Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam: Powerful Stotra for Protection, Courage and Moksha

Lord Shiva is one of the most powerful deities in Hinduism. In different parts of our country, we can see numerous manifestations of the Lord. In some parts we can see Virabhadra who is considered as a fierce warrior and in some parts you can see Nataraja who embodies the supreme dancing form. However, in Adi Shankaracharya’s work named Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam, he has portrayed in front of us a terrifying and ferocious form of Lord Shiva as Kaal Bhairav. This formidable manifestation of Neelakanta carries within him the boundless force of cosmic order and time. Considered as the one who maintains harmony and truth in the universe, he is worshipped as the supreme protector of Shiva devotees. In this article, we will learn about the powerful Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam, its benefits, timings for chanting and its spiritual and religious importance.


Bhagwan Kaal Bhairav is almost always portrayed with a wrathful demeanour. His destructive power is directed at evil, ignorance and ego. We can understand this fact when we look at his iconography that contains a garland made up of skulls, weapons in his hands and eyes that are blazing like fire. It should be noted that his divine presence is particularly experienced in Varanasi. In Varanasi city he is worshipped as the Ultimate Guardian or Kotwal who maintains the spirit of righteousness and spiritual order among devotees.


Hindu mythology tells us that Kaal Bhairav was born as a result of Lord Shiva’s anger towards Brahma’s arrogance. Hence, it is believed that Kaal Bhairav is the God who destroys ignorance and ego. We can see him holding multiple weapons in his arms. A dog is his vehicle or vahana, representing loyalty and the strength to strive through darkness with speed and precision. Additionally, you can see a trident in his hand that characterises his powerful role in destroying the 3 obstacles in our journey towards spiritual enlightenment, namely desire, ego and ignorance.


देवराजसेव्यमानपावनांघ्रिपङ्कजं
व्यालयज्ञसूत्रमिन्दुशेखरं कृपाकरम् ।
नारदादियोगिवृन्दवन्दितं दिगंबरं
काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥

भानुकोटिभास्वरं भवाब्धितारकं परं
नीलकण्ठमीप्सितार्थदायकं त्रिलोचनम् ।
कालकालमंबुजाक्षमक्षशूलमक्षरं
काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥

शूलटङ्कपाशदण्डपाणिमादिकारणं
श्यामकायमादिदेवमक्षरं निरामयम् ।
भीमविक्रमं प्रभुं विचित्रताण्डवप्रियं
काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥

भुक्तिमुक्तिदायकं प्रशस्तचारुविग्रहं
भक्तवत्सलं स्थितं समस्तलोकविग्रहम् ।
विनिक्वणन्मनोज्ञहेमकिङ्किणीलसत्कटिं
काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥

धर्मसेतुपालकं त्वधर्ममार्गनाशकं
कर्मपाशमोचकं सुशर्मदायकं विभुम् ।
स्वर्णवर्णशेषपाशशोभिताङ्गमण्डलं
काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥

रत्नपादुकाप्रभाभिरामपादयुग्मकं
नित्यमद्वितीयमिष्टदैवतं निरंजनम् ।
मृत्युदर्पनाशनं करालदंष्ट्रमोक्षणं
काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥

अट्टहासभिन्नपद्मजाण्डकोशसंततिं
दृष्टिपातनष्टपापजालमुग्रशासनम् ।
अष्टसिद्धिदायकं कपालमालिकाधरं
काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥

भूतसंघनायकं विशालकीर्तिदायकं
काशिवासलोकपुण्यपापशोधकं विभुम् ।
नीतिमार्गकोविदं पुरातनं जगत्पतिं
काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥

कालभैरवाष्टकं पठंति ये मनोहरं
ज्ञानमुक्तिसाधनं विचित्रपुण्यवर्धनम् ।
शोकमोहदैन्यलोभकोपतापनाशनं
प्रयान्ति कालभैरवांघ्रिसन्निधिं नरा ध्रुवम् ॥

इथि श्रीमास्चंकराचार्य विरचितं कालभैरवाष्टकम् सम्पूर्णम ||

As said earlier Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam was written by Adi Shankara in Sanskrit. Consisting of 8 stanzas, the whole hymn is written as a praise to Lord Kaal Bhairav. For example in the first stanza itself Adi Shankara extols the Lord as the “ruler of Kashi”. A translation of the beginning stanza is given below so as to obtain a flavour of the soul of the Ashtakam:

"I worship Kaal Bhairav, the ruler of Kashi, adorned by lotus feet that are revered and served by Indra, who has a sacred thread made up of a snake, who has the moon on his forehead, the naked one, and the one who has been sung by Narada and masters of yoga.”


Religious leaders recommend that Sandhyakal and Brahma Muhurta are the best time periods for reciting this powerful hymn. Take a holy bath and wear clean clothes. Recite it while sitting in front of a Shivaling. If you have a Lord Shiva temple nearby in your locality, it is ideal to recite the Ashtakam there. The benefits will be two-fold due to the spiritual and religious energy residing in the temple premise.




It is strongly believed that Lord Kaal Bhairav will direct his destructive power against negativities and evil spirits that surrounds you. Even the effects of black magic can also be thwarted with his blessings. Chant the Ashtakam with deep faith and sincerity. Being the protector of justice and dharma, Kaal Bhairav will ensure your prosperity and spiritual progress. Adi Shankara also confirms the same through the hymn.


Kaal Bhairav will provide his blessings only for sincere devotees. But, once you start receiving his gifts, life will become much easier. Stress and anxiety will reduce drastically. You will start feeling his protective energy sorrounding you during times of hardships. In fact, it has been reported that you will begin to feel the same from the first day of chanting the Ashtakam.

Moreover, chanting Lord Kaal Bhairav’s hymn will also result in the removal of past sins. Profound spiritual cleansing will take place within your soul which can lead to moksha or ultimate freedom. Other benefits include improved focus, mental strength and inner peace, among many others.

As we have understood the great spiritual importance and benefits of the powerful Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam, let’s start chanting it from today onwards. Once you become consistent with the practice, negativities will start leaving you and a deep sense of spiritual effulgence will start filling your entire being.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the benefits of listening to Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam?
   This hymn holds a special place in Hindu spirituality for its ability to invoke protection and removing stress, and guiding devotees toward spiritual enlightenment.
2. How many times should I read Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam?
   To get the full benefits you can chant it 108 times a day. But since it's an Ashtakam or devotional prayer, you can chant it as often as you feel inclined, even just once with focus.
3. Does Kaal Bhairav fulfill wishes?
   Yes, Kaal Bhairav is a very powerful deity and his grace can fulfil any wish, especially those related to removing obstacles, finding inner peace and achieving prosperity.