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Rudra (Shiva) Pradosha Stotram: Shiva dancing on Kailasa at dusk before Gauri on a golden throne, Saraswati, Indra, Brahma, Lakshmi and Vishnu making music
At dusk on Kailasa, Shiva dances before Gauri as Saraswati, Indra, Brahma, Lakshmi and Vishnu play
Mantra · Shandilya's verses on Shiva's twilight dance before Gauri on Kailasa

Pradosha Stotram

सत्यं ब्रवीमि परलोकहितं ब्रवीमि सारं ब्रवीम्युपनिषद्धृदयं ब्रवीमि । संसारमुल्बणमसारमवाप्य जन्तोः सारोऽयमीश्वरपदाम्बुरुहस्य सेवा ॥

Also known as Pradosh Stotra

In Devanagari, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English — with the meaning of every word, and the one syllable most people pronounce wrongly.

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What the Pradosha Stotram is

The Pradosha Stotram, also searched as the Pradosh Stotra or Pradosha Stotra Ashtakam, is the hymn of Shiva's twilight worship given in the Skanda Purana, Brahmottara Khanda, chapter 6, verses 73-81. It is not a free-standing poem but part of a narrative: the sage Shandilya speaks it to Uma, a widowed Brahmin woman who has brought two boys before him. The first verse is a solemn declaration, "I speak the truth", that in a hollow round of births the one thing of worth is service at Shiva's feet. Verses 2 and 3 set the neglect of Pradosha worship against its keeping, in terms of poverty and plenty. Verses 4 to 6 paint the scene on Kailasa at dusk: Gauri enthroned, Shiva about to dance, and every order of being gathered at his side. Verse 7 draws the rule that at this hour Shiva alone is worshipped. The two short closing verses turn to Uma's son and the cause of his poverty.

Shandilya, Uma and the two boys

The chapter opens with the fall of Satyaratha, king of Vidarbha, killed in battle when the Shalva kings besieged his city. His pregnant queen fled by night, gave birth beside a lake and, stooping to drink, was seized by a crocodile. Uma, a Brahmin widow with a son about a year old, found the newborn crying on the bank. She hesitated to take in a child whose birth she did not know, until a mendicant, whom the text identifies as Shiva himself, told her to raise him. She brought up both boys in the village of Ekachakra, living on alms. At a temple full of elderly sages, Shandilya saw them and, at her request, explained their past. The prince's father, as a Pandya king in an earlier life, had broken off his Pradosha worship when trouble arose in the city and eaten at night with the rite unfinished; the prince had repeated the omission. Uma's own son had once been a learned Brahmin who lived on gifts rather than giving. Shandilya then spoke these verses. The next chapter relates the sequel: after four months of the worship Uma's son, Shuchivrata, found a treasure in an eroded riverbank, and the prince, Dharmagupta, later married the Gandharva princess Amshumati and won back Vidarbha.

The mantra, in six scripts

DevanagariSanskrit & Hindiसत्यं ब्रवीमि परलोकहितं ब्रवीमि सारं ब्रवीम्युपनिषद्धृदयं ब्रवीमि । संसारमुल्बणमसारमवाप्य जन्तोः सारोऽयमीश्वरपदाम्बुरुहस्य सेवा ॥
Tamilஸத்யம் ப்ரவீமி பரலோகஹிதம் ப்ரவீமி ஸாரம் ப்ரவீம்யுபநிஷத்த்ருதயம் ப்ரவீமி । ஸம்ஸாரமுல்பணமஸாரமவாப்ய ஜந்தோஃ ஸாரோயமீஶ்வரபதாம்புருஹஸ்ய ஸேவா ॥
Teluguసత్యం బ్రవీమి పరలోకహితం బ్రవీమి సారం బ్రవీమ్యుపనిషద్ధృదయం బ్రవీమి । సంసారముల్బణమసారమవాప్య జన్తోః సారోఽయమీశ్వరపదామ్బురుహస్య సేవా ॥
Kannadaಸತ್ಯಂ ಬ್ರವೀಮಿ ಪರಲೋಕಹಿತಂ ಬ್ರವೀಮಿ ಸಾರಂ ಬ್ರವೀಮ್ಯುಪನಿಷದ್ಧೃದಯಂ ಬ್ರವೀಮಿ । ಸಂಸಾರಮುಲ್ಬಣಮಸಾರಮವಾಪ್ಯ ಜನ್ತೋಃ ಸಾರೋಽಯಮೀಶ್ವರಪದಾಮ್ಬುರುಹಸ್ಯ ಸೇವಾ ॥
Malayalamസത്യം ബ്രവീമി പരലോകഹിതം ബ്രവീമി സാരം ബ്രവീമ്യുപനിഷദ്ധൃദയം ബ്രവീമി । സംസാരമുല്ബണമസാരമവാപ്യ ജന്തോഃ സാരോഽയമീശ്വരപദാമ്ബുരുഹസ്യ സേവാ ॥
EnglishRoman transliterationsatyaṃ bravīmi paralokahitaṃ bravīmi sāraṃ bravīmyupaniṣaddhṛdayaṃ bravīmi | saṃsāramulbaṇamasāramavāpya jantoḥ sāro'yamīśvarapadāmburuhasya sevā ||
“I speak the truth, I speak what is good for the world to come, I speak the essence, the very heart of the Upanishads. For a being who has entered this harsh and hollow round of births, the one thing of real worth is service at the lotus feet of the Lord.”
सत्यं
satyaṃ — the truth
ब्रवीमि
bravīmi — I speak
परलोकहितं
paralokahitaṃ — what is good for the next world
ब्रवीमि
bravīmi — I speak
सारं
sāraṃ — the essence
ब्रवीम्युपनिषद्धृदयं
bravīmyupaniṣaddhṛdayaṃ — I speak, the heart of the Upanishads
ब्रवीमि
bravīmi — I speak
संसारमुल्बणमसारमवाप्य
saṃsāramulbaṇamasāramavāpya — having entered the harsh, hollow round of births
जन्तोः
jantoḥ — for a living being
सारोऽयमीश्वरपदाम्बुरुहस्य
sāro'yamīśvarapadāmburuhasya — this is the essence: of Ishvara's lotus feet
सेवा
sevā — the service

Pradosha Stotram lyrics in full

Nine verses as the Skanda Purana gives them, the last two being Shandilya's words to Uma. The printed closing line is given at the end.

All 10 verses, in Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English, each with its meaning. Choose a script:

Download the Pradosha Stotram PDFAll 10 verses with their meanings, in Sanskrit. Free to print and keep.

Verse 1

सत्यं ब्रवीमि परलोकहितं ब्रवीमि सारं ब्रवीम्युपनिषद्धृदयं ब्रवीमि ।
संसारमुल्बणमसारमवाप्य जन्तोः सारोऽयमीश्वरपदाम्बुरुहस्य सेवा ॥

I speak the truth, I speak what is good for the world to come, I speak the essence, the very heart of the Upanishads. For a being who has entered this harsh and hollow round of births, the one thing of real worth is service at the lotus feet of the Lord.

Verse 2

ये नार्चयन्ति गिरिशं समये प्रदोषे ये नार्चितं शिवमपि प्रणमन्ति चान्ये ।
एतत्कथां श्रुतिपुटैर्न पिबन्ति मूढास्ते जन्मजन्मसु भवन्ति नरा दरिद्राः ॥

Those who do not worship Girisha, Lord of the mountain, at the Pradosha hour, others who do not even bow to Shiva when he is worshipped, and the deluded who do not drink in this story with their ears: the verse says such people are poor in birth after birth.

Verse 3

ये वै प्रदोषसमये परमेश्वरस्य कुर्वन्त्यनन्यमनसोंऽघ्रिसरोजपूजाम् ।
नित्यं प्रवृद्धधनधान्यकलत्रपुत्रसौभाग्यसम्पदधिकास्त इहैव लोके ॥

Those who, at the Pradosha hour, worship the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord with a mind fixed on nothing else: the verse says they abound, ever more, in wealth, grain, spouse, children, good fortune and prosperity in this very world.

Verse 4

कैलासशैलभुवने त्रिजगज्जनित्रीं गौरीं निवेश्य कनकाचितरत्नपीठे ।
नृत्यं विधातुमभिवाञ्छति शूलपाणौ देवाः प्रदोषसमये नु भजन्ति सर्वे ॥

In his abode on Mount Kailasa, the trident-bearer seats Gauri, mother of the three worlds, on a jewelled throne set with gold, and longs to dance. At that Pradosha hour all the gods come to worship him.

Verse 5

वाग्देवी धृतवल्लकी शतमखो वेणुं दधत्पद्मजस्तालोन्निद्रकरो रमा भगवती गेयप्रयोगान्विता ।
विष्णुः सान्द्रमृदङ्गवादनपटुर्देवाः समन्तात्स्थिताः सेवन्ते तमनु प्रदोषसमये देवं मृडानीपतिम् ॥

Saraswati, goddess of speech, holds the vina; Indra holds the flute; Brahma, the lotus-born, keeps the beat with busy hands; the goddess Lakshmi is ready with song; Vishnu, skilled on the deep-toned mridanga, plays the drum. The gods stand all around and, at the Pradosha hour, serve the god who is lord of Mridani (Parvati).

Verse 6

गन्धर्वयक्षपतगोरगसिद्धसाध्यविद्याधरामरवराप्सरसां गणांश्च ।
येऽन्ये त्रिलोकनिलयाः सहभूतवर्गाः प्राप्ते प्रदोषसमये हरपार्श्वसंस्थाः ॥

The hosts of Gandharvas, Yakshas, birds, serpents, Siddhas, Sadhyas, Vidyadharas, the immortals and the finest Apsaras, and all others who dwell in the three worlds together with the hosts of beings: when the Pradosha hour arrives, they all stand at the side of Hara (Shiva).

Verse 7

अतः प्रदोषे शिव एक एव पूज्योऽथ नान्ये हरिपद्मजाद्याः ।
तस्मिन्महेशे विधिनेज्यमाने सर्वे प्रसीदन्ति सुराधिनाथाः ॥

Therefore at Pradosha Shiva alone is to be worshipped, and not the others such as Vishnu and Brahma. When that great Lord is worshipped in the proper way, the verse says all the lords of the gods are pleased.

Verse 8

एष ते तनयः पूर्वजन्मनि ब्राह्मणोत्तमः ।
प्रतिग्रहैर्वयो निन्ये न दानाद्यैः सुकर्मभिः ॥

In his former birth this son of yours was an excellent Brahmin, but he spent his life in accepting gifts, not in good deeds such as giving.

Verse 9

अतो दारिद्र्यमापन्नः पुत्रस्ते द्विजभामिनि ।
तद्दोषपरिहारार्थं शरणं यातु शङ्करम् ॥

That is why your son has fallen into poverty, O Brahmin lady. To remove that fault, let him go to Shankara for refuge.

Closing

इति श्रीस्कान्दोक्तं प्रदोषस्तोत्राष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ॥

Thus ends the Pradosha Stotra Ashtakam, as told in the Skanda Purana.

The syllable people get wrong

In verse 5, mṛḍānīpatim ("husband of Mridani", that is, Parvati) carries a retroflex ḍ: say mri-daa-nee-pa-tim with the tongue tip curled back for the d, and keep the ṛ a short "ri", never "mur" or "ree".

When the Pradosha Stotram is chanted

Weekday. Monday

Festival. Pradosham, the twilight of Trayodashi

Questions

The sage Shandilya speaks it to Uma, the widowed Brahmin woman of the Skanda Purana story, after she asks why the two boys in her care are poor. That is why the hymn does not end on praise of Shiva: the last two verses address her directly as "O Brahmin lady", name her son's fault in a former birth, and tell her to let him take refuge in Shankara.
Both are found. The text of the Purana chapter in one recension reads bhavane, "in the dwelling", while most printed editions of the stotra read bhuvane, "in the abode"; the sense is the same, and this page prints bhuvane. The same verse also varies between kanakachita and kanakanchita for the jewelled throne, "set with gold" or "adorned with gold".
In verse 5 Vishnu and Brahma are not receiving worship; they are among the musicians, Vishnu on the mridanga and Brahma keeping the beat, while Saraswati plays the vina and Indra the flute. Verse 7 draws its rule from that picture: since every god is already attending Shiva at this hour, the verse says that worshipping him in the proper way pleases all the rulers of the gods together.
No. A separate hymn of fourteen verses opening "Jaya deva jagannatha" also circulates under the title Pradosha Stotram. The text on this page is the one from the Skanda Purana, opening "Satyam bravimi". Its printed closing line calls it an ashtakam, a hymn of eight, although nine verses are given: seven verses of the hymn proper and two short ones of Shandilya's reply to Uma.
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