Kulamrita-Stotra: Shiva's Teaching to Narada

Verse 1 (garuda.1.232.1)

सूत उवाच । कुलामृतं प्रवक्ष्यामि स्तोत्रं यत्तु हरोऽब्रवीत् । पृष्टः श्रीनारदेनैव नारदाय तथा शृणु

sūta uvāca kulāmṛtaṁ pravakṣyāmi stotraṁ yattu haro'bravīt pṛṣṭaḥ śrīnāradenaiva nāradāya tathā śṛṇu

Suta said: I shall now declare the hymn called Kulamrita, which Hara spoke, being questioned by the glorious Narada — hear it, as it was spoken to Narada.

Verse 2 (garuda.1.232.2)

नारद उवाच । यः संकारे सदा द्वन्द्वैः कामक्रोधैः शुभाशुभैः । शब्दादिविषयैर्बद्धः पीड्यमानः स दुर्मतिः

nārada uvāca yaḥ saṁkāre sadā dvandvaiḥ kāmakrodhaiḥ śubhāśubhaiḥ śabdādiviṣayairbaddhaḥ pīḍyamānaḥ sa durmatiḥ

Narada said: He who, in this creation, is ever bound by the pairs of opposites — desire and anger, good and evil, and the objects beginning with sound — such an ill-minded one is tormented.

Verse 3 (garuda.1.232.3)

क्षणं विमुच्यते जन्तुर्मृत्युसंसारसागरात् । भगवञ्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि त्वत्तो हि त्रिपुरान्तक

kṣaṇaṁ vimucyate janturmṛtyusaṁsārasāgarāt bhagavañchrotumicchāmi tvatto hi tripurāntaka

By what means is a creature freed even for a moment from the death-filled ocean of samsara? O Lord, O destroyer of Tripura, I wish to hear this from you.

Verse 4 (garuda.1.232.4)

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा नारदस्य त्रिलोचनः । उवाच तमृषिं शम्भुः प्रसन्नवदनो हरः

tasya tadvacanaṁ śrutvā nāradasya trilocanaḥ uvāca tamṛṣiṁ śambhuḥ prasannavadano haraḥ

Having heard Narada's words, the three-eyed Shambhu, Hara, with a serene countenance, spoke to that sage —

Verse 5 (garuda.1.232.5)

महेश्वर उवाच । ज्ञानामृतं परं गुह्यं रहस्यमृषिसत्तम । वक्ष्यामि शृणु दुः खघ्नं भवबन्धभयामहम्

maheśvara uvāca jñānāmṛtaṁ paraṁ guhyaṁ rahasyamṛṣisattama vakṣyāmi śṛṇu duḥ khaghnaṁ bhavabandhabhayāmaham

Maheshvara said: O best of sages, I shall declare the supreme, secret nectar of knowledge, the mystery that destroys sorrow and removes the fear of worldly bondage; listen.

Verse 6 (garuda.1.232.6)

तृणादि चतुरास्यान्तं भूतग्रामं चतुर्विधम् । चराचरं जगत्सर्वं प्रसुप्तं यस्य मायया

tṛṇādi caturāsyāntaṁ bhūtagrāmaṁ caturvidham carācaraṁ jagatsarvaṁ prasuptaṁ yasya māyayā

From the blade of grass up to the four-faced Brahma, the fourfold host of beings, this entire moving and unmoving world lies asleep through whose Maya —

Verse 7 (garuda.1.232.7)

तस्य विष्णो प्रिसादेन यदि कश्चित्प्रबुध्यते । स निस्तरति संसारं देवानामपि दुस्तरम्

tasya viṣṇo prisādena yadi kaścitprabudhyate sa nistarati saṁsāraṁ devānāmapi dustaram

— if anyone, by the grace of that Vishnu, awakens, he crosses over samsara, difficult to cross even for the gods.

Verse 8 (garuda.1.232.8)

भोगैश्वर्यमदोन्मत्तस्ततत्त्वज्ञानपराङ्मुखः । पुत्रदारकुटुम्बेषु मत्ताः सीदन्तिजन्तवः

bhogaiśvaryamadonmattastatattvajñānaparāṅmukhaḥ putradārakuṭumbeṣu mattāḥ sīdantijantavaḥ

Intoxicated by the pride of enjoyment and lordship, turned away from the knowledge of truth, creatures, attached to sons, wives, and family, sink into affliction.

Verse 9 (garuda.1.232.9)

सर्व एकार्णवे मग्ना जीर्णा वनगजा इव । यस्त्वाननं निबध्नाति दुर्मतिः कोशकारवत्

sarva ekārṇave magnā jīrṇā vanagajā iva yastvānanaṁ nibadhnāti durmatiḥ kośakāravat

All are sunk in a single ocean, worn out like old forest elephants; the foolish man binds his own face, like a silkworm weaving its cocoon.

Verse 10 (garuda.1.232.10)

तस्य मुक्तिं न पश्यामि जन्मकोटिशतैरपि । तस्मान्नारद सर्वेषां देवानां देवमव्ययम् । आराधयेत्सदा सम्यगध्यायेद्विष्णुं मुदान्वितः

tasya muktiṁ na paśyāmi janmakoṭiśatairapi tasmānnārada sarveṣāṁ devānāṁ devamavyayam ārādhayetsadā samyagadhyāyedviṣṇuṁ mudānvitaḥ

For him I see no liberation, even in a hundred million births. Therefore, O Narada, one should always duly worship, and joyfully meditate upon, Vishnu, the imperishable God of all gods.

Verse 11 (garuda.1.232.11)

यस्तु विश्वमनाद्यन्तमजमात्मनि संस्थितम् । सर्वज्ञमचलं विष्णुं सदा ध्यायेत्समुच्यते

yastu viśvamanādyantamajamātmani saṁsthitam sarvajñamacalaṁ viṣṇuṁ sadā dhyāyetsamucyate

He who ever meditates upon Vishnu — beginningless and endless, unborn, in whom the universe abides, omniscient, unmoving — is liberated.

Verse 12 (garuda.1.232.12)

देवं गर्भोचितं विष्णुं सदा ध्यायन्विमुच्यते । अशिरीरं विधातारं सर्वज्ञानमनोरतिम् । अचलं सर्वगं विष्णुं सदा ध्यायन्विमुच्यते

devaṁ garbhocitaṁ viṣṇuṁ sadā dhyāyanvimucyate aśirīraṁ vidhātāraṁ sarvajñānamanoratim acalaṁ sarvagaṁ viṣṇuṁ sadā dhyāyanvimucyate

Ever meditating on the god Vishnu, the source of all wombs, one is freed; ever meditating on Vishnu — bodiless, the ordainer, the delight of all knowledge, unmoving, all-pervading — one is freed.

Verse 13 (garuda.1.232.13)

निर्विकल्पं निराभासं निष्प्रपञ्चं निरामयम् । वासुदेवं गुरुं विष्णुं सदा ध्यायन्विमुच्यते

nirvikalpaṁ nirābhāsaṁ niṣprapañcaṁ nirāmayam vāsudevaṁ guruṁ viṣṇuṁ sadā dhyāyanvimucyate

Ever meditating on Vasudeva, the guru, Vishnu — free of doubt, free of mere appearance, free of the manifest world, free of affliction — one is freed.

Verse 14 (garuda.1.232.14)

सर्वात्मकञ्च वै यावदात्मचैतन्यरूपकम् । शुभमेकाक्षरं विष्णुं सदा ध्यायन्विमुच्यते

sarvātmakañca vai yāvadātmacaitanyarūpakam śubhamekākṣaraṁ viṣṇuṁ sadā dhyāyanvimucyate

Ever meditating on Vishnu — the Self of all, of the very form of consciousness, auspicious, the one syllable — one is freed.

Verse 15 (garuda.1.232.15)

वाक्यातीतं त्रिकालज्ञं विश्वेशं लोकसाक्षिणम् । सर्वस्मादुत्तमं विष्णुं सदा ध्यायन्विमुच्यते

vākyātītaṁ trikālajñaṁ viśveśaṁ lokasākṣiṇam sarvasmāduttamaṁ viṣṇuṁ sadā dhyāyanvimucyate

Ever meditating on Vishnu — beyond speech, knower of the three times, Lord of the universe, witness of the worlds, superior to all — one is freed.

Verse 16 (garuda.1.232.16)

ब्रह्मादिदेवगन्धर्वैर्मुनिभिः सिद्धचारणैः । योगिभिः सेवितं विष्णुं सदा ध्यायन्विमुच्यते

brahmādidevagandharvairmunibhiḥ siddhacāraṇaiḥ yogibhiḥ sevitaṁ viṣṇuṁ sadā dhyāyanvimucyate

Ever meditating on Vishnu, served by Brahma and the other gods, gandharvas, sages, siddhas, charanas, and yogis — one is freed.

Verse 17 (garuda.1.232.17)

संसारबन्धनामुक्तिमिच्छंल्लोको ह्यशेषतः । स्तुत्वैवं वरदं विष्णुं सदा ध्यायन्विमुच्यते

saṁsārabandhanāmuktimicchaṁlloko hyaśeṣataḥ stutvaivaṁ varadaṁ viṣṇuṁ sadā dhyāyanvimucyate

The whole world, desiring complete liberation from the bonds of samsara, having thus praised the boon-granting Vishnu, ever meditating on him, is freed.

Verse 18 (garuda.1.232.18)

संसारबन्धनात्कोऽपि मुक्तिमिच्छन्समाहितः । अनन्तमव्ययं देवं विष्णं विश्वप्रतिष्ठितम् । विश्वेश्वरमजं विष्णुं संदा ध्यायन्विमुच्यते

saṁsārabandhanātko'pi muktimicchansamāhitaḥ anantamavyayaṁ devaṁ viṣṇaṁ viśvapratiṣṭhitam viśveśvaramajaṁ viṣṇuṁ saṁdā dhyāyanvimucyate

Whoever, desiring freedom from the bonds of samsara, with a composed mind, ever meditates on the endless, imperishable god Vishnu, established in the universe, the Lord of the universe, the unborn — is freed.

Verse 19 (garuda.1.232.19)

सूत उवाच । नारदेन पुरा पृष्ट एवं स वृषभध्वजः । येत्तेन तस्मै व्याख्यातं तन्मया कथितं तव

sūta uvāca nāradena purā pṛṣṭa evaṁ sa vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ yettena tasmai vyākhyātaṁ tanmayā kathitaṁ tava

Suta said: Thus questioned by Narada of old, that bull-bannered god — what he explained to him, that have I told to you.

Verse 20 (garuda.1.232.20)

तमेव सततन्ध्यायन्निर्व्ययं ब्रह्म निष्कलम् । अवाप्स्यसि ध्रुवं तात ! शाश्वतं पदमव्ययम्

tameva satatandhyāyannirvyayaṁ brahma niṣkalam avāpsyasi dhruvaṁ tāta ! śāśvataṁ padamavyayam

Constantly meditating upon that very imperishable, partless Brahman, you, my son, shall surely attain that eternal, imperishable state.

Verse 21 (garuda.1.232.21)

अश्वमेधसहस्राणि वाजपेयशतानि च । क्षणमेकाग्रचित्तस्य कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम्

aśvamedhasahasrāṇi vājapeyaśatāni ca kṣaṇamekāgracittasya kalāṁ nārhanti ṣoḍaśīm

Thousands of Ashvamedha sacrifices and hundreds of Vajapeya sacrifices are not worth even a sixteenth part of a single moment of one-pointed meditation on Vishnu.

Verse 22 (garuda.1.232.22)

श्रुत्वा सुरऋषिर्विष्णोः प्राधान्यमिदमीश्वरात् । स विष्णुं सम्यगाराध्य सिद्धः पदमवाप्तवान्

śrutvā suraṛṣirviṣṇoḥ prādhānyamidamīśvarāt sa viṣṇuṁ samyagārādhya siddhaḥ padamavāptavān

Having heard this supremacy of Vishnu from the Lord, the divine sage Narada, having duly worshipped Vishnu, attained the state of perfection.

Verse 23 (garuda.1.232.23)

यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वा पि नित्यमेव स्तवोत्तमम् । कोटिजन्मकृतं पापमपि तस्य प्रणश्यति

yaḥ paṭhecchṛṇuyādvā pi nityameva stavottamam koṭijanmakṛtaṁ pāpamapi tasya praṇaśyati

Whoever reads or hears this excellent hymn constantly — even sins committed over ten million births are destroyed for him.

Verse 24 (garuda.1.232.24)

विष्णोः स्तवमिदं दिव्यं महादेवेन कीर्तितम् । प्रयत्नाद्यः पठेन्नित्य ममृतत्वं स गच्छति

viṣṇoḥ stavamidaṁ divyaṁ mahādevena kīrtitam prayatnādyaḥ paṭhennitya mamṛtatvaṁ sa gacchati

This divine hymn of Vishnu, proclaimed by the great god, whoever recites it daily with effort attains immortality.