vishnukrishnaguruvayurguruvayurappan

ශ්රී වාතපුරනාථාෂ්ටකම්

Vatapuranatha Ashtakam (Guruvayurappan) in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 8× repetitions·🕐 Morning after bath, or during darshan; especially Ekadashi, Ashtami Rohini (Krishna Janmashtami) and Guruvayur festival days·📜 Sri Vatapuranatha Ashtakam (hymn to Guruvayurappan)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Sri Vatapuranatha Ashtakam (hymn to Guruvayurappan) · Mahamahopadhyaya Brahmasri Ganapati Sastri · Modern (composed at Guruvayur)

This ashtakam was composed by the great Sanskrit savant Mahamahopadhyaya Ganapati Sastri during his stay at the Guruvayur temple in Kerala, overwhelmed by the beauty of Lord Guruvayurappan. Set in an intricate, musical metre, its eight verses describe the Lord's jasmine-soft smile, His cloud-dark form, His childhood sports, and His grace as protector and healer of His devotees, each verse ending with the loving instruction to enshrine Him in the heart-lotus.

✦ As told in scripture

Guruvayur is renowned for miraculous cures: the saint-poet Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri is said to have been freed of crippling paralysis by composing the Narayaniyam before Guruvayurappan, and countless devotees through the centuries have reported the Lord of Vatapura healing their ailments when they took refuge in Him.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

කුන්දසුමවෘන්දසමමන්දහසිතාස්යං නන්දකුලනන්දභරතුන්දලනකන්දම් . පූතනිජගීතලවධූතදුරිතං තං වාතපුරනාථමිමමාතනු හෘදබ්ජේ .. 1 ..

kundasumavṛndasamamandahasitāsyaṃ nandakulanandabharatundalanakandam | pūtanijagītalavadhūtaduritaṃ taṃ vātapuranāthamimamātanu hṛdabje || 1 ||

Meaning:Establish in the lotus of your heart that Lord of Vatapura (Guruvayur), whose face wears a gentle smile soft as a cluster of jasmine blossoms, who is the abundant delight of Nanda's clan, and who washes away sin from those who sing His glory in purity. (1)

Verse 2

නීලතරජාලධරභාලහරිරම්යං ලෝලතරශීලයුතබාලජනලීලම් . ජාලනතිශීලමපි පාලයිතුකාමං වාතපුරනාථමිමමාතනු හෘදබ්ජේ .. 2 ..

nīlatarajāladharabhālahariramyaṃ lolataraśīlayutabālajanalīlam | jālanatiśīlamapi pālayitukāmaṃ vātapuranāthamimamātanu hṛdabje || 2 ||

Meaning:Establish in your heart's lotus that Lord of Guruvayur, lovely and dark as a deep rain-bearing cloud, given to the sweet sports of childhood, who longs to protect even those who but slightly bow to Him. (2)

Verse 3

කංසරණහිංසමිහ සංසරණජාත- ක්ලාන්තිභරශාන්තිකරකාන්තිඣරවීතම් . වාතමුඛධාතුජනිපාතභයඝාතං වාතපුරනාථමිමමාතනු හෘදබ්ජේ .. 3 ..

kaṃsaraṇahiṃsamiha saṃsaraṇajāta- klāntibharaśāntikarakāntijharavītam | vātamukhadhātujanipātabhayaghātaṃ vātapuranāthamimamātanu hṛdabje || 3 ||

Meaning:Establish in your heart that Lord of Guruvayur, the slayer of Kamsa, who is bathed in a peace-giving cascade of radiance that stills the weariness of the round of births, and who destroys the fear of afflictions arising from the (three) humours such as wind. (3)

Verse 4

ජාතුධුරිපාතුකමිහාතුරජනං ද්රාක් ශෝකභරමූකමපි තෝකමිව පාන්තම් . භෘඞ්ගරුචිසඞ්ගරකෘදඞ්ගලතිකං තං වාතපුරනාථමිමමාතනු හෘදබ්ජේ .. 4 ..

jātudhuripātukamihāturajanaṃ drāk śokabharamūkamapi tokamiva pāntam | bhṛṅgarucisaṅgarakṛdaṅgalatikaṃ taṃ vātapuranāthamimamātanu hṛdabje || 4 ||

Meaning:Establish in your heart that Lord of Guruvayur, ever ready to protect the suffering, swiftly guarding even the soul rendered mute by the weight of grief as a parent guards a child — He whose body is graceful as a creeper with the dark lustre of a bee. (4)

Verse 5

පාපභවතාපභරකෝපශමනාර්ථා- ශ්වාසකරභාසමෘදුහාසරුචිරාස්යම් . රෝගචයභෝගභයවේගහරමේකං වාතපුරනාථමිමමාතනු හෘදබ්ජේ .. 5 ..

pāpabhavatāpabharakopaśamanārthā- śvāsakarabhāsamṛduhāsarucirāsyam | rogacayabhogabhayavegaharamekaṃ vātapuranāthamimamātanu hṛdabje || 5 ||

Meaning:Establish in your heart that one Lord of Guruvayur, whose radiant face, lovely with a soft, reassuring smile, is bent on quelling the heat and anger born of sin and worldly life, and who removes the onrush of disease, fear and harmful pleasures. (5)

Verse 6

ඝෝෂකුලදෝෂහරවේෂමුපයාන්තං පූෂශතදූෂකවිභූෂණගණාඪ්යම් . භුක්තිමපි මුක්තිමතිභක්තිෂු දදානං වාතපුරනාථමිමමාතනු හෘදබ්ජේ .. 6 ..

ghoṣakuladoṣaharaveṣamupayāntaṃ pūṣaśatadūṣakavibhūṣaṇagaṇāḍhyam | bhuktimapi muktimatibhaktiṣu dadānaṃ vātapuranāthamimamātanu hṛdabje || 6 ||

Meaning:Establish in your heart that Lord of Guruvayur, who appears in a guise that removes the troubles of the cowherd folk, rich with ornaments that outshine a hundred suns, and who bestows upon the deeply devoted both worldly enjoyment and liberation. (6)

Verse 7

පාපකදුරාපමතිතාපහරශෝභ- ස්වාපඝනමාමතදුමාපතිසමේතම් . දූනතරදීනසුඛදානකෘතදීක්ෂං වාතපුරනාථමිමමාතනු හෘදබ්ජේ .. 7 ..

pāpakadurāpamatitāpaharaśobha- svāpaghanamāmatadumāpatisametam | dūnataradīnasukhadānakṛtadīkṣaṃ vātapuranāthamimamātanu hṛdabje || 7 ||

Meaning:Establish in your heart that Lord of Guruvayur, whose beauty is hard for the wicked to attain and dispels great anguish — a very rain-cloud of repose — present here with the Lord of Uma (Shiva), and consecrated to granting happiness to the deeply afflicted and the destitute. (7)

Verse 8

පාදපතදාදරණමෝදපරිපූර්ණං ජීවමුඛදේවජනසේවනඵලාඞ්ඝ්රිම් . රූක්ෂභවමෝක්ෂකෘතදීක්ෂනිජවීක්ෂං වාතපුරනාථමිමමාතනු හෘදබ්ජේ .. 8 ..

pādapatadādaraṇamodaparipūrṇaṃ jīvamukhadevajanasevanaphalāṅghrim | rūkṣabhavamokṣakṛtadīkṣanijavīkṣaṃ vātapuranāthamimamātanu hṛdabje || 8 ||

Meaning:Establish in your heart that Lord of Guruvayur, brimming with delight at the reverence of those who fall at His feet — whose feet are the fruit of all service offered by living beings and the gods — and whose very glance is vowed to liberating souls from harsh worldly existence. (8)

Verse 9

.. ඉති මහාමහෝපාධ්යාය බ්රහ්මශ්රී ගණපතිශාස්ත්රිවිරචිතං ශ්රීවාතපුරනාථාෂ්ටකම් සම්පූර්ණම් ..

|| iti mahāmahopādhyāya brahmaśrī gaṇapatiśāstriviracitaṃ śrīvātapuranāthāṣṭakam sampūrṇam ||

Meaning:Thus is completed the Sri Vatapuranatha Ashtakam composed by Mahamahopadhyaya Brahmasri Ganapati Sastri.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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කුන්දසුමවෘන්දසම🔊kundasumavṛndasamaLike a cluster of jasmine flowers

මන්දහසිතාස්යං🔊mandahasitāsyaṃWhose face wears a gentle smile

නන්දකුලනන්ද🔊nandakulanandaThe joy/delight of the clan of Nanda (the cowherds)

වාතපුරනාථම්🔊vātapuranāthamThe Lord of Vatapura (Guruvayur) — i.e. Guruvayurappan

ඉමම් ආතනු හෘදබ්ජේ🔊imam ātanu hṛdabjePlace (establish) Him in the lotus of (your) heart — the refrain of every verse

නීලතරජාලධර🔊nīlatarajāladharaDark like a deep-blue rain cloud

බාලජනලීලම්🔊bālajanalīlamWho sports with childlike beings / engaged in childhood play

පාලයිතුකාමං🔊pālayitukāmaṃDesirous of protecting (those who bow to Him)

කංසරණහිංසම්🔊kaṃsaraṇahiṃsamThe slayer of Kamsa in battle

සංසරණජාතක්ලාන්ති🔊saṃsaraṇajātaklāntiThe weariness born of the cycle of worldly existence (samsara)

ශාන්තිකරකාන්තිඣරවීතම්🔊śāntikarakāntijharavītamPervaded by a peace-bestowing cascade of radiance

ආතුරජනං ද්රාක් ... පාන්තම්🔊āturajanaṃ drāk ... pāntamWho at once protects the afflicted, as a parent protects a child

තෝකමිව පාන්තම්🔊tokamiva pāntamProtecting (the devotee) as one would protect one's own child

පාපභවතාපභර🔊pāpabhavatāpabharaThe burning weight of sin and worldly existence

මෘදුහාසරුචිරාස්යම්🔊mṛduhāsarucirāsyamWhose face is lovely with a soft, gentle smile

රෝගචයභෝගභයවේගහරම්🔊rogacayabhogabhayavegaharamWho removes the onrush of disease, fear and (harmful) indulgence

ඝෝෂකුලදෝෂහරවේෂම්🔊ghoṣakuladoṣaharaveṣamWhose very appearance removes the troubles of the cowherd folk

භුක්තිමපි මුක්තිම් ... දදානං🔊bhuktimapi muktim ... dadānaṃWho grants both worldly enjoyment and liberation to His devotees

අතිභක්තිෂු දදානං🔊atibhaktiṣu dadānaṃBestowing (these gifts) upon those of deep devotion

උමාපතිසමේතම්🔊umāpatisametamAccompanied by the Lord of Uma (Shiva) — alluding to the Lord's grace upon Shiva at Guruvayur

මෝක්ෂකෘතදීක්ෂ🔊mokṣakṛtadīkṣaVowed/consecrated to granting liberation

ජීවමුඛදේවජනසේවනඵලාඞ්ඝ්රිම්🔊jīvamukhadevajanasevanaphalāṅghrimWhose feet are the very fruit of service rendered by living beings and the gods

Benefits of Chanting Vatapuranatha Ashtakam (Guruvayurappan)

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Invokes the grace of Guruvayurappan, the beloved Lord of Guruvayur (Kerala)

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Each verse anchors the Lord's beautiful form firmly in the devotee's heart through meditation

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Traditionally cherished for invoking the Lord's healing power over disease and affliction

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Cultivates deep, childlike devotion (bhakti) to Krishna-Vishnu

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Brings peace by stilling the weariness and fear born of worldly existence (samsara)

✦

Believed to grant both worldly well-being (bhukti) and liberation (mukti) to the devout

How to Chant Vatapuranatha Ashtakam (Guruvayurappan)

Repetitions8times

Best TimeMorning after bath, or during darshan; especially Ekadashi, Ashtami Rohini (Krishna Janmashtami) and Guruvayur festival days

Bathe and sit calmly facing an image of Guruvayurappan or Krishna. Recite the eight verses slowly and melodiously, and at each refrain 'vātapuranāthamimamātanu hṛdabje' visualise the dark-hued, smiling Lord and lovingly install Him in the lotus of your heart. It is especially dear to those who pray at Guruvayur for health and protection. Reciting all eight verses daily with devotion is the traditional practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Vatapuranatha Ashtakam (Guruvayurappan) written in the Sinhala 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.

Vatapuranatha means 'the Lord of Vatapura'. Vatapura (the town of the wind-god Vayu) is Guruvayur, so Vatapuranatha is Guruvayurappan — the enchanting form of Krishna-Vishnu (holding conch, discus, mace and lotus) enshrined at the famous Guruvayur temple in Kerala, often called the 'Bhuloka Vaikuntha' (Vaikuntha on earth).

It was composed by Mahamahopadhyaya Brahmasri Ganapati Sastri, a celebrated Sanskrit scholar, who wrote this melodious eight-verse hymn while staying at Guruvayur, a disciple of Mannargudi Raja Sastrigal.

Every verse ends with 'vātapuranāthamimamātanu hṛdabje' — 'establish this Lord of Guruvayur in the lotus of your heart'. The whole ashtakam is thus a guided meditation that paints the Lord's beauty and gently installs Him within the devotee's heart.

Guruvayurappan is traditionally revered as a healer (the temple is linked with Dhanvantari and Ayurveda). The third and fifth verses specifically praise the Lord as one who removes the fear of diseases arising from the bodily humours and who quells the onrush of illness, so devotees seeking health hold this hymn especially dear.