Vishnu Bhujanga Prayata Stotram
विष्णुभुजङ्गप्रयातस्तोत्रम्
Viṣṇubhujaṅgaprayātastotram
All 14 verses
Verse 1
चिदंशं विभुं निर्मलं निर्विकल्पं निरीहं निराकारमोङ्कारगम्यम् गुणातीतमव्यक्तमेकं तुरीयं परं ब्रह्म यं वेद तस्मै नमस्ते ॥१॥
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- चिदंशं विभुं निर्मलं निर्विकल्पं
- A portion of consciousness, all-pervading, pure, without division,
- निरीहं निराकारमोङ्कारगम्यम्
- without effort, without form, reachable through Om,
- गुणातीतमव्यक्तमेकं तुरीयं
- beyond the gunas, unmanifest, one, the fourth state,
- परं ब्रह्म यं वेद तस्मै नमस्ते
- supreme Brahman whom the Vedas know - to Him, salutations.
Vishnu praised here is pure consciousness beyond form, reached through Om and known as turiya, the fourth. Salutation to the supreme Brahman of the Vedas is recognition that the Lord and the Self are not two.
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Verse 2
विशुद्धं शिवं शान्तमाद्यन्तशून्यं जगज्जीवनं ज्योतिरानन्दरूपम् अदिग्देशकालव्यवच्छेदनीयं त्रयी वक्ति यं वेद तस्मै नमस्ते ॥२॥
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- विशुद्धं शिवं शान्तमाद्यन्तशून्यं
- Pure, auspicious, peaceful, empty of beginning and end,
- जगज्जीवनं ज्योतिरानन्दरूपम्
- life of the world, light, of the form of bliss,
- अदिग्देशकालव्यवच्छेदनीयं
- not to be defined by direction, place, or time,
- त्रयी वक्ति यं वेद तस्मै नमस्ते
- whom the three Vedas proclaim - to Him, salutations.
The Lord who is Shiva-peaceful and beginningless is the light and life of the world, beyond the limits of space and time. What the triple Veda declares is the one blissful awareness that cannot be cut by any boundary.
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Verse 3
महायोगपीठे परिभ्राजमाने धरण्यादितत्त्वात्मके शक्तियुक्ते गुणाहस्करे वह्निबिम्बार्धमध्ये समासीनमोङ्कर्णिकेऽष्टाक्षराब्जे ॥३॥
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- महायोगपीठे परिभ्राजमाने
- On the great yogic throne shining forth,
- धरण्यादितत्त्वात्मके शक्तियुक्ते
- consisting of earth and other elements, united with Shakti,
- गुणाहस्करे वह्निबिम्बार्धमध्ये
- in the sun of the gunas, in the middle of the fire-disc's half,
- समासीनमोङ्कर्णिकेऽष्टाक्षराब्जे
- seated on the eight-syllable lotus in Om's pericarp.
Seated on the yogic throne of elements and Shakti, in the fire of the gunas, the Lord rests on the Om-lotus of the eight syllables. Meditation on this seat is meditation on the heart as the altar where consciousness and manifestation are one.
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Verse 4
समानोदितानेकसूर्येन्दुकोटि प्रभापूरतुल्यद्युतिं दुर्निरीक्षम् न शीतं न चोष्णं सुवर्णावदात प्रसन्नं सदानन्दसंवित्स्वरूपम् ॥४॥
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- समानोदितानेकसूर्येन्दुकोटि
- Like countless suns and moons risen together,
- प्रभापूरतुल्यद्युतिं दुर्निरीक्षम्
- with splendor equal to a flood of light, hard to behold,
- न शीतं न चोष्णं सुवर्णावदात
- neither cold nor hot, bright as gold,
- प्रसन्नं सदानन्दसंवित्स्वरूपम्
- serene, of the nature of eternal bliss-consciousness.
Radiant beyond sun and moon yet neither hot nor cold, the Lord is self-luminous bliss-awareness. Such light is not seen by the outer eye but known as the brightness in which all perceptions arise.
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Verse 5
सुनासापुटं सुन्दरभ्रूललाटं किरीटोचिताकुञ्चितस्निग्धकेशम् स्फुरत्पुण्डरीकाभिरामायताक्षं समुत्फुल्लरत्नप्रसूनावतंसम् ॥५॥
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- सुनासापुटं सुन्दरभ्रूललाटं
- With beautiful nostrils, lovely brows and forehead,
- किरीटोचिताकुञ्चितस्निग्धकेशम्
- with curled, smooth locks befitting the crown,
- स्फुरत्पुण्डरीकाभिरामायताक्षं
- with long eyes charming as blooming lotuses,
- समुत्फुल्लरत्नप्रसूनावतंसम्
- with crest of fully blossomed jeweled flowers.
The beautiful face with lotus eyes and jeweled crest is the form in which the formless Lord becomes visible to devotion. To see beauty in the divine image is to train the mind to recognize the same splendor as one's own inner light.
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Verse 6
लसत्कुण्डलामृष्टगण्डस्थलान्तं जपारागचोराधरं चारुहासम् अलिव्याकुलामोलिमन्दारमालं महोरस्फुरत्कौस्तुभोदारहारम् ॥६॥
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- लसत्कुण्डलामृष्टगण्डस्थलान्तं
- With shining earrings touching the cheek's end,
- जपारागचोराधरं चारुहासम्
- with lower lip stealing coral's hue, with charming smile,
- अलिव्याकुलामोलिमन्दारमालं
- with mandara garland on the crown troubled by bees,
- महोरस्फुरत्कौस्तुभोदारहारम्
- with broad chest, Kaustubha and generous necklace sparkling.
The smile, the garland, and Kaustubha on the broad chest are signs of the Lord's overflowing grace made tangible. Form here is not distraction from truth but the beloved's form through which the heart learns to rest in non-dual love.
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Verse 7
सुरत्नाङ्गदैरन्वितं बाहुदण्डै श्चतुर्भिश्चलत्कङ्कणालंकृताग्रैः उदारोदरालंकृतं पीतवस्त्रं पदद्वन्द्वनिर्धूतपद्माभिरामम् ॥७॥
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- सुरत्नाङ्गदैरन्वितं बाहुदण्डै
- With arm-staffs adorned with divine gem-armlets,
- श्चतुर्भिश्चलत्कङ्कणालंकृताग्रैः
- with four, their tips adorned with moving bracelets,
- उदारोदरालंकृतं पीतवस्त्रं
- with generous belly adorned, with yellow garment,
- पदद्वन्द्वनिर्धूतपद्माभिरामम्
- with pair of feet charming, having dispelled the lotus.
The four arms and lotus feet that outshine the lotus symbolize the Lord's power to uphold and to release. Feet that destroy the lotus of samsara are the refuge in which the seeker finds the ground that was always present as the Self.
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Verse 8
स्वभक्तेषु सन्दर्शिताकारमेवं सदा भावयन्संनिरुद्धेन्द्रियाश्वः दुरापं नरो याति संसारपारं परस्मै परेभ्योऽपि तस्मै नमस्ते ॥८॥
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- स्वभक्तेषु सन्दर्शिताकारमेवं
- This form shown to His own devotees thus,
- सदा भावयन्संनिरुद्धेन्द्रियाश्वः
- always meditating, with senses' horses well restrained,
- दुरापं नरो याति संसारपारं
- a man crosses the hard-to-reach farther shore of samsara,
- परस्मै परेभ्योऽपि तस्मै नमस्ते
- to the Supreme, higher even than the highest - to Him, salutations.
Meditating on the form shown to devotees while restraining the senses, one crosses samsara's ocean. The form is a bridge, not the final truth; salutation to the Supreme beyond all highs points to the Self that is never on either shore.
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Verse 9
श्रिया शातकुम्भद्युतिस्निग्धकान्त्या धरण्या च दूर्वादलश्यामलाङ्ग्या कलत्रद्वयेनामुना तोषिताय त्रिलोकीगृहस्थाय विष्णो नमस्ते ॥९॥
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- श्रिया शातकुम्भद्युतिस्निग्धकान्त्या
- With Lakshmi of smooth splendor like gold's radiance,
- धरण्या च दूर्वादलश्यामलाङ्ग्या
- and with Bhudevi of dark body like durva leaves,
- कलत्रद्वयेनामुना तोषिताय
- pleased by this pair of consorts,
- त्रिलोकीगृहस्थाय विष्णो नमस्ते
- to Vishnu, householder of the three worlds - salutations.
Vishnu pleased by Lakshmi and Bhudevi is the Lord in whom prosperity and earth, spirit and matter, are united. The householder of three worlds teaches that the highest reality embraces all realms without being bound by any.
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Verse 10
शरीरं कलत्रं सुतं बन्धुवर्गं वयस्यं धनं सद्म भृत्यं भुवं च समस्तं परित्यज्य हा कष्टमेको गमिष्यामि दुःखेन दूरं किलाहम् ॥१०॥
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- शरीरं कलत्रं सुतं बन्धुवर्गं
- Body, spouse, son, and circle of kin,
- वयस्यं धनं सद्म भृत्यं भुवं च
- friends, wealth, house, servants, and land too,
- समस्तं परित्यज्य हा कष्टमेको
- abandoning all, alas, with difficulty, alone
- गमिष्यामि दुःखेन दूरं किलाहम्
- I shall go far away, it is said, in sorrow.
Alone one must leave all attachments, a bitter truth that turns the mind from the ephemeral to the eternal. Recognition of inevitable separation is the beginning of vairagya, without which the Self cannot be known as distinct from possessions.
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Verse 11
जरेयं पिशाचीव हा जीवतो मे वसामक्ति रक्तं च मांसं बलं च अहो देव सीदामि दीनानुकम्पि न्किमद्यापि हन्त त्वयोदासितव्यम् ॥११॥
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- जरेयं पिशाचीव हा जीवतो मे
- This old age, like a ghoul, alas, while I still live,
- वसामक्ति रक्तं च मांसं बलं च
- devours my fat, blood, flesh, and strength,
- अहो देव सीदामि दीनानुकम्पि
- ah, O God, I languish - O compassionate to the wretched,
- न्किमद्यापि हन्त त्वयोदासितव्यम्
- why even now, alas, must I not become Your servant?
Old age devours the body while life remains, exposing the futility of clinging to what must decay. The plea to become the Lord's servant is the turning of the heart from ego's reign to surrender, which in Advaita is the dawn of Self-knowledge.
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Verse 12
कफव्याहतोष्णोल्बणश्वासवेग व्यथाविस्फुरत्सर्वमर्मास्थिबन्धाम् विचिन्त्याहमन्त्यामसङ्ख्यामवस्थां बिभेमि प्रभो किं करोमि प्रसीद ॥१२॥
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- कफव्याहतोष्णोल्बणश्वासवेग
- With breath's force heavy, heat struck by phlegm,
- व्यथाविस्फुरत्सर्वमर्मास्थिबन्धाम्
- with pain throbbing in all vital joints and bone-bands,
- विचिन्त्याहमन्त्यामसङ्ख्यामवस्थां
- thinking of my final countless state,
- बिभेमि प्रभो किं करोमि प्रसीद
- I fear, O Lord - what shall I do? Be gracious.
The failing body at death's door awakens fear of the unknown, yet fear itself arises in consciousness which does not die. The cry 'what shall I do?' opens to grace when the mind understands that the Lord is the witness of even this dissolution.
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Verse 13
लपन्नच्युतानन्त गोविन्द विष्णो मुरारे हरे नाथ नारायणेति यथानुस्मरिष्यामि भक्त्या भवन्तं तथा मे दयाशील देव प्रसीद ॥१३॥
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- लपन्नच्युतानन्त गोविन्द विष्णो
- Uttering 'Achyuta, Ananta, Govinda, Vishnu,
- मुरारे हरे नाथ नारायणेति
- Murari, Hari, Lord, Narayana' thus,
- यथानुस्मरिष्यामि भक्त्या भवन्तं
- as I shall remember You with devotion,
- तथा मे दयाशील देव प्रसीद
- so be gracious to me, O merciful God.
The prayer that divine names be on the tongue at death is prayer that consciousness rest in the Lord when form falls away. Each name points to the one imperishable reality that devotion prepares the mind to recognize as the Self.
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Verse 14
भुजङ्गप्रयातं पठेद्यस्तु भक्त्या समाधाय चित्ते भवन्तं मुरारे स मोहं विहायाशु युष्मत्प्रसादा त्समाश्रित्य योगं व्रजत्यच्युतं त्वाम् ॥१४॥
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- भुजङ्गप्रयातं पठेद्यस्तु भक्त्या
- Whoever reads this bhujangam hymn with devotion,
- समाधाय चित्ते भवन्तं मुरारे
- fixing You, Murari, in the mind,
- स मोहं विहायाशु युष्मत्प्रसादा
- he quickly abandons delusion, by Your grace,
- त्समाश्रित्य योगं व्रजत्यच्युतं त्वाम्
- and relying on yoga, attains You, the imperishable.
The hymn's fruit is the swift dropping of moha and attainment of the imperishable Lord through yoga and grace. Reading with fixed mind is not mere repetition but the steady abiding in the Self that alone dispels delusion.
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