The Rama Raksha Stotra

Verse 1 (padma.6.73.1)

महादेव उवाच- ॐरामरक्षास्तोत्रस्य श्रीमहर्षिर्विश्वामित्रऋषिः । श्रीरामो देवता अनुष्टुप्छंदः । विष्णुप्रीत्यर्थे जपे विनियोगः

mahādeva uvāca- oṁrāmarakṣāstotrasya śrīmaharṣirviśvāmitraṛṣiḥ śrīrāmo devatā anuṣṭupchaṁdaḥ viṣṇuprītyarthe jape viniyogaḥ

Mahadeva said: Om, the sage of the Rama-Raksha hymn is the great sage Sri Vishvamitra; its deity is Sri Rama, its meter is Anushtup; its application in recitation is for the pleasure of Vishnu.

Verse 2 (padma.6.73.2)

अतसीपुष्पसंकाशं पीतवाससमच्युतम् । ध्यात्वा वै पुंडरीकाक्षं श्रीरामं विष्णुमव्ययम्

atasīpuṣpasaṁkāśaṁ pītavāsasamacyutam dhyātvā vai puṁḍarīkākṣaṁ śrīrāmaṁ viṣṇumavyayam

Meditating upon Sri Rama, dark as the flower of the flax, clad in yellow, Achyuta; the lotus-eyed, the imperishable form of Vishnu -

Verse 3 (padma.6.73.3)

पातु वो हृदयं रामः श्रीकंठः कंठमेव च । नाभिं पातु मखत्राता कटिं मे विश्वरक्षकः

pātu vo hṛdayaṁ rāmaḥ śrīkaṁṭhaḥ kaṁṭhameva ca nābhiṁ pātu makhatrātā kaṭiṁ me viśvarakṣakaḥ

May Rama protect my heart, may the beautiful-throated one protect my throat as well; may the protector of sacrifice protect my navel, may the protector of the universe protect my waist.

Verse 4 (padma.6.73.4)

करौ पातु दाशरथिः पादौ मे विश्वरूपधृक् । चक्षुषी पातु वै देव सीतापतिरनुत्तमः

karau pātu dāśarathiḥ pādau me viśvarūpadhṛk cakṣuṣī pātu vai deva sītāpatiranuttamaḥ

May the son of Dasharatha protect my two hands, may he who bears the universal form protect my two feet; O god, may the husband of Sita, unsurpassed, protect my two eyes.

Verse 5 (padma.6.73.5)

शिखां मे पातु विश्वात्मा कर्णौ मे पातु कामदः । पार्श्वयोस्तु सुरत्राता कालकोटिदुरासदः

śikhāṁ me pātu viśvātmā karṇau me pātu kāmadaḥ pārśvayostu suratrātā kālakoṭidurāsadaḥ

May the Self of the universe protect my crest-lock, may the fulfiller of desires protect my two ears; may he who is unassailable even to myriad forms of Time, the protector of the gods, protect my two sides.

Verse 6 (padma.6.73.6)

अनंतः सर्वदा पातु शरीरं विश्वनायकः । जिह्वां मे पातु पापघ्नो लोकशिक्षाप्रवर्त्तकः

anaṁtaḥ sarvadā pātu śarīraṁ viśvanāyakaḥ jihvāṁ me pātu pāpaghno lokaśikṣāpravarttakaḥ

May the infinite one, the leader of the universe, ever protect my body; may the destroyer of sin, the promulgator of the world's instruction, protect my tongue.

Verse 7 (padma.6.73.7)

राघवः पातु मे दंतान्केशान्रक्षतु केशवः । सक्थिनी पातु मे दत्त विजयो नाम विश्वसृक्

rāghavaḥ pātu me daṁtānkeśānrakṣatu keśavaḥ sakthinī pātu me datta vijayo nāma viśvasṛk

May Raghava protect my teeth, may Keshava protect my hair; may he named Vijaya, the creator of the universe, protect my two thighs.

Verse 8 (padma.6.73.8)

एतां रामबलोपेतां रक्षां यो वै पुमान्पठेत् । स चिरायुः सुखी विद्वान्लभते दिव्यसंपदम्

etāṁ rāmabalopetāṁ rakṣāṁ yo vai pumānpaṭhet sa cirāyuḥ sukhī vidvānlabhate divyasaṁpadam

Whatever man recites this protective armor endowed with Rama's own power becomes long-lived, happy, learned, and attains divine prosperity.

Verse 9 (padma.6.73.9)

रक्षां करोति भूतेभ्यः सदा रक्षा तु वैष्णवी । रामेति रामभद्रेति रामचंद्रेति यः स्मरेत्

rakṣāṁ karoti bhūtebhyaḥ sadā rakṣā tu vaiṣṇavī rāmeti rāmabhadreti rāmacaṁdreti yaḥ smaret

This Vaishnava protection ever safeguards one from evil spirits. Whoever remembers him thus - as 'Rama', 'Ramabhadra', 'Ramachandra' -

Verse 10 (padma.6.73.10)

विमुक्तः स नरः पापान्मुक्तिं प्राप्नोति शाश्वतीम् । वसिष्ठेन इदं प्रोक्तं गुरवे विष्णुरूपिणे

vimuktaḥ sa naraḥ pāpānmuktiṁ prāpnoti śāśvatīm vasiṣṭhena idaṁ proktaṁ gurave viṣṇurūpiṇe

that man, freed from sin, attains eternal liberation. This was told by Vasishtha to his own teacher, who was of the very form of Vishnu.

Verse 11 (padma.6.73.11)

ततो मे ब्रह्मणः प्राप्तं मयोक्तं नारदं प्रति । नारदेन तु भूर्लोके प्रापितं सुजनेष्विह

tato me brahmaṇaḥ prāptaṁ mayoktaṁ nāradaṁ prati nāradena tu bhūrloke prāpitaṁ sujaneṣviha

After that, it came to me from Brahma, and I told it to Narada; Narada brought it here to the earthly realm, to the virtuous.

Verse 12 (padma.6.73.12)

सुप्त्वावाथ गृहे वापि मार्गे गच्छंत एव वा । ये पठंति नरश्रेष्ठास्ते नराः पुण्यभागिनः

suptvāvātha gṛhe vāpi mārge gacchaṁta eva vā ye paṭhaṁti naraśreṣṭhāste narāḥ puṇyabhāginaḥ

While sleeping, or at home, or even while walking upon a road, whatever excellent men recite this become sharers in merit.