Brahmā’s Stuti for the Kṛshṇa Avatāra

This is a stuti of fourteen verses sung by Brahmā to Bhagavān Vishṇu as he rested on the Milk Ocean (Kshīrasāgara). It comes just before the Kṛshṇa avatāra. Brahmā came with all the devas, and the stuti awakens Bhagavān Vishṇu. It praises the earlier avatāras (Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, Narasiṃha, Vāmana, Paraśurāma and Rāma) and ends with a request that Bhagavān Vishṇu once again lift the burden from the Earth. It is found in the Narasiṃha Purāṇa, chapter 53.

The setting

Bhūdevī, the Earth, could no longer bear the weight of the armies of asuras who had been born again as Kaṃsa and other rākshasas. She went to Brahmā for help. Brahmā gathered all the devas and went to the Kshīrasāgara.

There they worshipped Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa with gandha (scent), pushpa (flowers) and akshata (unbroken rice). Mārkaṇḍeya names him as Nṛsiṃha-svarūpa-Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa in the form of Nṛsiṃha.

King Sahasrānīka heard that Brahmā had praised Bhagavān Vishṇu with vāk-pushpa (flowers of speech). He asked Mārkaṇḍeya to tell him that stotra. Mārkaṇḍeya said: “This stotra removes all pāpas and gives purity. Those who recite it with devotion lose their pāpas, become dear to Bhagavān Vishṇu and reach Vishṇu-sāyujya (oneness with Bhagavān Vishṇu).”

The stuti

Verse 1

Namāmi devaṃ nara-nādham acyutaṃ Nārāyaṇaṃ loka-guruṃ sanātanam

anādim avyaktam acintyam avyayaṃ vedānta-vedyaṃ purushottamaṃ Harim

I bow to the Deva who is the master of men: Acyuta, Nārāyaṇa, the teacher of the world, the Eternal. He is without beginning, unmanifest, beyond thought and without decay. He is known through the Vedānta. He is Purushottama, Hari.

Verse 2

Ānanda-rūpaṃ paramaṃ parātparaṃ cid-ātmakaṃ jñānavatāṃ parāṃ gatim

sarvātmakaṃ sarva-gataika-rūpaṃ dhyeya-svarūpaṃ praṇamāmi Mādhavam

I bow to Mādhava. His very form is ānanda (joy). He is supreme, beyond the highest, made of pure consciousness, and the highest goal of those who have jñāna (knowledge). He is the ātman (self) of all, the one form that is everywhere, and his own nature is what one meditates on in dhyāna.

Verse 3

Bhakta-priyaṃ kāntam atīva nirṃalaṃ surādhipaṃ sūri-janair abhishṭutam

caturbhujaṃ nīrada-varṇam Īśvaraṃ rathāṅga-pāṇiṃ praṇato’smi Keśavam

I bow to Keśava. He is dear to his devotees, beautiful and perfectly pure. He is the ruler of the suras and is praised by the wise. He has four arms and the colour of a rain cloud. He is the Īśvara, and he holds the cakra (rathāṅga) in his hand.

Verse 4

Gadā-si-śaṅkhārcaka-raṃ Śriyaḥ-patiṃ sadā-śivaṃ Śārṅga-dharaṃ ravi-prabham

pītāmbaraṃ hāra-virājitodaram namāmi Vishṇuṃ satataṃ kirīṭinam

I always bow to Vishṇu. He holds the gadā (mace), the sword and the śaṅkha (conch). He is the husband of Śrī and ever auspicious. He bears the Śārṅga bow and shines like the sun. He wears the yellow cloth (pītāmbara), his chest shines with garlands, and he wears the crown (kirīṭa).

Verse 5

Gaṇḍa-sthalāsakta-surakta-kuṇḍalaṃ su-dīpitāśesha-diśaṃ nija-tvishā

gandharva-siddhair upagīta-mṛdgaddhvaniṃ Janārdanaṃ bhūta-patiṃ namāmi tam

I bow to that Janārdana, the master of all beings. Deep-red earrings rest on his cheeks. With his own light he lights up all directions. The gandharvas and siddhas sing his praise in sweet song.

Verse 6

Hatvāsurān pāti yuge yuge surān sva-dharma-saṃsthān bhuvi saṃsthito Hariḥ

karoti sṛshṭiṃ jagataḥ kshayaṃ yas taṃ Vāsudevaṃ praṇato’smi Keśavam

Hari lives on the earth. Age after age he slays the asuras and protects the suras who stand firm in their own dharma. He makes the world and he brings it to its end. To that Vāsudeva-Keśava I bow.

Verse 7 (the Matsya avatāra)

Yo matsya-rūpeṇa rasātala-sthitān vedān samāhṛtya mama pradattavān

nihatya yuddhe Madhu-Kaiṭabhāv ubhau taṃ veda-vedyaṃ praṇato’smy ahaṃ sadā

In the form of a fish he took back the Vedas that had sunk into the netherworld (rasātala) and gave them to me. He also slew both Madhu and Kaiṭabha in battle. To him, who is known through the Vedas, I always bow.

Verse 8 (the Kūrma avatāra)

Devāsuraiḥ kshīra-samudra-madhyato nyasto girir yena dhṛtaḥ purā mahān

hitāya kaurmaṃ vapurāsthito yas taṃ Vishṇum ādyaṃ praṇato’smi Bhāskaram

The great mountain was placed in the middle of the Milk Ocean by the devas and asuras. In ancient times he held it up, taking the form of a tortoise for the good of all. To that first Vishṇu, who shines like the sun, I bow.

Verse 9 (the Varāha avatāra)

Hatvā Hiraṇyāksham atīva-darpitaṃ varāha-rūpe Bhagavān sanātanaḥ

yo bhūmim etāṃ sakalāṃ samuddharan taṃ veda-mūrtiṃ praṇamāmi Sūkaram

The eternal Bhagavān Vishṇu took the form of a great boar. He slew the very proud Hiraṇyāksha and lifted up this whole Earth. To that Sūkara, who is the Vedas in bodily form, I bow.

Verse 10 (the Narasiṃha avatāra)

Kṛtvā Nṛsiṃhaṃ vapurātmanaḥ paraṃ hitāya lokasya sanātano Hariḥ

jaghāna yas tīkshṇa-nakhair diteḥ sutaṃ taṃ Nārasiṃhaṃ purushaṃ namāmi

The eternal Hari took the supreme form of Narasiṃha for the good of all the worlds. With sharp claws he slew the son of Diti (Hiraṇyakaśipu). To that Nārasiṃha Purusha I bow.

Verse 11 (the Vāmana avatāra)

Yo Vāmano’sau Bhagavān Janārdano baliṃ babandha tribhir ūrjitaiḥ padaiḥ

jagat-trayaṃ kramya dadau Purandaras taṃ devam ādyaṃ praṇato’smi Vāmanam

That Bhagavān Janārdana, as Vāmana, bound Bali with three mighty steps. He crossed the three worlds and gave them back to Purandara. To that first Deva, Vāmana, I bow.

Verse 12 (the Paraśurāma avatāra)

Yaḥ Kārtavīryaṃ nijaghāna roshāt tris-sapta-kṛtvaḥ kshiti-pātra-jān api

taṃ Jāmadagnyaṃ kshiti-bhāra-nāśakaṃ nato’smi Vishṇuṃ purushottamaṃ sadā

In anger he slew Kārtavīrya. Three times seven times (twenty-one times) he cleared the earth of the sons of the kshatriyas. To that Jāmadagnya (Paraśurāma), who ended the burden of the earth, the Vishṇu-Purushottama, I always bow.

Verse 13 (the Rāma avatāra)

Setuṃ mahāntaṃ jaladho babandha yaḥ saṃprāpya Laṅkāṃ sagaṇaṃ daśānanam

jaghāna bhṛtyair jagataṃ sanātanaṃ taṃ Rāma-devaṃ satataṃ nato’smi

He built the great bridge over the ocean. He reached Laṅkā and slew the ten-headed Rāvaṇa with his whole army, through his faithful servants. To that eternal Rāma-deva, the master of all the worlds, I always bow.

Verse 14 (the request for the Kṛshṇa avatāra)

Yathātu Vārāha-Nṛsiṃha-rūpaiḥ kṛtaṃ tvayā deva-hitaṃ surāṇām

tathādya bhūmeḥ kuru bhāra-hāniṃ prasīda Vishṇo Bhagavān namas te

Just as you did good to the devas in the forms of Varāha and Nṛsiṃha, so now take away the burden of the Earth. Be pleased, Vishṇu, Bhagavān Vishṇu. I bow to you.

The answer of Bhagavān Vishṇu

When Bhagavān Lakshmī-Nārāyaṇa heard this stotra, he appeared with the śaṅkha, the cakra and the gadā. He said to Brahmā and the devas: “I am very pleased with the stotra you have made. Those who recite it every day lose all their pāpas. By the power of this stotra I appear to my devotees.”

He then said that he would come down in the Yādava family, through Devakī and Vasudeva as Kṛshṇa, and through Rohiṇī as Balarāma. The devas bowed and went away.

Sources

• Narasiṃha Purāṇa, chapter 53