Bilvashtkam with meaning

This is for all devotee,who offer there prayers to lord Shiva in the form of Bilva patra. As we all know offering Bilva patra is very auspicious in general and much more specially in Shravan month.According to religious texts,poison came from churning of ocean and shiva came forward to drink poison to save all,it happened in shravan month.It is believed that lord Indra wanted lord Shiva's body temperature to reduced and hence it rained heavily.This calmed down lord Shiva and since then the Shravan month is celebrated to please the lord shiva. Water and other sacred liquids are poured to worship and to get blessings in different problems and for spiritual growth.

Bilvashtkam is recited when Bilva patra is offered to Shiva otherwise also one can recite bilvashtkam and lingashtkam to get Shiva's blessings.In bilvashtkam it is explained that how offering one Bilva patra is lot more beneficial that the other punya.

Bilvashtkam with meaning-There are two version of Bilvashtkam one from Shiv Purana i am giving here and the other is by Aadi Shankaracharya slightly different  (well but both shows the importance of offering Bilva patra to lord Shiva).

त्रिदलं त्रिगुणाकारं त्रिनेत्रं च त्रियायुधं
त्रिजन्म पापसंहारम् एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

I offer one leaf of Bilva to Lord Shiva,
Which has three petals,Which constituted of three gunas {(Satva,Raja and Tamasa),These three quality constitute Maya,and Maya is the creation power of Ishwara ,these three quality becomes causes of creation },which are like the three eyes of Shiva,{(Sun,Moon and Agni) the third eye stands for his infinite wisdom,so he known as Trayambak ,Trilochan} which is like the three types of weapons,{Shiva has all category of weapon Mace,trident,and bow called Pinaka},Shiva with weapon shows that anytime he can come to rescue his devotee from any trouble, and which destroys accumulated sins of past three births.
So offering one cluster of Bilva leaf to Shiva has great merit.

[This reminds what lord Krishna said in Gita ,when one with pure mind offer me a leaf,a flower,or anything ,I accept.] 

त्रिशाखैः बिल्वपत्रैश्च अच्चिद्रैः कोमलैः शुभैः
तवपूजां करिष्यामि एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

I offer puja to lord Shiva with bunch of Bilva leaves that are auspicious ,soft and tender ,have three leaves ,which are not damaged or defective in any manner.

कोटि कन्या महादानं तिलपर्वत कोटयः
काञ्चनं क्षीलदानेन एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

Donation of millions of girls for marriage,and donation of mountains of sesame seeds,and donation of lots of gold  is all equivalent to offering one leaf of Bilva patra to Shiva.

काशीक्षेत्र निवासं च कालभैरव दर्शनं
प्रयागे माधवं दृष्ट्वा एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

if one stays at the holy city of Kasi, 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 bilva leaf he is assured of Lord’s grace.


इन्दुवारे व्रतं स्थित्वा निराहारो महेश्वराः
नक्तं हौष्यामि देवेश एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

रामलिङ्ग प्रतिष्ठा च वैवाहिक कृतं तधा
तटाकानिच सन्धानम् एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

अखण्ड बिल्वपत्रं च आयुतं शिवपूजनं
कृतं नाम सहस्रेण एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

Offering Bilva patra to lord Shiva which is unbroken is equal to thousands of naam smaran

उमया सहदेवेश नन्दि वाहनमेव च
भस्मलेपन सर्वाङ्गम् एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

worshiping maa Parvati and Nandi along with Bhasma which is very dear to lord is equal to offering one Bilva patra to lord.


सालग्रामेषु विप्राणां तटाकं दशकूपयोः
यज्नकोटि सहस्रस्च एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं
If one gifts a sacred saligrama piece to a brahmin who has acquired the knowledge of Self, he earns great merit equal to that of performing a sevral Yagna,but still offering one Bilva Patra is equal to all that punya.

दन्ति कोटि सहस्रेषु अश्वमेध शतक्रतौ
कोटिकन्या महादानम् एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

Gifting of thousands of elephants or performing great sacrifices like the Vajapeya,or ashwamedha Yagna or gifting of thousands of young unmarried girls in marriage cannot be compared with the offering of a cluster of bilva leaves to Lord Shiva.

बिल्वाणां दर्शनं पुण्यं स्पर्शनं पापनाशनं
अघोर पापसंहारम् एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

Seeing or looking at Bilva tree gives Punya and on touching it all sins get destroyed. Offering one Bilva patra destroy the most horrible or terrific sins.

सहस्रवेद पाटेषु ब्रह्मस्तापन मुच्यते
अनेकव्रत कोटीनाम् एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

Reading all veda several times and performing several fasting is equal to Bilva patra pooja.

अन्नदान सहस्रेषु सहस्रोप नयनं तधा
अनेक जन्मपापानि एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

 Food donation has considered the best donation but more than that one Bilva patra to lord Shiva destroy all sins.


बिल्वस्तोत्रमिदं पुण्यं यः पठेश्शिव सन्निधौ
शिवलोकमवाप्नोति एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

This says that one who reads these verses in the proximity of the Lord, either in a temple or in one’s puja room will get absolved of the sins. It goes without saying that the reading should be done with faith and devotion.whoever reads these sacred verses of
Bilvashtakam in the proximity of Lord Shiva will be freed of all sins and attain the abode of Lord Shiva.

Also, it is necessary that one should not doubt  whether mere recitation can absolve one of the sins? It is to be understood that these verses are in vogue for a long time and should have been composed by a saint, a mahatma who had done the worship of Shiva with bilva leaves and actually enjoyed the results.
So he is putting his experience in these verses for the benefit of
others and the future generations. We may see similar statements
about the benefits in all stotras. On one hand they induce one to
read the verses and in addition they plant the seed of devotion in
the reader’s mind and thus make one the recipient of Lord’s grace in
due course of time.