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Soundarya Lahari Verse 22 — Bhavani Tvam Dase Mayi

सौन्दर्यलहरी श्लोक २२ — भवानि त्वं दासे मयि in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 108× repetitions·🕐 Early morning or evening; Fridays, Navaratri and Pournami are especially favourable·📜 Soundarya Lahari, Verse 22

Read in your language / script

हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

Verse 22 reveals the boundless compassion of the Goddess through a beautiful play on words. A devotee intends to pray 'Bhavani tvam... cast Your kind glance on me, Your servant', but the very words 'Bhavani tvam' can also mean 'May I become You'. The Mother, ever generous, takes them in that higher sense and instantly grants the seeker sayujya — complete union with Herself, a state revered by Vishnu, Brahma and Indra. It is among the most loved verses for its message of effortless grace.

Origin & Story

Soundarya Lahari, Verse 22 · Adi Shankaracharya · c. 8th century CE

Part of the Ananda Lahari, this verse is among the most quoted of the entire hymn for its message of effortless grace and its celebrated pun on the word 'Bhavani'. It is set in the Shikharini metre and is often recited independently as a prayer of surrender and a petition for liberation.

✦ As told in scripture

It is traditionally said that the Mother is so compassionate that she does not wait for a complete hymn: the mere intention to praise Her, voiced in the two words 'Bhavani tvam', is enough for Her to grant the devotee union with Herself — a grace beyond what austerity alone can win.

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The Mantra

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bhavāni tvaṃ dāse mayi vitara dṛṣṭiṃ sakaruṇā- miti stotuṃ vāñchan kathayati bhavāni tvamiti yaḥ | tadaiva tvaṃ tasmai diśasi nijasāyujyapadavīṃ mukundabrahmendrasphuṭamakuṭanīrājitapadām || 22||

Meaning:O Bhavani! The moment a devotee, merely wishing to pray 'O Bhavani, cast on me, Your servant, a glance of compassion', utters only the two words 'Bhavani tvam' — even then, You at once bestow upon him union (sayujya) with Yourself: that supreme state whose feet are worshipped by the radiant crowns of Vishnu, Brahma and Indra.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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bhavāni🔊O Bhavani (the Goddess); also 'may I become'

tvaṃ🔊You

dāse mayi🔊upon me, Your servant

vitara dṛṣṭiṃ sakaruṇām🔊bestow a compassionate glance

iti stotuṃ vāñchan🔊wishing to praise You with these words

kathayati🔊(merely) says / utters

bhavāni tvam iti yaḥ🔊whoever says just 'Bhavani tvam' (O Bhavani, You...)

tadaiva🔊at that very moment

tvaṃ tasmai diśasi🔊You grant to him

nija-sāyujya-padavīṃ🔊the state of union (sayujya) with Yourself

mukunda-brahma-indra🔊Vishnu, Brahma and Indra

sphuṭa-makuṭa-nīrājita-padām🔊(a state) whose feet are worshipped by the gleaming crowns (of those gods)

Benefits of Chanting सौन्दर्यलहरी श्लोक २२ — भवानि त्वं दासे मयि

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Celebrated for revealing the Mother's instant, effortless grace

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Recited as a prayer for liberation and union (sayujya) with the Divine

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Encourages surrender — even an unfinished prayer is received by Her

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Believed to grant the highest spiritual state to sincere devotees

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Cultivates the bhava of being Her servant and Her very own

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A favourite verse for those seeking moksha through devotion to Devi

How to Chant सौन्दर्यलहरी श्लोक २२ — भवानि त्वं दासे मयि

Repetitions108times

Best TimeEarly morning or evening; Fridays, Navaratri and Pournami are especially favourable

FaceEast or North

Facing east or north before the Mother's image or Sri Chakra, recite the verse with the feeling of complete surrender, calling Her 'Bhavani' and offering yourself as Her servant. Dwell on the wordplay 'Bhavani tvam' — 'O Bhavani' and 'may I become You' — as a prayer for union. Repeat 9, 27 or 108 times. Many devotees take up this verse specifically as a prayer for liberation.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete सौन्दर्यलहरी श्लोक २२ — भवानि त्वं दासे मयि 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 famous for its tender wordplay and its promise of instant grace. A devotee who merely begins to pray with the words 'Bhavani tvam' is immediately granted sayujya, union with the Goddess Herself — showing that even an incomplete prayer, offered sincerely, wins Her boundless mercy.

Addressed as a vocative, 'Bhavani tvam' means 'O Bhavani, You...'. But 'bhavani' can also be read as a verb form meaning 'may I become'. So the same words mean 'may I become You', and the compassionate Mother grants exactly that — union with Herself.

Sayujya is the highest of the traditional forms of liberation — complete union or merging with the Divine. The verse says the Goddess bestows this state, revered even by Vishnu, Brahma and Indra, on the devotee who turns to Her.

Yes. Because it explicitly speaks of the Mother granting sayujya (union) to one who turns to Her, devotees seeking moksha through bhakti often recite this verse as a heartfelt prayer of surrender.