vishnushodasha-namasixteen-namesprotection

𑌵𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌣𑍁 𑌷𑍋𑌡𑌶 𑌨𑌾𑌮 𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌮𑍍

विष्णु षोडश नाम स्तोत्रम् in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Early morning immediately after waking and bathing (prātaḥ)·📜 Traditional Vaishnava stotra (smriti / Pauranic tradition)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ English සිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Traditional Vaishnava stotra (smriti / Pauranic tradition) · Traditional (anonymous) · Classical

This well-loved short stotra teaches the practice of constant remembrance (smarana) of God by assigning a specific name of Vishnu to each common situation of human life. By naming Vishnu in illness, food, sleep, marriage, travel, danger, fire, water, forest and death, it weaves devotion into every moment of daily living. Many of the sixteen names — Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana/Trivikrama and Rama — are the Lord's celebrated Dashavatara forms, linking everyday life to his cosmic descents.

✦ As told in scripture

It is traditionally said that one who keeps these sixteen names ready in the mind is guarded by the Lord in every danger — recalling Jalashayin in fire or Madhusudana in sudden crisis is believed to instantly summon Vishnu's protective grace.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

𑌔𑌷𑌧𑍇 𑌚𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌯𑍇𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌣𑍁𑌂 𑌭𑍋𑌜𑌨𑍇 𑌚 𑌜𑌨𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌦𑌨𑌮𑍍। 𑌶𑌯𑌨𑍇 𑌪𑌦𑍍𑌮𑌨𑌾𑌭𑌂 𑌚 𑌵𑌿𑌵𑌾𑌹𑍇 𑌚 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌪𑌤𑌿𑌮𑍍॥௧॥

Auṣadhe chintayed-viṣṇuṃ bhojane cha janārdanam। śayane padmanābhaṃ cha vivāhe cha prajāpatim॥1॥

Meaning:औषध सेवन के समय विष्णु का, भोजन के समय जनार्दन का, शयन के समय पद्मनाभ का, और विवाह के समय प्रजापति का स्मरण करना चाहिए।

Verse 2

𑌯𑍁𑌦𑍍𑌧𑍇 𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌧𑌰𑌂 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌵𑌾𑌸𑍇 𑌚 𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌵𑌿𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌮𑌮𑍍। 𑌨𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌯𑌣𑌂 𑌤𑌨𑍁𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌗𑍇 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍀𑌧𑌰𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌯𑌸𑌙𑍍𑌗𑌮𑍇॥௨॥

Yuddhe chakra-dharaṃ devaṃ pravāse cha trivikramam। nārāyaṇaṃ tanu-tyāge śrīdharaṃ priya-saṅgame॥2॥

Meaning:युद्ध में चक्रधर देव का, प्रवास (यात्रा) में त्रिविक्रम का, शरीर त्याग के समय नारायण का, और प्रियजन के संगम पर श्रीधर का स्मरण करे।

Verse 3

𑌦𑍁𑌃𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌪𑍍𑌨𑍇 𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌰 𑌗𑍋𑌵𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌂 𑌸𑌙𑍍𑌕𑌟𑍇 𑌮𑌧𑍁𑌸𑍂𑌦𑌨𑌮𑍍। 𑌕𑌾𑌨𑌨𑍇 𑌨𑌾𑌰𑌸𑌿𑌂𑌹𑌂 𑌚 𑌪𑌾𑌵𑌕𑍇 𑌜𑌲𑌶𑌾𑌯𑌿𑌨𑌮𑍍॥௩॥

Duḥsvapne smara govindaṃ saṅkaṭe madhusūdanam। kānane nārasiṃhaṃ cha pāvake jala-śāyinam॥3॥

Meaning:बुरे स्वप्न में गोविन्द का, संकट में मधुसूदन का, वन में नारसिंह का, और अग्नि में जलशायी का स्मरण करे।

Verse 4

𑌜𑌲𑌮𑌧𑍍𑌯𑍇 𑌵𑌰𑌾𑌹𑌂 𑌚 𑌪𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌤𑍇 𑌰𑌘𑍁𑌨𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌨𑌮𑍍। 𑌗𑌮𑌨𑍇 𑌵𑌾𑌮𑌨𑌂 𑌚𑍈𑌵 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌕𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌷𑍁 𑌮𑌾𑌧𑌵𑌮𑍍॥௪॥

Jala-madhye varāhaṃ cha parvate raghu-nandanam। gamane vāmanaṃ chaiva sarva-kāryeṣu mādhavam॥4॥

Meaning:जल के मध्य में वराह का, पर्वत पर रघुनन्दन (राम) का, गमन में वामन का, और समस्त कार्यों में माधव का स्मरण करे।

Verse 5

𑌷𑍋𑌡𑌶𑍈𑌤𑌾𑌨𑌿 𑌨𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌿 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌤𑌰𑍁𑌤𑍍𑌥𑌾𑌯 𑌯𑌃 𑌪𑌠𑍇𑌤𑍍। 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌪𑌾𑌪𑌵𑌿𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌮𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑍋 𑌵𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌣𑍁𑌲𑍋𑌕𑍇 𑌮𑌹𑍀𑌯𑌤𑍇॥௫॥

Ṣoḍaśaitāni nāmāni prātar-utthāya yaḥ paṭhet। sarva-pāpa-vinirmukto viṣṇu-loke mahīyate॥5॥

Meaning:जो प्रातः उठकर इन सोलह नामों का पाठ करता है, वह समस्त पापों से मुक्त होकर विष्णुलोक में प्रतिष्ठित होता है।

Word-by-Word Meaning

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𑌔𑌷𑌧𑍇🔊auṣadhewhile taking medicine

𑌚𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌯𑍇𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌣𑍁𑌂🔊chintayed-viṣṇuṃone should meditate on Vishnu

𑌭𑍋𑌜𑌨𑍇 𑌚 𑌜𑌨𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌦𑌨𑌮𑍍🔊bhojane cha janārdanamand Janardana while eating

𑌶𑌯𑌨𑍇 𑌪𑌦𑍍𑌮𑌨𑌾𑌭𑌂🔊śayane padmanābhaṃPadmanabha while lying down to sleep

𑌵𑌿𑌵𑌾𑌹𑍇 𑌚 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌪𑌤𑌿𑌮𑍍🔊vivāhe cha prajāpatimand Prajapati at the time of marriage

𑌯𑍁𑌦𑍍𑌧𑍇 𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌧𑌰𑌂🔊yuddhe chakra-dharaṃChakradhara (wielder of the discus) in battle

𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌵𑌾𑌸𑍇 𑌚 𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌵𑌿𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌮𑌮𑍍🔊pravāse cha trivikramamand Trivikrama while traveling

𑌨𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌯𑌣𑌂 𑌤𑌨𑍁𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌗𑍇🔊nārāyaṇaṃ tanu-tyāgeNarayana at the time of leaving the body (death)

𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍀𑌧𑌰𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌯𑌸𑌙𑍍𑌗𑌮𑍇🔊śrīdharaṃ priya-saṅgameShridhara when meeting a loved one

𑌦𑍁𑌃𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌪𑍍𑌨𑍇 𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌰 𑌗𑍋𑌵𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌂🔊duḥsvapne smara govindaṃremember Govinda after a bad dream

𑌸𑌙𑍍𑌕𑌟𑍇 𑌮𑌧𑍁𑌸𑍂𑌦𑌨𑌮𑍍🔊saṅkaṭe madhusūdanamMadhusudana in times of crisis/danger

𑌕𑌾𑌨𑌨𑍇 𑌨𑌾𑌰𑌸𑌿𑌂𑌹𑌂🔊kānane nārasiṃhaṃNarasimha while in the forest

𑌪𑌾𑌵𑌕𑍇 𑌜𑌲𑌶𑌾𑌯𑌿𑌨𑌮𑍍🔊pāvake jala-śāyinamJalashayin (one who reclines on water) in fire

𑌜𑌲𑌮𑌧𑍍𑌯𑍇 𑌵𑌰𑌾𑌹𑌂🔊jala-madhye varāhaṃVaraha while in the midst of water

𑌪𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌤𑍇 𑌰𑌘𑍁𑌨𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌨𑌮𑍍🔊parvate raghu-nandanamRaghunandana (Rama) while on a mountain

𑌗𑌮𑌨𑍇 𑌵𑌾𑌮𑌨𑌂🔊gamane vāmanaṃVamana while walking/going

𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌕𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌷𑍁 𑌮𑌾𑌧𑌵𑌮𑍍🔊sarva-kāryeṣu mādhavamMadhava in all undertakings

𑌷𑍋𑌡𑌶𑍈𑌤𑌾𑌨𑌿 𑌨𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌿🔊ṣoḍaśaitāni nāmānithese sixteen names

𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌤𑌰𑍁𑌤𑍍𑌥𑌾𑌯 𑌯𑌃 𑌪𑌠𑍇𑌤𑍍🔊prātar-utthāya yaḥ paṭhetwhoever recites them upon rising at dawn

𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌪𑌾𑌪𑌵𑌿𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌮𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌃🔊sarva-pāpa-vinirmuktaḥbecomes freed from all sins

𑌵𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌣𑍁𑌲𑍋𑌕𑍇 𑌮𑌹𑍀𑌯𑌤𑍇🔊viṣṇu-loke mahīyateis honored/exalted in the realm of Vishnu

Benefits of Chanting विष्णु षोडश नाम स्तोत्रम्

✦

Provides the right divine name to remember in every situation of life

✦

Invokes Vishnu's protection during illness, travel, danger and conflict

✦

Recited at dawn, it is said to free one from all accumulated sins

✦

Keeps the mind anchored in remembrance (smarana) of God throughout the day

✦

Includes the Dashavatara names, uniting daily life with the Lord's incarnations

✦

Traditionally chanted for safety in fire, water, forest and on journeys

✦

Grants the devotee a place of honor in Vishnuloka

How to Chant विष्णु षोडश नाम स्तोत्रम्

Repetitions1times

Best TimeEarly morning immediately after waking and bathing (prātaḥ)

Recite the five verses soon after rising at dawn, ideally after a bath, facing east. Learn the sixteen names and their situations so they can be recalled instantly through the day — Janardana while eating, Madhusudana in danger, Narayana at the final hour, and so on. The stotra is short and meant to be memorized so that the appropriate name of the Lord springs to mind in every circumstance.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete विष्णु षोडश नाम स्तोत्रम् written in the Grantha 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 a short hymn that gives sixteen ('shodasha') names of Lord Vishnu, prescribing a particular name to remember in a particular situation — for example, Janardana while eating, Trivikrama while traveling, Madhusudana in danger, and Narayana at the time of death.

Vishnu, Janardana, Padmanabha, Prajapati, Chakradhara, Trivikrama, Narayana, Shridhara, Govinda, Madhusudana, Narasimha, Jalashayin, Varaha, Raghunandana (Rama), Vamana and Madhava — sixteen names, several of them Dashavatara forms.

The closing verse says they should be recited upon rising at dawn ('prataḥ utthaya'). Beyond that, each individual name is to be remembered in its specific circumstance — in fire, water, forest, battle, bad dreams, illness and so on.

The stotra declares that whoever recites them at dawn becomes freed from all sins ('sarva-papa-vinirmukta') and is exalted in the realm of Vishnu. It also keeps the mind continually turned toward God in daily life.