Vishnu
Shantakaram — Vishnu dhyana
शान्ताकारं भुजगशयनं पद्मनाभं सुरेशं विश्वाधारं गगनसदृशं मेघवर्णं शुभाङ्गम् । लक्ष्मीकान्तं कमलनयनं योगिभिर्ध्यानगम्यं वन्दे विष्णुं भवभयहरं सर्वलोकैकनाथम् ॥
Simple reading
Shaan-taa-kaa-ram bhu-ja-ga sha-ya-nam pad-ma-naa-bham su-re-sham, vish-vaa-dhaa-ram ga-ga-na sa-dri-sham me-gha var-nam shu-bhaan-gam, laksh-mee kaan-tam ka-ma-la na-ya-nam yo-gi-bhir dhyaa-na gam-yam, van-de vish-num bha-va bha-ya ha-ram sar-va lo-kai-ka naa-tham
Śāntākāraṁ bhujaga-śayanaṁ padmanābhaṁ sureśaṁ viśvādhāraṁ gagana-sadṛśaṁ megha-varṇaṁ śubhāṅgam, lakṣmī-kāntaṁ kamala-nayanaṁ yogibhir dhyāna-gamyaṁ vande viṣṇuṁ bhava-bhaya-haraṁ sarva-lokaika-nātham
About this mantra
The great meditation verse (dhyana-shloka) on Vishnu: serene on the serpent Shesha, lotus-naveled, cloud-dark, upholder of the universe. It has no single scriptural home; the puja manuals carry it as the standard Vishnu dhyana.
Meaning
I bow to Vishnu: of serene form, resting on the serpent, lotus-naveled, lord of the gods, support of the universe, vast as the sky, cloud-hued, of auspicious limbs; beloved of Lakshmi, lotus-eyed, reached by yogis in meditation; remover of the fear of worldly existence, the one lord of all the worlds. The verse builds its vision one element at a time: posture, navel, colour, eyes. By the end the mind has somewhere serene to stand. It asks for nothing: even 'remover of the fear of existence' is an epithet, not a plea. Its one verb is vande, I bow.
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
शान्ताकारं भुजगशयनं पद्मनाभं सुरेशं विश्वाधारं गगनसदृशं मेघवर्णं शुभाङ्गम् ।
Śāntākāraṁ bhujaga-śayanaṁ padmanābhaṁ sureśaṁ viśvādhāraṁ gagana-sadṛśaṁ megha-varṇaṁ śubhāṅgam, lakṣmī-kāntaṁ kamala-nayanaṁ yogibhir dhyāna-gamyaṁ vande viṣṇuṁ bhava-bhaya-haraṁ sarva-lokaika-nātham
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
Recited to open Vishnu and Satyanarayana pujas, on Ekadashi mornings, and before sleep when the mind needs a serene image to rest on.
Word by word
- शान्ताकारंśāntākāraṁ
- of serene form
- भुजगशयनंbhujaga-śayanaṁ
- resting on the serpent (Shesha)
- पद्मनाभंpadmanābhaṁ
- lotus-naveled
- सुरेशंsureśaṁ
- lord of the gods
- विश्वाधारंviśvādhāraṁ
- support of the universe
- गगनसदृशंgagana-sadṛśaṁ
- vast as the sky
- मेघवर्णंmegha-varṇaṁ
- cloud-hued
- शुभाङ्गम्śubhāṅgam
- of auspicious limbs
- लक्ष्मीकान्तंlakṣmī-kāntaṁ
- beloved of Lakshmi
- कमलनयनंkamala-nayanaṁ
- lotus-eyed
- योगिभिर्ध्यानगम्यंyogibhir dhyāna-gamyaṁ
- reached by yogis in meditation
- वन्दे विष्णुंvande viṣṇuṁ
- I bow to Vishnu
- भवभयहरंbhava-bhaya-haraṁ
- remover of worldly fear
- सर्वलोकैकनाथम्sarva-lokaika-nātham
- the one lord of all the worlds
Source: Traditional Viṣṇu dhyāna-śloka (pooja paddhati corpus)