Vaidyanath Stotram (Vaidyanathashtakam)
श्री वैद्यनाथाष्टकम्
What is the Vaidyanath Stotram?
Vaidyanath Stotram The Vaidyanath Stotram, also called the Vaidyanathashtakam, is an eight verse Sanskrit hymn to Shiva in his form as Vaidyanatha, the divine physician. Devotees chant it for comfort, courage and peace of mind during illness, alongside proper medical care, and it closes with a short phala shruti naming three of Shiva's healing names.
Vaidyanatha means the lord who heals, and this ashtakam speaks to Shiva directly in that role. Across eight verses the hymn builds a single picture: matted hair holding the Ganga, three eyes that see past, present and future, a body marked with sacred ash, and a temperament devotees describe as endlessly compassionate. Each verse ends on the same refrain, shri vaidyanathaya namah shivaya, and a short closing verse promises that three of his names, chanted daily, bring steadiness to a troubled body and mind.
Vaidyanath Stotram Lyrics
Eight verses in the classic ashtakam form, each closing on the same refrain, followed by a three-name phala shruti. Tap any verse to read its meaning.
shri rama saumitri jatayu veda shadanana ditya kujarchitaya
shri nilakanthaya dayamayaya shri vaidyanathaya namah shivaya
श्रीरामसौमित्रिजटायुवेद षडाननादित्यकुजार्चिताय ।
श्रीनीलकण्ठाय दयामयाय श्रीवैद्यनाथाय नमः शिवाय ॥
Meaning
Shiva is worshipped here by Rama, Lakshmana and Jatayu, and even the Vedas turn to him, along with Skanda, the Sun and Mars. Blue throated and endlessly compassionate, this verse salutes him as Vaidyanatha.
ganga pravaha indu jatadharaya trilochanaya smara kala hantre
samasta devair api pujitaya shri vaidyanathaya namah shivaya
गङ्गाप्रवाहेन्दुजटाधराय त्रिलोचनाय स्मरकालहन्त्रे ।
समस्तदेवैरपि पूजिताय श्रीवैद्यनाथाय नमः शिवाय ॥
Meaning
The Ganga flows through his matted hair alongside the crescent moon, and his three eyes take in past, present and future. Every god bows to him, and this verse does too, calling him Vaidyanatha.
bhakta priyaya tripurantakaya pinakine dushtaharaya nityam
pratyaksha lilaya manushya loke shri vaidyanathaya namah shivaya
भक्तप्रियाय त्रिपुरान्तकाय पिनाकिने दुष्टहराय नित्यम् ।
प्रत्यक्षलीलाय मनुष्यलोके श्रीवैद्यनाथाय नमः शिवाय ॥
Meaning
He is dear to his devotees, ended the pride of the three cities with his bow Pinaka, and is said to walk visibly among people in this world. This verse names that living, approachable form Vaidyanatha.
prabhuta vatadi samasta roga pranasha kartre muni vanditaya
prabhakarendu agni vilochanaya shri vaidyanathaya namah shivaya
प्रभूतवातादिसमस्तरोगप्रणाशकर्त्रे मुनिवन्दिताय ।
प्रभाकरेन्द्वग्निविलोचनाय श्रीवैद्यनाथाय नमः शिवाय ॥
Meaning
This verse asks Shiva to clear illnesses linked to wind and bodily imbalance, describing his three eyes as the sun, moon and fire. Sages are said to bow before this healing form of his.
vak shrotra netranghri vihina jantoh vak shrotra netranghri mukha pradaya
kushthadi sarvonnata roga hantre shri vaidyanathaya namah shivaya
वाक्श्रोत्रनेत्राङ्घ्रिविहीनजन्तोः वाक्श्रोत्रनेत्राङ्घ्रिमुखप्रदाय ।
कुष्ठादिसर्वोन्नतरोगहन्त्रे श्रीवैद्यनाथाय नमः शिवाय ॥
Meaning
To someone born without speech, hearing, sight or the ability to walk, this verse asks Vaidyanatha to restore those very faculties, and to lift even the heaviest skin ailments.
vedanta vedyaya jaganmayaya yogishvara dhyeya padambujaya
trimurti rupaya sahasra namne shri vaidyanathaya namah shivaya
वेदान्तवेद्याय जगन्मयाय योगीश्वरध्येयपदाम्बुजाय ।
त्रिमूर्तिरूपाय सहस्रनाम्ने श्रीवैद्यनाथाय नमः शिवाय ॥
Meaning
Scholars reach him through Vedanta, yogis meditate on his lotus feet, and he holds the three great forms of divinity in one. A thousand names are said to belong to him.
sva tirtha mrid bhasma bhritanga bhajam pishacha duhkharti bhayapahaya
atma svarupaya sharira bhajam shri vaidyanathaya namah shivaya
स्वतीर्थमृद्भस्मभृताङ्गभाजां पिशाचदुःखार्तिभयापहाय ।
आत्मस्वरूपाय शरीरभाजां श्रीवैद्यनाथाय नमः शिवाय ॥
Meaning
Sacred ash, soil and water from his own tirtha mark the bodies of his devotees. This verse asks him to remove fear and distress from unseen forces, calling him the true self within every body.
shri nilakanthaya vrishadhvajaya srag gandha bhasmadya abhishobhitaya
suputra daradi subhagyadaya shri vaidyanathaya namah shivaya
श्रीनीलकण्ठाय वृषध्वजाय स्रग्गन्धभस्माद्यभिशोभिताय ।
सुपुत्रदारादिसुभाग्यदाय श्रीवैद्यनाथाय नमः शिवाय ॥
Meaning
Blue throated, riding the bull banner, adorned with garlands, sandal paste and ash, Vaidyanatha is asked in this closing verse to bless a home with good children and a happy family.
Phala Shruti
balambikesha vaidyesha bhavarogahareti cha
japen nama trayam nityam maharoga nivaranam
वालाम्बिकेश वैद्येश भवरोगहरेति च ।
जपेन्नामत्रयं नित्यं महारोगनिवारणम् ॥
Meaning
The closing verse says that chanting these three names, Balambikesha, Vaidyesha and Bhavarogahara, daily, is believed by devotees to bring relief from serious illness. This is a matter of faith and devotion alongside medical care, not a substitute for it.
What the Vaidyanath Stotram Means
Every one of the eight verses ends on the same line, shri vaidyanathaya namah shivaya, so the hymn reads like eight different angles on one figure. It opens by placing Shiva among familiar epics, worshipped by Rama, Lakshmana and Jatayu, then widens to the Ganga in his hair, his three eyes, and his role as destroyer of the three cities.
From the fourth verse the language turns specifically toward the body: illnesses of wind and imbalance, loss of speech or sight or hearing, skin conditions, and fear brought on by unseen forces. This is the section devotees usually mean when they call it a healing hymn. The final verses return to Shiva’s broader form, his thousand names, his ash marked body, before the phala shruti closes with a promise tied to three of his names.
None of this is offered as a medical treatment. Devotees who chant it during illness generally describe it as a source of steadiness and faith to sit alongside a doctor’s care, not instead of it.
How and When to Chant It
- – Sit facing a Shiva lingam or image, or simply face east, after washing your hands and face.
- – Light a lamp or incense if you have one, and keep a small bowl of water and bilva leaves or flowers nearby if available.
- – Read or recite the eight verses slowly, pausing to feel the meaning rather than rushing the Sanskrit.
- – Close with the phala shruti, naming Balambikesha, Vaidyesha and Bhavarogahara.
- – If chanting for someone unwell, hold their name and situation in mind during the final verse.
- – End with a moment of silence or the simple chant Om Namah Shivaya before rising.
Why Devotees Chant the Vaidyanath Stotram
This ashtakam is most often reached for during illness or worry about health, but its themes go beyond that single use.
- : Offers comfort and steadiness of mind during illness, alongside a doctor's treatment rather than in place of it.
- : Builds a sense of trust and calm before surgery, recovery, or a difficult diagnosis.
- : Connects the reciter to the wider tradition of Shiva as protector of the vulnerable and the suffering.
- : Used at the start of Shravan month and during the Shravan Mela pilgrimage season at Deoghar.
- : Gives families a shared practice to turn to when praying for someone who is unwell.
- : Works well as part of a daily Shiva puja even outside times of illness, as a general prayer for wellbeing.
Origin, and the Deoghar-Parli Question
Vaidyanatha, the physician lord, is one of the standard names for Shiva across Puranic literature, and ashtakams built around it appear in several stotra collections. Many sites that publish this text attribute it to Adi Shankaracharya, as they do with a number of popular ashtakams, though that attribution rests on tradition rather than a verified manuscript colophon, so it is worth holding lightly rather than as settled fact.
Vaidyanatha is also counted among the twelve Jyotirlingas, and the well known Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram includes a separate verse for him, beginning Purvottare Prajvalika-nidhane, sada vasantam girija-sametam, describing him as residing in the north-east, at a cremation ground, beside Girija. That directional clue is one reason many devotees connect Vaidyanatha with Deoghar in Jharkhand, whose older name Chita-bhoomi refers to exactly such a ground.
At the same time, Parli in Maharashtra has its own long-standing claim, including local tradition that Deoghar was itself once called Parli, and its own recognised place among the twelve Jyotirlingas in regional worship. Both Deoghar and Parli house active, historic Vaidyanath temples, and the question of which one is the original Jyotirlinga remains genuinely open, argued from both textual and local tradition, without an official government ruling on it. This page treats both claims as valid living traditions rather than picking a side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote the Vaidyanathashtakam?
It is popularly attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, as many ashtakams are, though this is a devotional attribution passed down through stotra collections rather than a fact confirmed by an original manuscript.
Is the Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga in Deoghar or Parli?
Both towns host a Vaidyanath temple with a strong, long-standing claim to being the true Jyotirlinga. Deoghar's case leans on its old name Chita-bhoomi and the north-east direction named in the Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram, while Parli has its own historical and local tradition. There is no official resolution, and both are honoured by devotees.
Can chanting this stotram cure a disease?
No. It is a devotional prayer meant to bring comfort, courage and steadiness during illness. It works alongside proper medical treatment, never as a replacement for it.
When is the best time to chant the Vaidyanath Stotram?
Monday, since it is Shiva's day, and the month of Shravan are considered especially fitting, along with any time a devotee or their family is dealing with illness.
What does the phala shruti verse mean?
It names three of Shiva's healing epithets, Balambikesha, Vaidyesha and Bhavarogahara, and says that chanting them daily is believed to bring relief from serious illness. It is a statement of faith, not a medical claim.
How is this different from the general Shiva Panchakshari mantra?
The Panchakshari, Om Namah Shivaya, is a five syllable mantra used for any purpose. The Vaidyanathashtakam is a full eight verse hymn specifically addressed to Shiva's healing form, Vaidyanatha.
Is this stotram used during the Shravan Mela at Deoghar?
Yes, many pilgrims who walk the Kanwar route to Deoghar during Shravan include this ashtakam in their prayers to Vaidyanatha, alongside other Shiva stotras.
What language is the Vaidyanath Stotram in?
It is composed in Sanskrit, in the traditional ashtakam form of eight verses closing with a short phala shruti.
॥ ॐ नमः शिवाय ॥