Brahmastava

Brahmastava · brahma-stava, “the stava named Brahma”

The Brahmastava is a stava (a stuti of praise) of Bhagavān Vishṇu, spoken by Bhagavān Śiva, called here Mahādeva and Śaṅkara, to Vāstoshpati, who is of the form of Bhagavān Vishṇu. It is also called the Vāstupurusha-stava. It is found in the Madhyama Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa, in Sūta’s teaching on the Vāstu-maṇḍala and Vāstu-pūjana, where it is recited at the close of the homa and bali. In it Bhagavān Śiva calls Bhagavān Vishṇu by his names, among them Nārāyaṇa, Kṛshṇa, Sūrya, Hari, Trivikrama and Acyuta, declares him to be Yajña, Vashaṭkāra and Oṃkāra, and bows to him as the Deva of devas. One who recites it with effort and without break attains amaratā, and one who meditates on Bhagavān Acyuta in the lotus of the heart attains the Vaishṇavī siddhi. “Brahma” is the stava’s own name.

The setting

Sūta tells the brāhmaṇas the brief method of making the Vāstu-maṇḍala and of Vāstu-pūjana. The kalaśa is set up, filled with the five jewels and worshipped, Varuṇa is invoked in it, and the sacred waters of all oceans, tīrthas, the Gaṅgā and other rivers and pure lakes are invoked there.

Then the Vāstu-homa is done by the rule with tila, rice, honey and ājya, curd, milk and the like, with japa of the Vāstu-devatā’s mantra. Bali is offered separately and in order to all the devatās of the Vāstu-maṇḍala, pāyasānna, kṛśarānna and the like, and every devatā is given a flag suited to him. Then, according to one’s capacity, one does mantra-japa and recites the Vāstupurusha-stava.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Madhyama Parva, Bhāga 2, Chapters 10–13

The names

Bhagavān Śiva names Bhagavān Vishṇu in this order. The plain sense of a name is given where the name itself carries it.

  1. Vishṇu
  2. Jishṇu, the victorious
  3. Vibhu, the all-pervading
  4. Yajña, yajña itself
  5. Yajñiya, he who is worthy of yajña
  6. Yajñapālaka, protector of yajña
  7. Nārāyaṇa
  8. Nara
  9. Haṃsa
  10. Viśvaksena
  11. Hutāśana, the eater of oblations
  12. Yajñeśa, master of yajña
  13. Puṇḍarīkāksha, lotus-eyed
  14. Kṛshṇa
  15. Sūrya
  16. Surārcita, honoured by the suras
  17. Ādideva, the first deva
  18. Jagatkartā, maker of the world
  19. Maṇḍaleśa, master of the maṇḍala
  20. Mahīdhara, bearer of the earth
  21. Padmanābha, lotus-navelled
  22. Hṛshīkeśa
  23. Dātā, the giver
  24. Dāmodara
  25. Hari
  26. Trivikrama
  27. Trilokeśa, master of the three lokas
  28. Bhaktapriya, dear to devotees
  29. Acyuta
  30. Satya, truth
  31. Satyavākya, of true word
  32. Dhruva, the fixed
  33. Śuci, the pure
  34. Sannyāsī
  35. Vidārī, the render
  36. Vinaya, humility
  37. Śānta, the peaceful
  38. Tapasvī
  39. Vaidyutaprabha, of the lustre of lightning

The praise

After the names the stava turns to address him directly: “You are Yajña, you are Vashaṭkāra, you are Oṃkāra, you are the Agnis. You are Svadhā, you are Svāhā, you are Sudhā, and Purushottama.”

It closes with namaskāra: “Namaskāra to the Deva of devas, Vishṇu, the eternal, the endless, the immeasurable; namaskāra to you, Garuḍadhvaja.”

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Madhyama Parva, Bhāga 2, Chapters 10–13

The phalaśruti

Sūta says: Śaṅkara has spoken this stuti of Vāstoshpati, who is of the form of Bhagavān Vishṇu. Whoever recites it with effort and without break attains amaratā (immortality). Whoever meditates on Bhagavān Acyuta-Vishṇu, who dwells in the middle of the heart-lotus, attains the Vaishṇavī siddhi. The closing verses of the stava say the same: this Brahmastava was spoken by Mahādeva, and those who meditate on the one abiding in the heart attain the highest Vaishṇavī siddhi.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Madhyama Parva, Bhāga 2, Chapters 10–13

Sources

  • Bhavishya Purāṇa, Madhyama Parva, Bhāga 2, Chapters 10–13