vishnusudarshanachakraashtakam

Sudarshana Ashtakam

सुदर्शनाष्टकम् in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 8× repetitions·🕐 Early morning after bath; especially Saturdays and during Sudarshana Homa·📜 Composed by Sri Vedanta Desika (Stotra literature, Kanchipuram)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

The Sudarshana Ashtakam is a celebrated eight-verse hymn by Sri Vedanta Desika (Venkatanatha) in praise of Sudarshana, the blazing discus (chakra) of Lord Vishnu, worshipped as a fierce protective deity. Composed in a dazzling cascade of internal rhymes, each verse ends with the triumphant refrain 'jaya jaya śrī sudarśana'. It extols Sudarshana as the destroyer of enemies and evil, the embodiment of the Vedas, and the swift shield of devotees, and is chanted for protection from all fears, diseases, black magic and obstacles.

Origin & Story

Composed by Sri Vedanta Desika (Stotra literature, Kanchipuram) · Sri Vedanta Desika (Venkatanatha) · c. 13th–14th century CE

Sudarshana is the personified discus weapon of Lord Vishnu, held in his right hand and worshipped in the Sri Vaishnava tradition as a fierce deity who destroys evil and protects devotees. Sri Vedanta Desika, the towering acharya of Sri Vaishnavism, composed the Sudarshana Ashtakam at Kanchipuram. Tradition holds that he wrote it to counter a powerful affliction or to invoke Sudarshana's protective grace, pouring into eight verses a torrent of names and qualities of the divine discus, each closing with the victory-cry 'jaya jaya śrī sudarśana'.

✦ As told in scripture

Tradition relates that Sri Vedanta Desika invoked Sudarshana through this hymn to repel a deadly epidemic (or a hostile sorcery) afflicting the people; the blazing discus is said to have driven away the calamity, and to this day devotees chant the Sudarshana Ashtakam during the Sudarshana Homam, holding that no curse, disease or evil force can withstand the whirling fire of the Lord's discus.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

pratibhaṭaśreṇi bhīṣaṇa varaguṇastoma bhūṣaṇa janibhayasthāna tāraṇa jagadavasthāna kāraṇa | nikhiladuṣkarma karśana nigamasaddharma darśana jaya jaya śrī sudarśana jaya jaya śrī sudarśana || 1 ||

Meaning:Victory, victory to the glorious Sudarshana! O terror to the ranks of opposing foes, adorned with a host of noble qualities; deliverer from the fear of rebirth and cause of the world's stability; destroyer of all evil karma and revealer of the true dharma of the Vedas — victory, victory to Sri Sudarshana!

Verse 2

śubhajagadrūpa maṇḍana suragaṇatrāsa khaṇḍana śatamakhabrahma vandita śatapathabrahma nandita | prathitavidvat sapakṣita bhajadahirbudhnya lakṣita jaya jaya śrī sudarśana jaya jaya śrī sudarśana || 2 ||

Meaning:O ornament of the auspicious form of the universe, breaker of the terror of the gods; praised by Indra and Brahma and delighting the wisdom of the Vedas (Shatapatha); contemplated by learned sages and beheld by the devoted Ahirbudhnya — victory, victory to Sri Sudarshana!

Verse 3

sphuṭataṭijjāla piñjara pṛthutarajvāla pañjara parigata pratnavigraha paṭutaraprajña durgraha | praharaṇa grāma maṇḍita parijana trāṇa paṇḍita jaya jaya śrī sudarśana jaya jaya śrī sudarśana || 3 ||

Meaning:Gleaming amid a lattice of lightning, encased in a cage of vast leaping flames, encircling the ancient form of the Lord, hard to grasp even by the keenest intellect; adorned with the whole array of weapons and expert in protecting your devotees — victory, victory to Sri Sudarshana!

Verse 4

nijapadaprīta sadgaṇa nirupadhisphīta ṣaḍguṇa nigama nirvyūḍha vaibhava nijapara vyūha vaibhava | hari haya dveṣi dāraṇa hara pura ploṣa kāraṇa jaya jaya śrī sudarśana jaya jaya śrī sudarśana || 4 ||

Meaning:With hosts of attendants devoted to your feet, swelling boundlessly with the six divine qualities; your majesty proclaimed by the Vedas, glorious in your own and the Lord's vyuha forms; render of the asuras who hate Indra, and the cause that burned Tripura for Shiva — victory, victory to Sri Sudarshana!

Verse 5

danuja vistāra kartana jani tamisrā vikartana danujavidyā nikartana bhajadavidyā nivartana | amara dṛṣṭa sva vikrama samara juṣṭa bhramikrama jaya jaya śrī sudarśana jaya jaya śrī sudarśana || 5 ||

Meaning:Cutter-down of the expanse of demons, dispeller of the darkness of birth; severing the sorcery of the demons and turning back the ignorance of those who worship you; your valour witnessed by the immortals, whirling in dazzling circuits in battle — victory, victory to Sri Sudarshana!

Verse 6

prathimukhālīḍha bandhura pṛthumahāheti dantura vikaṭamāya bahiṣkṛta vividhamālā pariṣkṛta | sthiramahāyantra tantrita dṛḍha dayā tantra yantrita jaya jaya śrī sudarśana jaya jaya śrī sudarśana || 6 ||

Meaning:Graceful with mouths set turned toward the foe, bristling with great mighty blades, casting out terrible illusion, decked with manifold garlands; fixed within the steadfast great yantra, governed by the firm working of compassion — victory, victory to Sri Sudarshana!

Verse 7

mahita sampat sadakṣara vihitasampat ṣaḍakṣara ṣaḍarachakra pratiṣṭhita sakala tattva pratiṣṭhita | vividha saṅkalpa kalpaka vibudhasaṅkalpa kalpaka jaya jaya śrī sudarśana jaya jaya śrī sudarśana || 7 ||

Meaning:Glorified by the venerable imperishable Word, endowed with the wealth of the six-syllabled mantra; established in the six-spoked wheel and in all the principles of reality; fulfiller of every resolve, granting the wishes of the gods — victory, victory to Sri Sudarshana!

Verse 8

bhuvana netra trayīmaya savana tejastrayīmaya niravadhi svādu chinmaya nikhila śakte jaganmaya | amita viśvakriyāmaya śamita viśvagbhayāmaya jaya jaya śrī sudarśana jaya jaya śrī sudarśana || 8 ||

Meaning:O eye of the worlds, embodiment of the three Vedas; the radiance of the three sacrificial fires; endless, sweet and full of pure consciousness; all-powerful and pervading the whole universe; embodiment of the immeasurable activity of the cosmos, pacifier of all fear and disease from every side — victory, victory to Sri Sudarshana!

Verse 9

dvichatuṣkamidaṃ prabhūtasāraṃ paṭhatāṃ veṅkaṭanāyaka praṇītam | viṣame'pi manorathaḥ pradhāvan na vihanyeta rathāṅga dhurya guptaḥ ||

Meaning:For those who recite this essence-filled set of eight verses composed by Venkatanatha (Vedanta Desika), every cherished aim, guarded by the foremost of discs, races forward unobstructed even through the hardest difficulties.

Word-by-Word Meaning

Click any word to hear its pronunciation

pratibhaṭa-śreṇi bhīṣaṇa🔊O terror to the ranks of opposing enemies / fearsome to hostile foes

varaguṇa-stoma bhūṣaṇa🔊O one adorned with a host of excellent qualities

janibhaya-sthāna tāraṇa🔊O deliverer from the fear of (repeated) birth

jagadavasthāna kāraṇa🔊O cause of the sustenance and stability of the world

nikhila-duṣkarma karśana🔊O destroyer of all evil deeds / sins

nigama-saddharma darśana🔊O revealer of the true dharma of the Vedas

jaya jaya śrī sudarśana🔊Victory, victory to the auspicious Sudarshana (the discus of Vishnu)!

suragaṇa-trāsa khaṇḍana🔊O remover of the terror of the hosts of gods

śatamakha-brahma vandita🔊Worshipped by Indra (of a hundred sacrifices) and Brahma

ahirbudhnya lakṣita🔊Beheld / contemplated by Ahirbudhnya (the form of Shiva who meditates on Sudarshana)

pṛthutara-jvāla pañjara🔊Encased in a cage of vast, far-spreading flames

parijana trāṇa paṇḍita🔊Expert / skilled in protecting one's devotees and dependents

hari haya dveṣi dāraṇa🔊O render of the enemies of Indra (whose horses are tawny) — the asuras

hara pura ploṣa kāraṇa🔊The cause of the burning of the (three) cities for Hara (Shiva — i.e. Tripura)

bhajad-avidyā nivartana🔊O remover of the ignorance of those who worship you

ṣaḍara-chakra pratiṣṭhita🔊Established in the six-spoked mystic wheel (yantra)

sakala tattva pratiṣṭhita🔊In whom all the principles of reality (tattvas) are established

bhuvana netra trayīmaya🔊O eye of the worlds, embodiment of the three Vedas

nikhila śakte jaganmaya🔊O all-powerful one, who pervades and is the whole universe

śamita viśvag-bhayāmaya🔊O pacifier of every fear and disease from all directions

veṅkaṭanāyaka praṇītam🔊Composed by Venkatanatha (Vedanta Desika)

rathāṅga dhurya guptaḥ🔊Protected by the foremost of discs (Sudarshana), one's desires run unobstructed even in difficulty

Benefits of Chanting सुदर्शनाष्टकम्

✦

Invokes the fierce protective power of Sudarshana, Vishnu's discus, against all enemies and dangers

✦

Traditionally chanted to ward off black magic, evil eye, curses and negative energies

✦

Believed to remove obstacles and ensure success in difficult undertakings (as promised in the phalashruti)

✦

Protects against diseases, fevers and unseen afflictions from every direction

✦

Carries the blessing of Sri Vedanta Desika, the great Sri Vaishnava acharya

✦

Its powerful rhythmic chanting steadies and energises the mind

✦

Recited during Sudarshana Homam and for the well-being and protection of home and family

How to Chant सुदर्शनाष्टकम्

Repetitions8times

Best TimeEarly morning after bath; especially Saturdays and during Sudarshana Homa

Bathe and sit facing east before an image of Lord Vishnu or Sudarshana. Light a lamp and recite the eight verses rhythmically, letting the refrain 'jaya jaya śrī sudarśana' resound with devotion and energy. It is recited daily for protection, and especially during Sudarshana Homam performed for warding off evil, illness and obstacles. Conclude with the phalashruti verse.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete सुदर्शनाष्टकम् 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 an eight-verse Sanskrit hymn (ashtakam) composed by Sri Vedanta Desika in praise of Sudarshana, the radiant discus (chakra) of Lord Vishnu worshipped as a powerful protective deity. Each verse ends with the refrain 'jaya jaya śrī sudarśana' — 'victory, victory to Sri Sudarshana'.

It was composed by Sri Vedanta Desika (Venkatanatha / Venkatanayaka, 1268–1369 CE), the great Sri Vaishnava philosopher-poet, at Kanchipuram. He signs it in the final verse as 'Venkatanayaka praṇītam'.

It is chanted for protection from enemies, black magic, evil eye, diseases and obstacles. The phalashruti promises that those who recite it, guarded by Sudarshana, will see their cherished aims succeed even amid the greatest difficulties.

It is recited daily in the morning after bathing, especially on Saturdays, and is central to the Sudarshana Homam performed for warding off negativity, illness and obstacles and for the protection of the family.