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Brahma Stuti Meaning — Line by Line

ब्रह्म स्तुति

Every verse and every word explained in English & Hindi

Meaning — Line by Line

Every verse of Brahma Stuti with its English meaning. Tap any word to hear it, or ▶ to recite the verse.

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  1. Verse 1. śrī-brahmovāca
  2. Verse 2. asyāpi deva vapuṣo mad-anugrahasya
  3. Verse 3. jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva
  4. Verse 4. śreyaḥ-sṛtiṃ bhaktim udasya te vibho
  5. Verse 5. pureha bhūman bahavo 'pi yoginas
  6. Verse 6. tathāpi bhūman mahimāguṇasya te
  7. Verse 7. guṇātmanas te 'pi guṇān vimātuṃ
  8. Verse 8. tat te 'nukampāṃ su-samīkṣamāṇo
Verse 1#

śrī-brahmovāca

श्रीब्रह्मोवाच नौमीड्य तेऽभ्रवपुषे तडिदम्बराय गुञ्जावतंसपरिपिच्छलसन्मुखाय वन्यस्रजे कवलवेत्रविषाणवेणु- लक्ष्मश्रिये मृदुपदे पशुपाङ्गजाय

śrī-brahmovāca naumīḍya te 'bhra-vapuṣe taḍid-ambarāya guñjāvataṃsa-paripiccha-lasan-mukhāya | vanya-sraje kavala-vetra-viṣāṇa-veṇu- lakṣma-śriye mṛdu-pade paśupāṅgajāya || 1 ||

MeaningLord Brahma said: O most worshipable Lord, I offer my praises unto You. Your body is dark like a rain-cloud and Your garment glistens like lightning; Your face shines with guñjā-berry earrings and a crowning peacock feather. Wearing a garland of forest flowers, beautified by a morsel of food, a herding stick, a buffalo horn and a flute, soft-footed You stand — the son of the cowherd king Nanda.

Verse 2#

asyāpi deva vapuṣo mad-anugrahasya

अस्यापि देव वपुषो मदनुग्रहस्य स्वेच्छामयस्य तु भूतमयस्य कोऽपि नेशे महि त्ववसितुं मनसान्तरेण साक्षात्तवैव किमुतात्मसुखानुभूतेः

asyāpi deva vapuṣo mad-anugrahasya svecchā-mayasya na tu bhūta-mayasya ko 'pi | neśe mahi tv avasituṃ manasāntareṇa sākṣāt tavaiva kim utātma-sukhānubhūteḥ || 2 ||

MeaningO Lord, this transcendental body of Yours, manifested out of Your own sweet will as a mercy to Your devotees and not made of material elements — no one is able to fathom even by long mental effort the glory of it; how much less, then, can one comprehend You directly, the very embodiment of self-blissful experience.

Verse 3#

jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva

ज्ञाने प्रयासमुदपास्य नमन्त एव जीवन्ति सन्मुखरितां भवदीयवार्ताम् स्थाने स्थिताः श्रुतिगतां तनुवाङ्मनोभि- र्ये प्रायशोऽजित जितोऽप्यसि तैस्त्रिलोक्याम्

jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva jīvanti san-mukharitāṃ bhavadīya-vārtām | sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṃ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir ye prāyaśo 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyām || 3 ||

MeaningThose who, giving up the labour of speculative knowledge, devote themselves simply to offering obeisances and to living by the topics of You as sung by the saints — remaining in whatever situation they are, surrendering through body, words and mind to the message received through the ears — such persons, O unconquerable one, conquer even You within all the three worlds.

Verse 4#

śreyaḥ-sṛtiṃ bhaktim udasya te vibho

श्रेयःसृतिं भक्तिमुदस्य ते विभो क्लिश्यन्ति ये केवलबोधलब्धये तेषामसौ क्लेशल एव शिष्यते नान्यद्यथा स्थूलतुषावघातिनाम्

śreyaḥ-sṛtiṃ bhaktim udasya te vibho kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye | teṣām asau kleśala eva śiṣyate nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām || 4 ||

MeaningO almighty Lord, those who cast aside loving devotion, the very path of supreme blessedness, and toil only to attain impersonal knowledge — for them nothing but trouble remains as their reward, just as nothing but labour comes to those who thresh empty husks of grain.

Verse 5#

pureha bhūman bahavo 'pi yoginas

पुरेह भूमन्बहवोऽपि योगिन- स्त्वदर्पितेहा निजकर्मलब्धया विबुध्य भक्त्यैव कथोपनीतया प्रपेदिरेऽञ्जोऽच्युत ते गतिं पराम्

pureha bhūman bahavo 'pi yoginas tvad-arpitehā nija-karma-labdhayā | vibudhya bhaktyaiva kathopanītayā prapedire 'ñjo 'cyuta te gatiṃ parām || 5 ||

MeaningO unlimited Lord, in the past many yogis in this world, dedicating their efforts to You and being enlightened by devotion alone — nourished by hearing Your glories and aided by the merit of their own duties — easily attained Your supreme abode, O infallible one.

Verse 6#

tathāpi bhūman mahimāguṇasya te

तथापि भूमन्महिमागुणस्य ते विबोद्धुमर्हत्यमलान्तरात्मभिः अविक्रियात्स्वानुभवादरूपतो ह्यनन्यबोध्यात्मतया चान्यथा

tathāpi bhūman mahimāguṇasya te viboddhum arhaty amalāntar-ātmabhiḥ | avikriyāt svānubhavād arūpato hy ananya-bodhyātmatayā na cānyathā || 6 ||

MeaningEven so, O all-pervading Lord, the glory of You, who possess transcendental qualities, can be realized only by the pure-hearted, through their own unchanging, formless inner experience in which You alone are to be known — and in no other way.

Verse 7#

guṇātmanas te 'pi guṇān vimātuṃ

गुणात्मनस्तेऽपि गुणान्विमातुं हितावतीर्णस्य ईशिरेऽस्य कालेन यैर्वा विमिताः सुकल्पैर् भूपांशवः खे मिहिका द्युभासः

guṇātmanas te 'pi guṇān vimātuṃ hitāvatīrṇasya ka īśire 'sya | kālena yair vā vimitāḥ su-kalpair bhū-pāṃśavaḥ khe mihikā dyu-bhāsaḥ || 7 ||

MeaningWho can measure the transcendental qualities of You, who, though the master of all qualities, have descended for the welfare of all? Indeed one might, in the course of time, count all the atoms of the earth, the snowflakes in the sky, or the particles of starlight — but never Your glories.

Verse 8#

tat te 'nukampāṃ su-samīkṣamāṇo

तत्तेऽनुकम्पां सुसमीक्षमाणो भुञ्जान एवात्मकृतं विपाकम् हृद्वाग्वपुर्भिर्विदधन्नमस्ते जीवेत यो मुक्तिपदे दायभाक्

tat te 'nukampāṃ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṃ vipākam | hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk || 8 ||

MeaningThat person who, earnestly awaiting Your causeless mercy, patiently suffers the reactions of his own past deeds while offering obeisances to You with his heart, words and body — and thus lives — is surely the rightful heir to the kingdom of liberation.

Word-by-Word Breakdown

श्रीब्रह्मोवाच
śrī-brahmovāca
Lord Brahma said
नौमि ईड्य ते
naumi īḍya te
I offer praise unto You, O worshipable one
अभ्रवपुषे
abhra-vapuṣe
unto Him whose body is dark like a rain-cloud
तडिदम्बराय
taḍid-ambarāya
whose garment is brilliant like lightning
गुञ्जावतंसपरिपिच्छलसन्मुखाय
guñjāvataṃsa-paripiccha-lasan-mukhāya
whose face shines with guñjā-berry earrings and a peacock feather
वन्यस्रजे
vanya-sraje
wearing a garland of forest flowers
कवलवेत्रविषाणवेणु
kavala-vetra-viṣāṇa-veṇu
a morsel of food, a herding stick, a buffalo-horn bugle and a flute
मृदुपदे पशुपाङ्गजाय
mṛdu-pade paśupāṅgajāya
soft-footed, unto the son of the cowherd king (Nanda)
स्वेच्छामयस्य न तु भूतमयस्य
svecchā-mayasya na tu bhūta-mayasya
(this body) made of Your own will, not of material elements
आत्मसुखानुभूतेः
ātma-sukhānubhūteḥ
of Your self-blissful experience
ज्ञाने प्रयासमुदपास्य
jñāne prayāsam udapāsya
giving up the (speculative) endeavour for knowledge
नमन्त एव
namanta eva
simply offering obeisances
सन्मुखरितां भवदीयवार्ताम्
san-mukharitāṃ bhavadīya-vārtām
living by hearing the topics of You spoken by saints
स्थाने स्थिताः
sthāne sthitāḥ
remaining in their own situation (status)
अजित जितोऽप्यसि
ajita jito 'py asi
O unconquerable one, You are (yet) conquered (by such devotees)
श्रेयःसृतिं भक्तिमुदस्य
śreyaḥ-sṛtiṃ bhaktim udasya
rejecting devotion, the path of true blessedness
केवलबोधलब्धये
kevala-bodha-labdhaye
for the attainment of mere (impersonal) knowledge
क्लेशल एव शिष्यते
kleśala eva śiṣyate
only trouble remains as their reward
स्थूलतुषावघातिनाम्
sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām
like those who thresh empty husks of grain
भूमन्
bhūman
O all-pervading, unlimited Lord
गुणात्मनः
guṇātmanaḥ
of You, the controller of the modes / possessor of transcendental qualities
तत्तेऽनुकम्पां सुसमीक्षमाणः
tat te 'nukampāṃ su-samīkṣamāṇaḥ
earnestly looking for Your mercy
भुञ्जान एवात्मकृतं विपाकम्
bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṃ vipākam
while patiently suffering the results of his own past deeds
हृद्वाग्वपुर्भिर्विदधन्नमस्ते
hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
offering obeisances to You with heart, words and body
मुक्तिपदे स दायभाक्
mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk
he is the rightful heir to the abode of liberation

Origin & History

Source: Srimad Bhagavata Purana, Canto 10, Chapter 14, verses 1–8 (Brahma-stuti, opening verses of Brahma's prayers to Lord Krishna)

Author: Sage Veda-Vyasa (as spoken by Lord Brahma)

Period: Classical Puranic era

While Krishna was enjoying His childhood pastimes as a cowherd in Vrindavana, Lord Brahma, curious to test the divinity of the boy, used his mystic power to steal away all of Krishna's calves and cowherd friends and concealed them. Unperturbed, Krishna personally expanded Himself into identical forms of every missing calf and boy, deceiving even their own mothers for an entire year. When Brahma returned and saw both his hidden charges and Krishna's self-manifested duplicates — and then a vision of countless four-armed Vishnu forms being worshipped — he was utterly humbled. Descending from his swan-carrier, the creator bowed at the feet of the cowherd boy and poured out this prayer, of which these opening verses are the most cherished.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Brahma Stuti?
The Brahma Stuti is the prayer offered by Lord Brahma to Lord Krishna in Vrindavana, found in the Srimad Bhagavata Purana (Canto 10, Chapter 14). This entry presents its celebrated opening verses (10.14.1 to 8), beginning 'naumidya te 'bhra-vapuṣe,' which glorify Krishna's beauty and the supreme path of devotion.
Why did Lord Brahma offer this prayer?
To test whether the cowherd boy was truly the Supreme Lord, Brahma stole Krishna's calves and friends and hid them. Krishna expanded Himself into exact replicas of all of them for a full year. When Brahma realized his folly and beheld the Lord's power, he fell at Krishna's feet and offered this humble prayer of glorification.
What is the famous teaching of verse 10.14.3?
It teaches that one who gives up the strain of mental speculation and instead simply bows down, lives by hearing Krishna's glories from saints, and surrenders through body, mind and words — such a devotee, though remaining in his own situation, conquers even the unconquerable Lord. It is a foundational verse on the supremacy of devotional hearing (shravana) and surrender.
What does verse 10.14.8 promise?
It declares that one who patiently endures the reactions of his own past deeds as the Lord's arrangement, all the while earnestly hoping for His mercy and offering obeisances with heart, words and body, becomes the rightful heir (daya-bhak) to liberation. It is among the most beloved verses on surrender in all Vaishnava literature.

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