Hastamalakiyam (Hastamalaka Stotram) Meaning — Line by Line
हस्तामलकीयम् (हस्तामलकस्तोत्रम्)
Every verse and every word explained in English & Hindi
Meaning — Line by Line
Every verse of Hastamalakiyam (Hastamalaka Stotram) with its English meaning. Tap any word to hear it, or ▶ to recite the verse.
Jump to a verse ▾
- Verse 1. kastvaṃ śiśo kasya kuto'si gantā
- Verse 2. nāhaṃ manuṣyo na ca deva-yakṣau
- Verse 3. nimittaṃ manaś-cakṣur-ādi-pravṛttau
- Verse 4. yam agny-uṣṇavan nitya-bodha-svarūpaṃ
- Verse 5. mukhābhāsako darpaṇe dṛśyamāno
- Verse 6. yathā darpaṇābhāva ābhāsa-hānau
- Verse 7. manaś-cakṣur-āder viyuktaḥ svayaṃ yo
- Verse 8. ya eko vibhāti svataḥ śuddha-cetāḥ
- Verse 9. yathāneka-cakṣuḥ-prakāśo ravir na
- Verse 10. vivasvat-prabhātaṃ yathā rūpam akṣaṃ
- Verse 11. yathā sūrya eko'psv aneka-ścalāsu
- Verse 12. ghana-cchanna-dṛṣṭir ghana-cchannam arkaṃ
- Verse 13. samasteṣu vastuṣv anusyūtam ekaṃ
- Verse 14. upādhau yathā bhedatā san-maṇīnāṃ
kastvaṃ śiśo kasya kuto'si gantā
कस्त्वं शिशो कस्य कुतोऽसि गन्ता किं नाम ते त्वं कुत आगतोऽसि। एतन्मयोक्तं वद चार्भक त्वं मत्प्रीतये प्रीतिविवर्धनोऽसि॥१॥
kastvaṃ śiśo kasya kuto'si gantā kiṃ nāma te tvaṃ kuta āgato'si | etan mayoktaṃ vada cārbhaka tvaṃ mat-prītaye prīti-vivardhano'si ||1||
Meaning(Shankara asks:) Who are you, O child? Whose are you? Where are you going? What is your name, and from where have you come? Tell me all this, dear boy — you delight me, you swell my affection.
nāhaṃ manuṣyo na ca deva-yakṣau
नाहं मनुष्यो न च देवयक्षौ न ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियवैश्यशूद्राः। न ब्रह्मचारी न गृही वनस्थो भिक्षुर्न चाहं निजबोधरूपः॥२॥
nāhaṃ manuṣyo na ca deva-yakṣau na brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya-vaiśya-śūdrāḥ | na brahmacārī na gṛhī vanastho bhikṣur na cāhaṃ nija-bodha-rūpaḥ ||2||
Meaning(The boy replies:) I am not a man, nor a god or yaksha; not a brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya or shudra; neither a celibate student, householder, forest-hermit nor mendicant — I am of the nature of pure Self-knowledge itself.
nimittaṃ manaś-cakṣur-ādi-pravṛttau
निमित्तं मनश्चक्षुरादिप्रवृत्तौ निरस्ताखिलोपाधिराकाशकल्पः। रविर्लोकचेष्टानिमित्तं यथा यः स नित्योपलब्धिस्वरूपोऽहमात्मा॥३॥
nimittaṃ manaś-cakṣur-ādi-pravṛttau nirastākhilopādhir ākāśa-kalpaḥ | ravir loka-ceṣṭā-nimittaṃ yathā yaḥ sa nityopalabdhi-svarūpo'ham ātmā ||3||
MeaningThe cause behind the working of the mind, eyes and the other senses, yet free of every limiting condition and subtle as space — like the sun that is the impartial cause of all activity in the world — that Self, whose very nature is eternal awareness, am I.
yam agny-uṣṇavan nitya-bodha-svarūpaṃ
यमग्न्युष्णवन्नित्यबोधस्वरूपं मनश्चक्षुरादीन्यबोधात्मकानि। प्रवर्तन्त आश्रित्य निष्कम्पमेकं स नित्योपलब्धिस्वरूपोऽहमात्मा॥४॥
yam agny-uṣṇavan nitya-bodha-svarūpaṃ manaś-cakṣur-ādīny abodhātmakāni | pravartanta āśritya niṣkampam ekaṃ sa nityopalabdhi-svarūpo'ham ātmā ||4||
MeaningThat one, motionless reality, of the nature of eternal consciousness as heat is inseparable from fire, depending upon which the mind, eyes and senses — themselves insentient — carry out their functions — that Self, whose nature is eternal awareness, am I.
mukhābhāsako darpaṇe dṛśyamāno
मुखाभासको दर्पणे दृश्यमानो मुखत्वात्पृथक्त्वेन नैवास्ति वस्तु। चिदाभासको धीषु जीवोऽपि तद्वत् स नित्योपलब्धिस्वरूपोऽहमात्मा॥५॥
mukhābhāsako darpaṇe dṛśyamāno mukhatvāt pṛthaktvena naivāsti vastu | cid-ābhāsako dhīṣu jīvo'pi tadvat sa nityopalabdhi-svarūpo'ham ātmā ||5||
MeaningThe image of a face seen in a mirror has no real existence apart from the face itself; just so the individual soul is only the reflection of Consciousness in the intellect — that Self, whose nature is eternal awareness, am I.
yathā darpaṇābhāva ābhāsa-hānau
यथा दर्पणाभाव आभासहानौ मुखं विद्यते कल्पनाहीनमेकम्। तथा धीवियोगे निराभासको यः स नित्योपलब्धिस्वरूपोऽहमात्मा॥६॥
yathā darpaṇābhāva ābhāsa-hānau mukhaṃ vidyate kalpanā-hīnam ekam | tathā dhī-viyoge nirābhāsako yaḥ sa nityopalabdhi-svarūpo'ham ātmā ||6||
MeaningAs, when the mirror is absent and the reflection ceases, the one face still remains free of all imagining, so the reality that remains without any reflection when the intellect is withdrawn — that Self, whose nature is eternal awareness, am I.
manaś-cakṣur-āder viyuktaḥ svayaṃ yo
मनश्चक्षुरादेर्वियुक्तः स्वयं यो मनश्चक्षुरादेर्मनश्चक्षुरादिः। मनश्चक्षुरादेरगम्यस्वरूपः स नित्योपलब्धिस्वरूपोऽहमात्मा॥७॥
manaś-cakṣur-āder viyuktaḥ svayaṃ yo manaś-cakṣur-āder manaś-cakṣur-ādiḥ | manaś-cakṣur-āder agamya-svarūpaḥ sa nityopalabdhi-svarūpo'ham ātmā ||7||
MeaningThat which is itself ever apart from the mind, eyes and senses, yet is the very mind of the mind and eye of the eye, whose true nature the mind and senses can never reach — that Self, whose nature is eternal awareness, am I.
ya eko vibhāti svataḥ śuddha-cetāḥ
य एको विभाति स्वतः शुद्धचेताः प्रकाशस्वरूपोऽपि नानेव धीषु। शरावोदकस्थो यथा भानुरेकः स नित्योपलब्धिस्वरूपोऽहमात्मा॥८॥
ya eko vibhāti svataḥ śuddha-cetāḥ prakāśa-svarūpo'pi nāneva dhīṣu | śarāvodaka-stho yathā bhānur ekaḥ sa nityopalabdhi-svarūpo'ham ātmā ||8||
MeaningThe one who shines by his own light, pure consciousness, who though of one nature appears as many in the many intellects — as the one sun appears multiplied in many bowls of water — that Self, whose nature is eternal awareness, am I.
yathāneka-cakṣuḥ-prakāśo ravir na
यथानेकचक्षुःप्रकाशो रविर्न क्रमेण प्रकाशीकरोति प्रकाश्यम्। अनेका धियो यस्तथैकः प्रबोधः स नित्योपलब्धिस्वरूपोऽहमात्मा॥९॥
yathāneka-cakṣuḥ-prakāśo ravir na krameṇa prakāśī-karoti prakāśyam | anekā dhiyo yas tathaikaḥ prabodhaḥ sa nityopalabdhi-svarūpo'ham ātmā ||9||
MeaningAs the sun, the light of countless eyes, does not illumine objects one after another but reveals all at once, so the one awareness illumines the many intellects together — that Self, whose nature is eternal awareness, am I.
vivasvat-prabhātaṃ yathā rūpam akṣaṃ
विवस्वत्प्रभातं यथा रूपमक्षं प्रगृह्णाति नाभातमेवं विवस्वान्। यदाभात आभासयत्यक्षमेकः स नित्योपलब्धिस्वरूपोऽहमात्मा॥१०॥
vivasvat-prabhātaṃ yathā rūpam akṣaṃ pragṛhṇāti nābhātam evaṃ vivasvān | yad-ābhāta ābhāsayaty akṣam ekaḥ sa nityopalabdhi-svarūpo'ham ātmā ||10||
MeaningJust as the eye grasps a form lit by the sun but cannot grasp the sun that is not itself lit by another, so that one by whose shining the eye itself is made to function — that Self, whose nature is eternal awareness, am I.
yathā sūrya eko'psv aneka-ścalāsu
यथा सूर्य एकोऽप्स्वनेकश्चलासु स्थिरास्वप्यनन्यद्विभाव्यस्वरूपः। चलासु प्रभिन्नः सुधीष्वेक एव स नित्योपलब्धिस्वरूपोऽहमात्मा॥११॥
yathā sūrya eko'psv aneka-ścalāsu sthirāsv apy ananyad vibhāvya-svarūpaḥ | calāsu prabhinnaḥ sudhīṣv eka eva sa nityopalabdhi-svarūpo'ham ātmā ||11||
MeaningAs the one sun appears as many in rippling waters yet remains undivided in still waters, ever one in its real nature — appearing divided among restless intellects yet one in the wise — that Self, whose nature is eternal awareness, am I.
ghana-cchanna-dṛṣṭir ghana-cchannam arkaṃ
घनच्छन्नदृष्टिर्घनच्छन्नमर्कं यथा निष्प्रभं मन्यते चातिमूढः। तथा बद्धवद्भाति यो मूढदृष्टेः स नित्योपलब्धिस्वरूपोऽहमात्मा॥१२॥
ghana-cchanna-dṛṣṭir ghana-cchannam arkaṃ yathā niṣprabhaṃ manyate cātimūḍhaḥ | tathā baddhavad bhāti yo mūḍha-dṛṣṭeḥ sa nityopalabdhi-svarūpo'ham ātmā ||12||
MeaningAs a person whose sight is veiled by clouds thinks, in his folly, that the cloud-covered sun has lost its light, so to the deluded vision the ever-free Self appears as though bound — that Self, whose nature is eternal awareness, am I.
samasteṣu vastuṣv anusyūtam ekaṃ
समस्तेषु वस्तुष्वनुस्यूतमेकं समस्तानि वस्तूनि यन्न स्पृशन्ति। वियद्वत्सदा शुद्धमच्छस्वरूपं स नित्योपलब्धिस्वरूपोऽहमात्मा॥१३॥
samasteṣu vastuṣv anusyūtam ekaṃ samastāni vastūni yan na spṛśanti | viyadvat sadā śuddham accha-svarūpaṃ sa nityopalabdhi-svarūpo'ham ātmā ||13||
MeaningThe one consciousness threaded through all things, which no object can touch or taint, ever pure and clear like space itself — that Self, whose nature is eternal awareness, am I.
upādhau yathā bhedatā san-maṇīnāṃ
उपाधौ यथा भेदता सन्मणीनां तथा भेदता बुद्धिभेदेषु तेऽपि। यथा चन्द्रिकाणां जले चञ्चलत्वं तथा चञ्चलत्वं तवापीह विष्णो॥१४॥
upādhau yathā bhedatā san-maṇīnāṃ tathā bhedatā buddhi-bhedeṣu te'pi | yathā candrikāṇāṃ jale cañcalatvaṃ tathā cañcalatvaṃ tavāpīha viṣṇo ||14||
MeaningAs the apparent difference among genuine gems is due only to their settings, so the apparent difference (in You) is due only to the differing intellects; and as the reflected moonbeams seem to quiver only because of the moving water, so the seeming restlessness, O Lord, is but apparent in You.
Word-by-Word Breakdown
Origin & History
Source: Advaita stotra recorded by tradition; verses spoken by Hastamalakacharya, commentary by Adi Shankaracharya
Author: Hastamalakacharya (verses); Adi Shankaracharya (compiler and commentator)
Period: Classical (traditionally 8th century CE)
According to tradition, when Adi Shankaracharya was travelling he met a boy who, though appearing dull and silent to others, was in fact a great soul absorbed in the Self. When Shankara asked him 'Who are you, child? Where do you come from?', the boy responded with these twelve luminous verses declaring the Self as the eternal witness-consciousness, untouched by body, caste, ashrama or the senses. Shankara, recognizing his realization to be 'as clear as a fruit in the palm', named him Hastamalaka and made him one of his four chief disciples. So profound were the verses that Shankara wrote a commentary on them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Hastamalakiyam?▼
Why is it called 'Hastamalaka'?▼
What is the meaning of the refrain 'sa nityopalabdhi-svarupo'ham atma'?▼
Did Adi Shankaracharya write about this hymn?▼
Ready to start chanting?
See Benefits & How to Chant →