නාස්ථා ධර්මේ න වසුනිචයේ
Nastha Dharme Na Vasu Nichaye in Sinhala · සිංහල
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Origin & Story
Mukunda Mala Stotram, verse on nishchala bhakti (Kulasekhara Alwar) · Kulasekhara Alwar (Kulasekhara Perumal) · c. 9th century CE
Kulasekhara was a king of the Chera dynasty of Kerala and a passionate devotee of Lord Vishnu who renounced his kingdom to live as a devotee; he is revered as one of the twelve Alwars. His Mukunda Mala is a garland of verses asking for nothing but eternal devotion to Mukunda's feet. This verse is its very heart — the king setting aside piety, wealth, and pleasure, and praying only for unshakable bhakti, birth after birth.
✦ As told in scripture
Tradition holds that Kulasekhara's devotion was so pure that he sought no reward from God but the Lord himself. Devotees believe that one who prays this verse sincerely receives the gift it asks for — a love for the Lord's feet that no fortune or misfortune can shake, carrying them safely through every birth.
The Mantra
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නාස්ථා ධර්මේ න වසුනිචයේ නෛව කාමෝපභෝගේ යද්යද්භව්යං භවතු භගවන් පූර්වකර්මානුරූපම්. ඒතත්ප්රාර්ථ්යං මම බහුමතං ජන්මජන්මාන්තරේ(අ)පි ත්වත්පාදාම්භෝරුහයුගගතා නිශ්චලා භක්තිරස්තු..
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 ||
Meaning:I 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.
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting Nastha Dharme Na Vasu Nichaye
Awakens pure, motiveless devotion (ananya bhakti) to Lord Vishnu/Krishna
Frees the heart from craving for wealth, pleasure, and even pious reward
Teaches glad acceptance of destiny shaped by one's own past karma
Instills the prayer for nishchala bhakti — unwavering devotion in every birth
Brings deep inner contentment and surrender to the Lord's will
Among the most cherished and frequently recited verses of Vaishnava bhakti
How to Chant Nastha Dharme Na Vasu Nichaye
Sit calmly before an image of Lord Vishnu or Krishna and recite this verse with heartfelt feeling, dwelling on the prayer for 'nishchala bhakti.' Let go, in your mind, of demands for wealth or pleasure as you chant, offering instead only the wish for steadfast devotion. It may be recited on its own as a daily prayer of surrender or within the full Mukunda Mala Stotram.
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