Composed by Sri Adi Shankaracharya, the famous Bilvashtakam extols the virtues of the Bilva leaf (also spelt Vilva, Bilwa) and Lord Shiva’s love for it. Shri Shiva Bilvashtakam is a very powerful chant that describes the power and glory of offering bilva leaves to Lord Shiva. They are to be offered in a group of three leaves and are said to have features that identify them with Lord Shiva himself. The Bilva leaf is trifoliate which signifies the holy Trinity: Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. It also signifies the three eyes of Shiva. According to Shiva Purana, The Bilwa is the symbol of Lord Shiva. It is adored even by the Gods. it is difficult to understand its greatness. Blessed are the ones who offer the Bilva. One Bilva is equal to a thousand lotus, says the Siva Purana. According to the Skanda Purana, the Bilwa (Bel) tree grew from the sweat droplets of Parvati which fell on the Mandrachal mountain. From there the Bel tree emerged. Hence, it is believed that the Goddess resides in this tree in all Her forms. She resides as Girija in the roots of the tree, as Maheshwari in its trunk, as Dakshayani in its branches, Parvati in its leaves, Katyayani in its fruit and as Gauri in its flowers. Therefore as Parvati resides in Her various forms in this tree, Shiva is extremely fond of its leaves.
ત્રિદળં ત્રિગુણાકારં ત્રિનેત્રં ચ ત્રિયાયુધમ્ ।
ત્રિજન્મ પાપસંહારં એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પણમ્ ॥
I offer one leaf of Bilva to Lord Shiva
Which has three leaves (a Bilva leaf has 3 leaves as a cluster)
Which represents the three Gunas (Satva, Rajas, Tamas)
And represents three eyes of Shiva
Which is like the triad of weapons he bears
And whose very thought or uttering of names destroys one’s accumulated sins.
ત્રિશાખૈઃ બિલ્વપત્રૈશ્ચ અચ્છિદ્રૈઃ કોમલૈઃ શુભૈઃ ।
તવપૂજાં કરિષ્યામિ એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પણમ્ ॥
I offer one leaf of Bilva to Lord Shiva
Which has three shoots
Which are not defective in any manner
Which are soft and tender
Which are auspicious.
કોટિ કન્યા મહાદાનં તિલપર્વત કોટયઃ ।
કાંચનં શૈલદાનેન એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પણમ્ ॥
Gifting of millions of daughters in marriage or
Offering mountains of Sesame seeds or
Donating a mountain of Gold,
Such virtue can be earned by the
Offering of a single Bilva leaf to Lord Shiva.
કાશીક્ષેત્ર નિવાસં ચ કાલભૈરવ દર્શનમ્ ।
પ્રયાગે માધવં દૃષ્ટ્વા એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પણમ્ ॥
If one stays at the holy city of Kasi, and then
Has darsan of the Lord Kalabhairava there
Visits Prayag and has darsan of Lord Madhava there
And also offers worship to Lord Shiva with the Bilva leaf
He is assured of the Lord’s grace.
I offer one leaf of Bilva to Lord Shiva.
ઇંદુવારે વ્રતં સ્થિત્વા નિરાહારો મહેશ્વરાઃ ।
નક્તં હૌષ્યામિ દેવેશ એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પણમ્ ॥
On Monday, I shall observe a spiritual fast and worship you
I shall consume food only at night O Lord of Lords
I offer one leaf of Bilva to Lord Shiva.
રામલિંગ પ્રતિષ્ઠા ચ વૈવાહિક કૃતં તથા ।
તટાકાનિચ સંધાનં એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પણમ્ ॥
The divine bliss attained by Lord Rama by installing a Shiva Linga
Such divine bliss can be attained by offering
A single leaf of Bilva to Lord Shiva.
અખંડ બિલ્વપત્રં ચ આયુતં શિવપૂજનમ્ ।
કૃતં નામ સહસ્રેણ એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પણમ્ ॥
Lord Shiva should be worshipped with a whole (unblemished) Bilva leaf.
Having chanted his name a thousand times
I offer a Bilva leaf to Lord Shiva.
ઉમયા સહદેવેશ નંદિ વાહનમેવ ચ ।
ભસ્મલેપન સર્વાંગં એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પણમ્ ॥
O Lord, you are seated besides Parvati
Nandi is your mount
Your entire body is smeared with ash
O Lord Shiva, I offer a Bilva leaf to you.
સાલગ્રામેષુ વિપ્રાણાં તટાકં દશકૂપયોઃ ।
યજ્ઞ્નકોટિ સહસ્રસ્ય એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પણમ્ ॥
By offering the Shaligrama stone to a Brahmin who has realised the Self
Or by performing countelss Yagnas
One acquires great virtue
Such virtue can be earned by
Offering a single Bilva leaf to Lord Shiva.
દંતિ કોટિ સહસ્રેષુ અશ્વમેધશતક્રતૌ ચ ।
કોટિકન્યા મહાદાનં એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પણમ્ ॥
The virtue earned by donating a thousand elephants
Or by performing a hundred Aswamedha sacrifices
Or by giving away in a marriage a countless daughters
Such virtue can be earned by offering a single Bilva leaf to Lord Shiva.
બિલ્વાણાં દર્શનં પુણ્યં સ્પર્શનં પાપનાશનમ્ ।
અઘોર પાપસંહારં એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પણમ્ ॥
Even having a look at the Bilva tree or
Even just touching it
Destroys the most horrible sins one might have committed.
I offer one leaf of Bilva to Lord Shiva.
સહસ્રવેદ પાટેષુ બ્રહ્મસ્તાપનમુચ્યતે ।
અનેકવ્રત કોટીનાં એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પણમ્ ॥
Chanting the vedas a thousand times
Is said to elevate one to a great spiritual height
And so with performing spiritual fasts crores of times
Equal to all of these is
Offering a single Bilva leaf to Lord Shiva.
અન્નદાન સહસ્રેષુ સહસ્રોપનયનં તધા ।
અનેક જન્મપાપાનિ એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પણમ્ ॥
The virtue earned by donating food to thousands
Or by performing a thouand thread ceremonies
Such virtue is attained
By offering a single Bilva leaf to Lord Shiva
Which washes away the sins of many lives.
બિલ્વાષ્ટકમિદં પુણ્યં યઃ પઠેશ્શિવ સન્નિધૌ ।
શિવલોકમવાપ્નોતિ એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પણમ્ ॥
Whoever reads these sacred verses of Bilvashtakam
In the proximity (presence) of Lord Shiva
Will be freed of all sins
And will attain the abode of Lord Shiva.
----------------
વિકલ્પ સંકર્પણ
ત્રિદળં ત્રિગુણાકારં ત્રિનેત્રં ચ ત્રિયાયુધમ્ ।
ત્રિજન્મ પાપસંહારં એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પિતમ્ ॥ 1 ॥
I offer one leaf of Bilva to Lord Shiva
Which has three leaves (a Bilva leaf has 3 leaves as a cluster)
Which represents the three Gunas (Satva, Rajas, Tamas)
And represents three eyes of Shiva
Which is like the triad of weapons he bears
And whose very thought or uttering of names destroys one’s accumulated sins.
ત્રિશાખૈઃ બિલ્વપત્રૈશ્ચ અચ્છિદ્રૈઃ કોમલૈઃ શુભૈઃ ।
તવપૂજાં કરિષ્યામિ એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પિતમ્ ॥ 2 ॥
I offer one leaf of Bilva to Lord Shiva
Which has three shoots
Which are not defective in any manner
Which are soft and tender
Which are auspicious.
દર્શનં બિલ્વવૃક્ષસ્ય સ્પર્શનં પાપનાશનમ્ ।
અઘોરપાપસંહારં એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પિતમ્ ॥ 3 ॥
Even having a look at the Bilva tree or
Even just touching it
Destroys the most horrible sins one might have committed.
I offer one leaf of Bilva to Lord Shiva.
સાલગ્રામેષુ વિપ્રેષુ તટાકે વનકૂપયોઃ ।
યજ્ઞ્નકોટિ સહસ્રાણાં એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પિતમ્ ॥ 4 ॥
By offering the Shaligrama stone to a Brahmin who has realised the Self
Or by performing countelss Yagnas
One acquires great virtue
Such virtue can be earned by
Offering a single Bilva leaf to Lord Shiva.
દંતિકોટિ સહસ્રેષુ અશ્વમેધ શતાનિ ચ ।
કોટિકન્યાપ્રદાનેન એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પિતમ્ ॥ 5 ॥
Gifting of thousands of crores of elephants, or
Performing hundreds of great sacrifices like the Vajapeya (sacrifices made by kings) or
Gifting of millions of daughters in marriage
Cannot be compared with the offering of a single Bilva leaf to Lord Shiva.
I offer one leaf of Bilva to Lord Shiva.
એકં ચ બિલ્વપત્રૈશ્ચ કોટિયજ્ઞ્ન ફલં લભેત્ ।
મહાદેવૈશ્ચ પૂજાર્થં એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પિતમ્ ॥ 6 ॥
By performing countelss Yagnas
One acquires great virtue
Such virtue can be earned by
Offering a single Bilva leaf to Lord Shiva.
કાશીક્ષેત્રે નિવાસં ચ કાલભૈરવ દર્શનમ્ ।
ગયાપ્રયાગ મે દૃષ્ટ્વા એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પિતમ્ ॥ 7 ॥
If one stays at the holy city of Kasi, and then
Has darsan of the Lord Kalabhairava there
Visits Prayag and has darsan of Lord Madhava there
And also offers worship to Lord Shiva with the Bilva leaf
He is assured of the Lord’s grace.
I offer one leaf of Bilva to Lord Shiva.
ઉમયા સહ દેવેશં વાહનં નંદિશંકરમ્ ।
મુચ્યતે સર્વપાપેભ્યો એકબિલ્વં શિવાર્પિતમ્ ॥ 8 ॥
O Lord, you are seated besides Parvati
Nandi is your mount
Your entire body is smeared with ash
O Lord Shiva, I offer a Bilva leaf to you.
ઇતિ શ્રી બિલ્વાષ્ટકમ્ ॥
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