Rudrashtakam for Pitru and Daivik Shraap Relief

How can you tell whether a displeased deity is the cause of recurring troubles?

The speaker says that when misfortune, financial trouble or family strife keeps recurring despite remedies, it can trace back to a family deity or a local power being displeased (Deva Dosha) — often over disrespect or damage to a murti — and that once the specific deity and grievance are known, they can be worshipped and appeased directly.

The speaker says that when hardship comes into life, people go from place to place trying to find its cause — what deed of theirs led to these misfortunes and accidents, whether financial, social or physical. He says that in this search, either directly or through another person, it sometimes emerges that the deities of one's household are displeased, or that some deity's wrath (Deva Dosha) has fallen on the person or a family member because of a grave offense — perhaps a ShivlingThe aniconic form of Lord Shiva worshipped at home and in temples. or murti was damaged, defected, or disrespected. He says that because of this the deity — the shakti — is displeased, and that displeasure is the cause of the troubles in life. He says that if one can identify which deity or shakti is involved and what the specific affliction is, that deity's seva and puja can then be performed directly. He notes that very often, though, a person never learns which deity or offense is behind it. He says that if someone has already tried many remedies and pujas in life, and still feels in their heart that some uncleared dosha remains, they should take up the practice (Prayoga) he goes on to describe.

What does the Ramcharitmanas story of Kakbhushundi teach about honoring a guru who arrives during worship?

The speaker recounts the Ramcharitmanas Uttarkand story in which Kakbhushundi, absorbed in japa in a Shiva temple, did not rise to bow to his own guru out of pride; his guru was unbothered, but Bhagwan Sadashiv himself intervened, telling Kakbhushundi that failing to honor one's guru is a violation of dharmic conduct (niti) — those who bear enmity toward their guru suffer in hellish and animal births for ages — and cursed him to sit like a python before his guru or fall into a degraded state.

The speaker says that the Uttarkand of the Ramcharitmanas describes Kakbhushundi ji — a highly accomplished sadhak and devotee — chanting the name of Bhagwan Shiva in a Shiva temple, when his own Guru arrived there. He says the same situation arises in our own lives: while seated in japa or puja, if a highly learned person — someone of great scholarship, or one's own guru — arrives, a doubt comes up as to whether one should break off the worship at that moment to bow to them, or not. He notes that if a person is deep in dhyana and simply unaware of the arrival, that is one thing, but if they do see the person arrive, the question of whether to offer pranam and honor them remains. He says this is the situation with Kakbhushundi: out of pride (abhimaan), he did not offer pranam to his guru. The guru himself, being of a simple, calm and compassionate nature, was not troubled by this at all. But he says Bhagwan Sadashiv did not let it pass. Shiva said that Kakbhushundi's guru, being compassionate, would not be angry with him — but that this went against niti, the conduct laid down by Vedic tradition, and that failing to honor one's guru when he arrives is itself a violation of that conduct, one that corrupts the Vedic path. He says it is further held that those who bear enmity or envy toward their guru remain in hell for crores of yugas, and afterward take birth as animals and birds, enduring suffering across thousands of years and thousands of births — so one should never hold ill will toward one's guru. Even so, he says, Shiva told Kakbhushundi that he would sit like a python (ajgar) before his guru, or else fall into a degraded state — and with this, Shiva gave him a Shraap.

How did the Rudrashtakam come to be composed, according to the Ramcharitmanas?

The speaker says that when Kakbhushundi's guru learned of Shiva's curse on his disciple, he was deeply pained and remorseful on his behalf, and in that grief composed a hymn of praise to Bhagwan Sadashiv — the eight-versed Rudrashtakam found in the Ramcharitmanas Uttarkand, opening with the mantra "Namami Shamishan Nirvana Rupam".

The speaker says that because of this shraap that fell on Kakbhushundi, his guru was deeply pained on hearing of it — that Bhagwan Sadashiv had cursed his own disciple. He says the guru, as gurus do, felt great remorse and sorrow in his heart for his disciple.

Which doshas does the Rudrashtakam remove?

The speaker says the Rudrashtakam is meant for any dosha where one has, out of pride, failed to honor a scholarly or elevated person and drawn their displeasure; for offenses committed toward one's ancestors in passing circumstance (a form of Pitru Dosha); and for unknowingly failing to bow to the deities of a pilgrimage site — and that reciting it addresses daivik doshas broadly, whether tied to sub-deities, deities, or the powers of a particular place, whose anger led to a curse.

In the Ramcharitmanas Uttarkand, the speaker says, that guru's composed praise of Bhagwan Sadashiv came to be called the Rudrashtakam — praise offered through eight mantras of Rudra, the one beginning "Namami Shamishan Nirvana Rupam". He says that if any such dosha exists in one's own life — perhaps one failed, out of pride, to bow to some learned person, and drew their displeasure (kop) — this happens often. He gives further examples: sometimes an offense occurs toward one's ancestors in the course of some circumstance, a form of Pitru Dosha; sometimes, at a pilgrimage site, not knowing which deities are present there, a person fails to bow to them, and a dosha is incurred through that disrespect. In these ways, he says, many doshas accrue, knowingly or unknowingly. He says that for the removal of all of these, one should recite the Rudrashtakam. He says this recitation removes doshas that are specifically daivik in nature — whether connected to sub-deities, to deities generally, or to the powers of a particular place — where their anger led them to give a curse; reciting it brings relief from that, and resolves the dosha.

How should the Rudrashtakam be recited to remove deva dosha?

The speaker prescribes reciting the Rudrashtakam on any monthly Shivratri, Mahashivratri, or any day in Shravan, taking a Sankalpa naming every kind of daivik dosha and the wrath of all deities and sub-deities; offering one Akshat to Shiva after each of the eight mantras; reciting either in the morning or during Godhuli Bela with a lit lamp; and completing at least one recitation, with more than five held to be best, especially when the affliction is severe.

Asked how the paath should be done, the speaker says it can be started on any month's Shivratri — monthly Shivratri, Mahashivratri, or on any day during Shravan. He says that in the sankalp for this Rudrashtakam recitation, one should specifically state that the recitation is being undertaken for removal of every kind of daivik dosha, for the wrath of every kind of deity and sub-deity — framing the sankalp in those words. He says that across the eight mantras of the Rudrashtakam, one AkshatUnbroken raw rice grains, held in hand along with water and flowers while taking a Sankalpa. should be offered to Shiva after each mantra is recited — eight akshat in total, one after every mantra — offered on a ShivlingThe aniconic form of Lord Shiva worshipped at home and in temples. if there is one at home, on a photo, or on an idol (vigraha) if one is kept. On timing, he says the recitation should be done either in the morning or during Godhuli BelaThe evening twilight period around dusk, traditionally favoured for Akarshana (attraction) rites. in the evening, with a lamp lit, wearing the same everyday clothes one normally wears for puja. He says completing more than one recitation is good, and doing five or more is best of all — and that if the affliction is especially intense, this fuller repetition should be undertaken. He adds that even when a person has tried many remedies and grown tired without ever learning whether a deva dosha is the cause, they may never find that out — whatever is destined to be endured will still have to be endured — but that performing this recitation reduces deva dosha and lessens the deity's wrath regardless.

Is reciting the Rudrashtakam useful during a Rahu mahadasha?

The speaker says taking refuge in Shiva through the Rudrashtakam brings great benefit and accomplishes other forms of wellbeing besides, and that it also carries astrological effects — for instance, being useful when Rahu's influence or a Rahu mahadasha is running — though he stresses its principal use remains removing deva dosha.

The speaker says Shiva calms everyone, and that taking refuge in him through the Rudrashtakam brings immense benefit. He says there are many further applications of this practice through which other forms of wellbeing are accomplished. He adds that it carries astrological (jyotish) effects as well — for example, if Rahu's influence is active, or a Rahu mahadasha is running, the recitation works well for that too, and can be undertaken for that purpose. But he says that its use specifically for deva dosha is where it brings the greatest benefit.