Śaunaka’s Stotra to Vishṇu

This is a stotra to Bhagavān Mahāvishṇu sung by Śaunaka Maharshi. He sang it on the bank of the Gaṅgā in front of the four Sanakas and Nārada, with a heart full of bhakti (devotion). It praises Bhagavān Vishṇu as the Supreme beyond all form and also in his forms and avatāras. It is found in the Nārada Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, chapter 2.

The setting

Nārada met his elder brothers Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumāra and Sanātana on their way to the Brahmasabhā on Meru. They all bathed in the Gaṅgā and did sandhyāvandana and tarpaṇa. They sat on the bank of the Gaṅgā and began to speak of the guṇas of Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa. In the middle of that gathering Śaunaka Maharshi stood up and sang this stotra.

The stotra

The Supreme

Namaskāra to the Para-deva, who is beyond all that is beyond. He lives equally in the great and the small. He is saguṇa (with form and qualities) and nirguṇa (without them) alike. He is beyond the reach of māyā, yet he takes a form of māyā. He is the ātmā named ātmā. He is viśvarūpa (the form of the whole world), yogīśvara (master of yoga) and yoga-svarūpa (yoga itself), and he can be known through yoga alone. To that Vishṇu, namaskāra.

The nature of knowledge

Namaskāra to the jñāna-svarūpa, who is known through jñāna (knowledge) and is the cause of all jñāna. He is jñāna-prabhū, master of knowing. He is the one to be known and the all-knowing, full of the wealth of vijñāna.

The nature of meditation

Namaskāra to the dhyāna-rūpa, who is known through dhyāna (meditation). He destroys the pāpa of those who meditate. He is dhyāneśvara, master of meditation. He is the uttama-buddhi-svarūpa (the highest understanding), the dhyeya-svarūpa (the one meditated on) and the dhyātṛ-svarūpa (the one who meditates).

The source of all power

Sūrya, Candra, Agni, Vidhātā, the devatās, Siddhas, Yakshas, Asuras and the Nāga hosts all draw their śakti (power) from him alone. He is the ancient, unborn, true master of praise, worthy of namaskāra at all times. I bow to him.

The three forms of Bhagavān

He creates the world in the form of Brahmā. He keeps it in the form of Vishṇu. At the time of pralaya (dissolution) he swallows the brahmāṇḍa (the cosmic egg) in the form of Rudra. He reclines drinking his own pāda, the Gaṅgā that flows from his feet. To that Śrī Mahāvishṇu, namaskāra.

Gajendra Moksha

By the nāma-saṅkīrtana (chanting of whose name) Gajendra was freed from the crocodile. I bow to that Ādideva, who shines in the paramapada, his own abode.

For Śaivas and Vaishṇavas alike

He appears as Bhagavān Śiva to the bhaktas of Śiva and as Bhagavān Vishṇu to the bhaktas of Vishṇu. He takes bodies by his saṃkalpa (will) alone. I take refuge in that Śrī Hari for ever.

Salutation to the avatāras

  • Destroyer of Keśi and Narakāsura. As a child he lifted the mountain with one hand, and he took away the burden of the earth in sport. Namaskāra.
  • Narasiṃha. In his fierce form he tore open the hard chest of Hiraṇyakaśipu with his hands and so protected his bhakta Prahlāda. Namaskāra.
  • Kūrma. He carried Mandara on his back so that the devatās could churn the ocean for amṛta. Namaskāra.
  • Varāha. He lifted Bhūmi out of the ocean on his tusk and held up all creation. Namaskāra.
  • Nṛsiṃha (the second praise). He ripped open the chest of the asura, which was hard as stone. Namaskāra.
  • Trivikrama (Vāmana). He took two feet of land from Bali, covered the three worlds in two steps and gave them back to the devatās. Namaskāra.
  • Paraśurāma. Twenty-one times he destroyed the kshatriya clans, because of the wrong done by Kārtavīryārjuna. Namaskāra.
  • Rāma. He came down in four forms, fought with the army of the vānaras and destroyed the army of the rākshasas. Namaskāra.
  • Kṛshṇa. He took two forms and removed the burden of the earth by destroying his own family. I worship him.
  • Kalki. At the end of the yuga he destroys the people of adharma with a sharp sword and sets dharma up again at the start of Kṛtayuga. Namaskāra.

The closing praise

The avatāras of Śrī Mahāvishṇu are beyond count. They could not be counted even in many years. The greatness of his name cannot be grasped even by great maharshis, devatās or Manus. “How can I, a limited being, praise him as he deserves? Yet by hearing his name alone even the person with the most pāpa becomes pure. I take refuge in that Parameśvara, who is jñāna-svarūpa (knowledge itself) and paripūrṇa (full and complete), whom the yogis see within with a purified mind.”

The phalaśruti

Whoever rises at prātaḥkāla (early morning) and reads this stotra to Purushottama with sincerity has all pāpa destroyed, becomes pure and reaches Vishṇu-loka. Śaunaka, Nārada and the Sanakas who heard it were filled with ānanda-bāshpa, tears of joy.

Sources

  • Nārada Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, chapter 2