108 Names of Lord Shiva with Meaning (Ashtottara)

Lord Shiva (Bhole Nath) in meditation · Shiv Kavar Samiti

Lord Shiva is worshipped by countless names, and each one is like a small window opening onto a different face of the same infinite God. When we call him Mahadev we bow to his greatness; when we call him Bholenath we lean on his boundless mercy; when we call him Neelkanth we remember the poison he swallowed to save the world. The most cherished collection of these names is the Shiva Ashtottara Shatanamavali — the garland of one hundred and eight names of Shiva. This guide gives you those 108 names of Lord Shiva with their meaning in plain, warm language: what the Ashtottara is, why devotees chant it, the most beloved names explained one by one, a full table you can keep and recite, and how and when to chant so that the practice truly settles into your heart.

What is the Shiva Ashtottara Shatanamavali?

The word Ashtottara Shatanamavali breaks down simply: 'shata' means one hundred, 'ashtottara' means 'greater by eight', and 'namavali' means a garland or string of names. So the Ashtottara Shatanamavali is literally 'the garland of one hundred and eight names'. Many deities have their own Ashtottara — Vishnu, Devi, Ganesha and others — and Shiva's is among the most beloved and most chanted in homes and temples across India. Each name is usually recited in the form 'Om Namah Shivaya' style, prefixed with 'Om' and often ending in the dative 'namah' (as in 'Om Shivaya Namah', 'Om Maheshwaraya Namah'), so that reciting all 108 becomes a complete, flowing act of worship.

These are not decorative titles. Each name of Shiva carries a story, a quality or a promise — his mercy, his fierceness, his stillness, his role as creator, protector and dissolver of the universe. To chant the names is to remember all of these at once, and to let the mind rest, name by name, in the presence of Mahadev.

Why the number 108?

The number 108 is sacred across the whole of Sanatan Dharma, which is why a japa mala carries 108 beads. Sages have explained its significance in many beautiful ways, and while these are traditional understandings rather than fixed doctrine, they are worth knowing:

• 🔱A japa mala has 108 beads, so chanting one name of Shiva per bead completes exactly one full round of the mala.
• 🔱In jyotish there are 12 zodiac signs (rashis) and 9 planets (grahas); 12 multiplied by 9 gives 108, said to cover the whole sweep of time and destiny.
• 🔱There are counted as 27 nakshatras (lunar mansions), each with 4 padas or quarters; 27 multiplied by 4 again gives 108.
• 🔱Many count 54 primal sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet, each in a masculine (Shiva) and feminine (Shakti) form, which together make 108 — the union of Shiva and Shakti.

Whatever explanation moves you most, the meaning is the same: 108 is a number of completeness. To chant 108 names of Shiva is to offer him something whole and unbroken.

Why chant the 108 names of Shiva?

Chanting the names of God is one of the simplest and most loved forms of worship in our tradition — it needs no elaborate materials, no special day, and no priest, only sincerity. Devotees chant the Shiva Ashtottara for many gentle reasons:

• 🔱It steadies a restless mind. Moving slowly from one name to the next gives the wandering mind something pure to hold, and the breath naturally calms.
• 🔱It builds bhakti. Each name recalls a quality of Shiva, so the heart is slowly filled with love and remembrance rather than worry.
• 🔱It is believed to invite his grace. The tradition holds that remembering the names of Mahadev with faith removes obstacles, fears and inner impurities.
• 🔱It fits into any life. Whether you have five minutes or an hour, the names can be chanted while sitting in puja, walking, or quietly before sleep.
• 🔱It is a family thread. Parents teach children the names of Shiva, and so a simple garland of words passes devotion from one generation to the next.

The most beloved names of Shiva, explained

Before the full list, here are some of the names most dear to devotees, each opened up a little so the whole Ashtottara becomes easier to feel:

• 🔱Mahadev — 'the great god', the highest of all gods. It is perhaps the most common and most affectionate way Indians address Shiva, and the cry 'Har Har Mahadev' rings from every Shiva temple.
• 🔱Neelkanth — 'the blue-throated one'. When the deadly halahal poison rose from the churning of the ocean, Shiva drank it to save all creation and held it in his throat, which turned blue. The name is a living reminder that he takes on suffering for the sake of others.
• 🔱Bholenath — 'the innocent, simple-hearted lord'. Shiva is famous for being quickly pleased by even a little water and a bel leaf offered with love. This is the tender, forgiving face of God that ordinary devotees lean on most.
• 🔱Shankar — 'the giver of happiness and prosperity', from 'sham' (auspiciousness) and 'kara' (the doer). To call him Shankar is to call on the God who bestows well-being.
• 🔱Rudra — 'the fierce one' or 'the one who roars away sorrow'. This is Shiva in his powerful, storm-like aspect, who destroys ignorance and grief.
• 🔱Nataraja — 'the king of dance'. In this beloved form Shiva dances the Tandava, and his cosmic dance is understood as the very rhythm of creation, preservation and dissolution.
• 🔱Bhairava — 'the formidable, fearsome protector'. A fierce guardian form of Shiva, worshipped as the one who removes fear itself and watches over his devotees.
• 🔱Mahakal — 'the great lord of time', beyond whom even death and time have no power; the presiding form at the famous Mahakaleshwar shrine.
• 🔱Ashutosh — 'the one who is pleased in an instant', another loved reminder of how little he asks of a sincere heart.

He asks for no gold and no grandeur — a lota of clean water, a bel leaf, and a heart that says his name with love is enough to please Bholenath.

108 Names of Lord Shiva with meaning (Ashtottara Shatanamavali)

Here is a full garland of the names of Lord Shiva with their meanings, drawn from the classical Ashtottara Shatanamavali together with the most beloved names by which devotees everywhere call him. You can read the whole table as a single act of remembrance, or keep it and recite a few names each day:

Reciting even a handful of these names with attention is worship; reciting the whole garland with a mala in hand is a small, complete sadhana that fits inside a quiet quarter of an hour.

How and when to chant the 108 names

There is no wrong way to remember God, but a little order helps the practice take root. Here is a simple, traditional way to chant the Shiva Ashtottara:

• 🔱When: The early morning after a bath, or the quiet of evening before the lamp, are ideal. Mondays (Somwar), the whole month of Sawan, Pradosh, and Shivratri are considered especially dear to Shiva.
• 🔱Where: Sit facing a Shivling, a picture of Mahadev, or simply toward the east or north, in a clean and calm spot.
• 🔱How: Take a japa mala of 108 rudraksha beads, and move one bead for each name so a single round completes all 108. If you have no mala, simply chant with folded hands and a settled breath.
• 🔱Begin: Start with 'Om Namah Shivaya' a few times to bring the mind home, then recite the names, each prefixed with 'Om' — for example 'Om Shivaya Namah, Om Maheshwaraya Namah'.
• 🔱Close: End with a moment of silence, a bow, and if you can, offer water or a bel leaf on the Shivling. Then carry the calm of the names into your day.

If the full 108 feels like too much at first, begin with a single name held close — 'Om Namah Shivaya', or simply 'Mahadev' — repeated with love. Depth of feeling always matters more than length.

The benefits of chanting Shiva's names

Devotees speak of many blessings from chanting the names of Shiva. These are shared in the spirit of faith and tradition, not as guarantees — the truest fruit is always a heart drawn nearer to Mahadev:

• 🔱A calmer, clearer mind, and relief from anxiety and fear.
• 🔱Growing bhakti — a warmth and steadiness in one's relationship with God.
• 🔱The sense, cherished for ages, of Shiva's protection and grace over the home and family.
• 🔱As Mrityunjaya, the conqueror of death, his name is chanted for health, healing and courage in hard times.
• 🔱A gentle turning of the mind away from anger and restlessness toward peace and contentment.

Let devotion become seva

There is an old and beautiful truth in our dharma: the names of God are best completed by service to his people. Mahadev, the God who drank poison for the world and is pleased by the simplest offering, is honoured not only on our lips but in our hands — in the food we give, the thirst we quench and the tired traveller we shelter. To chant 'Bhaktavatsala', the one tender to his devotees, and then be tender ourselves to his devotees, is to let the garland of names bloom into action.

Our Shiv Kavar Samiti has served on this path for over thirty years, running a free Kanwar Sewa Shivir on NH-8 at Mahipalpur, New Delhi — offering pure food, clean water, rest and care, at no charge, to the countless bhakts of Shiva who pass our way, especially through the holy month of Sawan. Every name of Shiva you chant can be carried a step further into the world through this seva.

How you can support the seva

If chanting the names of Mahadev has brought peace to your heart, you may wish to turn a little of that devotion into daan. Every plate of prasad and every glass of water we serve is made possible by well-wishers like you. You can donate online at our /donate page through Razorpay's secure checkout, or by bank transfer to our Punjab National Bank account (A/C 0149000104323988, IFSC PUNB0014900, Khan Market branch). To offer ration and supplies, to volunteer as a sewadar, or simply to ask how to reach us, message us on WhatsApp at +91 98189 08237. May the 108 names of Shiva fill your life with his peace and his protection. Har Har Mahadev.