!!!!!! .......Bilvashtkam.......!!!!!!!!

!!!!!! .......Bilvashtkam.......!!!!!!!!

There are two version of Bilvashtkam one is from Shiv-Puran giving here another one with slight difference by aadi Shankaracharya. This is recited while offering Bilva Patra to Lord Shiva and in general too if you don't have Bilva patra you can recite it in temple or your pooja room to get the same punya. Bilvashtkam has great merit and it has explained in the stotram that how offering one bilva patra to lord is equivalent to performing thousands of yagna, millions of donation.
Astrologically too if one has weak Mercury and Jupiter then bilva patra is very beneficial.

त्रिदलं त्रिगुणाकारं त्रिनेत्रं च त्रियायुधं
त्रिजन्म पापसंहारम् एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं
[Meaning-I offer one leaf of Bilva to Lord Shiva,
Which has three petals,Which constituted of three gunas {(Satva,Raja and Tamasa),these three quality constitute Maya,and Maya is the creation power of Shiva ,these three quality becomes causes of creation },which are like the three eyes of Shiva,{(Sun,Moon and Agni) the third eye stands for his infinite wisdom,so he known as Trayambak ,Trilochan} which is like the three types of weapons,{Shiva has all category of weapon Mace,trident,and bow called Pinaka},Shiva with weapon shows that anytime he can come to rescue his devotee from any trouble, and which destroys accumulated sins of past three births.]

[This reminds what lord Krishna said in Gita,when one with pure mind offer me a leaf,a flower,or anything ,I accept.]

त्रिशाखैः बिल्वपत्रैश्च अच्चिद्रैः कोमलैः शुभैः
तवपूजां करिष्यामि एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

कोटि कन्या महादानं तिलपर्वत कोटयः
काञ्चनं क्षीलदानेन एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

काशीक्षेत्र निवासं च कालभैरव दर्शनं
प्रयागे माधवं दृष्ट्वा एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

इन्दुवारे व्रतं स्थित्वा निराहारो महेश्वराः
नक्तं हौष्यामि देवेश एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

रामलिङ्ग प्रतिष्ठा च वैवाहिक कृतं तधा
तटाकानिच सन्धानम् एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

अखण्ड बिल्वपत्रं च आयुतं शिवपूजनं
कृतं नाम सहस्रेण एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

उमया सहदेवेश नन्दि वाहनमेव च
भस्मलेपन सर्वाङ्गम् एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

सालग्रामेषु विप्राणां तटाकं दशकूपयोः
यज्नकोटि सहस्रस्च एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

दन्ति कोटि सहस्रेषु अश्वमेध शतक्रतौ
कोटिकन्या महादानम् एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

बिल्वाणां दर्शनं पुण्यं स्पर्शनं पापनाशनं
अघोर पापसंहारम् एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

सहस्रवेद पाटेषु ब्रह्मस्तापन मुच्यते
अनेकव्रत कोटीनाम् एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

अन्नदान सहस्रेषु सहस्रोप नयनं तधा
अनेक जन्मपापानि एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं

बिल्वस्तोत्रमिदं पुण्यं यः पठेश्शिव सन्निधौ
शिवलोकमवाप्नोति एकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं