Vishnu Bhujanga Prayata Stotram

Meaning:Salutations to You, whom the knowers realise as the Supreme Brahman — a portion of pure consciousness, all-pervading, stainless, changeless, desireless, formless, reached through Om; beyond the gunas, unmanifest, one, and the fourth (turiya).

Meaning:Salutations to You, whom the three Vedas proclaim — utterly pure, auspicious, peaceful, without beginning or end, the life of the world, of the form of light and bliss, not bounded by direction, place or time.

Meaning:Upon the great seat of yoga, shining with the elements beginning with earth and joined with Shakti, in the half-orb of fire that is the sun of the gunas, You are seated on the lotus-pericarp of Om, the eight-syllabled mantra.

Meaning:Your radiance rivals countless suns and moons risen together, hard to gaze upon, neither cold nor hot, bright and pure as gold, ever-serene — the very form of eternal bliss-consciousness.

Meaning:With a shapely nose, fair brows and forehead, soft curling locks fit for the crown, eyes wide and lovely as full-blown lotuses, and ornaments of blossoming jewel-flowers;

Meaning:with cheeks brushed by glittering earrings, lips that steal the red of the hibiscus, a gracious smile, a mandara-garland thronged by bees on Your crown, and the noble Kaustubha gem flashing upon Your broad chest;

Meaning:adorned with jewelled armlets on four mighty arms whose tips are graced by swaying bangles, Your noble belly girt with yellow silk, beautiful with a pair of feet that put the lotus to shame.

Meaning:Salutations to You, supreme beyond all that is supreme — the man who ever meditates thus on the form You reveal to Your devotees, his senses reined in like horses, crosses the hard-to-cross ocean of worldly existence.

Meaning:Salutations to You, O Vishnu, householder of the three worlds, contented with these two consorts — Shri, of soft lustre glowing like gold, and Earth, dark as a blade of durva grass.

Meaning:Forsaking body, wife, son, kinsfolk, friends, wealth, home, servants and land — abandoning all, alas, alone and in sorrow, I must surely journey far.

Meaning:This old age, like a she-demon, devours my marrow, blood, flesh and strength while I yet live. Alas, O Lord, I sink! O You who pity the wretched, even now must I be neglected by You?

Meaning:Thinking of that last, numberless condition — every vital point, bone and joint racked with pain by the violent rush of breath inflamed and obstructed by phlegm — I am afraid, O Lord. What shall I do? Be gracious!

Meaning:O Achyuta, Ananta, Govinda, Vishnu, Murari, Hari, Lord, Narayana! — as I remember You thus with devotion crying out Your names, so, O compassionate Lord, be gracious to me.

Meaning:Whoever recites this Bhujangaprayata hymn with devotion, fixing You, O Murari, in his heart, swiftly casts off delusion and, by Your grace, taking refuge in yoga, attains You, the imperishable Achyuta.