Somnath Stotram

By the BhaktiRas Editorial Team · Updated 16 July 2026

Somnath is the first name spoken in every recitation of the twelve Jyotirlingas, and this page gathers the verses that belong to him specifically. The Somnath Jyotirlinga Stotram here is not a separate freestanding hymn invented for this shrine. It is the opening dedication to Somanatha from Adi Shankaracharya’s longer Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram, paired with the famous roll-call line that places Somnath first among the twelve, and the closing phalashruti that both verses share with the rest of the stotram. Together they form a short, complete, and honestly sourced way to chant Somnath’s praise.

Somnath Stotram Lyrics in Sanskrit and English

Meaning of the Somnath Stotram

The line “Saurashtre Somanatham” simply means “in Saurashtra is Somanatha,” and its placement as the very first phrase of the twelve-shrine stotram is why devotees call Somnath the first Jyotirlinga. Saurashtra is the historical name for the coastal region of Gujarat where the temple stands at Prabhas Patan, near the shore of the Arabian Sea.

The dedicated verse calls Somnath “jyotirmayam,” full of light, and “chandrakalavatamsam,” wearing the crescent moon as an ornament. That moon imagery is not decorative. It ties directly to the temple’s own name, Somnath, lord of Soma, the moon, and to the legend of why the moon god came to worship Shiva here in the first place.

The phalashruti that closes the stotram makes a simple promise: recite these names with devotion, morning and evening, and the weight of past wrongdoing lightens. It is a shared verse across all twelve Jyotirlingas, not written for Somnath specifically, but it is the line every pilgrim who chants this stotram ends on.

When to Chant the Somnath Stotram

1. – Sit facing east or north in a clean, quiet space, and light a lamp or incense if you have one.
2. – Take a moment to picture Somnath's crescent-crowned form before beginning.
3. – Recite Verse 1, the dedication, slowly enough to hold each phrase in mind rather than rushing the syllables.
4. – Continue with Verse 2, the roll-call line, remembering that Somnath opens the list of all twelve Jyotirlingas.
5. – Close with Verse 3, the phalashruti, and let the recitation end on that note of release rather than moving straight into daily tasks.
6. – Repeating the three verses once in the morning and once in the evening follows the phalashruti's own instruction.

Benefits of Chanting the Somnath Stotram

The phalashruti itself states the central promise of this stotram plainly, and tradition has built a few practical benefits around it.

• : The phalashruti says regular recitation dissolves the weight of past wrongdoing, described as sins carried across seven lifetimes.
• : A short, memorable chant gives devotees who cannot travel to Prabhas Patan a way to connect with Somnath from anywhere.
• : Reciting all twelve names, starting with Somnath, is traditionally treated as touching all twelve Jyotirlingas in spirit.
• : The steady rhythm of the verses works well as a short daily practice, needing only a few minutes morning or evening.
• : Focusing on Somnath's moon imagery is said to bring a sense of calm, much as moonlight is associated with cooling and steadying the mind.
• : Chanting before or after visiting the temple is a common way pilgrims frame their trip to Prabhas Patan.

The Legend and History of Somnath

Tradition holds that Soma, the moon god, married the twenty-seven daughters of Daksha but favored one wife, Rohini, over the rest. Daksha cursed him to lose his light, and Soma is said to have come to Prabhas Patan to worship Shiva and seek release from that curse. Shiva is said to have softened the curse rather than lifted it entirely, which is offered in tradition as an explanation for why the moon waxes and wanes each month instead of staying full or vanishing forever. Somnath, lord of Soma, carries that story in its name, and the crescent moon on Shiva’s crown in the dedicated verse points back to it.

The temple sits at Prabhas Patan on the Gujarat coast, close to the Triveni Sangam where the Hiran and Kapila rivers meet the Arabian Sea, joined in tradition by a third, unseen river called the Saraswati. This confluence is considered a holy bathing spot in its own right, separate from the temple itself.

Historically, the Somnath temple has been destroyed and rebuilt several times over roughly a thousand years, most notably after the raid by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 CE, with later rebuilding under the Solanki king Bhima I and again under Kumarapala in the twelfth century, further damage under later rulers, and a subsidiary shrine raised by the Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar in the eighteenth century so worship could continue. The temple standing today was reconstructed after Indian independence, with the foundation laid in 1947 at the initiative of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and the work completed in 1951, funded by public contribution as Mahatma Gandhi had suggested.

Frequently Asked Questions

॥ ॐ नमः शिवाय ॥