Vishnu
Mangalam Bhagwan Vishnu
मङ्गलं भगवान् विष्णुर्मङ्गलं गरुडध्वजः । मङ्गलं पुण्डरीकाक्षो मङ्गलायतनं हरिः ॥
Simple reading
Man-ga-lam bha-ga-vaan vish-nur, man-ga-lam ga-ru-da dhva-jah, man-ga-lam pun-da-ree-kaak-sho, man-ga-laa-ya-ta-nam ha-rih
Maṅgalaṁ bhagavān viṣṇur maṅgalaṁ garuḍa-dhvajaḥ, maṅgalaṁ puṇḍarīkākṣo maṅgalāyatanaṁ hariḥ
About this mantra
The auspiciousness verse recited at the start of ceremonies and weddings. Hari is invoked as the very home of all that is auspicious.
Meaning
Auspicious is Lord Vishnu; auspicious is the one whose banner bears Garuda; auspicious is the lotus-eyed one; Hari is the very abode of auspiciousness. The verse blesses by repetition: mangalam falls four times, like flowers at a threshold. It does not ask that nothing go wrong; it declares whose presence makes things go right.
Learn it by heart
Say the first line until it comes without reading, then add the next line and say both, until the whole mantra comes on its own.
Line 1 of 2
मङ्गलं भगवान् विष्णुर्मङ्गलं गरुडध्वजः ।
Maṅgalaṁ bhagavān viṣṇur maṅgalaṁ garuḍa-dhvajaḥ, maṅgalaṁ puṇḍarīkākṣo maṅgalāyatanaṁ hariḥ
0not said yet
Aim for eleven before the next line. Move on when the line comes without reading.
Progress stays on this device.
When to recite it
The auspicious opener: weddings, engagements, griha-pravesh, journeys, new ledgers; wherever a ceremony begins, this verse lays the first flower.
Word by word
- मङ्गलंmaṅgalaṁ
- auspicious
- गरुडध्वजःgaruḍa-dhvajaḥ
- whose banner bears Garuda
- पुण्डरीकाक्षःpuṇḍarīkākṣaḥ
- the lotus-eyed one
- मङ्गलायतनं हरिःmaṅgalāyatanaṁ hariḥ
- Hari, abode of auspiciousness
Source: Traditional maṅgala-śloka (pooja paddhati corpus)