Bilvashtakam

त्रिदलं त्रिगुणाकारं त्रिनॆत्रं च त्रियायुधं ।
त्रिजन्म पापसंहारम् ऎकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं ॥१॥

tridalaṃ triguṇākāraṃ trinĕtraṃ ca triyāyudhaṃ .
trijanma pāpasaṃhāram ĕkabilvaṃ śivārpaṇaṃ ..1..

I offer one leaf of Bilva to Lord Shiva,
which has three leaves (a Bilva leaf has three leaves as a cluster),
which represents the three Gunas (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas),
which represents the three eyes of Shiva,
which is like the triad of weapons he bears,
and whose very remembrance destroys sins accumulated over three births.

त्रिशाखैः बिल्वपत्रैश्च ह्यच्छिद्रैः कोमलैः शुभैः ।
शिवपूजां करिष्यामि ह्येकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम् ॥२॥

triśākhaiḥ bilvapatraiśca hyacchidraiḥ komalaiḥ śubhaiḥ .
śivapūjāṃ kariṣyāmi hyekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ..2..

I offer one Bilva leaf to Lord Shiva
which has three shoots,
which is flawless,
soft and tender,
and auspicious in nature.

अखण्ड बिल्वपत्रेण पूजिते नन्दिकेश्वरे ।
शुद्ध्यन्ति सर्वपापेभ्यो ह्येकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम् ॥३॥

akhaṇḍa bilvapatreṇa pūjite nandikeśvare .
śuddhyanti sarvapāpebhyo hyekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ..3..

By worshipping Shiva, the Lord of Nandi,
with a whole and unbroken Bilva leaf,
one becomes purified of all sins.
I offer one Bilva leaf to Lord Shiva.

शालिग्राम शिलामेकां विप्राणां जातु चार्पयेत् ।
सोमयज्ञ महापुण्यं एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम् ॥४॥

śāligrāma śilāmekāṃ viprāṇāṃ jātu cārpayet .
somayajña mahāpuṇyaṃ ekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ..4..

Offering one Bilva leaf to Lord Shiva
is equal to offering a Shaligrama stone to a realized Brahmin,
or to the immense merit gained by performing a Soma Yajna.

दन्तिकोटि सहस्राणी वाजपेय शतानि च ।
कोटिकन्या महादानं एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम् ॥५॥

dantikoṭi sahasrāṇī vājapeya śatāni ca .
koṭikanyā mahādānaṃ ekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ..5..

The gifting of thousands of crores of elephants,
the performance of hundreds of Vajapeya sacrifices,
or even the great charity of giving millions of daughters in marriage
cannot equal the merit of offering a single Bilva leaf to Lord Shiva.
I offer one Bilva leaf to Lord Shiva.

लक्ष्म्यास्तनुत उत्पन्नं महादेवस्य च प्रियम् ।
बिल्ववृक्षं प्रयच्छामि ह्येकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम् ॥६॥

lakṣmyāstanuta utpannaṃ mahādevasya ca priyam .
bilvavṛkṣaṃ prayacchāmi hyekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ..6..

The Bilva tree originated from the body of Goddess Lakshmi
and is exceedingly dear to Lord Mahadeva.
I offer one Bilva leaf to Lord Shiva.

दर्शनं बिल्ववृक्षस्य स्पर्शनं पापनाशनम् ।
अघोरपापसंहारं एकबिल्वं शिवर्पणम् ॥७॥

darśanaṃ bilvavṛkṣasya sparśanaṃ pāpanāśanam .
aghorapāpasaṃhāraṃ ekabilvaṃ śivarpaṇam ..7..

Merely seeing the Bilva tree
or even touching it
destroys the most terrible sins.
I offer one Bilva leaf to Lord Shiva.

मूलतो ब्रह्मरूपाय मध्यतो विष्णुरूपिणे ।
अग्रतः शिवरूपाय ह्येकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम् ॥८॥

mūlato brahmarūpāya madhyato viṣṇurūpiṇe .
agrataḥ śivarūpāya hyekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ..8..

The root of the Bilva tree represents Brahma the creator,
the middle represents Vishnu the sustainer,
and the top represents Shiva the destroyer.
Offering a Bilva leaf thus grants supreme spiritual benefit.
I offer one Bilva leaf to Lord Shiva.

बिल्वाष्टकमिदं पुण्यं यः पठेत् शिवसन्निधौ ।
सर्वपाप विनिर्मुक्तः शिवलोकमवाप्नुयात् ॥

bilvāṣṭakamidaṃ puṇyaṃ yaḥ paṭhet śivasannidhau .
sarvapāpa vinirmuktaḥ śivalokamavāpnuyāt ..

Whoever recites this sacred Bilvashtakam
in the presence of Lord Shiva
will be freed from all sins
and will attain the abode of Lord Shiva.

Description
Note: For the alternate version of Bilvashtakam with 14 verses please click here.
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.

Bilva Leaf
Bilva Puja
Bilva Tree

The following commentary is from SanskritDocuments.org by N. Balasubramanaiam. These verses in this poem Bilvashtakam highlight some of Shiva’s glories and draw one’s mind to Him. Thus it will help a devotee’s mind in getting involved in the puja. Let us go to the verses proper. Each verse is a couplet and has two lines. The verses are identified with numbers 1 through 8. The first verse identifies some features of Lord Shiva with a Bilva leaf which is actually a cluster consisting of three leaves of bilva and offers prayer to it. Verse 9 is the phalaśrutiḥ and gives the benefit one will gain by reciting this hymn.

tridalaṃ triguṇākāraṃ trinetraṃ triyāyudham
trijanmapāpasaṃhāraṃ ekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇm ..1..

tridalam = having three petals
triguṇākāraṃ = constituted of three gunas, satva, rajas and tamas which together constitute Maya, the creative power of Ishvara and the cause of creation
trinetram = having three eyes, the sun, the moon and fire, signifying infinite wisdom
triyāyudham = having three kinds of weapons used for striking, aiming and releasing
trijanmapāpasaṃhāram = destroyer of sins accumulated over many births
eka bilvam = one cluster of bilva leaves
śivārpaṇam = offered to Lord Shiva

In this manner one bilva leaf offered with devotion is of great merit. This reminds us of what Krishna said in the Gita (9-26). When one with pure mind offers to Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, that I accept.

patraṃ puṣpaṃ phalaṃ toyaṃ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tadahaṃ bhaktyupahṛtamaśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

Meaning of the verse: I offer to Lord Shiva a cluster of three bilva leaves which represent the three gunas, His three eyes, the three kinds of weapons He bears and whose remembrance destroys accumulated sins.

triśākhaiḥ bilvapatraiśca hyacchidraiḥ komalaiḥ śubhaiḥ
śivapūjāṃ kariṣyāmi hyekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ..2..

Meaning of the verse: I perform puja to Lord Shiva with bilva leaves that are trifoliate, flawless, soft, tender and auspicious.

akhaṇḍa bilvapatreṇa pūjite nandikeśvare
śuddhyanti sarvapāpebhyo hyekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ..3..

Meaning of the verse: By worshipping Lord Shiva, the Lord of Nandi, with an unbroken bilva leaf, one is purified of all sins.

śāligrāma śilāmekāṃ viprāṇāṃ jātu cārpayet
somayajña mahāpuṇyaṃ ekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ..4..

Meaning of the verse: Offering one bilva leaf to Lord Shiva equals the merit of gifting a sacred saligrama to a realized Brahmin or performing a Soma Yajna.

dantikoṭi sahasrāṇī vājapeya śatāni ca
koṭikanyā mahādānaṃ ekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ..5..

Meaning of the verse: Gifting thousands of crores of elephants, performing countless Vajapeya sacrifices or giving away innumerable daughters in marriage cannot compare with offering a single bilva leaf to Lord Shiva.

lakṣmyāstanuta utpannaṃ mahādevasya ca priyam
bilvavṛkṣaṃ prayacchāmi hyekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ..6..

Meaning of the verse: I offer the bilva tree that originated from Goddess Lakshmi and is dear to Lord Mahadeva.

darśanaṃ bilvavṛkṣasya sparśanaṃ pāpanāśanam
aghorapāpasaṃhāraṃ ekabilvaṃ śivarpaṇam ..7..

Meaning of the verse: Merely seeing or touching the bilva tree destroys even the most terrible sins.

kāśīkṣetranivāsaṃ ca kālabhairavadarśanam
prayāghamādhavaṃ dṛṣṭvā hyekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ..8..

Meaning of the verse: Residing in Kasi, having darshan of Kalabhairava, visiting Prayaga and seeing Lord Madhava, along with worship of Shiva using bilva leaves, assures divine grace.

mūlato brahmarūpāya madhyato viṣṇurūpiṇe
agrataḥ śivarūpāya hyekabilvaṃ śivārpaṇam ..9..

Meaning of the verse: Worshipping Shiva with a bilva leaf representing Brahma at the root, Vishnu in the middle and Shiva at the top bestows supreme benefit.

bilvāṣṭakamidaṃ puṇyaṃ yaḥ paṭhet śivasannidhau
sarvapāpa vinirmuktaḥ śivalokamavāpnuyāt ..10..

Meaning of the verse: Whoever recites this sacred Bilvashtakam in the presence of Lord Shiva will be freed from all sins and attain Shivaloka.

.. oṃ tatsat ..