[Advaita-l] Vishnu Shaṭpadī stotram of Shankaracharya

[V Subrahmanian]

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September 3 at 9:10pm

Vishnu Shatpadi Stotram by Bhagavadpada Shankaracharya:

When we think of Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya's stotram on Bhagavan Maha
Vishnu, the first one that usually comes to our mind is Bhaja Govindam
(Moha Mudgara). But Shankara has also composed a six stanza metrical prayer
in praise of Maha Vishnu called Shatpadi Stotram, beautifully describing
the various sportive deeds of the Lord, whilst praying for His Divine
grace.

Even if one does not know Samskritam (Sanskrit), one can easily follow the
beautiful poetic structure in the Stotram.

After composing the Stotram, the great Bhagavadpada Shankara concludes by
saying:

नारायण करुणामय
शरणं करवाणि तावकौ चरणौ ।
इति षट्पदी मदीये
वदनसरोजे सदा वसतु ॥७॥

nārāyaṇa karuṇāmaya
śaraṇaṃ karavāṇi tāvakau caraṇau ;
iti ṣaṭpadī madīye
vadanasaroje sadā vasatu .7.

O Lord, I surrender myself at Your Feet
Let me always remember this in my memory.

॥ षट्पदीस्तोत्रम् ॥

अविनयमपनय विष्णो
दमय मनः शमय विषयमृगतृष्णाम् ।
भूतदयां विस्तारय
तारय संसारसागरतः ॥१॥

दिव्यधुनीमकरन्दे
परिमलपरिभोगसच्चिदानन्दे ।
श्रीपतिपदारविन्दे
भवभयखेदच्छिदे वन्दे ॥२॥

सत्यपि भेदापगमे
नाथ तवाहं न मामकीनस्त्वम् ।
सामुद्रो हि तरङ्गः
क्वचन समुद्रो न तारङ्गः ॥३॥

उद्धृतनगनगभिदनुज
दनुजकुलाऽमित्र मित्रशशिदृष्टे ।
दृष्टे भवति प्रभवति
न भवति किं भवतिरस्कारः ॥४॥

मत्स्यादिभिरवतारैः
अवतारवतावता सदा वसुधाम् ।
परमेश्वर परिपाल्यो
भवता भवतापभीतोऽहम् ॥५॥

दामोदर गुणमन्दिर
सुन्दरवदनारविन्द गोविन्द ।
भवजलधिमथनमन्दर
परमं दरमपनय त्वं मे ॥६॥

नारायण करुणामय
शरणं करवाणि तावकौ चरणौ ।
इति षट्पदी मदीये
वदनसरोजे सदा वसतु ॥७॥

॥ इति षट्पदीस्तोत्रम् ॥

|| ṣaṭpadīstotram ||

avinayamapanaya viṣṇo
damaya manaḥ śamaya viṣayamṛgatṛṣṇām ;
bhūtadayāṃ vistāraya
tāraya saṃsārasāgarataḥ .1.

divyadhunīmakarande
parimalaparibhogasaccidānande ;
śrīpatipadāravinde
bhavabhayakhedacchide vande .2.

satyapi bhedāpagame
nātha tavāhaṃ na māmakīnastvam ;
sāmudro hi taraṅgaḥ
kvacana samudro na tāraṅgaḥ .3.

uddhṛtanaganagabhidanuja
danujakulāʼmitra mitraśaśidṛṣṭe ;
dṛṣṭe bhavati prabhavati
na bhavati kiṃ bhavatiraskāraḥ .4.

matsyādibhiravatāraiḥ
avatāravatāvatā sadā vasudhām ;
parameśvara paripālyo
bhavatā bhavatāpabhītoʼham .5.

dāmodara guṇamandira
sundaravadanāravinda govinda ;
bhavajaladhimathanamandara
paramaṃ daramapanaya tvaṃ me .6.

nārāyaṇa karuṇāmaya
śaraṇaṃ karavāṇi tāvakau caraṇau ;
iti ṣaṭpadī madīye
vadanasaroje sadā vasatu .7.

|| iti ṣaṭpadīstotram ||

Translation (from Video 2):

O Vishnu! Leading away from arrogance, tranquilise my mind, and destroy the
enduring greed for desires. Scatter away the mercy for living-beings, and
take me across the cycle of rebirth.||1||

I sing praises of the lotus-feet of Lord of Lakshmi, Which has juice like
the river Ganga, Which is fragrant and full of pleasures eternally, and
Which breaks the shackles of the cycle of rebirth.||2||

O Lord! Even though there is no difference between us (I am a part of You),
I belong to You and not vice-versa. Just like the ocean is made of waves
but the waves are not made up of ocean.||3||

O Krishna, Who lifted the Govardhan¹! O Upendra, Who is the younger brother
of Indra², Who is the enemy of demons, Who has sun and moon as two eyes!
After seeing you, isn't it true that we get dispassionate about the whole
mortal world? (Or it says that indeed Your appearance to someone destroys
his (her) passion for the mortal world).||4||

O Supreme Lord, Who protects this earth by various incarnations like Matsya
(fish)! I am feared by the cycle of life and death and therefore I am
worthy of being saved by You.||5||

O Damodar! O Govind, Who is the temple of qualities, Who has a lotus-like
body, Who is like the Mandarachal mountain for Ksheersagar like ocean of
rebirth! You drive away the immense fear from my life.||6||

O Narayan, Who is full of compassion! I am taking the refuge of Your
lotus-feet. May this above-said sextet (six pada) which is like a
bumble-bee resides in my lotus-like mouth.||7||

Lyrics: http://stotra.sringeri.net/stotras/shatpadistotram/

Video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGdVeUA6ubc
Video 2: http://youtu.be/ZqIzrdVdRgA