krishnavishnukuntibhagavata-purana

Kunti Stuti

Kunti Stuti in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Morning or evening; during Srimad Bhagavata study and on Ekadashi and Janmashtami·📜 Srimad Bhagavata Purana, Canto 1, Chapter 8 (Kunti-stuti)

Read in your language / script

हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

The Kunti Stuti is the celebrated prayer of Queen Kunti to Lord Krishna, found in the First Canto of the Srimad Bhagavata Purana (Chapter 8). As Krishna prepares to depart after the Mahabharata war, Kunti glorifies Him as the transcendental Supreme Person, hidden from ordinary sight by Maya, who repeatedly delivered her family from danger. In her most famous lines she boldly asks for calamities to recur, so that she may always remember Him, for remembering the Lord means freedom from the cycle of birth and death.

Origin & Story

Srimad Bhagavata Purana, Canto 1, Chapter 8 (Kunti-stuti) · Sage Veda-Vyasa (as spoken by Queen Kunti) · Classical Puranic era

After the great Mahabharata war, as Lord Krishna prepared to return to Dwaraka, Queen Kunti — the mother of the Pandavas — approached Him and poured out this prayer. Recalling how He had repeatedly delivered her and her sons from deadly perils (the poison, the house of lac, the assembly, the forest, and the brahmastra of Ashwatthama), she glorified Him as the transcendental Supreme Person, hidden from ordinary eyes by Maya. Her words, recorded by Veda-Vyasa in the Bhagavata, became one of the most beloved prayers of surrender in all of Vaishnava literature.

✦ As told in scripture

When Ashwatthama released the brahmastra to destroy the unborn child in Uttara's womb, Krishna entered the womb and shielded the baby (Parikshit) from the fiery weapon — one of the very deliverances Kunti recalls. Devotees hold that those who pray her words with sincerity gain the same shelter of the Lord, who protects His surrendered ones from every danger and from rebirth itself.

0all time

Complete Text with Meaning

Tap any line — or the ▶ button — to hear it recited

Verse 1

namasye puruṣaṃ tvādyam īśvaraṃ prakṛteḥ param | alakṣyaṃ sarva-bhūtānām antar bahir avasthitam ||

Meaning:I offer my obeisances unto You, the original Person, the Supreme Lord, who are transcendental to material nature, who exist within and without all beings, yet remain unseen by all.

Verse 2

māyā-javanikācchannam ajñādhokṣajam avyayam | na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā ||

Meaning:Covered by the curtain of Your deluding energy, O imperishable Adhokshaja, You are not perceived by foolish eyes, just as an actor in costume is not recognised by the audience.

Verse 3

tathā paramahaṃsānāṃ munīnām amalātmanām | bhakti-yoga-vidhānārthaṃ kathaṃ paśyema hi striyaḥ ||

Meaning:How then can we women perceive You, when even the great sages, the pure-hearted paramahamsas, behold You only by the practice of devotional service?

Verse 4

kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya devakī-nandanāya ca | nanda-gopa-kumārāya govindāya namo namaḥ ||

Meaning:Let me therefore offer my obeisances unto Krishna, the son of Vasudeva, the delight of Devaki, the child of the cowherd Nanda — unto Govinda, again and again.

Verse 5

namaḥ paṅkaja-nābhāya namaḥ paṅkaja-māline | namaḥ paṅkaja-netrāya namas te paṅkajāṅghraye ||

Meaning:Obeisances unto Him whose navel bears the lotus, who wears a garland of lotuses, whose eyes are like lotuses, and whose feet are marked with lotuses.

Verse 6

yathā hṛṣīkeśa khalena devakī kaṃsena ruddhāti-ciraṃ śucārpitā | vimocitāhaṃ ca sahātmajā vibho tvayaiva nāthena muhur vipad-gaṇāt ||

Meaning:O Hrishikesha, master of the senses and Lord of the universe! Just as You delivered Devaki, who was long imprisoned and distressed by the wicked Kamsa, so have You protected me and my sons from one danger after another.

Verse 7

vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat tatra tatra jagad-guro | bhavato darśanaṃ yat syād apunar-bhava-darśanam ||

Meaning:I wish that all those calamities would come again and again, O Guru of the universe, so that we might see You again and again — for to see You means that we shall no longer see repeated birth and death.

Verse 8

janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir edhamāna-madaḥ pumān | naivārhaty abhidhātuṃ vai tvām akiñcana-gocaram ||

Meaning:A person growing proud through good birth, power, learning and beauty cannot sincerely call out Your name, O Lord, who are attainable only by one who owns nothing.

Verse 9

namo 'kiñcana-vittāya nivṛtta-guṇa-vṛttaye | ātmārāmāya śāntāya kaivalya-pataye namaḥ ||

Meaning:Obeisances unto You, the wealth of the materially impoverished, untouched by the play of the three modes, self-satisfied, perfectly serene, the Lord of liberation. I bow to You again and again.

Word-by-Word Meaning

Click any word to hear its pronunciation

namasye🔊I offer my respectful obeisances / I bow

puruṣaṃ tvādyam🔊unto You, the original Person (Purusha)

īśvaram🔊the Supreme Controller, the Lord

prakṛteḥ param🔊beyond material nature (transcendental to prakriti)

alakṣyam🔊invisible, imperceptible to the senses

antar bahir avasthitam🔊situated both within and without all beings

māyā-javanikācchannam🔊covered by the curtain of the deluding energy (maya)

adhokṣajam🔊Adhokshaja — beyond the reach of the material senses

naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā🔊as an actor dressed in costume is not recognised (by ordinary eyes)

kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya🔊unto Krishna, the son of Vasudeva

devakī-nandanāya🔊unto the delight (son) of Devaki

nanda-gopa-kumārāya🔊unto the child of the cowherd Nanda

govindāya namo namaḥ🔊unto Govinda, obeisances again and again

paṅkaja-nābhāya🔊unto Him whose navel bears a lotus

paṅkaja-netrāya🔊unto Him whose eyes are like lotuses

paṅkajāṅghraye🔊unto Him whose feet are marked with lotuses

vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat🔊let those calamities happen again and again

jagad-guro🔊O Guru (teacher) of the universe

apunar-bhava-darśanam🔊the vision that frees one from repeated birth and death

akiñcana-gocaram🔊attainable only by those who possess nothing (free of material pride)

kaivalya-pataye namaḥ🔊obeisances unto the Lord of liberation (kaivalya)

Benefits of Chanting Kunti Stuti

✦

Teaches the highest spirit of surrender (sharanagati) and devotion to Lord Krishna as the Supreme Person.

✦

The famous prayer 'vipadah santu tah shashvat' instills the wisdom of welcoming difficulties as occasions to remember God.

✦

Cultivates humility, for the Lord is described as 'akinchana-gochara' — attainable only by those free of pride.

✦

Glorifies Krishna's lotus-like beauty (lotus navel, eyes, garland and feet), deepening loving meditation on His form.

✦

Recited from the Bhagavata, it is held to purify the heart and grant remembrance of the Lord at the time of difficulty.

✦

A treasured prayer for protection, peace of mind, and freedom from the fear of repeated birth and death.

How to Chant Kunti Stuti

Repetitions1times

Best TimeMorning or evening; during Srimad Bhagavata study and on Ekadashi and Janmashtami

Sit calmly before an image of Sri Krishna and recite the verses slowly, reflecting on their meaning — that the Lord is hidden by Maya yet ever protects His devotees. Dwell especially on Kunti's prayer to welcome adversity for the sake of remembering Him. The prayer is often read as part of daily Bhagavata recitation; chant it with humility and a mood of surrender.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Kunti Stuti 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 Kunti Stuti is the heartfelt prayer offered by Queen Kunti (Pritha), mother of the Pandavas, to Lord Krishna. It appears in the First Canto, Eighth Chapter of the Srimad Bhagavata Purana, spoken as Krishna is about to depart for Dwaraka after the Kurukshetra war.

It is Kunti's most famous line: 'Let those calamities come again and again, O Guru of the universe, so that we may see You again and again.' She prays for difficulties because in times of distress she remembered Krishna most intensely, and His remembrance frees one from rebirth.

'Akinchana-gochara' means 'attainable by one who possesses nothing.' Kunti explains that pride in birth, wealth, learning or beauty becomes an obstacle to pure devotion, while the Lord readily reveals Himself to the humble and materially detached.

It is found in the Srimad Bhagavata Purana (Canto 1, Chapter 8, verses 18–43, of which the opening verses are most chanted). Devotees recite it during Bhagavata study, on Ekadashi and Janmashtami, and as a prayer of surrender and protection.