radhakrishnasixteen-namesstotram

Sri Radha Shoddasha Nama Stotram

Sri Radha Shoddasha Nama Stotram in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 At the three sandhyas (dawn, midday, dusk); especially on Radhashtami and Ekadashi·📜 Brahma-Vaivarta Purana (Sri Radha Shoddasha Nama Stotram)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

The Sri Radha Shoddasha Nama Stotram, drawn from the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, is a short hymn in which Lord Narayana reveals sixteen essential names of Srimati Radharani — from Radha and Raseshwari to Chandrakanta and Sharat-chandra-prabhanana. Each name unfolds a facet of Radha's glory: Queen of the rasa dance, dearer to Krishna than His own life, born of His left side, the embodiment of supreme bliss, and the delight of Vrindavan. Its phala-shruti promises that one who recites it thrice daily gains pure devotion to Radha-Madhava and becomes liberated even in this life.

Origin & Story

Brahma-Vaivarta Purana (Sri Radha Shoddasha Nama Stotram) · Spoken by Lord Narayana (Puranic; traditionally ascribed to Veda Vyasa as compiler) · Puranic

The Radha Shoddasha Nama Stotram appears in the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, one of the great Puranas especially devoted to the glories of Radha and Krishna. In it Lord Narayana reveals sixteen names that distil the essence of Srimati Radharani's thousand names. Each name illumines a dimension of Radha — the queen of the rasa dance, the one dearer to Krishna than His own life-breath, she who sprang from His left side, the embodiment of supreme bliss, and the playful delight of Vrindavan. Because these names are called the very 'core' (sara) of Her thousand names, reciting this brief stotram is held to carry the potency of the full sahasranama.

✦ As told in scripture

The Brahma-Vaivarta Purana declares that by the power of this stotram a sincere reciter becomes jivanmukta — liberated even while living — and attains unwavering devotion at the lotus feet of Radha-Madhava, such is the sanctifying force of merely uttering Radha's holy names.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

śrī-nārāyaṇa uvāca | rādhā rāseśvarī rāsa-vāsinī rasikeśvarī | kṛṣṇa-prāṇādhikā kṛṣṇa-priyā kṛṣṇa-svarūpiṇī || 1||

Meaning:Lord Narayana said: Radha, Raseshwari (Queen of the rasa dance), Rasavasini (dweller in the rasa arena), Rasikeshwari (mistress of the relishers of rasa); Krishna-pranadhika (dearer to Krishna than His life), Krishna-priya (Krishna's beloved), Krishna-svarupini (one in form with Krishna);

Verse 2

kṛṣṇa-vāmāṅga-sambhūtā paramānanda-rūpiṇī | kṛṣṇā vṛndāvanī vṛndā vṛndāvana-vinodinī || 2||

Meaning:Krishna-vamanga-sambhuta (born from Krishna's left side), Paramananda-rupini (embodiment of supreme bliss), Krishna (the feminine Krishna), Vrindavani (she of Vrindavan), Vrinda, Vrindavana-vinodini (she who sports in Vrindavan);

Verse 3

candrāvalī candra-kāntā śarac-candra-prabhānanā | nāmāny etāni sārāṇi teṣām abhyantarāṇi ca || 3||

Meaning:Chandravali (a row of moons), Chandrakanta (lovely as the moon), and Sharat-chandra-prabhanana (whose face has the splendour of the autumn moon). These sixteen names are the very essence, the inmost part, of (Radha's thousand names).

Verse 4

yāvaj-jīvam idaṁ stotraṁ tri-sandhyaṁ yaḥ paṭhen naraḥ | rādhā-mādhavayoḥ pāda-padme bhaktir bhaved iha || 4||

Meaning:The person who recites this hymn at the three junctions of the day throughout his life develops, here and now, devotion at the lotus feet of Radha and Madhava.

Verse 5

stotrasyāsya prabhāveṇa jīvan-mukto bhaven naraḥ || 5||

Meaning:By the power of this stotram, a person becomes liberated even while living (jivanmukta).

Word-by-Word Meaning

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śrī-nārāyaṇa uvāca🔊Lord Narayana said (the frame in which the names are revealed)

rādhā🔊Radha — she who worships (aradhana) Krishna and is the object of all worship

rāseśvarī🔊The Goddess (queen) of the rasa dance

rāsa-vāsinī🔊She who dwells in the place of the rasa dance

rasikeśvarī🔊The mistress of all who relish divine rasa (mellows)

kṛṣṇa-prāṇādhikā🔊She who is dearer to Krishna than His own life

kṛṣṇa-priyā🔊The beloved of Krishna

kṛṣṇa-svarūpiṇī🔊She whose very form is non-different from Krishna

kṛṣṇa-vāmāṅga-sambhūtā🔊She who arose from the left side of Krishna's body

paramānanda-rūpiṇī🔊She who is the embodiment of supreme bliss

kṛṣṇā🔊Krishna's own feminine counterpart (the female 'Krishna')

vṛndāvanī🔊She who belongs to / presides over Vrindavan

vṛndā🔊Vrinda, lady of the sacred groves

vṛndāvana-vinodinī🔊She who delights and sports in Vrindavan

candrāvalī🔊She who is like a row/host of moons

candra-kāntā🔊She who is lovely/beloved like the moon

śarac-candra-prabhānanā🔊She whose face shines with the radiance of the autumn moon

nāmāny etāni sārāṇi🔊These names are the very essence (of the thousand names)

tri-sandhyaṁ yaḥ paṭhen naraḥ🔊The person who recites (this) at the three junctions of the day

jīvan-mukto bhaven naraḥ🔊That person becomes liberated even while living (jivanmukta)

Benefits of Chanting Sri Radha Shoddasha Nama Stotram

✦

Glorifies sixteen essential names of Srimati Radharani, each revealing a different aspect of Her divine glory

✦

Considered the very essence (sara) of Radha's thousand names, making it a complete yet concise prayer

✦

Recited thrice daily, it is said to grant pure devotion at the lotus feet of Radha and Madhava

✦

Its phala-shruti promises jivanmukti — liberation even while living — to the steady reciter

✦

Cultivates the loving mood (bhava) of Vrindavan and intimacy with the Divine Couple

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Short and easy to memorise, ideal for daily japa and for Radhashtami worship

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Cherished by devotees of Radha-Krishna across Vaishnava traditions

How to Chant Sri Radha Shoddasha Nama Stotram

Repetitions3times

Best TimeAt the three sandhyas (dawn, midday, dusk); especially on Radhashtami and Ekadashi

Sit before an image of Sri Radha or Radha-Krishna and recite the hymn at the three junctions of the day (tri-sandhya), as its own phala-shruti recommends, dwelling on the meaning of each of the sixteen names. Begin with the names verses and conclude with the phala-shruti, praying for devotion at the feet of Radha-Madhava. The hymn may be chanted once or repeated as japa; daily lifelong practice is especially praised.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Sri Radha Shoddasha Nama Stotram 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.

It is a short hymn listing sixteen (shoddasha) names of Srimati Radharani, spoken by Lord Narayana and found in the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana. The sixteen names — beginning Radha, Raseshwari, Rasavasini, Rasikeshwari — are described as the essence of Radha's thousand names.

They are: Radha, Raseshwari, Rasavasini, Rasikeshwari, Krishna-pranadhika, Krishna-priya, Krishna-svarupini, Krishna-vamanga-sambhuta, Paramananda-rupini, Krishna, Vrindavani, Vrinda, Vrindavana-vinodini, Chandravali, Chandrakanta, and Sharat-chandra-prabhanana.

According to its phala-shruti, reciting the stotram three times daily for one's whole life awakens pure devotion at the lotus feet of Radha and Madhava, and by its power one becomes liberated even while living (jivanmukta).

It is traditionally recited at the three sandhyas (dawn, noon and dusk), and with special devotion on Radhashtami, Ekadashi and during the month of Kartik.