gaṅgātaraṅgaramaṇīyajaṭākalāpaṁ gaurīnirantaravibhūṣitavāmabhāgam. nārāyaṇapriyamanaṅgamadāpahāraṁ vārāṇasīpurapatiṁ bhaja viśvanātham.
Adore Vishwanath, lord of Varanasi — his matted hair made lovely by Ganga's waves, his left side forever graced by Gauri, dear to Narayana, who undid the pride of Kamadeva.
vācāmagocaramanekaguṇasvarūpaṁ vāgīśaviṣṇusurasevitapādapīṭham. vāmena vigrahavareṇa kalatravantaṁ vārāṇasīpurapatiṁ bhaja viśvanātham.
Adore Vishwanath — beyond what speech can reach, of many virtues and many forms, whose footstool Brahma, Vishnu and the devtas serve, who has his consort in his own fair left side.
bhūtādhipaṁ bhujagabhūṣaṇabhūṣitāṅgaṁ vyāghrājināmbaradharaṁ jaṭilaṁ trinetram. pāśāṅkuśābhayavarapradaśūlapāṇiṁ vārāṇasīpurapatiṁ bhaja viśvanātham.
Adore Vishwanath — lord of the bhutas, his body adorned with serpents for jewels, clothed in the tiger's skin, matted-haired and three-eyed, holding noose, goad, the sign of fearlessness, the boon and the trident.
śītāṁśuśobhitakirīṭavirājamānaṁ bhālekṣaṇānalaviśoṣitapañcabāṇam. nāgādhipāracitabhāsurakarṇapūraṁ vārāṇasīpurapatiṁ bhaja viśvanātham.
Adore Vishwanath — shining in a crown lit by the moon, who burnt the five-arrowed one with the fire of the eye in his brow, great serpents flashing as rings in his ears.
pañcānanaṁ duritamattamataṅgajānāṁ nāgāntakaṁ danujapuṅgavapannagānām. dāvānalaṁ maraṇaśokajarāṭavīnāṁ vārāṇasīpurapatiṁ bhaja viśvanātham.
Adore Vishwanath — the lion to the rutting elephants that are our sins, the Garuda to the serpents that are the daityas, the forest fire to the thicket of death and grief and age.
tejomayaṁ saguṇanirguṇamadvitīyamānandakandamaparājitamaprameyam. nāgātmakaṁ sakalaniṣkalamātmarūpaṁ vārāṇasīpurapatiṁ bhaja viśvanātham.
Adore Vishwanath — all light, with form and without, one without a second, the root of joy, unconquered and unmeasured, serpent-wreathed, whole and partless, the Self itself.
rāgādidoṣarahitaṁ svajanānurāgaṁ vairāgyaśāntinilayaṁ girijāsahāyam. mādhuryadhairyasubhagaṁ garalābhirāmaṁ vārāṇasīpurapatiṁ bhaja viśvanātham.
Adore Vishwanath — free of passion and its faults yet tender to his own, the house of detachment and peace, Girija beside him, lovely in his sweetness and steadiness, graced by the poison at his throat.
āśāṁ vihāya parihr̥tya parasya nindāṁ pāpe ratiṁ ca sunivārya manaḥ samādhau. ādāya hr̥tkamalamadhyagataṁ pareśaṁ vārāṇasīpurapatiṁ bhaja viśvanātham.
Letting hope go, leaving off the blaming of others, turning love away from wrong, settling the mind — hold in the lotus of the heart and adore Vishwanath, lord of Varanasi.
vārāṇasīpurapateḥ stavanaṁ śivasya vyākhyātamaṣṭakamidaṁ paṭhate manuṣyaḥ. vidyāṁ śriyaṁ vipulasaukhyamanantakīrtiṁ samprāpya dehavilaye labhate ca mokṣam.
Whoever reads this eight-versed praise of Shiva, lord of Varanasi, gains learning, wealth, great ease and unending renown, and at the body's end, release.
viśvanāthāṣṭakamidaṁ yaḥ paṭhecchivasannidhau. śivalokamavāpnoti śivena saha modate.
Whoever reads this Vishwanathashtakam in Shiva's presence reaches Shiva's world and takes his joy there with him.