krishnavishnudevakibhagavata-purana

𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌕𑍀 𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁𑌤𑌿

Devaki Stuti in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Janmashtami midnight, Krishna worship, or during Srimad Bhagavata study·📜 Srimad Bhagavata Purana, Canto 10, Chapter 3, verses 24–31 (Devaki-stuti)

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

Origin & Story

Srimad Bhagavata Purana, Canto 10, Chapter 3, verses 24–31 (Devaki-stuti) · Sage Veda-Vyasa (as spoken by Devaki) · Classical Puranic era

On the dark night of His descent, Lord Krishna appeared in the prison of Mathura not as an ordinary infant but as the resplendent four-armed Vishnu, bearing conch, disc, mace and lotus, dispelling the gloom of the cell where His parents Vasudeva and Devaki were chained. First Vasudeva and then Devaki offered prayers of awe and recognition. Devaki, beholding her son as the supreme cause of all causes, glorified Him as the eternal Brahman beyond creation and dissolution — yet, gripped by a mother's terror of the murderous Kamsa, she begged Him to withdraw His divine majesty and take the guise of a helpless child, so that He might be safely carried to Gokula.

✦ As told in scripture

When the Lord appeared in His four-armed form, the iron shackles fell from His parents and the prison doors are said to have opened of their own accord. In answer to Devaki's prayer, the Lord at once transformed Himself into an ordinary newborn, allowing Vasudeva to carry Him across the flooded Yamuna to safety in Gokula — the river itself parting and the great serpent Sesha shielding the child from the rain.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍀𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌕𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌵𑌾𑌚 𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌤𑍍𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌹𑍁𑌰𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌮𑌾𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮 𑌜𑍍𑌯𑍋𑌤𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌗𑍁𑌣𑌂 𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌮𑍍 । 𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌂 𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍇𑌷𑌂 𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍀𑌹𑌂 𑌸 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌸𑌾𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌾𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌣𑍁𑌰𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌦𑍀𑌪𑌃 ॥ ௨௪ ॥

śrī-devaky uvāca rūpaṃ yat tat prāhur avyaktam ādyaṃ brahma jyotir nirguṇaṃ nirvikāram | sattā-mātraṃ nirviśeṣaṃ nirīhaṃ sa tvaṃ sākṣād viṣṇur adhyātma-dīpaḥ || 24 ||

Meaning:Sri Devaki said: That form which the Vedas describe as the unmanifest, the original Brahman, the effulgence free from material qualities and untouched by change — pure existence, undifferentiated and desireless — that very form are You, O Lord Vishnu Himself, the lamp of all spiritual knowledge.

Verse 2

𑌨𑌷𑍍𑌟𑍇 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑍇 𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌧𑌾𑌵𑌸𑌾𑌨𑍇 𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌭𑍂𑌤𑍇𑌷𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌦𑌿𑌭𑍂𑌤𑌂 𑌗𑌤𑍇𑌷𑍁 । 𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌕𑍍𑌤𑍇𑌽𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌂 𑌕𑌾𑌲𑌵𑍇𑌗𑍇𑌨 𑌯𑌾𑌤𑍇 𑌭𑌵𑌾𑌨𑍇𑌕𑌃 𑌶𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍇𑌽𑌶𑍇𑌷𑌸𑌂𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌃 ॥ ௨௫ ॥

naṣṭe loke dvi-parārdhāvasāne mahā-bhūteṣv ādi-bhūtaṃ gateṣu | vyakte 'vyaktaṃ kāla-vegena yāte bhavān ekaḥ śiṣyate 'śeṣa-saṃjñaḥ || 25 ||

Meaning:When the universe is annihilated at the close of Brahma's two-fold lifespan, when the great elements merge into the primal nature and the manifest dissolves into the unmanifest by the force of time, You alone remain, known as the infinite totality.

Verse 3

𑌯𑍋𑌽𑌯𑌂 𑌕𑌾𑌲𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌤𑍇𑌽𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌬𑌨𑍍𑌧𑍋 𑌚𑍇𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌹𑍁𑌶𑍍𑌚𑍇𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌤𑍇 𑌯𑍇𑌨 𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌮𑍍 । 𑌨𑌿𑌮𑍇𑌷𑌾𑌦𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌤𑍍𑌸𑌰𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍋 𑌮𑌹𑍀𑌯𑌾𑌂- 𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌂 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑍇𑌶𑌾𑌨𑌂 𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍇𑌮𑌧𑌾𑌮 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌪𑌦𑍍𑌯𑍇 ॥ ௨௬ ॥

yo 'yaṃ kālas tasya te 'vyakta-bandho ceṣṭām āhuś ceṣṭate yena viśvam | nimeṣādir vatsarānto mahīyāṃs taṃ tveśānaṃ kṣema-dhāma prapadye || 26 ||

Meaning:This Time, by which the entire cosmos is set in motion — which the wise call Your activity, extending from the smallest instant to the span of a year and beyond — O hidden friend of the unseen, I take shelter of You, that Supreme Controller, the very abode of all auspiciousness.

Verse 4

𑌮𑌰𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍋 𑌮𑍃𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌲𑌭𑍀𑌤𑌃 𑌪𑌲𑌾𑌯𑌨𑍍 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌭𑌯𑌂 𑌨𑌾𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌗𑌚𑍍𑌛𑌤𑍍 । 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌤𑍍𑌪𑌾𑌦𑌾𑌬𑍍𑌜𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌪𑍍𑌯 𑌯𑌦𑍃𑌚𑍍𑌛𑌯𑌾𑌦𑍍𑌯 𑌸𑍁𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌃 𑌶𑍇𑌤𑍇 𑌮𑍃𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌰𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌦𑌪𑍈𑌤𑌿 ॥ ௨௭ ॥

martyo mṛtyu-vyāla-bhītaḥ palāyan lokān sarvān nirbhayaṃ nādhyagacchat | tvat pādābjaṃ prāpya yadṛcchayādya susthaḥ śete mṛtyur asmād apaiti || 27 ||

Meaning:A mortal fleeing in terror from the serpent of death finds no safety in any region of the worlds; but if by good fortune he attains Your lotus feet, he rests in peace, and death itself flees away from him.

Verse 5

𑌸 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌘𑍋𑌰𑌾𑌦𑍁𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌸𑍇𑌨𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌜𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌨- 𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌹𑌿 𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌭𑍃𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌵𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌸𑌹𑌾𑌸𑌿 । 𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌚𑍇𑌦𑌂 𑌪𑍗𑌰𑍁𑌷𑌂 𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌨𑌧𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌣𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌮𑌾 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌂 𑌮𑌾𑌂𑌸𑌦𑍃𑌶𑌾𑌂 𑌕𑍃𑌷𑍀𑌷𑍍𑌠𑌾𑌃 ॥ ௨௮ ॥

sa tvaṃ ghorād ugrasenātmajān nas trāhi trastān bhṛtya-vitrāsa-hāsi | rūpaṃ cedaṃ pauruṣaṃ dhyāna-dhiṣṇyaṃ mā pratyakṣaṃ māṃsa-dṛśāṃ kṛṣīṣṭhāḥ || 28 ||

Meaning:Therefore protect us, who are terrified of the fierce son of Ugrasena (Kamsa), O You who dispel the fears of Your devotees! And let not this transcendental, four-armed form — which is the proper object of meditation — be visible to ordinary, fleshly eyes.

Verse 6

𑌜𑌨𑍍𑌮 𑌤𑍇 𑌮𑌯𑍍𑌯𑌸𑍗 𑌪𑌾𑌪𑍋 𑌮𑌾 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌮𑌧𑍁𑌸𑍂𑌦𑌨 । 𑌸𑌮𑍁𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌜𑍇 𑌭𑌵𑌦𑍍𑌧𑍇𑌤𑍋𑌃 𑌕𑌂𑌸𑌾𑌦𑌹𑌮𑌧𑍀𑌰𑌧𑍀𑌃 ॥ ௨௯ ॥

janma te mayy asau pāpo mā vidyān madhusūdana | samudvije bhavad-dhetoḥ kaṃsād aham adhīra-dhīḥ || 29 ||

Meaning:O Madhusudana, may that sinful Kamsa not come to know that You have been born from me. Because of Your appearance, I, faint-hearted, tremble in dread of Kamsa.

Verse 7

𑌉𑌪𑌸𑌂𑌹𑌰 𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮- 𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌦𑍋 𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌮𑌲𑍗𑌕𑌿𑌕𑌮𑍍 । 𑌶𑌙𑍍𑌖𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌗𑌦𑌾𑌪𑌦𑍍𑌮- 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌯𑌾 𑌜𑍁𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌂 𑌚𑌤𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌭𑍁𑌜𑌮𑍍 ॥ ௩௦ ॥

upasaṃhara viśvātmann ado rūpam alaukikam | śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-padma- śriyā juṣṭaṃ catur-bhujam || 30 ||

Meaning:Withdraw, O Soul of the universe, this unworldly four-armed form, splendid with the glory of conch, disc, mace and lotus.

Verse 8

𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌯𑌦𑍇𑌤𑌤𑍍𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌤𑌨𑍗 𑌨𑌿𑌶𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍇 𑌯𑌥𑌾𑌵𑌕𑌾𑌶𑌂 𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌷𑌃 𑌪𑌰𑍋 𑌭𑌵𑌾𑌨𑍍 । 𑌬𑌿𑌭𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌸𑍋𑌽𑌯𑌂 𑌮𑌮 𑌗𑌰𑍍𑌭𑌗𑍋𑌽𑌭𑍂- 𑌦𑌹𑍋 𑌨𑍃𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌵𑌿𑌡𑌮𑍍𑌬𑌨𑌂 𑌹𑌿 𑌤𑌤𑍍 ॥ ௩௧ ॥

viśvaṃ yad etat sva-tanau niśānte yathāvakāśaṃ puruṣaḥ paro bhavān | bibharti so 'yaṃ mama garbhago 'bhūd aho nṛ-lokasya viḍambanaṃ hi tat || 31 ||

Meaning:That You, the Supreme Person, hold this entire universe within Your own body at the time of dissolution, each thing in its proper place — and yet this same You have entered my womb! Truly, this is but Your imitation of the ways of the human world.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍀𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌕𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌵𑌾𑌚🔊śrī-devaky uvācaSri Devaki said

𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌤𑍍𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌹𑍁𑌰𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌮𑌾𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌮𑍍🔊rūpaṃ yat tat prāhur avyaktam ādyamthat form which (the Vedas) call the unmanifest, the original

𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮 𑌜𑍍𑌯𑍋𑌤𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌗𑍁𑌣𑌂 𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌮𑍍🔊brahma jyotir nirguṇaṃ nirvikāramBrahman, the effulgence, free of material qualities and changeless

𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌂 𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍇𑌷𑌂 𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍀𑌹𑌮𑍍🔊sattā-mātraṃ nirviśeṣaṃ nirīhampure existence, undifferentiated and without material desire

𑌸 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌸𑌾𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌾𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌣𑍁𑌰𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌦𑍀𑌪𑌃🔊sa tvaṃ sākṣād viṣṇur adhyātma-dīpaḥthat very You are Lord Vishnu Himself, the lamp of transcendental knowledge

𑌨𑌷𑍍𑌟𑍇 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑍇 𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌧𑌾𑌵𑌸𑌾𑌨𑍇🔊naṣṭe loke dvi-parārdhāvasānewhen the world is annihilated at the end of the two parardhas (Brahma's lifetime)

𑌭𑌵𑌾𑌨𑍇𑌕𑌃 𑌶𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍇🔊bhavān ekaḥ śiṣyateYou alone remain

𑌅𑌶𑍇𑌷𑌸𑌂𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌃🔊aśeṣa-saṃjñaḥknown by unlimited names / as the totality

𑌯𑍋𑌽𑌯𑌂 𑌕𑌾𑌲𑌃🔊yo 'yaṃ kālaḥthis Time (kala)

𑌅𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌬𑌨𑍍𑌧𑍋🔊avyakta-bandhoO friend of the unmanifest / O hidden friend

𑌈𑌶𑌾𑌨𑌂 𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍇𑌮𑌧𑌾𑌮 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌪𑌦𑍍𑌯𑍇🔊īśānaṃ kṣema-dhāma prapadyeI surrender to You, the Lord, the abode of auspiciousness

𑌮𑍃𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌲𑌭𑍀𑌤𑌃🔊mṛtyu-vyāla-bhītaḥfrightened by the serpent of death

𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌤𑍍𑌪𑌾𑌦𑌾𑌬𑍍𑌜𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌪𑍍𑌯🔊tvat pādābjaṃ prāpyahaving attained Your lotus feet

𑌮𑍃𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌰𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌦𑌪𑍈𑌤𑌿🔊mṛtyur asmād apaitideath departs from him

𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌹𑌿 𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌨𑍍🔊trāhi trastānplease protect (us) who are terrified

𑌉𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌸𑍇𑌨𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌜𑌾𑌤𑍍🔊ugrasenātmajātfrom the son of Ugrasena (Kamsa)

𑌭𑍃𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌵𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌸𑌹𑌾𑌸𑌿🔊bhṛtya-vitrāsa-hāsiYou who dispel the fears of Your servants

𑌮𑌾 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌂 𑌮𑌾𑌂𑌸𑌦𑍃𑌶𑌾𑌮𑍍🔊mā pratyakṣaṃ māṃsa-dṛśāmdo not (remain) visible to fleshly (ordinary) eyes

𑌜𑌨𑍍𑌮 𑌤𑍇 𑌮𑌯𑍍𑌯𑌸𑍗 𑌪𑌾𑌪𑌃🔊janma te mayy asau pāpaḥ(let) that sinful one (Kamsa not learn of) Your birth from me

𑌮𑌧𑍁𑌸𑍂𑌦𑌨🔊madhusūdanaO slayer of the demon Madhu

𑌉𑌪𑌸𑌂𑌹𑌰 𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌨𑍍🔊upasaṃhara viśvātmanwithdraw (this form), O Soul of the universe

𑌶𑌙𑍍𑌖𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌗𑌦𑌾𑌪𑌦𑍍𑌮🔊śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-padma(adorned with) conch, disc, mace and lotus

𑌚𑌤𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌭𑍁𑌜𑌮𑍍🔊catur-bhujamthe four-armed (form)

𑌮𑌮 𑌗𑌰𑍍𑌭𑌗𑍋𑌽𑌭𑍂𑌤𑍍🔊mama garbhago 'bhūthas come to reside within my womb

𑌨𑍃𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌵𑌿𑌡𑌮𑍍𑌬𑌨𑌮𑍍🔊nṛ-lokasya viḍambanamimitation / mimicking of the human world

Benefits of Chanting Devaki Stuti

✦

Deepens devotion to Lord Krishna as the Supreme Brahman who alone remains after cosmic dissolution.

✦

A cherished prayer for the protection of children and family, modelled on a mother's plea to God.

✦

Especially recited on Janmashtami, recreating the sacred moment of the Lord's appearance in the prison.

✦

Teaches that the soul who attains the Lord's lotus feet is freed from the fear of death (verse 27).

✦

Cultivates the tender mood of vatsalya — loving the Supreme as one's own child — alongside reverence for His greatness.

✦

Held to dispel fear and grant shelter, peace, and the assurance of the Lord's protective presence.

How to Chant Devaki Stuti

Repetitions1times

Best TimeJanmashtami midnight, Krishna worship, or during Srimad Bhagavata study

Recite the eight verses slowly before an image of baby Krishna or Lord Vishnu, contemplating Devaki's wonder at recognizing her infant as the Supreme Lord, and her loving fear for His safety. The stuti is most powerful when chanted at midnight on Janmashtami, marking the moment of the Lord's birth. Chant with a heart blending reverence for His majesty and tender parental love, and pray for the protection of one's own children and family.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Devaki Stuti 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.

The Devaki Stuti is the prayer spoken by Devaki, the mother of Lord Krishna, when the Lord appeared before her as a luminous four-armed Vishnu just after His birth in Kamsa's prison. It is found in the Srimad Bhagavata Purana (Canto 10, Chapter 3, verses 24 to 31).

Although Devaki recognizes her child as the Supreme Lord, as a mother she fears that the tyrant Kamsa would kill any divine-looking infant. She therefore lovingly prays that the Lord conceal His majestic Vishnu form, with conch, disc, mace and lotus, and appear instead as an ordinary human baby.

She declares that her newborn is the unmanifest, changeless Brahman whom the Vedas describe — the one reality that alone survives the dissolution of the entire cosmos, the controller of all-devouring Time, and the shelter at whose lotus feet even death flees away.

It is especially recited on Sri Krishna Janmashtami, often at midnight to commemorate the Lord's appearance, as well as during regular study of the Srimad Bhagavata. It is also chanted as a prayer for the protection and well-being of one's children.