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Mukunda Mala Stotram Meaning — Line by Line

मुकुन्दमाला स्तोत्रम्

Every verse and every word explained in English & Hindi

Meaning — Line by Line

Every verse of Mukunda Mala Stotram with its English meaning. Tap any word to hear it, or ▶ to recite the verse.

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  1. Verse 1. vande mukundam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṃ
  2. Verse 2. śrī-vallabheti varadeti dayā-pareti
  3. Verse 3. jayatu jayatu devo devakī-nandano 'yaṃ
  4. Verse 4. mukunda mūrdhnā praṇipatya yāce
  5. Verse 5. nāhaṃ vande tava caraṇayor dvandvam advandva-hetoḥ
  6. Verse 6. nāsthā dharme na vasu-nicaye naiva kāmopabhoge
  7. Verse 7. divi vā bhuvi vā mamāstu vāso
  8. Verse 8. kṛṣṇa tvadīya-pada-paṅkaja-pañjarānte
Verse 1#

vande mukundam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṃ

वन्दे मुकुन्दमरविन्ददलायताक्षं कुन्देन्दुशङ्खदशनं शिशुगोपवेषम्। इन्द्रादिदेववनिताकृतवन्दनाङ्घ्रिं द्वन्द्वारविन्दममलं मनसा स्मरामि॥

vande mukundam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṃ kundendu-śaṅkha-daśanaṃ śiśu-gopa-veṣam | indrādi-deva-vanitā-kṛta-vandanāṅghriṃ dvandvāravindam amalaṃ manasā smarāmi ||

MeaningI worship Mukunda, whose eyes are wide like lotus petals, whose teeth shine like jasmine buds, the moon and a conch, dressed as a young cowherd boy, whose feet are adored by the wives of Indra and the gods; I remember in my mind that flawless pair of lotus feet.

Verse 2#

śrī-vallabheti varadeti dayā-pareti

श्रीवल्लभेति वरदेति दयापरेति भक्तप्रियेति भवलुण्ठनकोविदेति। नाथेति नागशयनेति जगन्निवासे- त्यालापनं प्रतिपदं कुरु मे मुकुन्द॥

śrī-vallabheti varadeti dayā-pareti bhakta-priyeti bhava-luṇṭhana-kovideti | nātheti nāga-śayaneti jagan-nivāse- ty ālāpanaṃ prati-padaṃ kuru me mukunda ||

MeaningO Mukunda, let me ceaselessly call out to You at every step: 'O beloved of Lakshmi! O giver of boons! O most compassionate! O dear to Your devotees! O expert at robbing away worldly bondage! O Lord! O You who recline on the serpent! O refuge of all the worlds!'

Verse 3#

jayatu jayatu devo devakī-nandano 'yaṃ

जयतु जयतु देवो देवकीनन्दनोऽयं जयतु जयतु कृष्णो वृष्णिवंशप्रदीपः। जयतु जयतु मेघश्यामलः कोमलाङ्गो जयतु जयतु पृथ्वीभारनाशो मुकुन्दः॥

jayatu jayatu devo devakī-nandano 'yaṃ jayatu jayatu kṛṣṇo vṛṣṇi-vaṃśa-pradīpaḥ | jayatu jayatu megha-śyāmalaḥ komalāṅgo jayatu jayatu pṛthvī-bhāra-nāśo mukundaḥ ||

MeaningGlory, glory to this Lord, the son of Devaki! Glory, glory to Krishna, the lamp of the Vrishni dynasty! Glory, glory to the cloud-dark, tender-limbed one! Glory, glory to Mukunda, the remover of the earth's burden!

Verse 4#

mukunda mūrdhnā praṇipatya yāce

मुकुन्द मूर्ध्ना प्रणिपत्य याचे भवन्तमेकान्तमियन्तमर्थम्। अविस्मृतिस्त्वच्चरणारविन्दे भवे भवे मेऽस्तु भवत्प्रसादात्॥

mukunda mūrdhnā praṇipatya yāce bhavantam ekāntam iyantam artham | avismṛtis tvac-caraṇāravinde bhave bhave me 'stu bhavat-prasādāt ||

MeaningO Mukunda, bowing my head I beg of You this one thing alone: that by Your grace I may never forget Your lotus feet, birth after birth.

Verse 5#

nāhaṃ vande tava caraṇayor dvandvam advandva-hetoḥ

नाहं वन्दे तव चरणयोर्द्वन्द्वमद्वन्द्वहेतोः कुम्भीपाकं गुरुमपि हरे नारकं नापनेतुम्। रम्यारामामृदुतनुलता नन्दने नापि रन्तुं भावे भावे हृदयभवने भावयेयं भवन्तम्॥

nāhaṃ vande tava caraṇayor dvandvam advandva-hetoḥ kumbhī-pākaṃ gurum api hare nārakaṃ nāpanetum | ramyā-rāmā-mṛdu-tanu-latā nandane nāpi rantuṃ bhāve bhāve hṛdaya-bhavane bhāvayeyaṃ bhavantam ||

MeaningO Hari, I do not bow to Your feet to gain liberation, nor to avoid the terrible hell of Kumbhipaka, nor to sport with lovely soft-limbed women in heavenly gardens. Rather, in every state of being, in the chamber of my heart, may I meditate upon You.

Verse 6#

nāsthā dharme na vasu-nicaye naiva kāmopabhoge

नास्था धर्मे वसुनिचये नैव कामोपभोगे यद्यद्भव्यं भवतु भगवन् पूर्वकर्मानुरूपम्। एतत्प्रार्थ्यं मम बहुमतं जन्मजन्मान्तरेऽपि त्वत्पादाम्भोरुहयुगगता निश्चला भक्तिरस्तु॥

nāsthā dharme na vasu-nicaye naiva kāmopabhoge yad yad bhavyaṃ bhavatu bhagavan pūrva-karmānurūpam | etat prārthyaṃ mama bahu-mataṃ janma-janmāntare 'pi tvat-pādāmbhoruha-yuga-gatā niścalā bhaktir astu ||

MeaningI have no faith in religious duty, in heaps of wealth, nor in the enjoyment of desires. O Lord, let whatever is destined come to pass according to my past deeds. This alone is my cherished prayer, birth after birth: let me have unshakable devotion to the pair of Your lotus feet.

Verse 7#

divi vā bhuvi vā mamāstu vāso

दिवि वा भुवि वा ममास्तु वासो नरके वा नरकान्तक प्रकामम्। अवधीरितशारदारविन्दौ चरणौ ते मरणेऽपि चिन्तयामि॥

divi vā bhuvi vā mamāstu vāso narake vā narakāntaka prakāmam | avadhīrita-śāradāravindau caraṇau te maraṇe 'pi cintayāmi ||

MeaningIn heaven or on earth, or even in hell, let my abode be wherever it may, O slayer of Naraka. For even at the moment of death, I shall meditate upon Your feet, which put to shame the autumn lotus.

Verse 8#

kṛṣṇa tvadīya-pada-paṅkaja-pañjarānte

कृष्ण त्वदीयपदपङ्कजपञ्जरान्ते अद्यैव मे विशतु मानसराजहंसः। प्राणप्रयाणसमये कफवातपित्तैः कण्ठावरोधनविधौ स्मरणं कुतस्ते॥

kṛṣṇa tvadīya-pada-paṅkaja-pañjarānte adyaiva me viśatu mānasa-rāja-haṃsaḥ | prāṇa-prayāṇa-samaye kapha-vāta-pittaiḥ kaṇṭhāvarodhana-vidhau smaraṇaṃ kutas te ||

MeaningO Krishna, let the royal swan of my mind enter even now the lotus-cage of Your feet. For at the moment of death, when the throat is choked by phlegm, wind and bile, how will any remembrance of You be possible?

Word-by-Word Breakdown

वन्दे
vande
I bow to, I worship
मुकुन्दम्
mukundam
Mukunda — the giver of liberation (mukti), a name of Vishnu/Krishna
अरविन्ददलायताक्षम्
aravinda-dalāyatākṣam
Whose eyes are wide like the petals of a lotus
कुन्द-इन्दु-शङ्ख-दशनम्
kunda-indu-śaṅkha-daśanam
Whose teeth are bright like jasmine flowers, the moon, and a conch
शिशुगोपवेषम्
śiśu-gopa-veṣam
Dressed in the garb of a young cowherd boy
इन्द्रादिदेववनिता
indrādi-deva-vanitā
The wives of the gods headed by Indra
कृतवन्दनाङ्घ्रिम्
kṛta-vandanāṅghrim
Whose feet are worshipped (by them)
द्वन्द्वारविन्दम्
dvandvāravindam
The pair of lotus feet
अमलं मनसा स्मरामि
amalaṃ manasā smarāmi
The flawless (feet) I remember with my mind
श्रीवल्लभ
śrī-vallabha
Beloved of Lakshmi (Sri)
वरद
varada
Bestower of boons
दयापर
dayā-para
Full of compassion
भवलुण्ठनकोविद
bhava-luṇṭhana-kovida
Expert at plundering away the bondage of material existence
नागशयन
nāga-śayana
One who reclines on the serpent (Ananta-Shesha)
जगन्निवास
jagan-nivāsa
The abode/refuge of all the worlds
देवकीनन्दनः
devakī-nandanaḥ
The delight of Devaki (Krishna)
वृष्णिवंशप्रदीपः
vṛṣṇi-vaṃśa-pradīpaḥ
The lamp (glory) of the Vrishni dynasty
मेघश्यामलः
megha-śyāmalaḥ
Dark-complexioned like a rain cloud
पृथ्वीभारनाशः
pṛthvī-bhāra-nāśaḥ
The remover of the burden of the earth
निश्चला भक्तिः
niścalā bhaktiḥ
Unwavering, steadfast devotion
नरकान्तक
narakāntaka
O slayer of Naraka (the demon); O destroyer of hell
मानसराजहंसः
mānasa-rāja-haṃsaḥ
The royal swan of the mind

Origin & History

Source: Mukunda Mala Stotra (independent devotional work of the Sri Vaishnava / Alwar tradition)

Author: Kulasekhara Alwar (Kulasekhara Perumal)

Period: c. 9th century CE

Kulasekhara was a king of the Chera dynasty of Kerala and a passionate devotee of Lord Vishnu. So absorbed was he in the stories of the Lord that he is said to have once readied his army to rush to Rama's aid while a Ramayana recitation was in progress. Eventually he renounced his kingdom to live as a devotee and is revered as one of the twelve Alwars. The Mukunda Mala is his outpouring of love, a garland of verses asking for nothing but eternal devotion to Mukunda's feet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Mukunda Mala Stotram?
It is a devotional 'garland' (mala) of Sanskrit verses praising Mukunda — Lord Vishnu/Krishna, the giver of liberation. Composed by the saint-king Kulasekhara, it is famous for prayers seeking pure devotion rather than any material reward.
Who composed the Mukunda Mala Stotram?
It was composed by Kulasekhara Alwar, a 9th-century king of the Chera dynasty in South India who renounced his throne for devotion to the Lord. He is counted among the twelve Alwar saints of the Sri Vaishnava tradition.
What is the central prayer of the stotram?
Its most beloved verse declares that the poet seeks neither religious merit, nor wealth, nor sense-pleasure, nor even liberation — but only 'nishchala bhakti', unshakable devotion to the Lord's lotus feet, in every birth.
When should the Mukunda Mala be recited?
It can be recited daily, in the morning or evening. It is considered especially auspicious on Ekadashi, Janmashtami, and throughout the holy month of Kartik (Damodara month).

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