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Four short verses that name all twelve Jyotirlingas — Shiva’s twelve sacred “lingas of light” across India — so that remembering them morning and evening is like a pilgrimage in itself.
Traditional verses naming the twelve Jyotirlingas (Shiva Purana tradition)
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Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram
Son of Kali · Sacred Shiva Chants
Each line shows an easy way to say it, with its English meaning. Turn on the Sanskrit, the exact pronunciation or the word-by-word meaning whenever you want to go deeper.
सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम् ।
Saurashtre Somanatham Cha Shrishaile Mallikarjunam
saurāṣṭre somanāthaṃ ca śrīśaile mallikārjunam
Somnath in Saurashtra, and Mallikarjuna on the Shrishaila mountain,
उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोङ्कारममलेश्वरम् ॥ १ ॥
Ujjayinyam Mahakalam Omkaram Amaleshvaram
ujjayinyāṃ mahākālamoṅkāramamaleśvaram
Mahakala in Ujjain, and Omkareshwar with Amaleshwar;
परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम् ।
Paralyam Vaidyanatham Cha Dakinyam Bhimashankaram
paralyāṃ vaidyanāthaṃ ca ḍākinyāṃ bhīmaśaṅkaram
Vaidyanath at Parli, and Bhimashankar in the Dakini region,
सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने ॥ २ ॥
Setubandhe Tu Ramesham Nagesham Darukavane
setubandhe tu rāmeśaṃ nāgeśaṃ dārukāvane
Rameshwaram at the bridge Rama built, and Nageshwar in the Daruka forest;
वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यम्बकं गौतमीतटे ।
Varanasyam Tu Vishvesham Tryambakam Gautami Tate
vārāṇasyāṃ tu viśveśaṃ tryambakaṃ gautamītaṭe
Vishwanath in Varanasi, and Tryambakeshwar on the banks of the Gautami (Godavari),
हिमालये तु केदारं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये ॥ ३ ॥
Himalaye Tu Kedaram Ghushmesham Cha Shivalaye
himālaye tu kedāraṃ ghuśmeśaṃ ca śivālaye
Kedarnath in the Himalayas, and Grishneshwar at Shivalaya.
एतानि ज्योतिर्लिङ्गानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः ।
Etani Jyotirlingani Sayam Pratah Pathen Narah
etāni jyotirliṅgāni sāyaṃ prātaḥ paṭhennaraḥ
Whoever recites these Jyotirlingas in the evening and the morning —
सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति ॥
Sapta Janma Kritam Papam Smaranena Vinashyati
saptajanmakṛtaṃ pāpaṃ smaraṇena vinaśyati
by that remembrance alone, the wrongs of seven lifetimes are destroyed.
The twelve Jyotirlingas are the holiest Shiva shrines in India. Jyotirliṅga means “linga of light”: each is believed to be a place where Shiva once appeared as an endless column of light. Visiting all twelve is one of the great pilgrimages of Hindu life.
This short hymn, often called the Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Smaranam or Stotram, simply names them in order — Somnath, Mallikarjuna, Mahakaleshwar, Omkareshwar, Vaidyanath, Bhimashankar, Rameshwaram, Nageshwar, Kashi Vishwanath, Trimbakeshwar, Kedarnath and Grishneshwar — together with where each one stands.
The final verse promises that whoever recites these names morning and evening is freed of the wrongs of seven lifetimes. For those who cannot travel, the remembrance itself becomes the pilgrimage.
Brahma and Vishnu once argued over who was supreme. A boundless pillar of fire appeared between them; Vishnu dug down and Brahma flew up, but neither found its end. Shiva then emerged from the pillar.
The twelve Jyotirlingas are said to be places where that same infinite light touched the earth.
The twelve shrines span the whole of India: Kedarnath high in the Himalayas, Kashi Vishwanath on the Ganga at Varanasi, Somnath on the Gujarat coast, Rameshwaram at the southern tip near Sri Lanka, Mallikarjuna in the hills of Andhra Pradesh, and others in between.
Reciting the hymn is like tracing a circle of light around the whole land.
When to chant
How many times
Once in the morning and once in the evening.
Sit facing a Shiva Linga or image, or simply close your eyes.
As you chant each name, picture a column of light rising at that place.
Follow the recording for the rhythm.
End with the final verse and a moment of silence.
If you have visited any of the twelve, hold that memory as you chant.
The sounds that trip people up most in this hymn, and how to say them.
saurāṣṭre
sow-raash-tray.
mallikārjunam
mul-li-kaar-ju-num.
oṅkāram
om-kaa-rum.
ghuśmeśaṃ
ghush-may-shum (Grishneshwar).
The music
by Son of Kali
What are the 12 Jyotirlingas?
Somnath (Gujarat), Mallikarjuna (Andhra Pradesh), Mahakaleshwar (Ujjain), Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh), Vaidyanath (Deoghar, Jharkhand — some say Parli), Bhimashankar (Maharashtra), Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu), Nageshwar (Gujarat — some say near Dwarka or Aundha), Kashi Vishwanath (Varanasi), Trimbakeshwar (Nashik), Kedarnath (Uttarakhand) and Grishneshwar (Maharashtra).
What does Jyotirlinga mean?
“Linga of light” — a shrine where Shiva is believed to have appeared as an infinite column of light.
What are the benefits of reciting the 12 Jyotirlinga stotram?
The closing verse says that reciting the names morning and evening removes the wrongs of seven lifetimes. It is also chanted as a spiritual pilgrimage for those who cannot travel.
Is there a longer Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram?
Yes — Adi Shankaracharya composed a longer hymn with one full verse for each Jyotirlinga. This page gives the short, most widely chanted version.