Bhutanatha Stotram (Bhutanatha Sadananda) — Benefits & How to Chant
भूतनाथ स्तोत्रम् (भूतनाथ सदानन्द)
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting Bhutanatha Stotram (Bhutanatha Sadananda)
The classic dhyana (meditation) sloka of Lord Ayyappa / Sri Dharma Shasta
used to open his worship
A single, easily-memorised verse of total surrender, crying 'raksha raksha'
'protect, protect'
Salutes Ayyappa as Bhutanatha, the Lord of all beings, ever-blissful and compassionate to every creature
Invoked for protection, peace of mind and the Lord's compassionate grace
Recited daily by Ayyappa devotees and especially during the 41-day vratam and the Sabarimala pilgrimage
Sealed with the mula-mantra 'Om Sri Maha-Shastre Namah', joining meditation and salutation in one prayer
How to Chant Bhutanatha Stotram (Bhutanatha Sadananda)
Instructions
Bathe and sit before an image of Lord Ayyappa, after lighting a lamp. Recite the dhyana sloka 'Bhutanatha Sadananda' with feeling, dwelling on the cry 'raksha raksha' as an act of complete surrender, and seal with 'Om Sri Maha-Shastre Namah'. It is most often used as the opening meditation before a longer Ayyappa worship or bhajan, or chanted on its own, followed by 'Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa'.
Spiritual Significance
Ayyappa devotees hold that to begin worship with this verse is to place oneself in the arms of Bhutanatha himself — and that the twofold cry 'raksha raksha', uttered in faith through the 41-day vratam, draws the Lord's protecting grace upon the pilgrim as he climbs the eighteen sacred steps of Sabarimala.
Origin & History
Source: Traditional Ayyappa / Sri Dharma Shasta dhyana sloka
Author: Traditional
'Bhutanatha Sadananda' is the dhyana sloka by which devotees open the worship of Lord Ayyappa, the deity of Sabarimala, revered as Bhutanatha — the Lord of all beings. Ayyappa is worshipped as Hariharaputra, the son born of Hari (Vishnu, as Mohini) and Hara (Shiva), and as Manikanta, raised in the Pandya royal household. This single verse gathers the heart of his devotees' prayer: it hails him as ever-blissful (sadananda) and compassionate to every creature (sarva-bhuta-dayapara), and twice cries 'raksha raksha' — 'protect, protect, O mighty-armed one'. It is sealed with his salutation 'Om Sri Maha-Shastre Namah' and resounds through the pilgrimage season with the cry 'Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa'.