Āhnika Stotra

The Āhnika Stotra is a hymn for daily protection, a rakshā-mantra. Balarāma taught it to Pradyumna in Dvārakā, after Pradyumna came home from killing the asura Śambara. It is found in the Harivaṃśa Purāṇa, Vishṇu Parva, chapter 111.

The hymn calls on a very long list of protectors to guard the one who recites it from all harm. These are Brahmā, the four Vedas, the Purāṇas and Itihāsas, the five mahābhūtas (great elements), the five prāṇas (life-breaths), the seven great ṛshis, the eleven Rudras, the twelve Ādityas, the eight Vasus, the Aśvins, the devīs, the nāga-kings, the mountains, the rivers of every direction and the holy tīrthas.

The setting

Pradyumna killed the asura Śambara and came back to Dvārakā with his wife Māyāvatī. Māyāvatī was in truth Rati, the wife of Manmatha, born again. The house of Śrī Kṛshṇa was full of joy. Rukmiṇī received her son with great happiness.

In this happy gathering Pradyumna spoke to Balarāma: “O Mahānubhāva, O elder brother of Kṛshṇa, O son of Rohiṇī! Please teach me a stotra through which I may always live without fear.”

Balarāma then recited the Āhnika Stotra. It is a full hymn of protection, like a kavaca. When it is chanted at dusk (sāyaṃkāla), it purifies the body. Afterwards Śrī Kṛshṇa and the munis and ṛshis who were gathered there recited it too. The Harivaṃśa Purāṇa tells this in the Vishṇu Parva, chapter 111.

The stotra

The Āhnika Stotra is in Sanskrit śloka verse. It goes through a great call to all the powers of the world that protect.

The opening call

The hymn opens by calling on Brahmā to protect the reciter. Brahmā is the guru of both the suras and the asuras and the master of the jagat (the world). The praṇava (Oṃkāra), the vashaṭkāra and the three Sāvitrī-vidyās are also called on.

The four Vedas and the śāstras

The Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda and Atharvaveda are called to protect, with their rahasyāṃśas (the Upanishads) and their vistāra (full extent). The Purāṇas and Itihāsas are included, with their khaṇḍas and upakhaṇḍas, the aṅgas and upāṅgas, and all their vyākhyānas (explanations).

The five mahābhūtas and the inner powers

The stotra calls on earth (pṛthivī), air (vāyu), space (ākāśa), water (āpas) and fire (jyotis). With them it calls on the ten indriyas (senses), manas (mind), buddhi (intelligence) and the three guṇas, which are sattva, rajas and tamas, to give protection.

The five prāṇas

Vyāna, Udāna, Samāna, Prāṇa and Apāna are called as protectors. These are the five vāyus that hold up the body and on which this whole jagat rests.

The seven great ṛshis

Marīci, Aṅgiras, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhṛgu and Vasishṭha are called on. Then Kaśyapa and the long line of other maharshis are called to protect too. These include Ṛcīka, Jamadagni, Urva, Bharadvāja, Sthūlaśiras and others.

The devas

The eleven Rudras, the twelve Ādityas, the eight Vasus and the two Aśvins are called on. So are all the groups of devas, by their number and their nature.

The devīs

The stotra calls on Hrī, Śrī, Lakshmī, Svadhā, Medhā, Tushṭi, Pushṭi, Smṛti, Dhṛti, Aditi, Diti, and Siṃhikā, the mother of the daityas.

It also calls on the eight great dikkumārī devīs, including Rudrāṇī, Bhadrakālī, Bhadrā, Jyeshṭhā, Vāruṇī, Bhāsā, Kālikā, Śāṇḍilī, Āryā, Kuhū, Śinīvālī, Bhīmā, Citrarathe, Rati, Ekānaṃśā, Kūshmāṇḍā, Kātyāyanī and many others. Devakanyās of every kind are called on in prayer.

The nāgas

The great nāga-kings are called on by name to protect: Śesha, Vāsuki, Viśālāksha, Takshaka, Elapātra, Śuktakarṇa, Kambala, Aśvatara, Hastibhadra, Piṭharaka, Karkoṭaka, Dhanañjaya, Pūraṇaka and Karavīraka.

The sacred mountains

All the great kings of the mountains are asked to give protection: Himavān, Hemakūṭa, Nishadha, Śvetaparvata, Ṛshabha, Pāriyātra, Vindhya, Vaidūryaparvata, Sahya, Udaya, Malaya, Meru, Mandara, Dardura, Krauñca, Kailāsa and Maināka.

The rivers

The holy rivers are grouped by the direction in which they flow. They are called on as waters that purify.

  • Flowing north: Gaṅgā (Bhāgīrathī), Sarasvatī, Candrabhāgā, Śatadrū, Devikā, Śivā, Irāvatī, Vipāśā, Sarayū, Yamunā, and many others.
  • Flowing south: Veṇī, Godāvarī, Sītā, Kāverī, Koṅkaṇāvatī, Kṛshṇā, Veṇā, Muktīmatī, Tamasā, Pushpavāhinī, Tāmraparṇī, Jyotirathā, Vaitalāvarī, and others, including the holy Vaitaraṇī and the Śoṇa.
  • Flowing west: Kshiprā, Carmaṇvatī, Mahī, Śubhravatī, Sindhu, Vetravatī, Bhojāntā, and many others.

All these rivers are asked to bathe the reciter in waters that bring good fortune.

The holy tīrthas

The following tīrthas are prayed to wash away all pāpa (sin) and kilvisha (fault) from the reciter: Prabhāsa, Prayāga, Naimisha, Pushkara, Gaṅgā-tīrtha, Kurukshetra, Śrīkaṇṭha, Gautamāśrama, Rāmahrada, Vinaśana, Rāmatīrtha, Gaṅgādvāra, Kanakaḷa, the place where Soma arose, Kapālamocana, Jambūmārga, Suvarṇabindu, Daśāśvamedha, Badarī, Nārāyaṇāśrama, Phālgunī-tīrtha, Candravata, Gokāmukha, Gaṅgāsāgara, and others, including Śvetadvīpa.

The phalaśruti

The hymn ends with a declaration. Those who recite this auspicious Maṅgalāshṭaśata, which is this stotra itself, after bathing at each parvan (sacred day), will be freed from these six things:

  • vādha (violence)
  • bandha (bondage)
  • parikleśa (suffering)
  • vyādhi (disease)
  • śoka (grief)
  • parābhava (defeat)

They will gain welfare in this world and in the next.

The stotra is called dhanya (bringing merit), yaśasya (giving fame), āyushya (lengthening life), pavitra (purifying), veda-sammita (in the measure of the Veda), śrīmad (full of glory), svargya (leading to svarga), sadā-puṇya (always holy), apatya-janana (giving children), śubha (auspicious), kshema-kara (bringing safety) and uttama (the highest).

Sources

  • Harivaṃśa Purāṇa, Vishṇu Parva, Chapter 111