ayyappashastadharma-shastahariharaputra

ධර්මශාස්තා ස්තෝත්රම් (ලෝකවීරං මහාපූජ්යම්)

Dharma Shasta Stotram (Loka Veeram Mahapoojyam) in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 Daily morning and evening; especially during the Mandala-Makaravilakku season (November–January) and the 41-day Ayyappa vratam·📜 Traditional Ayyappa / Sri Dharma Shasta Namaskara Slokam

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Traditional Ayyappa / Sri Dharma Shasta Namaskara Slokam · Traditional

The Dharma Shasta Stotram, universally known by its opening words 'Loka Veeram Mahapoojyam', is the most widely recited prayer of salutation to Lord Ayyappa, the deity of Sabarimala. 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, and as Bhutanatha, the lord of all beings. In five verses the hymn salutes him as the world's hero, protector of all, remover of obstacles, destroyer of enemies and lord of Kerala, each verse sealed with the bow 'Shastaram Pranamamyaham'. It is chanted daily by his devotees and resounds throughout the Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season with the cry 'Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa'.

✦ As told in scripture

Ayyappa devotees hold that this prayer of prostration, recited with faith through the 41-day vratam, draws the Lord's protecting grace upon the household — scattering enemies and obstacles as Shasta once subdued the demoness Mahishi, and carrying the pilgrim safely to his darshan upon the eighteen sacred steps of Sabarimala.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

ලෝකවීරං මහාපූජ්යං සර්වරක්ෂාකරං විභුම් . පාර්වතීහෘදයානන්දං ශාස්තාරං ප්රණමාම්යහම් .. 1..

lokavīraṃ mahāpūjyaṃ sarvarakṣākaraṃ vibhum | pārvatīhṛdayānandaṃ śāstāraṃ praṇamāmyaham || 1||

Meaning:I bow to Shasta — the hero of the world, supremely worthy of worship, the all-pervading Lord who protects all beings, the very joy of Parvati's heart.

Verse 2

විප්රපූජ්යං විශ්වවන්ද්යං විෂ්ණුශම්භෝඃ ප්රියං සුතම් . ක්ෂිප්රප්රසාදනිරතං ශාස්තාරං ප්රණමාම්යහම් .. 2..

viprapūjyaṃ viśvavandyaṃ viṣṇuśambhoḥ priyaṃ sutam | kṣipraprasādaniratam śāstāraṃ praṇamāmyaham || 2||

Meaning:I bow to Shasta — worshipped by the brahmanas, venerated by the whole universe, the beloved son of Vishnu and Shiva (Hariharaputra), ever ready to grant his grace swiftly.

Verse 3

මත්තමාතඞ්ගගමනං කාරුණ්යාමෘතපූරිතම් . සර්වවිඝ්නහරං දේවං ශාස්තාරං ප්රණමාම්යහම් .. 3..

mattamātaṅgagamanaṃ kāruṇyāmṛtapūritam | sarvavighnaharaṃ devaṃ śāstāraṃ praṇamāmyaham || 3||

Meaning:I bow to Shasta — who moves with the majestic gait of a rutting elephant, brimming with the nectar of compassion, the God who removes every obstacle.

Verse 4

අස්මත්කුලේශ්වරං දේවං අස්මච්ඡත්රුවිනාශනම් . අස්මදිෂ්ටප්රදාතාරං ශාස්තාරං ප්රණමාම්යහම් .. 4..

asmatkuleśvaraṃ devaṃ asmacchatruvināśanam | asmadiṣṭapradātāraṃ śāstāraṃ praṇamāmyaham || 4||

Meaning:I bow to Shasta — the lord of our family lineage, the destroyer of our enemies, the giver of all that we desire.

Verse 5

පාණ්ඩ්යවංශසමුද්භූතං දේවං කේරලනායකම් . භූතනාථං සදානන්දං ශාස්තාරං ප්රණමාම්යහම් .. 5..

pāṇḍyavaṃśasamudbhūtaṃ devaṃ keralanāyakam | bhūtanāthaṃ sadānandaṃ śāstāraṃ praṇamāmyaham || 5||

Meaning:I bow to Shasta — who arose in the Pandya line, the lord of Kerala, Bhutanatha the lord of all beings, ever-blissful.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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ලෝකවීරං🔊loka-vīraṃthe hero of the world, valiant lord of all

මහාපූජ්යං🔊mahā-pūjyaṃthe greatly worshipful one, supremely worthy of worship

සර්වරක්ෂාකරං🔊sarva-rakṣā-karaṃthe giver of protection to all, who guards every being

විභුම්🔊vibhumthe all-pervading, mighty Lord

පාර්වතීහෘදයානන්දං🔊pārvatī-hṛdayānandaṃthe joy of Parvati's heart (cherished by the Mother Goddess)

ශාස්තාරං ප්රණමාම්යහම්🔊śāstāraṃ praṇamāmyahamI bow to Shasta (Ayyappa, the Lord and ruler) — the refrain of every verse

විප්රපූජ්යං🔊vipra-pūjyaṃworshipped by the brahmanas

විශ්වවන්ද්යං🔊viśva-vandyaṃvenerated by the whole universe

විෂ්ණුශම්භෝඃ ප්රියං සුතම්🔊viṣṇu-śambhoḥ priyaṃ sutamthe beloved son of Vishnu and Shambhu (Shiva) — Hariharaputra

ක්ෂිප්රප්රසාදනිරතං🔊kṣipra-prasāda-niratamever ready to bestow his grace swiftly

මත්තමාතඞ්ගගමනං🔊matta-mātaṅga-gamanaṃwho moves with the majestic gait of a rutting elephant

කාරුණ්යාමෘතපූරිතම්🔊kāruṇyāmṛta-pūritambrimming with the nectar of compassion

සර්වවිඝ්නහරං🔊sarva-vighna-haraṃthe remover of all obstacles

අස්මත්කුලේශ්වරං🔊asmat-kuleśvaraṃthe lord (presiding deity) of our family lineage

අස්මච්ඡත්රුවිනාශනම්🔊asmat-śatru-vināśanamthe destroyer of our enemies

අස්මදිෂ්ටප්රදාතාරං🔊asmat-iṣṭa-pradātāraṃthe giver of what we cherish and desire

පාණ්ඩ්යවංශසමුද්භූතං🔊pāṇḍya-vaṃśa-samudbhūtaṃwho arose (was raised) in the Pandya lineage

කේරලනායකම්🔊kerala-nāyakamthe lord and leader of Kerala

භූතනාථං සදානන්දං🔊bhūta-nāthaṃ sadānandaṃthe lord of all beings (Bhutanatha), ever-blissful

Benefits of Chanting Dharma Shasta Stotram (Loka Veeram Mahapoojyam)

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The principal Namaskara Slokam (prayer of prostration) to Lord Ayyappa / Sri Dharma Shasta — a complete daily prayer in five verses

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Each verse offers a bow to the Lord and closes with 'Shastaram Pranamamyaham', 'I bow to Shasta'

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Adores Ayyappa as Hariharaputra, son of Vishnu and Shiva, protector of all, remover of every obstacle

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Invoked for protection, the destruction of enemies, and the swift fulfilment of cherished desires

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Recited daily by Ayyappa devotees and central to the Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage to Sabarimala

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Cultivates surrender, courage and devotion, fitting the discipline of the 41-day Ayyappa vratam

How to Chant Dharma Shasta Stotram (Loka Veeram Mahapoojyam)

Repetitions3times

Best TimeDaily morning and evening; especially during the Mandala-Makaravilakku season (November–January) and the 41-day Ayyappa vratam

Bathe and sit before an image of Lord Ayyappa, ideally after lighting a lamp. Recite the five verses with the refrain 'Shastaram Pranamamyaham', bowing at each. Devotees observing the Ayyappa vratam chant it morning and evening, often followed by 'Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa'. It is a prayer of prostration, so recite it slowly and reverently, prostrating before the Lord.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Dharma Shasta Stotram (Loka Veeram Mahapoojyam) written in the Sinhala 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 is the Namaskara Slokam (prayer of prostration) to Lord Ayyappa, also called Sri Dharma Shasta of Sabarimala. Famous by its opening line 'Loka Veeram Mahapoojyam', each verse bows to the Lord and ends with the refrain 'Shastaram Pranamamyaham' — 'I bow to Shasta'.

Dharma Shasta — worshipped as Ayyappa, Hariharaputra, Manikanta and Bhutanatha — is revered as the son of Vishnu (in the form of Mohini) and Shiva. The presiding deity of the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, he embodies dharma, protection and compassion, and is raised in the Pandya royal line as Manikanta.

It is recited daily by Ayyappa devotees, and especially during the Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season and the 41-day Ayyappa vratam, when devotees observe austerity before the journey to Sabarimala. It is often chanted alongside 'Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa'.

It means 'I bow (pranamami) to Shasta'. 'Shasta' means 'the ruler, the one who instructs and governs' — a name of Ayyappa as the Lord of dharma. The refrain makes the hymn an unbroken offering of prostration to him.