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प्रज्ञाविवर्धन कार्तिकेय स्तोत्रम् Meaning — Line by Line

प्रज्ञाविवर्धन कार्तिकेय स्तोत्रम्

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Meaning — Line by Line

Every verse of प्रज्ञाविवर्धन कार्तिकेय स्तोत्रम् with its Hindi meaning. Tap any word to hear it, or ▶ to recite the verse.

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  1. Verse 1. śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ।
  2. Verse 2. yogīśvaro mahāsenaḥ kārtikeyo'gninandanaḥ।
  3. Verse 3. gāṅgeyastāmracūḍaśca brahmacārī śikhidhvajaḥ।
  4. Verse 4. śabdabrahmasamudraśca siddhaḥ sārasvato guhaḥ।
  5. Verse 5. śarajanmā gaṇādhīśapūrvajo muktimārgakṛt।
  6. Verse 6. aṣṭāviṃśatināmāni madīyānīti yaḥ paṭhet।
  7. Verse 7. mahāmantramayānīti mama nāmānukīrtanam।
  8. Verse 8. ॥ iti śrīrudrayāmale prajñāvivardhanākhyaṃ śrīmatkārtikeyastotraṃ sampūrṇam॥
Verse 1#

śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ।

श्रीगणेशाय नमः। स्कन्द उवाच।

śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ। skanda uvāca।

Meaningश्रीगणेश को नमस्कार। स्कन्द ने कहा —

Verse 2#

yogīśvaro mahāsenaḥ kārtikeyo'gninandanaḥ।

योगीश्वरो महासेनः कार्तिकेयोऽग्निनन्दनः। स्कन्दः कुमारः सेनानीः स्वामी शङ्करसम्भवः॥ १॥

yogīśvaro mahāsenaḥ kārtikeyo'gninandanaḥ। skandaḥ kumāraḥ senānīḥ svāmī śaṅkarasambhavaḥ॥ 1॥

Meaning(1) योगीश्वर (योगियों के स्वामी), महासेन (महान् सेना वाले), कार्तिकेय, अग्निनन्दन (अग्नि के पुत्र/आनन्द); स्कन्द, कुमार, सेनानी (सेनापति), स्वामी, शङ्करसम्भव (शिव से उत्पन्न);

Verse 3#

gāṅgeyastāmracūḍaśca brahmacārī śikhidhvajaḥ।

गाङ्गेयस्ताम्रचूडश्च ब्रह्मचारी शिखिध्वजः। तारकारिरुमापुत्रः क्रौञ्चारिश्च षडाननः॥ २॥

gāṅgeyastāmracūḍaśca brahmacārī śikhidhvajaḥ। tārakārirumāputraḥ krauñcāriśca ṣaḍānanaḥ॥ 2॥

Meaning(2) गाङ्गेय (गंगा के पुत्र), ताम्रचूड (ताम्रवर्ण शिखा वाले), ब्रह्मचारी, शिखिध्वज (मयूरध्वज); तारकारि (तारक के शत्रु), उमापुत्र (उमा के पुत्र), क्रौञ्चारि (क्रौञ्च के शत्रु), एवं षडानन (षण्मुख);

Verse 4#

śabdabrahmasamudraśca siddhaḥ sārasvato guhaḥ।

शब्दब्रह्मसमुद्रश्च सिद्धः सारस्वतो गुहः। सनत्कुमारो भगवान् भोगमोक्षफलप्रदः॥ ३॥

śabdabrahmasamudraśca siddhaḥ sārasvato guhaḥ। sanatkumāro bhagavān bhogamokṣaphalapradaḥ॥ 3॥

Meaning(3) शब्दब्रह्मसमुद्र (शब्दब्रह्म के सागर), सिद्ध, सारस्वत (विद्या के स्वामी), गुह (हृदय-गुहा में निवास करने वाले); सनत्कुमार, भगवान्, तथा भोग एवं मोक्ष दोनों के फल देने वाले;

Verse 5#

śarajanmā gaṇādhīśapūrvajo muktimārgakṛt।

शरजन्मा गणाधीशपूर्वजो मुक्तिमार्गकृत्। सर्वागमप्रणेता च वाञ्छितार्थप्रदर्शनः॥ ४॥

śarajanmā gaṇādhīśapūrvajo muktimārgakṛt। sarvāgamapraṇetā ca vāñchitārthapradarśanaḥ॥ 4॥

Meaning(4) शरजन्मा (सरकण्डों में जन्मे), गणाधीश (गणेश) के पूर्वज/बन्धु, मुक्ति-मार्ग के निर्माता, समस्त आगमों के प्रणेता, एवं वाञ्छित अर्थ के दर्शक —

Verse 6#

aṣṭāviṃśatināmāni madīyānīti yaḥ paṭhet।

अष्टाविंशतिनामानि मदीयानीति यः पठेत्। प्रत्यूषं श्रद्धया युक्तो मूको वाचस्पतिर्भवेत्॥ ५॥

aṣṭāviṃśatināmāni madīyānīti yaḥ paṭhet। pratyūṣaṃ śraddhayā yukto mūko vācaspatirbhavet॥ 5॥

Meaning(5) जो मनुष्य प्रातःकाल श्रद्धापूर्वक मेरे इन अट्ठाईस नामों का पाठ करता है, वह मूक होकर भी वाचस्पति (वाणी का स्वामी) हो जाता है;

Verse 7#

mahāmantramayānīti mama nāmānukīrtanam।

महामन्त्रमयानीति मम नामानुकीर्तनम्। महाप्रज्ञामवाप्नोति नात्र कार्या विचारणा॥ ६॥

mahāmantramayānīti mama nāmānukīrtanam। mahāprajñāmavāpnoti nātra kāryā vicāraṇā॥ 6॥

Meaning(6) क्योंकि मेरे नामों का यह कीर्तन महामन्त्रमय है — वह महाप्रज्ञा को प्राप्त करता है; इसमें कोई विचार (सन्देह) नहीं करना चाहिए।

Verse 8#

॥ iti śrīrudrayāmale prajñāvivardhanākhyaṃ śrīmatkārtikeyastotraṃ sampūrṇam॥

॥ इति श्रीरुद्रयामले प्रज्ञाविवर्धनाख्यं श्रीमत्कार्तिकेयस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम्॥

॥ iti śrīrudrayāmale prajñāvivardhanākhyaṃ śrīmatkārtikeyastotraṃ sampūrṇam॥

Meaningइस प्रकार श्रीरुद्रयामल में 'प्रज्ञाविवर्धन' नामक श्रीमत्कार्तिकेय स्तोत्र सम्पूर्ण हुआ।

Word-by-Word Breakdown

स्कन्द उवाच
skanda uvāca
Skanda (Kartikeya) said — the stotra is spoken by the Lord himself
योगीश्वरः
yogīśvaraḥ
The Lord of yogis (first of the 28 names)
महासेनः
mahāsenaḥ
He of the great army (Mahasena)
कार्तिकेयः
kārtikeyaḥ
Kartikeya — son of the Krittikas
अग्निनन्दनः
agninandanaḥ
The delight / son of Agni (fire)
स्कन्दः कुमारः सेनानीः
skandaḥ kumāraḥ senānīḥ
Skanda, Kumara (the eternal youth), Senani (the commander of armies)
स्वामी शङ्करसम्भवः
svāmī śaṅkarasambhavaḥ
Swami (the Lord), arisen from Shankara (Shiva)
गाङ्गेयः
gāṅgeyaḥ
Son of the Ganga
ताम्रचूडः
tāmracūḍaḥ
He of the copper-red crest (also the rooster on his banner)
ब्रह्मचारी शिखिध्वजः
brahmacārī śikhidhvajaḥ
The celibate (Brahmachari); he whose banner bears the peacock (shikhi)
तारकारिः उमापुत्रः क्रौञ्चारिः
tārakāriḥ umāputraḥ krauñcāriḥ
The foe of Taraka; the son of Uma (Parvati); the foe of Krauncha
षडाननः
ṣaḍānanaḥ
The six-faced one
शब्दब्रह्मसमुद्रः
śabdabrahmasamudraḥ
The ocean of Shabda-Brahman (the Vedas, sound-Brahman)
सिद्धः सारस्वतः गुहः
siddhaḥ sārasvataḥ guhaḥ
The accomplished one (Siddha); the lord of learning (Sarasvata); Guha, the one who dwells in the cave of the heart
सनत्कुमारः भगवान्
sanatkumāraḥ bhagavān
Sanatkumara, the eternal youth; the Lord (Bhagavan)
भोगमोक्षफलप्रदः
bhogamokṣaphalapradaḥ
The giver of the fruits of both enjoyment (bhoga) and liberation (moksha)
शरजन्मा
śarajanmā
Born in the Sara (Saravana) reeds
गणाधीशपूर्वजः मुक्तिमार्गकृत्
gaṇādhīśapūrvajaḥ muktimārgakṛt
Elder/relation of Ganesha (lord of the ganas); the maker of the path to liberation
सर्वागमप्रणेता वाञ्छितार्थप्रदर्शनः
sarvāgamapraṇetā vāñchitārthapradarśanaḥ
The propounder of all the Agamas (scriptures); the revealer of the desired goal
अष्टाविंशतिनामानि यः पठेत्
aṣṭāviṃśatināmāni yaḥ paṭhet
Whoever recites these twenty-eight names (of mine) — begins the phala-shruti
मूको वाचस्पतिर्भवेत्
mūko vācaspatirbhavet
Even a mute would become a master of speech (Vachaspati, eloquent like Brihaspati)
महाप्रज्ञामवाप्नोति
mahāprajñāmavāpnoti
He attains great wisdom (maha-prajna) — the central promise of the stotra

Origin & History

Source: Rudrayamala Tantra (श्रीरुद्रयामल)

Author: Traditional (revealed by Skanda; from the Rudrayamala)

Period: Tantric / Puranic

The Pragya Vivardhana Karthikeya Stotram is drawn from the Rudrayamala, a celebrated Tantric text. It is set as the words of Skanda (Kartikeya) himself, who reveals twenty-eight of his own names and declares them to be made of great mantras. Because Kartikeya is here invoked as Guha, Sarasvata and the ocean of Shabda-Brahman, the hymn became especially beloved as a prayer for wisdom and eloquence — its very name, 'Pragya-Vivardhana', meaning 'that which increases the intellect'. It is widely recited by students and seekers of learning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Pragya Vivardhana Karthikeya Stotram?▼
It is a short Sanskrit hymn to Lord Kartikeya (Murugan / Skanda) from the Rudrayamala Tantra, in which Skanda himself enumerates twenty-eight of his own names. Its name means 'the stotra that increases pragya (wisdom)', and it is recited above all to gain intelligence, learning and eloquence.
What does the hymn promise to those who recite it?▼
Its concluding verses promise that whoever recites these twenty-eight names at dawn with faith, even if he is mute, becomes a 'Vachaspati' (master of speech) and attains 'maha-prajna' — great wisdom — and that there is no doubt about this result.
Who should recite this stotra?▼
It is cherished especially by students, scholars, speakers and all seekers of knowledge. It is commonly recited before study or examinations and as a daily prayer for clarity of mind, since Kartikeya here is invoked as Sarasvata and Guha, the giver of wisdom.
What are the 28 names about?▼
The names span Kartikeya's birth, family, weapons and inner nature — Yogishvara, Mahasena, Agninandana, Skanda, Kumara, Senani, Gangeya, Shikhidhvaja, Tarakari, Umaputra, Krauncari, Shadanana, Guha, Sanatkumara, Sharajanma and more — together forming a complete meditation on the Lord as both warrior and the embodiment of wisdom.

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