Two texts are recited for the twelve. The short shloka names all of them in four verses — that is what most people mean by the 12 Jyotirlinga mantra. The longer stotram, attributed to Shankaracharya, gives each shrine a verse of its own. Both are below in Devanagari, with the meaning, and with recitations you can listen to or save.
Four verses, about forty seconds to recite. The first three name the twelve in order; the fourth is the phalashruti, the line that says what reciting them does.
सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम् ।उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोङ्कारममलेश्वरम् ॥
Transliterationsaurāṣṭre somanāthaṃ ca śrīśaile mallikārjunam |ujjayinyāṃ mahākālam oṃkāram amaleśvaram ||
MeaningIn Saurashtra, Somnath; on Shri Shaila, Mallikarjuna; in Ujjayini, Mahakala; and Omkara-Amaleshwara on the Narmada.
Named in this verseSomnath · Mallikarjuna · Mahakaleshwar · Omkareshwar
परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम् ।सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने ॥
Transliterationparalyāṃ vaidyanāthaṃ ca ḍākinyāṃ bhīmaśaṅkaram |setubandhe tu rāmeśaṃ nāgeśaṃ dārukāvane ||
MeaningAt Parali, Vaidyanath; in Dakini, Bhimashankar; at the bridge-head, Rameshwara; and Nagesha in the Daruka forest.
Named in this verseVaidyanath · Bhimashankar · Ramanathaswamy · Nageshwar
वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यम्बकं गौतमीतटे ।हिमालये तु केदारं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये ॥
Transliterationvārāṇasyāṃ tu viśveśaṃ tryambakaṃ gautamītaṭe |himālaye tu kedāraṃ ghuśmeśaṃ ca śivālaye ||
MeaningIn Varanasi, Vishwesha; Tryambaka on the bank of the Gautami; in the Himalaya, Kedara; and Ghushmesha at Shivalaya.
Named in this verseKashi Vishwanath · Trimbakeshwar · Kedarnath · Grishneshwar
एतानि ज्योतिर्लिङ्गानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः ।सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति ॥
Transliterationetāni jyotirliṅgāni sāyaṃ prātaḥ paṭhennaraḥ |saptajanmakṛtaṃ pāpaṃ smaraṇena vinaśyati ||
MeaningWhoever recites these Jyotirlingas evening and morning is freed, by that remembrance, of the sins of seven births.
Both texts on one sheet — the naming shloka with its transliteration and meaning, and all twelve verses of the stotram. Free, no sign-up.
Recordings by other people, credited to the channel that made them. Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play.
Opens them as a single playlist in YouTube. Tap Save in YouTube and it stays in your library.
Albums and a playlist of the same stotram, to follow or add to your own library.
Attributed to Adi Shankaracharya. Twelve verses in the traditional order, then a closing verse. Each one is a portrait of a single shrine — tap the name to read where it stands and how to reach it.
सौराष्ट्रदेशे विशदेऽतिरम्ये ज्योतिर्मयं चन्द्रकलावतंसम् ।भक्तिप्रदानाय कृपावतीर्णं तं सोमनाथं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥ १॥
In the bright and lovely land of Saurashtra stands the one made of light, crowned with the crescent moon, come down in mercy to give devotion: to that Somnath I go for refuge.
श्रीशैलशृङ्गे विबुधातिसङ्गे तुलाद्रितुङ्गेऽपि मुदा वसन्तम् ।तमर्जुनं मल्लिकपूर्वमेकं नमामि संसारसमुद्रसेतुम् ॥ २॥
On the peak of Shri Shaila, thronged by the wise, dwelling in joy on that high hill: to him, Mallika-Arjuna, the bridge across the ocean of the world, I bow.
अवन्तिकायां विहितावतारं मुक्तिप्रदानाय च सज्जनानाम् ।अकालमृत्योः परिरक्षणार्थं वन्दे महाकालमहासुरेशम् ॥ ३॥
Who took form in Avantika to give liberation to the good, and to guard them from untimely death: I praise Mahakala, lord of the great ones.
कावेरिकानर्मदयोः पवित्रे समागमे सज्जनतारणाय ।सदैव मान्धातृपुरे वसन्तमोङ्कारमीशं शिवमेकमीडे ॥ ४॥
At the holy meeting of the Kaveri and the Narmada, dwelling always in Mandhata’s city to carry the good across: I praise Omkara, the one Shiva.
पूर्वोत्तरे प्रज्वलिकानिधाने सदा वसन्तं गिरिजासमेतम् ।सुरासुराराधितपादपद्मं श्रीवैद्यनाथं तमहं नमामि ॥ ५॥
In the north-east, at the place of the blazing light, dwelling always with Girija, his lotus feet worshipped by gods and demons alike: to Shri Vaidyanath I bow.
याम्ये सदङ्गे नगरेऽतिरम्ये विभूषिताङ्गं विविधैश्च भोगैः ।सद्भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदमीशमेकं श्रीनागनाथं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥ ६॥
In the lovely city, his form adorned with every offering, the one lord who grants both enjoyment and release: to Shri Naganath I go for refuge.
महाद्रिपार्श्वे च तटे रमन्तं सम्पूज्यमानं सततं मुनीन्द्रैः ।सुरासुरैर्यक्ष महोरगाढ्यैः केदारमीशं शिवमेकमीडे ॥ ७॥
Delighting on the slope of the great mountain, worshipped without pause by the foremost sages, by gods, demons, yakshas and great serpents: I praise Kedara, the one Shiva.
सह्याद्रिशीर्षे विमले वसन्तं गोदावरितीरपवित्रदेशे ।यद्धर्शनात्पातकमाशु नाशं प्रयाति तं त्र्यम्बकमीशमीडे ॥ ८॥
Dwelling on the pure crest of the Sahyadri, in the holy country by the Godavari, at whose sight sin swiftly perishes: that Tryambaka I praise.
सुताम्रपर्णीजलराशियोगे निबध्य सेतुं विशिखैरसङ्ख्यैः ।श्रीरामचन्द्रेण समर्पितं तं रामेश्वराख्यं नियतं नमामि ॥ ९॥
Where the Tamraparni meets the sea, the bridge bound with countless arrows: to him whom Shri Ramachandra consecrated, called Rameshwara, I bow always.
यं डाकिनिशाकिनिकासमाजे निषेव्यमाणं पिशिताशनैश्च ।सदैव भीमादिपदप्रसिद्धं तं शङ्करं भक्तहितं नमामि ॥ १०॥
Served in the company of dakinis and shakinis, known always by the name that begins with Bhima: to that Shankara, the well-wisher of his devotees, I bow.
सानन्दमानन्दवने वसन्तमानन्दकन्दं हतपापवृन्दम् ।वाराणसीनाथमनाथनाथं श्रीविश्वनाथं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥ ११॥
Dwelling in bliss in the forest of bliss, the very root of joy, destroyer of the host of sins, lord of Varanasi and of those who have no lord: to Shri Vishwanath I go for refuge.
इलापुरे रम्यविशालकेऽस्मिन् समुल्लसन्तं च जगद्वरेण्यम् ।वन्दे महोदारतरस्वभावं घृष्णेश्वराख्यं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥ १२॥
In this fair and spacious Ilapura, shining out, worthy of the world’s worship, of the most generous nature: to him called Ghrishneshwara I bow and go for refuge.
ज्योतिर्मयद्वादशलिङ्गकानां शिवात्मनां प्रोक्तमिदं क्रमेण ।स्तोत्रं पठित्वा मनुजोऽतिभक्त्या फलं तदालोक्य निजं भजेच्च ॥
This hymn of the twelve lingas of light, which are Shiva himself, has been spoken in order; let a person recite it with great devotion, see its fruit, and worship.
The phalashruti says सायं प्रातः — evening and morning. In practice most people recite the short shloka once at dawn and once at dusk; it takes under a minute.
Monday is Shiva’s day, and the whole of Shravan (July–August) is his month. Many households read the twelve-verse stotram daily through Shravan and on Mahashivaratri.
Pilgrims recite the naming shloka before beginning the yatra, and that shrine’s own verse when they reach each temple.
Read the transliteration, or listen and follow. Intent matters more than pronunciation, and the recordings above are slow enough to learn from.
The shloka follows the traditional geography, which is not always where the yatra goes today. It places Vaidyanath at Parali and Nagesha in the Daruka forest; most pilgrims visit Deoghar in Jharkhand and Dwarka in Gujarat. Those are old, genuine disputes, and each shrine’s page sets out both claims.