Brahmā’s Stotra to Vishṇu for the Rāma Avatāra
This is a stotra of nine ślokas that Brahmā sang to Bhagavān Vishṇu before the Rāma avatāra (the descent of Bhagavān Vishṇu as Rāma). Brahmā came down from Brahmaloka, worshipped Bhagavān Vishṇu with gandha (scented paste), flowers and other auspicious offerings, and then praised him with joined palms and bowed head. The stotra is found in chapter 47 of the Narasiṃha Purāṇa. It comes just before Bhagavān Vishṇu announces that he will be born as Rāma.
The setting
Rāvaṇa had brought misery to all three worlds. He had conquered Indra and the devas many times. He had carried off hundreds of devīs. He had frightened the ṛshis and destroyed their yajñas (fire rituals).
Brahmā came down with the gathered devas to Bhagavān Vishṇu. He worshipped him with sweet-smelling flowers and other auspicious offerings. Then, with palms joined and head bowed, he praised Vāsudeva with this stotra.
The stotra
The verse that tells how Brahmā worshipped and began his praise:
Brahmā ca Vishṇum ārādhya gandha-pushpādibhiḥ śubhaiḥ /
prāñjaliḥ praṇato bhūtvā Vāsudevam adhāstuvat
Brahmā worshipped Vishṇu with auspicious gandha, flowers and other offerings. Then he stood with palms joined and head bowed, and praised Vāsudeva like this.
Śloka 1
Namaḥ kshīrābdhi-vāsāya nāga-paryaṅka-śāyine /
Namaḥ śrīkara-saṃspṛshṭa-divya-pādāya Vishṇave
Obeisance to the one who lives in the Ocean of Milk and lies on the couch of the serpent. Obeisance to Vishṇu, whose divine feet are touched by the lotus hands of Śrī.
Śloka 2
Namas te yoga-nidrāya yogāntar-bhāvitāya ca /
Tārkshyāsanāya devāya Govindāya namo namaḥ
Obeisance to you, who rest in yoga-nidrā (the sleep of yoga) and who are meditated upon within yoga. Again and again obeisance to Govinda, the Deva who has Tārkshya (Garuḍa) as his seat.
Śloka 3
Namaḥ kshīrābdhi-kallola-spṛshṭa-mātrāya Śārṅgiṇe /
Namo’ravinda-pādāya padma-nābhāya Vishṇave
Obeisance to the bearer of the Śārṅga bow, whose form is touched only by the waves of the Ocean of Milk. Obeisance to Vishṇu, who has lotus feet and a lotus at his navel.
Śloka 4
Bhaktārcita-su-pādāya namo yoga-priyāya ca /
Śubhāṅgāya su-netrāya Mādhavāya namo namaḥ
Obeisance to the one whose fair feet are worshipped by his devotees and who is dear to yoga. Again and again obeisance to Mādhava, who has fair limbs and beautiful eyes.
Śloka 5
Su-keśāya su-netrāya su-lalāṭāya cakriṇe /
Su-vaktrāya su-karṇāya Śrīdharāya namo namaḥ
Again and again obeisance to Śrīdhara, the bearer of Śrī. He has beautiful hair, beautiful eyes and a beautiful forehead. He carries the cakra (discus). He has a beautiful face and beautiful ears.
Śloka 6
Su-vakshase su-nābhāya padma-nābhāya vai namaḥ /
Su-bhruve cāru-dehāya cāru-dantāya Śārṅgiṇe /
Cāru-jaṅghāya divyāya Keśavāya namo namaḥ
Obeisance to the one with a beautiful chest and a beautiful navel, who is Padmanābha himself. Obeisance to Keśava, the bearer of the Śārṅga bow, who has fair brows, a lovely body, charming teeth and beautiful calves. Again and again obeisance to the divine Keśava.
Śloka 7
Su-nakhāya su-śāntāya su-vidyāya gadābhṛte /
Dharma-priyāya devāya Vāmanāya namo namaḥ
Again and again obeisance to the Deva Vāmana. He has beautiful nails, he is supremely peaceful and he has perfect knowledge. He carries the gadā (mace), and he is dear to dharma.
Śloka 8
Asura-ghnāya coghrāya raksho-ghnāya namo namaḥ /
Devānām ārti-nāśāya bhīma-karma-kṛte namaḥ
Again and again obeisance to the slayer of asuras, the fierce one, the slayer of rākshasas. Obeisance to the one who ends the distress of the devas and who does terrible deeds.
Śloka 9
Namas te loka-nāthāya Rāvaṇāntakṛte namaḥ
Obeisance to you, the master of all worlds. Obeisance to the one who brings about the end of Rāvaṇa.
The names and the form praised
The stotra praises Bhagavān Vishṇu by these names: Vishṇu, Vāsudeva, Govinda, Śārṅgin (bearer of the Śārṅga bow), Padmanābha, Mādhava, Śrīdhara, Keśava, Vāmana and Loka-nātha (master of the worlds). The last words are Rāvaṇāntakṛt, “the one who brings about the end of Rāvaṇa”.
Most of the verses praise the beauty of the divine form of Bhagavān Vishṇu from head to foot. The words su-keśa (beautiful hair), su-netra (beautiful eyes), su-lalāṭa (beautiful forehead), cāru-deha (lovely body) and cāru-danta (charming teeth) are among them. The closing words name the reason for the Rāma avatāra.
The answer of Bhagavān Vishṇu
Hṛshīkeśa was pleased by the stotra. He appeared before Brahmā and the gathered devas and asked why they had come. Brahmā then told him of Rāvaṇa’s crimes against the three worlds.
Bhagavān Vishṇu answered: “In the solar lineage there is a great king named Daśaratha. I shall be born as his son. I will come in four parts (caturāṃśa) to slay Rāvaṇa. Let all the devas be born as vānaras in their partial forms.”
The devas bowed to Bhagavān Vishṇu and went up to Meru to arrange their descent.
Sources
- Narasiṃha Purāṇa, chapter 47