Amogha Stuti
The Amogha Stuti is a short stotra (hymn of praise) that Brahmā sang to Bhagavān Rāma just after Rāma slew Rāvaṇa. Brahmā came down from the sky on his haṃsa (swan) vāhana (vehicle) while the delighted devas rained flowers. The hymn calls Rāma the eternal Vishṇu, the first cause of all beings, and the Parabrahman proclaimed in the Vedānta. It is found in Chapter 52 of the Narasimha Purāṇa.
The setting
Bhagavān Rāma had the divine bow given by Agastya and the Āditya Hṛdaya mantra. With these he finally slew Rāvaṇa with the brahmāstra. The devas came down from the sky to witness this great moment.
Indra and all the devas spoke among themselves. They said: “Vishṇu was born as Rāma and has slain our enemy Rāvaṇa, the unconquerable. Let us go down and worship the infinite Ananta, the Paramātmā.”
As flowers rained from the sky, Brahmā descended on his haṃsa vāhana. He praised Rāma with the stotra called Amogha.
The name Amogha
Amogha means “that which does not fail”, the infallible. The praise is called by this name because it is never in vain.
The stotra
The prose heading that introduces the stotra reads:
Tato Brahmā samāgatya haṃsa-yānena Rāghavam
amogha-ākhyena stotreṇa stutvā Rāmam avocata
It means: Then Brahmā arrived on his haṃsa vāhana, praised Rāghava with the stotra called Amogha, and spoke to Rāma.
Śloka 1
Tvaṃ Vishṇur ādir bhūtānām ananto jñāna-dṛk Prabhuḥ
tvam eva śāśvataṃ brahma vedānte viditaṃ param
You are Vishṇu, the first cause of all beings. You are the infinite one, who sees through jñāna (knowledge), the master. You alone are the eternal Brahman, the Supreme, who is proclaimed in the Vedānta.
Śloka 2
Tvayāyad adya nihato Rāvaṇa-loka-rāvaṇaḥ
tadāśu sarva-lokānāṃ devānāṃ karma-sādhitam
Today you have slain Rāvaṇa, who made the worlds cry out. By this the work of all the worlds and of the devas has been quickly done.
After the stuti
After Brahmā’s praise, Bhagavān Śiva came and bowed to Rāma with deep love. He showed Rāma his own father Daśaratha in the sky. Daśaratha blessed Rāma and went away.
Bhagavān Śiva then declared that Sītā is pure, a woman of spotless conduct, and he too departed.
Bhagavān Rāma then had Sītā brought forward. He seated her in the divine vimāna (flying chariot) that he had won by the strength of his arms, and he told Hanumān to pilot it. The whole vānara army bowed. Sītā, Rāma and Lakshmaṇa went up into the vimāna.
On the way back Bhagavān Rāma set up a Śivaliṅga on the shore of the ocean. It became famous as Rāmeśvara.
Sources
- Narasimha Purāṇa, Chapter 52