत्रैश्च ह्यच्छिद्रैः कोमलैः शुभैः । शिवपूजां करिष्यामि ह्येकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम् ॥

    triśākhairbilvapatraiśca hyacchidraiḥ komalaiḥ śubhaiḥ । śivapūjāṃ kariṣyāmi hyekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ॥

    तीन शाखाओं वाले, बिना छेद के, कोमल और शुभ बेलपत्रों से मैं शिव की पूजा करूँगा: एक बेलपत्र शिव को अर्पित।

    With bilva leaves of three sprigs, unbroken, tender and auspicious, I will worship Shiva: one bilva leaf, offered to Shiva.

  3. अखण्डबिल्वपत्रेण पूजिते नन्दिकेश्वरे । शुद्ध्यन्ति सर्वपापेभ्यो ह्येकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम् ॥

    akhaṇḍabilvapatreṇa pūjite nandikeśvare । śuddhyanti sarvapāpebhyo hyekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ॥

    अखंड बेलपत्र से नंदिकेश्वर की पूजा करने पर मनुष्य सब पापों से शुद्ध हो जाते हैं: एक बेलपत्र शिव को अर्पित।

    When Nandikeshvara is worshipped with an unbroken bilva leaf, people are cleansed of all sins: one bilva leaf, offered to Shiva.

  4. शालिग्राम शिलामेकां विप्राणां जातु चार्पयेत् । सोमयज्ञमहापुण्यं एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम् ॥

    śāligrāma śilāmekāṃ viprāṇāṃ jātu cārpayet । somayajñamahāpuṇyaṃ ekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ॥

    ब्राह्मणों को शालिग्राम शिला दान करने का पुण्य, सोमयज्ञ का महान पुण्य: एक बेलपत्र शिव को अर्पित।

    The merit of giving a shaligrama stone to brahmins, the great merit of a Soma sacrifice: one bilva leaf, offered to Shiva.

  5. दन्तिकोटि सहस्राणि वाजपेय शतानि च । कोटिकन्या महादानं एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम् ॥

    dantikoṭi sahasrāṇi vājapeya śatāni ca । koṭikanyā mahādānaṃ ekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ॥

    हजारों करोड़ हाथियों का दान, सैकड़ों वाजपेय यज्ञ, करोड़ों कन्याओं का महादान: एक बेलपत्र शिव को अर्पित।

    Thousands of crores of elephants, hundreds of Vajapeya sacrifices, the great gift of a crore of maidens in marriage: one bilva leaf, offered to Shiva.

  6. लक्ष्म्याः स्तनत उत्पन्नं महादेवस्य च प्रियम् । बिल्ववृक्षं प्रयच्छामि ह्येकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम् ॥

    lakṣmyāḥ stanata utpannaṃ mahādevasya ca priyam । bilvavṛkṣaṃ prayacchāmi hyekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ॥

    लक्ष्मी के वक्ष से उत्पन्न और महादेव को प्रिय बिल्व वृक्ष मैं अर्पित करता हूँ: एक बेलपत्र शिव को अर्पित।

    Born from the breast of Lakshmi and dear to Mahadeva: I offer the bilva tree; one bilva leaf, offered to Shiva.

  7. दर्शनं बिल्ववृक्षस्य स्पर्शनं पापनाशनम् । अघोरपापसंहारं एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम् ॥

    darśanaṃ bilvavṛkṣasya sparśanaṃ pāpanāśanam । aghorapāpasaṃhāraṃ ekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ॥

    बिल्व वृक्ष का दर्शन और स्पर्श पापों का नाश करता है, घोर पापों का भी: एक बेलपत्र शिव को अर्पित।

    To see the bilva tree and to touch it destroys sin, even the most terrible sin: one bilva leaf, offered to Shiva.

  8. काशीक्षेत्रनिवासं च कालभैरवदर्शनम् । प्रयागमाधवं दृष्ट्वा ह्येकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम् ॥

    kāśīkṣetranivāsaṃ ca kālabhairavadarśanam । prayāgamādhavaṃ dṛṣṭvā hyekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ॥

    काशी क्षेत्र में निवास, कालभैरव का दर्शन, प्रयाग में माधव का दर्शन: एक बेलपत्र शिव को अर्पित।

    Living in Kashi, the sight of Kalabhairava, seeing Madhava at Prayag: one bilva leaf, offered to Shiva.

  9. मूलतो ब्रह्मरूपाय मध्यतो विष्णुरूपिणे । अग्रतः शिवरूपाय ह्येकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम् ॥

    mūlato brahmarūpāya madhyato viṣṇurūpiṇe । agrataḥ śivarūpāya hyekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ॥

    जो मूल में ब्रह्मा रूप, मध्य में विष्णु रूप और अग्र भाग में शिव रूप हैं, उन्हें: एक बेलपत्र शिव को अर्पित।

    To him who is Brahma at the root, Vishnu in the middle and Shiva at the tip: one bilva leaf, offered to Shiva.

  10. बिल्वाष्टकमिदं पुण्यं यः पठेच्छिवसन्निधौ । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः शिवलोकमवाप्नुयात् ॥

    bilvāṣṭakamidaṃ puṇyaṃ yaḥ paṭhecchivasannidhau । sarvapāpavinirmuktaḥ śivalokamavāpnuyāt ॥

    जो शिव के समीप इस पवित्र बिल्वाष्टक का पाठ करता है, वह सब पापों से मुक्त होकर शिवलोक को प्राप्त होता है।

    Whoever recites this holy Bilvashtakam in Shiva's presence is freed from all sins and reaches Shiva's world.

About this text

The bilva (bel) leaf, with its three leaflets, is the offering most closely tied to Shiva worship. The Bilvashtakam praises it: its three leaflets are likened to the three gunas, Shiva's three eyes and his trident, and offering a single leaf is said to equal great gifts and sacrifices, from a Soma sacrifice to the gift of thousands of elephants, or a pilgrimage to Kashi and Prayag. The tree itself is honoured as Brahma at the root, Vishnu in the middle and Shiva at the tip. Every verse ends with the refrain "ekabilvam shivarpanam", "one bilva leaf, offered to Shiva". Editions differ in the number and order of verses; this page gives the ten verses found in most of them.

How it is recited

It is recited while offering bilva leaves on a Shivling, especially on Mondays, during Shravan and on Mahashivratri. Customs vary.

When it is recited

More for Shiva

More Ashtakams

Sources & checks

Editions compared
  • Bilvashtakam, pavitragranth.com (2026), collated 2026-10-13, sha256 35298dc02dc1
  • Bilvashtakam, brahmanuvach.blogspot.com (2026), collated 2026-10-13, sha256 42e6c3271dbf
  • Bilvashtakam, hindi.webdunia.com (2026), collated 2026-10-13, sha256 9fb8be273821
  • Bilvashtakam, samskarasaurabha.blogspot.com (2026), collated 2026-10-13, sha256 4cb1fc53f59a
  • Bilvashtakam, alijahanuman.org (2026), collated 2026-10-13, sha256 06a8c26aee07
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