𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍀 𑌰𑌾𑌧𑌾 𑌷𑍋𑌡𑌶𑌨𑌾𑌮 𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌮𑍍
Sri Radha Shoddasha Nama Stotram in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥
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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.
Complete Text with Meaning
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𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍀𑌨𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌯𑌣 𑌉𑌵𑌾𑌚 । 𑌰𑌾𑌧𑌾 𑌰𑌾𑌸𑍇𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍀 𑌰𑌾𑌸𑌵𑌾𑌸𑌿𑌨𑍀 𑌰𑌸𑌿𑌕𑍇𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍀 । 𑌕𑍃𑌷𑍍𑌣𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌾𑌧𑌿𑌕𑌾 𑌕𑍃𑌷𑍍𑌣𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌯𑌾 𑌕𑍃𑌷𑍍𑌣𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌿𑌣𑍀 ॥ ௧॥
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);
𑌕𑍃𑌷𑍍𑌣𑌵𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌙𑍍𑌗𑌸𑌮𑍍𑌭𑍂𑌤𑌾 𑌪𑌰𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌿𑌣𑍀 । 𑌕𑍃𑌷𑍍𑌣𑌾 𑌵𑍃𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌾𑌵𑌨𑍀 𑌵𑍃𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌾 𑌵𑍃𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌾𑌵𑌨𑌵𑌿𑌨𑍋𑌦𑌿𑌨𑍀 ॥ ௨॥
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);
𑌚𑌨𑍍𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌵𑌲𑍀 𑌚𑌨𑍍𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌕𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌾 𑌶𑌰𑌚𑍍𑌚𑌨𑍍𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌭𑌾𑌨𑌨𑌾 । 𑌨𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌤𑌾𑌨𑌿 𑌸𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌿 𑌤𑍇𑌷𑌾𑌮𑌭𑍍𑌯𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌿 𑌚 ॥ ௩॥
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).
𑌯𑌾𑌵𑌜𑍍𑌜𑍀𑌵𑌮𑌿𑌦𑌂 𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌂 𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌸𑌨𑍍𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌯𑌃 𑌪𑌠𑍇𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌰𑌃 । 𑌰𑌾𑌧𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌧𑌵𑌯𑍋𑌃 𑌪𑌾𑌦𑌪𑌦𑍍𑌮𑍇 𑌭𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌭𑌵𑍇𑌦𑌿𑌹 ॥ ௪॥
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.
𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌭𑌾𑌵𑍇𑌣 𑌜𑍀𑌵𑌨𑍍𑌮𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑍋 𑌭𑌵𑍇𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌰𑌃 ॥ ௫॥
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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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
Short and easy to memorise, ideal for daily japa and for Radhashtami worship
Cherished by devotees of Radha-Krishna across Vaishnava traditions
How to Chant Sri Radha Shoddasha Nama Stotram
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.
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