vishnuvasudevakrishnamadhva

Dwadasa Stotra

Dwadasa Stotra in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Daily at dawn or during food offering (naivedya); especially auspicious before meals and during Vishnu worship·📜 Dwadasa Stotra (Madhva / Dvaita Vedanta tradition)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

The Dwadasa Stotra ('Twelve Hymns') is a beloved devotional composition by Sri Madhvacharya (Ananda Tirtha), the founder of the Dvaita school of Vedanta. Traditionally sung during the offering of food (naivedya) to Lord Krishna at Udupi, its melodious verses extol Vishnu-Vasudeva as the supreme, blissful, all-pervading Lord and the bestower of liberation. The hymns combine deep philosophical truth with tender devotion and are recited daily across the Madhva tradition.

Origin & Story

Dwadasa Stotra (Madhva / Dvaita Vedanta tradition) · Sri Madhvacharya (Ananda Tirtha) · 13th century CE

Sri Madhvacharya composed the Dwadasa Stotra after installing the sacred image of Lord Krishna at Udupi. Tradition relates that he received the murti — said to have been worshipped long ago by Rukmini — and consecrated it for daily worship. He sang these twelve hymns at the time of offering food to the Lord, blending profound philosophy with heartfelt devotion, and they have remained central to Madhva worship ever since.

✦ As told in scripture

Tradition recounts that Sri Madhvacharya retrieved the image of Bala Krishna from a ball of sacred clay (gopichandana) carried by a ship he had saved from a storm, and installed it at Udupi; it is believed that the Dwadasa Stotra, sung at the daily food offering, draws the living presence of the Lord, and devotees recount the deity once turning to grant darshan to the humble saint Kanaka Dasa.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

Vande vandyaṁ sadānandaṁ vāsudevaṁ nirañjanam। Indirā-pati-mādya-ādi-varada-iṣṭa-vara-pradam॥

Meaning:I bow to Vasudeva — the one worthy of all worship, ever-blissful, stainless and pure, the Lord of Indira (Lakshmi), the foremost giver of boons, who grants every cherished blessing.

Verse 2

Namāmi nikhila-ādhāra-durita-agha-ogha-nāśanam। Paramānanda-tīrtha-uktaṁ hari-pādābja-ṣaṭpadam॥

Meaning:I salute the Lord who is the support of all, the destroyer of the flood of sins and evils — He who is praised by Ananda Tirtha (Madhvacharya), the bee humming at the lotus-feet of Hari.

Verse 3

Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-saṁhāra-kartāraṁ viśva-tomukham। Sarva-jñaṁ sarva-śaktiṁ taṁ namāmi śriya-pati harim॥

Meaning:I bow to that Hari, consort of Sri — the doer of creation, preservation and dissolution, whose presence faces every direction, the all-knowing and all-powerful Lord.

Verse 4

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya॥

Meaning:Om — salutations to Lord Vasudeva.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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vande🔊I bow, I worship, I offer salutations

vandyam🔊the one worthy of all worship and adoration

sadānandam🔊the ever-blissful one, of eternal joy

vāsudevam🔊Vasudeva, the indwelling Supreme Lord (Krishna / Vishnu)

nirañjanam🔊the stainless, the pure, free from all blemish

indirā-patim🔊the consort (Lord) of Indira (Lakshmi)

iṣṭa-vara-pradam🔊the bestower of cherished boons / desired blessings

namāmi🔊I bow down, I salute

nikhila-ādhāram🔊the support / substratum of all that exists

durita-agha-ogha-nāśanam🔊the destroyer of the flood of sins and evils

paramānanda-tīrtha-uktam🔊praised / declared by (Ananda Tirtha) Madhvacharya

hari-pāda-abja-ṣaṭpadam🔊(Madhva) the bee at the lotus-feet of Hari

sṛṣṭi-sthiti-saṁhāra-kartāram🔊the doer of creation, preservation and dissolution

viśva-tomukham🔊the one whose faces are turned everywhere (all-pervading)

sarva-jñam🔊the all-knowing, omniscient one

sarva-śaktim🔊the all-powerful, omnipotent one

śriya-patim🔊the Lord (consort) of Sri (Lakshmi)

harim🔊Hari, the remover of sins and sorrows (Vishnu)

vāsudevāya namaḥ🔊salutations to Lord Vasudeva

Benefits of Chanting Dwadasa Stotra

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Invokes the grace of Vishnu-Vasudeva, the bestower of all cherished boons

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Traditionally sung during naivedya (food offering) to invoke the Lord's presence

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Cultivates devotion combined with right knowledge (jnana) of the Supreme

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Believed to destroy the accumulated burden of sins and inner impurities

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Brings peace, contentment and steadiness of mind through divine remembrance

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Leads the devotee toward liberation through surrender to Hari

How to Chant Dwadasa Stotra

Repetitions1times

Best TimeDaily at dawn or during food offering (naivedya); especially auspicious before meals and during Vishnu worship

Recite or sing with devotion and a calm, grateful mind, ideally before an image of Krishna or Vishnu. The complete work comprises twelve stotras of melodious verses; in the Madhva tradition they are chanted during the offering of food to the Lord. Begin as given here with 'Vande vandyam'. Singing with the traditional tunes deepens the mood; conclude with salutations to Vasudeva. Cleanliness and a spirit of surrender enhance the practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Dwadasa Stotra 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.

The Dwadasa Stotra was composed by Sri Madhvacharya, also known as Ananda Tirtha or Purnaprajna (13th century CE), the founder of the Dvaita (Tattvavada) school of Vedanta.

'Dwadasa' means twelve, so Dwadasa Stotra means 'the Twelve Hymns' — a set of twelve devotional poems in praise of Lord Vishnu-Vasudeva.

It is traditionally sung in Madhva temples — especially at Udupi — during the naivedya, the ceremonial offering of food to Lord Krishna, and is also recited daily by devotees as a part of their worship.

Sri Madhvacharya established the worship of Lord Krishna at Udupi, where the deity he installed is offered food daily. By tradition the Dwadasa Stotra is sung at that offering, linking the hymn intimately with Udupi Krishna.