Shitala Ashtakam
श्री शीतलाष्टकम्
What is the Shitala Ashtakam?
Shitala Ashtakam is a nine-verse Sanskrit hymn to Goddess Shitala, the deity of health and healing, drawn from the Skanda Purana as words Lord Shiva speaks to Parvati. It asks her to cool fevers, calm skin eruptions and lift the fear that comes with contagious illness. Devotees recite it for protection from pox-type diseases and for general family health, especially around Sheetala Saptami and Sheetala Ashtami.
Shitala Ashtakam is one of the oldest devotional hymns dedicated to a goddess who protects rather than punishes. The Skanda Purana frames it as a teaching Lord Shiva gives Parvati: eight verses that name Shitala’s power over fever, pox and every disease that spreads through a household, followed by a closing prayer that calls her mother, father and sustainer of the world. Physicians in pre-modern India had little defense against smallpox and other eruptive fevers, so this hymn became a household shield, chanted at the bedside of the sick and recited each Chaitra as the hot season began.
Shitala Ashtakam Lyrics
Roman transliteration on top, Devanagari below. Tap Meaning under any verse, or use A / A+ / A++ to resize.
Invocation
asya shrishitalastotrasya mahadeva rishih | anushtup chandah |
shitala devata | lakshmirbijam | bhavani shaktih |
sarvavisphotakanivrityarthe jape viniyogah
अस्य श्रीशीतलास्तोत्रस्य महादेव ऋषिः । अनुष्टुप् छन्दः ।
शीतला देवता । लक्ष्मीर्बीजम् । भवानी शक्तिः ।
सर्वविस्फोटकनिवृत्त्यर्थे जपे विनियोगः ॥
Meaning
This short passage is not part of the hymn’s praise; it is the traditional viniyoga, a ritual note naming Lord Mahadeva as the sage who received the verses, Anushtup as the meter, Shitala as the deity being invoked, and Lakshmi and Bhavani as the seed and power behind the chant. Reciting it first is meant to align the chanter’s intention before the actual verses of praise begin.
vande’ham shitalam devim rasabhastham digambaram
marjanikalashopetam shurpalankritamastakam
वन्देऽहं शीतलां देवीं रासभस्थां दिगम्बराम् ।
मार्जनीकलशोपेतां शूर्पालङ्कृतमस्तकाम् ॥
Meaning
The hymn opens with a bow to Shitala exactly as she is pictured: seated on a donkey, unclothed like an ascetic, holding a broom and a water pot, with a winnowing basket resting on her head. Each detail is deliberate, since her iconography doubles as a description of how she cleans, cools and sorts sickness from health.
vande’ham shitalam devim sarvarogabhayapaham
yamasadya nivarteta visphotakabhayam mahat
वन्देऽहं शीतलां देवीं सर्वरोगभयापहाम् ।
यामासाद्य निवर्तेत विस्फोटकभयं महत् ॥
Meaning
Here the chanter salutes Shitala as the remover of the fear that comes with disease, not only the disease itself. The verse promises that simply approaching her with devotion pushes back the dread of a serious outbreak of pox or fever.
shitale shitale cheti yo bruyaddahapiditah
visphotakabhayam ghoram kshipram tasya pranashyati
शीतले शीतले चेति यो ब्रूयाद्दाहपीडितः ।
विस्फोटकभयं घोरं क्षिप्रं तस्य प्रणश्यति ॥
Meaning
This verse claims that a person burning with fever who calls out her name, Shitala, Shitala, finds the terror of the illness fade quickly. It treats the act of naming her cooling quality aloud as part of the relief itself.
yastvamudakamadhye tu dhyatva sampujayennarah
visphotakabhayam ghoram grihe tasya na jayate
यस्त्वामुदकमध्ये तु ध्यात्वा सम्पूजयेन्नरः ।
विस्फोटकभयं घोरं गृहे तस्य न जायते ॥
Meaning
Anyone who meditates on Shitala while standing in water and worships her there, the verse says, keeps the fear of a pox outbreak from ever entering their home. Water reinforces the goddess’s own cooling nature within the ritual.
shitale jvaradagdhasya putigandhayutasya cha
pranashtachakshushah pumsastvamahurjivanaushadham
शीतले ज्वरदग्धस्य पूतिगन्धयुतस्य च ।
प्रणष्टचक्षुषः पुंसस्त्वामाहुर्जीवनौषधम् ॥
Meaning
Addressed to those scorched by fever, suffering from wounds that will not heal cleanly, or who have lost their eyesight, this verse names Shitala directly as jivanaushadham, the medicine of life itself. It is one of the hymn’s strongest claims about her healing power.
shitale tanujan rogannrinam harasi dustyajan
visphotakavidirnanam tvamekamritavarshini
शीतले तनुजान रोगान्नृणां हरसि दुस्त्यजान् ।
विस्फोटकविदीर्णानां त्वमेकाऽमृतवर्षिणी ॥
Meaning
This verse credits Shitala with removing diseases of the body that are otherwise stubborn and hard to shake, describing her as the sole source of nectar-like relief for those torn apart by severe eruptions. The imagery is deliberately intense, matching how frightening pox-type illness once was.
galagandagraha roga ye chanye daruna nrinam
tvadanudhyanamatrena shitale yanti sankshayam
गलगण्डग्रहा रोगा ये चान्ये दारुणा नृणाम् ।
त्वदनुध्यानमात्रेण शीतले यान्ति सङ्क्षयम् ॥
Meaning
Goiter and other harsh, swelling ailments of the body are said to shrink away through nothing more than steady meditation on Shitala. The verse widens the hymn’s scope slightly beyond fever and pox to any severe, disfiguring illness.
na mantro naushadham tasya paparogasya vidyate
tvamekam shitale dhatrim nanyam pashyami devatam
न मन्त्रो नौषधं तस्य पापरोगस्य विद्यते ।
त्वामेकां शीतले धात्रीं नान्यां पश्यामि देवताम् ॥
Meaning
The final core verse states plainly that no mantra or medicine exists for this kind of affliction apart from the goddess herself, and that the speaker recognizes no other deity as sustainer. It is the hymn’s most personal line, a declaration of total reliance on Shitala.
shitale tvam jaganmata shitale tvam jagatpita
shitale tvam jagaddhatri shitalayai namo namah
शीतले त्वं जगन्माता शीतले त्वं जगत्पिता ।
शीतले त्वं जगद्धात्री शीतलायै नमो नमः ॥
Meaning
The closing prayer steps back from illness altogether and addresses Shitala as mother, father and sustainer of the entire universe, offering repeated salutations. Ending on this note reframes the whole hymn: healing is only one expression of a much larger, protective relationship with the goddess.
Meaning and Significance
Shitala Ashtakam is a nine-verse Sanskrit hymn to Goddess Shitala, the deity of health and healing, drawn from the Skanda Purana as words Lord Shiva speaks to Parvati. It asks her to cool fevers, calm skin eruptions and lift the fear that comes with contagious illness. Devotees recite it for protection from pox-type diseases and for general family health, especially around Sheetala Saptami and Sheetala Ashtami.
The hymn opens with a viniyoga, the short ritual formula that names the sage, meter, deity and seed syllable governing the chant, a convention found across many Puranic stotras. Verse one bows to Sheetala Mata exactly as she is pictured in temples: seated on a donkey, unclothed in the manner of an ascetic, carrying a broom and a water pot, a winnowing basket balanced on her head. Each object is functional rather than decorative. The broom sweeps contagion out of a home, the pot holds water cool enough to bring a fever down, and the winnowing basket separates what is worth keeping from what must be thrown away, a fitting image for a goddess whose whole role is sorting sickness from health.
Why the Hymn Repeats “Shitale” So Often
From verse three onward the text becomes almost a chant within a chant: the name Shitala is called out directly, verse after verse, as though speaking to someone standing at the bedside. Verse three even claims that saying “Shitala, Shitala” while burning with fever breaks the fear of the disease on its own. That repetition is not filler; in Sanskrit hymn tradition, naming a deity’s cooling quality aloud is treated as part of the remedy, alongside water, rest and whatever medicine was available. The same idea carries into daily practice today through the Shitala Chalisa, a simpler, more frequently recited prayer to the same goddess.
How to Chant the Shitala Ashtakam
- Bathe and dress simply – Wash before you sit, and wear light, clean clothes rather than anything heavy or freshly dyed, since Shitala’s worship favors coolness and simplicity over ornament.
- Face east or north – Sit on a clean mat facing east or north, the directions traditionally associated with clarity and healing in this practice.
- Set out water, neem and white flowers – Keep a copper vessel filled with fresh water within reach, along with a few neem leaves and white flowers if you have them, both linked to Shitala’s cooling nature.
- Open with the viniyoga, then chant – Recite the short viniyoga first to set your intention, then move through the eight core verses and the closing prayer without rushing the repeated name Shitala.
- Sprinkle the water afterward – Once you finish, sprinkle a little water from the copper vessel around the room, or on the person who is unwell, as a simple closing gesture of the goddess’s coolness reaching the space.
What Are the Benefits of Chanting?
Shitala Ashtakam is recited mainly as a health prayer, and its verses stay close to that one concern rather than promising wealth or general fortune.
- Relief during fevers: Several verses speak directly to someone burning with fever, which is why the hymn is traditionally recited at a sick person’s bedside rather than only in a temple.
- Protection from pox and eruptive disease: The recurring word visphotaka, meaning pox or eruption, points to smallpox, chickenpox and similar skin conditions that once had no reliable cure, making this hymn a spiritual line of defense for households.
- A calmer household during outbreaks: Reciting the Ashtakam together as a family, especially in Chaitra when seasonal fevers were historically common, was a way of steadying everyone’s nerves as much as invoking divine help.
- Support alongside medical care: The hymn was never meant to replace treatment; it sits alongside medicine and rest as a source of mental strength for the patient and the caregivers around them.
- A cooling effect on anger and stress: Because Shitala’s defining quality is coolness, devotees also chant this hymn to settle short tempers, heat-related irritability and general nervous strain, not only physical fever.
- Continuity with a very old healing tradition: Reciting a Puranic hymn that predates modern medicine connects a household to centuries of families who turned to the same words during the same kind of crisis.
Who Composed the Shitala Ashtakam?
The Shitala Ashtakam comes from the Skanda Purana, framed as a teaching Lord Shiva gives Goddess Parvati for the welfare of ordinary people, particularly protection from eruptive fevers and pox.
Puranic stotras are frequently presented this way, as a dialogue between Shiva and Parvati rather than as one sage’s personal composition, which is part of why the hymn carries the label Ishvara Uvacha, “the Lord said,” at its head. Nothing in the text names a human author or a date; it belongs to the layer of the Purana concerned with practical protection, alongside other stotras aimed at specific afflictions. Its short viniyoga, the meter, deity and seed-syllable formula placed before verse one, marks it as a hymn meant for ritual use, not just reading, which is part of why it is still recited at bedsides and during seasonal worship of Shitala today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Shitala Ashtakam?
Shitala Ashtakam is a nine-verse Sanskrit hymn to Goddess Shitala, the deity of health and healing, drawn from the Skanda Purana as words Lord Shiva speaks to Parvati. It asks her to cool fevers, calm skin eruptions and lift the fear that comes with contagious illness. Devotees recite it for protection from pox-type diseases and for general family health, especially around Sheetala Saptami and Sheetala Ashtami.
Who is Goddess Shitala?
Goddess Shitala is a Hindu goddess worshipped widely across North India, West Bengal, Nepal and parts of Bangladesh as the protector against disease, especially pox, skin eruptions, high fever and infection.
What does the name Shitala mean?
Shitala means the one who cools. The name points to her role in bringing down burning fevers and soothing inflamed, feverish skin.
Why is Goddess Shitala shown riding a donkey?
The donkey stands for patience, humility and endurance, the qualities a person needs to survive a long and painful fever rather than any lack of dignity.
What do the broom and water pot in her hands represent?
The broom sweeps away the germs and impurities behind disease, the water pot carries cooling, healing water, and the winnowing basket on her head represents sorting health from sickness.
Can reciting this Ashtakam actually cure a disease?
Tradition treats it as a spiritual support rather than a medical cure. It is meant to sit alongside proper treatment and rest, giving the patient and family strength while the real healing happens through care and medicine.
How many verses does the Shitala Ashtakam have?
Eight core verses form the main hymn, opened by a short viniyoga formula and closed by a ninth verse of praise, for nine verses in total.
When is the best time to recite the Shitala Ashtakam?
Early morning after bathing is the traditional time, with extra emphasis during the month of Chaitra and on Sheetala Saptami and Sheetala Ashtami, also known as Basoda.
Is the Shitala Ashtakam connected to the Shitala Chalisa?
Both are prayers to the same goddess. The Ashtakam is the older Sanskrit hymn from the Skanda Purana, while the Shitala Chalisa is a simpler, more everyday prayer many households recite alongside or instead of it.
॥ इति श्रीस्कन्दपुराणे शीतलाष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ॥