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Chatu Shloki

Chatu Shloki in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 4× repetitions·🕐 Morning, especially on Fridays and during Lakshmi worship; daily before household aradhana·📜 Chatuh Shloki (a stuti of four verses in praise of Lakshmi)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

The Chatu Shloki ('Four Verses') is a short, profound hymn to Goddess Lakshmi composed by the great Sri Vaishnava acharya Yamunacharya (Alavandar). In just four stanzas it declares Lakshmi's supreme glory, her inseparable union with Vishnu, her boundless compassion as the universal mother, and her role as the intercessor whose grace alone leads beings to every good. It is among the foundational stotras of the Sri Vaishnava tradition.

Origin & Story

Chatuh Shloki (a stuti of four verses in praise of Lakshmi) · Yamunacharya (Alavandar) · c. 10th-11th century CE

Yamunacharya, revered as Alavandar, was a Sri Vaishnava acharya, philosopher and grandson of Nathamuni, and the spiritual grand-preceptor of Ramanuja. Tradition relates that overcome with devotion before the Lord at Srirangam, he composed this brief hymn of four verses solely in praise of Goddess Lakshmi (Sri), affirming her supreme glory and her role as the merciful intercessor (purushakara) between the soul and the Supreme Lord. It became one of the cornerstone hymns of the tradition, recited alongside his larger Stotra Ratna.

✦ As told in scripture

Tradition holds that it was the brilliance of the young Yamuna in a royal debate that first 'won him the land' and the title Alavandar ('one who came to rule'); later, renouncing the kingdom for God, the devotion that poured from him as the Chatu Shloki and Stotra Ratna is said to have so moved Ramanuja that, though the two never met in life, Ramanuja vowed to fulfil Alavandar's unspoken wishes and carried his teachings to the world.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

kāntaste puruṣottamaḥ phaṇipatiḥ śayyāsanaṃ vāhanaṃ vedātmā vihageśvaro yavanikā māyā jaganmohinī | brahmeśādisuravrajaḥ sadayitastvaddāsadāsīgaṇaḥ śrīrityeva ca nāma te bhagavati brūmaḥ kathaṃ tvāṃ vayam || 1 ||

Meaning:O Goddess! Your consort is Purushottama, the Supreme Person; the king of serpents Adishesha is Your couch and throne; Garuda, embodiment of the Vedas, is Your vehicle; Maya the world-enchantress is Your veil; the gods led by Brahma and Shiva, together with their consorts, form Your retinue of servants and maids; and Your very name is 'Sri.' How then can we ever describe You?

Verse 2

yasyāste mahimānamātmana iva tvadvallabho'pi prabhur nālaṃ mātumiyattayā niravadhiṃ nityānukūlaṃ svataḥ | tāṃ tvāṃ dāsa iti prapanna iti ca stoṣyāmyahaṃ nirbhayo lokaikeśvari lokanāthadayite dānte dayāṃ te vidan || 2 ||

Meaning:Even Your beloved Lord, the all-powerful one, cannot fully measure Your greatness — limitless and eternally gracious — any more than He can measure His own. Knowing the mercy that You, the consort of the Lord of all worlds, bestow even upon those who restrain their senses, I shall fearlessly praise You as Your servant and as one surrendered to You, O sole Sovereign of the worlds!

Verse 3

īṣattvatkaruṇānirīkṣaṇasudhāsandhukṣaṇādrakṣyate naṣṭaṃ prāktadalābhatastribhuvanaṃ sampratyanantodayam | śreyo na hyaravindalocanamanaḥkāntāprasādādṛte saṃsṛtyakṣaravaiṣṇavādhvasu nṛṇāṃ sambhāvyate karhicit || 3 ||

Meaning:Kindled by even a drop of the nectar of Your slightly compassionate glance, the three worlds — which had perished for want of it — are now protected and enjoy boundless prosperity. Indeed, without the grace of Her who is the beloved of the heart of the lotus-eyed Lord, no good can ever come to beings upon the paths of worldly life, of liberation (kaivalya), or of devoted Vaishnava service.

Verse 4

śāntānantamahāvibhūti paramaṃ yadbrahma rūpaṃ harer mūrtaṃ brahma tato'pi tatpriyataraṃ rūpaṃ yadatyadbhutam | yānyanyāni yathāsukhaṃ viharato rūpāṇi sarvāṇi tāny āhuḥ svairanurūparūpavibhavairgāḍhopagūḍhāni te || 4 ||

Meaning:The supreme, serene, infinite, all-glorious Brahman-form of Hari; the embodied Brahman (His most wondrous divine form), dearer even than that; and all the other forms He freely assumes for His divine play — all of these, the sages declare, are intimately and inseparably embraced by You, with glories befitting each of His forms.

Word-by-Word Meaning

Click any word to hear its pronunciation

kāntaḥ te🔊Your beloved consort (is)

puruṣottamaḥ🔊Purushottama, the Supreme Person (Vishnu/Narayana)

phaṇipatiḥ śayyāsanam🔊the lord of serpents (Adishesha) is Your couch and seat

vedātmā vihageśvaraḥ vāhanam🔊the king of birds (Garuda), embodiment of the Vedas, is Your vehicle

yavanikā māyā jaganmohinī🔊Maya, the enchantress of the worlds, is Your curtain (veil)

brahmeśādisuravrajaḥ🔊the host of gods led by Brahma and Shiva

sadayitaḥ tvaddāsadāsīgaṇaḥ🔊together with their consorts are Your throng of servants and maids

śrīḥ iti eva ca nāma te🔊and Your very name is 'Sri' (the auspicious one)

bhagavati brūmaḥ kathaṃ tvāṃ vayam🔊O Goddess, how can we (ever adequately) describe You?

yasyāḥ te mahimānam🔊Your glory, which

tvadvallabhaḥ api prabhuḥ🔊even Your beloved Lord (Vishnu) himself

na alaṃ mātum🔊is not able to measure (fully)

niravadhim nityānukūlam🔊limitless and eternally favourable (to all)

dāsaḥ iti prapannaḥ iti🔊as 'I am Your servant' and 'I have surrendered'

stoṣyāmi aham nirbhayaḥ🔊I shall praise You, fearless

lokaikeśvari🔊O sole Mistress of the worlds

īṣat tvatkaruṇānirīkṣaṇa🔊by even a slight glance of Your compassion

sudhāsandhukṣaṇāt rakṣyate🔊kindled by that nectar, (the world) is protected

aravindalocanamanaḥkāntā🔊the beloved of the heart of the lotus-eyed Lord (Lakshmi)

prasādāt ṛte🔊without Her grace

śāntānantamahāvibhūti🔊O You of serene, infinite, great glory

paramam yat brahma rūpam hareḥ🔊the supreme Brahman-form of Hari (the formless absolute)

mūrtam brahma tatpriyataram🔊the embodied Brahman (His divine form), dearer still

rūpāṇi sarvāṇi te gāḍhopagūḍhāni🔊all His forms are intimately pervaded (inseparably embraced) by You

Benefits of Chanting Chatu Shloki

✦

Invokes the grace of Goddess Lakshmi, the divine Mother and bestower of all auspiciousness

✦

Considered a supreme prayer for spiritual prosperity, since Lakshmi's glance grants every good of this world and the next

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Cultivates the Sri Vaishnava spirit of surrender (prapatti) through the Mother who intercedes with the Lord

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Establishes the inseparable unity of Lakshmi and Narayana (Sri-Lakshmi-Narayana) in the heart of the devotee

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Recited for both material well-being and the higher goal of devoted service (kainkarya)

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A short hymn of only four verses, easy to memorise and recite daily with devotion

How to Chant Chatu Shloki

Repetitions4times

Best TimeMorning, especially on Fridays and during Lakshmi worship; daily before household aradhana

Bathe and sit facing east before an image of Lakshmi-Narayana. Light a lamp, offer a flower or tulsi, and recite the four verses slowly with understanding of their meaning, dwelling on Lakshmi as the compassionate Mother and intercessor. Many Sri Vaishnavas recite the Chatu Shloki along with the Stotra Ratna of the same author. Conclude by praying for her grace upon yourself and all beings.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Chatu Shloki written in the English script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

It was composed by Sri Yamunacharya, also known as Alavandar (c. 916-1041 CE), one of the foremost early acharyas of the Sri Vaishnava tradition and the grand-preceptor in the lineage of Ramanuja. Tradition holds he composed it at the temple of Lord Ranganatha at Srirangam.

'Chatuh-shloki' literally means 'four verses' (chatuh = four, shloki = verses). The hymn praises Goddess Lakshmi in exactly four stanzas, each highlighting a different aspect of her glory, mercy and inseparable union with Vishnu.

It establishes the supreme status of Lakshmi (Sri) as the consort and inseparable power of Vishnu, and as the merciful Mother (purushakara) whose grace mediates between the devotee and the Lord. The fourth verse teaches that Lakshmi is intimately present in every form the Lord assumes.

Yes. Though cherished especially in the Sri Vaishnava tradition and recited before daily worship, anyone may recite these four verses with devotion to seek the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Narayana.