vishnuashtabhujakanchipuramprapatti

Ashtabhuja Ashtakam

अष्टभुजाष्टकम्

🕉️ hindu·📿 8× repetitions·🕐 Morning or evening; daily, and especially on Vishnu festivals and during pilgrimage to Kanchipuram·📜 Ashtabhuja Ashtakam (eight verses on the Ashtabhuja Perumal of Kanchipuram)

Also known as: ashtabhuja ashtakam · ashtabhujashtakam · ashtabhuja perumal ashtakam · gajendrarakshatvaritam bhavantam · vedanta desika ashtabhuja ashtakam

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हिन्दी / देवनागरीతెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ English සිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

The Ashtabhuja Ashtakam is an eight-verse hymn of surrender (prapatti) by Swami Vedanta Desika, addressed to Ashtabhuja Perumal — the rare eight-armed form of Vishnu enshrined at the Ashtabhujakaram Divya Desam in Kanchipuram. Beginning with the memory of how the Lord rushed to save Gajendra, Desika offers himself, dragged about by the senses, into the Lord's protection, and prays only for the joy of eternal service at His feet. It is a moving expression of the soul's helplessness and the Lord's gracious accessibility.

Origin & Story

Ashtabhuja Ashtakam (eight verses on the Ashtabhuja Perumal of Kanchipuram) · Vedanta Desika (Venkatanatha) · 13th-14th century CE

Swami Vedanta Desika, who lived for much of his life in Kanchipuram, composed this Ashtakam as a prapatti to Ashtabhuja Perumal, the eight-armed form of Vishnu in the Ashtabhujakaram Divya Desam. Overcome by the Lord's beauty and grace, and likening himself to the helpless Gajendra dragged by the crocodile of sense-objects, he surrendered himself entirely into the Lord's protection in eight verses, praying not for liberation as an end in itself but for the bliss of perpetual service at the Lord's feet.

✦ As told in scripture

The Lord is said to have taken the rare eight-armed (ashtabhuja) form at Kanchipuram to guard a great sacrifice from disruption, driving away the obstructing forces with the weapons in His eight hands; devotees hold that He who thus protected the yajna, and who once flew to save Gajendra, likewise shields all who surrender to Him through this Ashtakam.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

गजेन्द्ररक्षात्वरितं भवन्तं ग्राहैरिवाहं विषयैर्विकृष्टः । अपारविज्ञानदयानुभावम् आप्तं सतामष्टभुजं प्रपद्ये ॥ १ ॥

gajendrarakṣātvaritaṃ bhavantaṃ grāhairivāhaṃ viṣayairvikṛṣṭaḥ | apāravijñānadayānubhāvam āptaṃ satāmaṣṭabhujaṃ prapadye || 1 ||

Meaning:Even as Gajendra was seized by the crocodile, I am dragged about by the senses; I take refuge in You — the eight-armed Lord (Ashtabhuja) who rushed to rescue the elephant-king, the trusted resort of the holy, of boundless knowledge, compassion and power.

Verse 2

त्वदेकशेषोऽहमनात्मतन्त्रस्त्वत्पादलिप्सां दिशता त्वयैव । असत्समोऽप्यष्टभुजास्पदेश सत्ताम् इदानीम् उपलम्भितोऽस्मि ॥ २ ॥

tvadekaśeṣo'hamanātmatantrastvatpādalipsāṃ diśatā tvayaiva | asatsamo'pyaṣṭabhujāspadeśa sattām idānīm upalambhito'smi || 2 ||

Meaning:I belong wholly to You and am not my own master. By You alone — who gave me the very longing for Your feet — I, though as good as non-existent, have now been brought into true being, O Lord of the Ashtabhuja shrine.

Verse 3

स्वरूपरूपास्त्रविभूषणाद्यैः परत्वचिन्तां त्वयि दुर्निवाराम् । भोगे मृदूपक्रमताम् अभीप्सन् शीलादिभिर्वारयसीव पुंसाम् ॥ ३ ॥

svarūparūpāstravibhūṣaṇādyaiḥ paratvacintāṃ tvayi durnivārām | bhoge mṛdūpakramatām abhīpsan śīlādibhirvārayasīva puṃsām || 3 ||

Meaning:The awe of Your supremacy — hard to overcome — that arises in me from Your divine essence, form, weapons and ornaments, You seem gently to dispel, desiring to make Yourself enjoyable, through Your accessibility, gracious character and other such qualities.

Verse 4

शक्तिं शरण्यान्तरशब्दभाजां सारं च सन्तोल्य फलान्तराणाम् । त्वद्दास्यहेतोस्त्वयि निर्विशङ्कं न्यस्तात्मनां नाथ बिभर्षि भारम् ॥ ४ ॥

śaktiṃ śaraṇyāntaraśabdabhājāṃ sāraṃ ca santolya phalāntarāṇām | tvaddāsyahetostvayi nirviśaṅkaṃ nyastātmanāṃ nātha bibharṣi bhāram || 4 ||

Meaning:Having weighed the (limited) power of those called 'other refuges' and the (lesser) essence of other fruits, O Lord, for the sake of loving service to You, You bear the burden of those who have without hesitation entrusted their selves to You.

Verse 5

अभीतिहेतोरनुवर्तनीयं नाथ त्वदन्यं न विभावयामि । भयं कुतः स्यात् त्वयि सानुकम्पे रक्षा कुतः स्यात् त्वयि जातरोषे ॥ ५ ॥

abhītihetoranuvartanīyaṃ nātha tvadanyaṃ na vibhāvayāmi | bhayaṃ kutaḥ syāt tvayi sānukampe rakṣā kutaḥ syāt tvayi jātaroṣe || 5 ||

Meaning:I can conceive of no resort to be followed for fearlessness other than You, O Lord. What fear can there be when You are full of compassion? And what (need of other) protection can there be when (only) You could ever be roused to anger?

Verse 6

त्वदेकतन्त्रं कमलासहाय स्वेनैव मां रक्षितुम् अर्हसि त्वम् । त्वयि प्रवृत्ते मम किं प्रयासैस्त्वय्यप्रवृत्ते मम किं प्रयासैः ॥ ६ ॥

tvadekatantraṃ kamalāsahāya svenaiva māṃ rakṣitum arhasi tvam | tvayi pravṛtte mama kiṃ prayāsaistvayyapravṛtte mama kiṃ prayāsaiḥ || 6 ||

Meaning:O consort of Kamala, since I depend wholly upon You, You alone, of Your own will, ought to protect me. When You undertake it, what need of effort on my part? And if You do not, what use is any effort of mine?

Verse 7

समाधिभङ्गेष्वपि सम्पतत्सु शरण्यभूते त्वयि बद्धकक्ष्ये । अपत्रपे सोढुम् अकिञ्चनोऽहं दूराधिरोहं पतनं च नाथ ॥ ७ ॥

samādhibhaṅgeṣvapi sampatatsu śaraṇyabhūte tvayi baddhakakṣye | apatrape soḍhum akiñcano'haṃ dūrādhirohaṃ patanaṃ ca nātha || 7 ||

Meaning:Even when my concentration is broken and (distractions) assail me, since You — my refuge — are girded and resolved (to save me), I, helpless and unashamed, can endure both the hard ascent (of self-effort) and the danger of falling, O Lord.

Verse 8

प्राप्ताभिलाषं त्वदनुग्रहान्माम् पद्मानिषेव्ये तव पादपद्मे । आदेहपातादपराधदूरम् आत्मान्तकैङ्कर्यरसं विधेयाः ॥ ८ ॥

prāptābhilāṣaṃ tvadanugrahānmām padmāniṣevye tava pādapadme | ādehapātādaparādhadūram ātmāntakaiṅkaryarasaṃ vidheyāḥ || 8 ||

Meaning:Having attained my heart's desire by Your grace, O Lord whose lotus feet are served by Lakshmi, make me — kept far from all offence until this body falls — relish the joy of intimate, total service at Your lotus feet.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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गजेन्द्ररक्षात्वरितम्🔊gajendrarakṣātvaritam(You who) hastened to rescue Gajendra, the king of elephants

भवन्तम्🔊bhavantamYou (the Lord)

ग्राहैः इव अहम् विषयैः विकृष्टः🔊grāhaiḥ iva aham viṣayaiḥ vikṛṣṭaḥI, dragged about by sense-objects as (Gajendra was) by the crocodile

अपारविज्ञानदयानुभावम्🔊apāravijñānadayānubhāvamof boundless knowledge, compassion and power

आप्तम् सताम्🔊āptam satāmthe trusted refuge of the holy

अष्टभुजम् प्रपद्ये🔊aṣṭabhujam prapadyeI take refuge in the eight-armed Lord (Ashtabhuja)

त्वदेकशेषः अहम्🔊tvadekaśeṣaḥ ahamI, who belong solely to You (Your exclusive subordinate)

अनात्मतन्त्रः🔊anātmatantraḥnot independent, not my own master

त्वत्पादलिप्साम् दिशता त्वया एव🔊tvatpādalipsām diśatā tvayā evaby You alone, who granted the very longing for Your feet

असत्समः अपि🔊asatsamaḥ apithough (as good as) non-existent

सत्ताम् इदानीम् उपलम्भितः अस्मि🔊sattām idānīm upalambhitaḥ asmiI have now been granted (true) existence

परत्वचिन्ताम् त्वयि दुर्निवाराम्🔊paratvacintāṃ tvayi durnivārāmthe (awe-filled) thought of Your supremacy, hard to overcome

शीलादिभिः वारयसि इव🔊śīlādibhiḥ vārayasi ivaYou seem to dispel by Your gracious character (sausilya) and the like

त्वद्दास्यहेतोः🔊tvaddāsyahetoḥfor the sake of (loving) servitude to You

न्यस्तात्मनाम् नाथ बिभर्षि भारम्🔊nyastātmanāṃ nātha bibharṣi bhāramO Lord, You bear the burden of those who have surrendered themselves

अभीतिहेतोः अनुवर्तनीयम्🔊abhītihetoḥ anuvartanīyamas a resort to be followed for freedom from fear

त्वदन्यम् न विभावयामि🔊tvadanyaṃ na vibhāvayāmiI can conceive of none other than You

भयम् कुतः स्यात् त्वयि सानुकम्पे🔊bhayaṃ kutaḥ syāt tvayi sānukampewhat fear can there be when You are compassionate?

त्वदेकतन्त्रम् कमलासहाय🔊tvadekatantraṃ kamalāsahāyaO consort of Kamala (Lakshmi), depending wholly on You

स्वेन एव माम् रक्षितुम् अर्हसि🔊svena eva māṃ rakṣitum arhasiYou alone, of Your own accord, ought to protect me

शरण्यभूते त्वयि बद्धकक्ष्ये🔊śaraṇyabhūte tvayi baddhakakṣyewhen You, the refuge, are girded up (resolved to protect)

अकिञ्चनः अहम्🔊akiñcanaḥ ahamI, utterly without (any other) means

प्राप्ताभिलाषम् त्वदनुग्रहात्🔊prāptābhilāṣaṃ tvadanugrahāthaving attained my desire by Your grace

तव पादपद्मे आत्मान्तकैङ्कर्यरसम् विधेयाः🔊tava pādapadme ātmāntakaiṅkaryarasaṃ vidheyāḥmake me relish the joy of inmost service at Your lotus feet (till the body falls)

Benefits of Chanting Ashtabhuja Ashtakam

✦

Invokes the protection of Ashtabhuja Perumal, the eight-armed Lord ever ready to rescue His devotees

✦

A complete prayer of saranagati (surrender), like the Gajendra-moksha, for those who feel dragged about by the senses

✦

Instils confidence that the Lord Himself bears the burden of those who take refuge in Him

✦

Cultivates the longing for eternal, intimate service (kainkarya) at the Lord's feet

✦

Recited by devotees of the Kanchipuram Ashtabhujakaram Divya Desam and lovers of Vedanta Desika's stotras

✦

Removes fear and anxiety by resting wholly on the Lord's compassion and grace

How to Chant Ashtabhuja Ashtakam

Repetitions8times

Best TimeMorning or evening; daily, and especially on Vishnu festivals and during pilgrimage to Kanchipuram

Sit cleanly facing east before an image of Vishnu, ideally Ashtabhuja Perumal. Recall the story of Gajendra and the Lord's swift grace, then recite the eight verses with devotion, offering yourself into His protection as Swami Desika does. Dwell especially on the surrender of verses one, six and eight. Conclude by praying to be kept far from fault and to relish loving service at His lotus feet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ashtabhuja ('eight-armed') Perumal is a unique form of Lord Vishnu enshrined at the Ashtabhujakaram (Adikesava Perumal) temple in Kanchipuram, one of the 108 Divya Desams. He bears eight arms holding different weapons and emblems. Tradition relates that the Lord assumed this eight-armed form to protect a sacrifice and to grant grace to His devotees.

It was composed by Swami Vedanta Desika (1268-1369 CE), the great Sri Vaishnava acharya, as a prapatti (act of surrender) at the feet of Ashtabhuja Perumal of Kanchipuram.

Desika compares himself to Gajendra, the elephant-king seized by a crocodile and saved when he cried out to the Lord. Just as the Lord rushed to rescue Gajendra, Desika, feeling himself dragged about by the senses, takes refuge in the same compassionate Lord, the Ashtabhuja.

Not worldly gains, but the joy of eternal, intimate service (kainkarya) at the Lord's lotus feet, free from all offence, until the very end of this life (verse 8). This reflects the Sri Vaishnava ideal of service as the highest goal.