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Sri Kedareswara Ashtottara Shatanamavali
1. Om Kedaaranaathaaya Namah
2. Om Shivaaya Namah
3. Om Maheshvaraaya Namah
4. Om Shambhave Namah
5. Om Pinaakine Namah
6. Om Shashishekharaaya Namah
7. Om Vaamadevaaya Namah
8. Om Viroopaakshaaya Namah
9. Om Kapardine Namah
10. Om Neelalohitaaya Namah
11. Om Shankaraaya Namah
12. Om Shoolapaanaye Namah
13. Om Khatvaangine Namah
14. Om Vishnuvallabhaaya Namah
15. Om Shipivishtaaya Namah
16. Om Ambikaanaadhaaya Namah
17. Om Shreekanthaaya Namah
18. Om Bhaktavatsalaaya Namah
19. Om Trilokeshaaya Namah
20. Om Shitikanthaaya Namah
21. Om Shivaapriyaaya Namah
22. Om Ugraaya Namah
23. Om Kapaaline Namah
24. Om Kaamaaraye Namah
25. Om Andhakaarasurasoodanaaya Namah
26. Om Gangaadharaaya Namah
27. Om Lalaataakshaaya Namah
28. Om Kaalakaalaaya Namah
29. Om Kripaanidhaye Namah
30. Om Bheemaaya Namah
31. Om Parashuhastaaya Namah
32. Om Mrigapaanaye Namah
33. Om Jataadharaaya Namah
34. Om Kailaasavaasine Namah
35. Om Kavachine Namah
36. Om Kathoraaya Namah
37. Om Tripuraantakaaya Namah
38. Om Vrishaankaaya Namah
39. Om Vrishabhaaroodhaaya Namah
40. Om Bhasmoddhoolita Vigrahaaya Namah
41. Om Saamapriyaaya Namah
42. Om Sarvamayaaya Namah
43. Om Trayeemoortaye Namah
44. Om Aneeshvaraaya Namah
45. Om Sarvajnyaaya Namah
46. Om Paramaatmane Namah
47. Om Somasooryaagnilochanaaya Namah
48. Om Havishe Namah
49. Om Yajnyamayaaya Namah
50. Om Somaaya Namah
51. Om Panchavakraaya Namah
52. Om Sadaashivaaya Namah
53. Om Vishveshvaraaya Namah
54. Om Veerabhadraaya Namah
55. Om Gananaadhaaya Namah
56. Om Prajaapataye Namah
57. Om Hiranyaretase Namah
58. Om Durdharshaaya Namah
59. Om Gireeshaaya Namah
60. Om Anaghaaya Namah
61. Om Bhujangabhooshanaaya Namah
62. Om Bhargaaya Namah
63. Om Giridhanvine Namah
64. Om Giripriyaaya Namah
65. Om Krittivaasane Namah
66. Om Puraaraataye Namah
67. Om Bhagavate Namah
68. Om Pramadhaadhipaaya Namah
69. Om Mrityunjayaaya Namah
70. Om Sookshmatanave Namah
71. Om Jagadvyaapine Namah
72. Om Jagadgurave Namah
73. Om Vyomakeshaaya Namah
74. Om Mahaasenajanakaaya Namah
75. Om Chaaruvikramaaya Namah
76. Om Rudraaya Namah
77. Om Bhootapataye Namah
78. Om Sthaanave Namah
79. Om Ahirbhuthnyaaya Namah
80. Om Digambaraaya Namah
81. Om Ashtamoortaye Namah
82. Om Anekaatmane Namah
83. Om Saatvikaaya Namah
84. Om Shuddha Vigrahaaya Namah
85. Om Shaashvataaya Namah
86. Om Khandaparashuve Namah
87. Om Ajaaya Namah
88. Om Paashavimochakaaya Namah
89. Om Mridaaya Namah
90. Om Pashupataye Namah
91. Om Devaaya Namah
92. Om Mahaa Devaaya Namah
93. Om Avyayaaya Namah
94. Om Haraye Namah
95. Om Pooshadantabhide Namah
96. Om Avyagraaya Namah
97. Om Dakshaadhvaraharaaya Namah
98. Om Haraaya Namah
99. Om Bhaganetrabhide Namah
100. Om Avyaktaaya Namah
101. Om Sahasraakshaaya Namah
102. Om Sahasrapaade Namah
103. Om Apavargapradaaya Namah
104. Om Anantaaya Namah
105. Om Taarakaaya Namah
106. Om Parameshvaraaya Namah
107. Om Kedaareshvaraaya Namah
108. Om Kedaareshvarasvaamine Namah
Iti Shree Kedaareshvara Ashtottara Shatanaamaavali
Meaning
Kedareswara is Shiva as lord of Kedara, the Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath that is counted among the twelve Jyotirlingas. This ashtottara offers him 108 names for archana. In Telugu and Kannada homes it is best known from the Kedareswara vratam kept on the Amavasya of Deepavali. The text does not name its author.
How the names run
The first name is Kedaranathaya. After it come names familiar from the Shiva Ashtottara: Shivaya, Maheshwaraya, Shambhave, Pinakine (bearer of the Pinaka bow) and Shashishekharaya (wearing the crescent moon). Nilalohitaya, Shitikanthaya and Srikanthaya point to the throat darkened by the poison he drank. Gangadharaya, Kailasavasine and Vrishabharudhaya give his river, his home and his mount, while Vishnuvallabhaya calls him dear to Vishnu.
Deeds and nature
Single names hold whole Puranic episodes: Tripurantakaya, Andhakasurasudanaya, Kamaraye, Dakshadhvaraharaya. Others state what he is. Ashtamurtaye sees him in the eight forms of earth, water, fire, air, space, sun, moon and the sacrificer. Pashupataye and Pashavimochakaya call him lord of bound souls and the one who frees them, and Apavargapradaya the giver of release.
Use in the vrata
The list ends with Kedareswaraya and Kedareswaraswamine. On Ashvayuja Amavasya the Lord is invoked in a kalasha, worshipped with these names, and the couple then wear a thread of 21 knots. The vrata story of Bhringi, Parvati and Ardhanarishvara is read after the archana. The names are also chanted on Mondays, in Karthika masam and on Maha Shivaratri.
Frequently asked questions
How is the Kedareswara Ashtottara linked to the Kedareswara vratam?
Which names in the Sri Kedareswara Ashtottara address Kedarnath directly?
How does the Kedareswara Ashtottara differ from the usual Shiva Ashtottara?
What story lies behind the Kedara Gauri vrata in which the Kedareswara Ashtottara is used?
Which names in the Kedareswara Ashtottara recall Shiva's deeds?
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