vishnushankaracharyasurrenderbhakti

විෂ්ණු ෂට්පදී

विष्णु षट्पदी in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 6× repetitions·🕐 Morning after bath, at dusk, or on Ekadashi and other Vishnu-related days·📜 Shatpadi Stotram composed by Adi Shankaracharya in praise of Lord Vishnu

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Shatpadi Stotram composed by Adi Shankaracharya in praise of Lord Vishnu · Adi Shankaracharya · 8th century CE (circa 788-820)

The Vishnu Shatpadi (also called simply the Shatpadi Stotra) is one of Adi Shankaracharya's most beloved short devotional poems to Lord Vishnu. Though Shankara is best known as the expounder of Advaita Vedanta, here he sings as a humble devotee, asking the Lord to purify his mind and senses and to grant the grace of surrender. The hymn's third verse — the wave and the ocean — is among the most quoted lines in all of bhakti literature, capturing how devotion and non-duality meet: the liberated soul knows itself as one with God, yet lovingly remains 'the wave that belongs to the ocean'.

✦ As told in scripture

Tradition holds that the Shatpadi was sung by Shankaracharya himself as an outpouring of surrender, and devotees believe that one who recites it daily with the same spirit of self-offering is freed from the fear of samsara and kept ever under the protecting feet of Narayana, as the closing verse prays.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

අවිනයමපනය විෂ්ණෝ දමය මනඃ ශමය විෂයමෘගතෘෂ්ණාම් . භූතදයාං විස්තාරය තාරය සංසාරසාගරතඃ .. 1..

avinayamapanaya viṣṇo damaya manaḥ śamaya viṣayamṛgatṛṣṇām | bhūtadayāṃ vistāraya tāraya saṃsārasāgarataḥ || 1||

Meaning:हे विष्णो! मेरी अविनयता (उद्दण्डता) दूर कीजिए, मेरे मन का दमन कीजिए, विषयों की मृगतृष्णा-सी तृष्णा को शान्त कीजिए; प्राणियों के प्रति मेरी दया का विस्तार कीजिए, और मुझे संसार-सागर से पार उतारिए।

Verse 2

දිව්යධුනීමකරන්දේ පරිමලපරිභෝගසච්චිදානන්දේ . ශ්රීපතිපදාරවින්දේ භවභයඛේදච්ඡිදේ වන්දේ .. 2..

divyadhunīmakarande parimalaparibhogasaccidānande | śrīpatipadāravinde bhavabhayakhedacchide vande || 2||

Meaning:मैं श्रीपति (लक्ष्मीपति विष्णु) के उन चरण-कमलों को वन्दन करता हूँ — जो दिव्य गंगा के मकरन्द (मधु) से युक्त, सुगन्ध से भोग्य, सच्चिदानन्दस्वरूप, तथा संसार के भय और खेद को छिन्न करने वाले हैं।

Verse 3

සත්යපි භේදාපගමේ නාථ තවාහං න මාමකීනස්ත්වම් . සාමුද්රෝ හි තරඞ්ගඃ ක්වචන සමුද්රෝ න තාරඞ්ගඃ .. 3..

satyapi bhedāpagame nātha tavāhaṃ na māmakīnastvam | sāmudro hi taraṅgaḥ kvacana samudro na tāraṅgaḥ || 3||

Meaning:हे नाथ! यद्यपि (परम सत्य में) भेद का अभाव है, फिर भी मैं आपका हूँ, आप मेरे नहीं — क्योंकि तरंग समुद्र की होती है, समुद्र कभी तरंग का नहीं होता।

Verse 4

උද්ධෘතනග නගභිදනුජ දනුජකුලාමිත්ර මිත්රශශිදෘෂ්ටේ . දෘෂ්ටේ භවති ප්රභවති න භවති කිං භවතිරස්කාරඃ .. 4..

uddhṛtanaga nagabhidanuja danujakulāmitra mitraśaśidṛṣṭe | dṛṣṭe bhavati prabhavati na bhavati kiṃ bhavatiraskāraḥ || 4||

Meaning:हे (गोवर्धन) पर्वत को उठाने वाले, इन्द्र के अनुज, दनुज-कुल के शत्रु, जिनके नेत्र मित्र (सूर्य) और चन्द्र-सदृश हैं — आपके दर्शन हो जाने पर फिर किसका प्रभाव, किसका भय, अथवा संसार का कौन-सा तिरस्कार टिक सकता है?

Verse 5

මත්ස්යාදිභිරවතාරෛරවතාරවතා(අ)වතා සදා වසුධාම් . පරමේශ්වර පරිපාල්යෝ භවතා භවතාපභීතෝ(අ)හම් .. 5..

matsyādibhiravatārairavatāravatā'vatā sadā vasudhām | parameśvara paripālyo bhavatā bhavatāpabhīto'ham || 5||

Meaning:हे परमेश्वर! आप मत्स्य आदि अवतारों के द्वारा सदा अवतीर्ण होकर पृथ्वी की रक्षा करते हैं; अतः संसार के तापों से भयभीत मैं आपके द्वारा अवश्य ही पालनीय (रक्षणीय) हूँ।

Verse 6

දාමෝදර ගුණමන්දිර සුන්දරවදනාරවින්ද ගෝවින්ද . භවජලධිමථනමන්දර පරමං දරමපනය ත්වං මේ .. 6..

dāmodara guṇamandira sundaravadanāravinda govinda | bhavajaladhimathanamandara paramaṃ daramapanaya tvaṃ me || 6||

Meaning:हे दामोदर! हे गुणों के मन्दिर! हे सुन्दर मुख-कमल वाले गोविन्द! हे संसार-सागर का मन्थन करने वाले मन्दराचल! आप मेरे इस परम भय को दूर कीजिए।

Verse 7

නාරායණ කරුණාමය ශරණං කරවාණි තාවකෞ චරණෞ . ඉති ෂට්පදී මදීයේ වදනසරෝජේ සදා වසතු ..

nārāyaṇa karuṇāmaya śaraṇaṃ karavāṇi tāvakau caraṇau | iti ṣaṭpadī madīye vadanasaroje sadā vasatu ||

Meaning:हे करुणामय नारायण! मैं आपके दोनों चरणों की शरण ग्रहण करता हूँ। यह षट्पदी (छः श्लोकों का स्तोत्र) मेरे मुख-कमल में सदा निवास करे।

Word-by-Word Meaning

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අවිනයම් අපනය🔊avinayam apanayaRemove (apanaya) my lack of humility / bad conduct (avinaya)

විෂ්ණෝ🔊viṣṇoO Vishnu!

දමය මනඃ🔊damaya manaḥSubdue / control my mind

ශමය විෂයමෘගතෘෂ්ණාම්🔊śamaya viṣaya-mṛga-tṛṣṇāmQuench my thirst for sense-objects, (which is like) the mirage chased by a deer

භූතදයාං විස්තාරය🔊bhūta-dayāṃ vistārayaExpand / increase my compassion for (all) beings

තාරය සංසාරසාගරතඃ🔊tāraya saṃsāra-sāgarataḥCarry me across the ocean of worldly existence (samsara)

ශ්රීපතිපදාරවින්දේ🔊śrīpati-pada-aravindeAt the lotus-feet of Shripati (the Lord of Lakshmi, Vishnu)

සච්චිදානන්දේ🔊sat-cit-ānandeOf the nature of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss (Sat-Chit-Ananda)

භවභයඛේදච්ඡිදේ🔊bhava-bhaya-kheda-cchideWhich cuts off the fear and sorrow of worldly life

වන්දේ🔊vandeI bow / I salute

සත්යපි භේදාපගමේ🔊satyapi bheda-apagameEven though difference (between us) has departed (in the absolute sense)

තවාහං න මාමකීනස්ත්වම්🔊tava-ahaṃ na māmakīnas-tvamI am yours, you are not mine (the wave belongs to the ocean, not the ocean to the wave)

සාමුද්රෝ හි තරඞ්ගඃ🔊sāmudro hi taraṅgaḥThe wave indeed belongs to (arises from) the ocean

සමුද්රෝ න තාරඞ්ගඃ🔊samudro na tāraṅgaḥBut the ocean does not belong to the wave

මත්ස්යාදිභිරවතාරෛඃ🔊matsya-ādibhir-avatāraiḥThrough (your) incarnations beginning with the Fish (Matsya)

අවතා සදා වසුධාම්🔊avatā sadā vasudhāmEver protecting the earth

භවතාපභීතෝ(අ)හම්🔊bhava-tāpa-bhīto'hamI am frightened by the torments of worldly existence

දාමෝදර🔊dāmodaraO Damodara (Krishna, bound at the waist by a rope)

භවජලධිමථනමන්දර🔊bhava-jaladhi-mathana-mandaraO Mandara-mountain that churns the ocean of worldly existence

පරමං දරමපනය ත්වං මේ🔊paramaṃ daram-apanaya tvaṃ meRemove my deepest fear / dread

නාරායණ කරුණාමය🔊nārāyaṇa karuṇāmayaO Narayana, full of compassion

ශරණං කරවාණි තාවකෞ චරණෞ🔊śaraṇaṃ karavāṇi tāvakau caraṇauLet me take refuge at your two feet

ඉති ෂට්පදී මදීයේ වදනසරෝජේ සදා වසතු🔊iti ṣaṭpadī madīye vadana-saroje sadā vasatuMay this Shatpadi (six-versed hymn) ever dwell in the lotus of my mouth

Benefits of Chanting विष्णु षट्पदी

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A complete prayer of surrender (sharanagati) at the feet of Lord Vishnu

✦

Composed by Adi Shankaracharya — concise yet spiritually profound

✦

Helps subdue the restless mind and quell the thirst for sense-pleasures

✦

Cultivates bhuta-daya (compassion for all beings) and humility

✦

Teaches the supreme truth of the soul's relationship to God through the wave-and-ocean image

✦

Invokes fearlessness and refuge from the torments of samsara

✦

Short enough to memorise and recite daily as a heartfelt offering

How to Chant विष्णु षट्पदी

Repetitions6times

Best TimeMorning after bath, at dusk, or on Ekadashi and other Vishnu-related days

Sit calmly facing east or north before an image of Vishnu, Krishna or Narayana. After a bath, light a lamp and recite the six verses (plus the closing line) slowly, feeling the mood of surrender in each plea. Dwell especially on the third verse — 'I am yours, you are not mine' — as a meditation on the soul's relationship to God. Recite once or three times daily; conclude by mentally placing yourself at Narayana's feet.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete विष्णु षट्पदी 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.

It is attributed to Adi Shankaracharya (8th century CE), the great Advaita teacher who, despite his non-dualist philosophy, composed many tender devotional hymns to Vishnu, Shiva and Devi. 'Shatpadi' literally means 'six-versed' (and also playfully evokes a bee, shat-pada).

In the third verse Shankaracharya says, 'Even though difference has departed, I am yours and you are not mine, for the wave belongs to the ocean but the ocean never belongs to the wave.' It expresses the loving paradox of bhakti within non-duality: the devotee surrenders as a small wave to the infinite ocean of God.

It has six main verses (hence 'Shatpadi'), followed by a concluding line in which the poet prays that this six-versed hymn may forever dwell in the lotus of his mouth.

It can be chanted any day with devotion, and is especially suited to mornings after bathing, to Ekadashi, and to other days sacred to Vishnu, as a short and powerful prayer of surrender.