Bhagawatcharana stotram
(Stotra requesting refuge in God)
Written by
Brahmananda
Translated by
P.R.Ramachander
(This
rare stotra is all about the reasons for seeking refuge in God and is being
placed in the web for the first time. Sage Brahmananda has written this great
stotra. He does not talk to God under the assumption that he is a learned man
or a sage but as a common person like any of us. Another peculiarity of this
stotra is that it is addressed to God and not to any of his well known forms of
Shiva or Vishnu, though seeking refuge in God is a Vaishnava concept. Several
names of Vishnu and Shiva are included in stanza number 19.)
Sachid
ananda roopaya,
Bhaktanugraha
karine,
Maya
nirmitha viswaya,
Mahesaya
namo nama. 1
Salutations and
salutations,
To the god who is
the greatest,
Who is of the form
of eternal joy,
Who forever blesses
devotees,
And who created this
universe by Maya.
Roga
haranthi sathatham
prabhala sareeram,
Kamodayopyanudhinam cha dahandhi chitham,
Mrutyuscha
nrutyathi sada kalayan dinani,
Thasmathwamadhya saranam mama deena bandho.
2
Diseases eat away,
this body of mine,
Thoughts like passion
burn my mind daily,
Death counts my days
and dances before me,
And so you are my
only refuge, oh, Friend of the oppressed.
Deho
vinasyahi sada parinama seela,
Schitham
cha ghidyathi sada vishatyaanu raagi,
Budhi sada
hi ramathe vishayeshthantha,
Thasmathwamadhya saranam mama deena bandho.
3
This ever changing
body of mine, is daily dying,
This mind of mine
full of worries is daily being troubled,
This intellect mine
endlessly enjoys the ephemeral joys,
And so you are my
only refuge, oh, Friend of the oppressed.
Ayur
vinasyathi yadhaamaghatasthoyam,
Vidhyutprabheva
Chapala bhatha youvana sri,
Vrudha
pradhavathi yadha mruga raja pathni,
Thasmathwamadhya saranam mama deena bandho.
4
This life mine daily
lessens like the water in an unbaked mud pot,
This pleasure
of youth keeps it ever changing like the
streaks of lightning,
This old age mine, is marching towards me like the wife of the lion king,
And so you are my
only refuge, oh, Friend of the oppressed.
Aaydhyayo
mama bhavathyadhiko vineethe,
Kamadayoha
balinothibalassamadhya.,
Mrutyur
dathu dathimaam batha
kim vadheyam,
Thasmathwamadhya saranam mama deena bandho.
5
For me , my expenses
are always more than my income,
Undesirable
qualities like passion are stronger,
Desirable qualities
like patience are really weak,
What shall I say,
the Thought of death is ever painful to
me,
And so you are my
only refuge, oh, Friend of the oppressed.
Thaptham
thapona hikakadhapi maya hathanwa,
Vaanyathadhanahi
kadhapi thapascha thaptham,
Midhyabhi
bhashana parenanamana samhi,
Thasmathwamadhya saranam mama deena bandho.
6
Never have I done
meditation by this body of mine,
Never have I done search of god by my intellect,
My mind which loves
gossip has never ever attempted to pray,
And so you are my
only refuge, oh, Friend of the oppressed.
Sthabdham
mano mama sada nahi yathi soumyam,
Chakshuschamena
thava pasyathi viswaroopam,
Vacho
thadaiva navadhan mama soumya vaneem,
Thasmathwamadhya saranam mama deena bandho.
7
This foolish mind
mine, never is it at peace,
These eyes mines
never see your universal form,
This words mine does not help me to utter sweet words,
And so you are my
only refuge, oh, Friend of the oppressed.
Sathwam
name manasiyathi rajasthamobhyam,
Viddhe
thadha kadhamaho shubha karma vartha,
Sakshath
parambharathaya sukha sadhanam thath,
Thasmathwamadhya saranam mama deena bandho.
8
Desirable good
qualities never reach my mind,
Which is broken by
dark deeds and deeds of valour,
Thus where are my chances
of doing good deeds ,
Especially when , as
is usual, my mind hankers for pleasures?
And so you are my
only refuge, oh, Friend of the oppressed.
Poojakrutha
nahi kadapi mayaa thadheeya,
Mithram
twadeeyamapimenajapadrasamngna,
Chitham
name smarathithe charanouhya vaapya,
Thasmathwamadhya saranam mama deena bandho.
9
I have never offered
you worship,
My toungue has never
even called your name as a friend,
My mind has never
ever thought of your feet,
And so you are my
only refuge, oh, Friend of the oppressed.
Yagnonamestheehootha
dana dayadhi yuktho,
Jnanasya
sadhana gano na viveka mukhya,
Jnanam kwa
sadhana ganena vinaa
kwa moksha,
Thasmathwamadhya saranam mama deena bandho.
10
I have never known a
yagna with homa, mercy or charity,
I do not have
knowledge about salvation like intelligence,
Without intelligence
there is no jnana,
Without jnana there is no salvation,
And so you are my
only refuge, oh, Friend of the oppressed.
Sath
sangathirhividitha thava bhakthi hethu,
Saapyadhyanasthibatha,
panditha manino mey,
Thaamantharena
nahi saakwachabodha vaartha,
Thasmathwamadhya saranam mama deena bandho.
11
Good company is
known as the source of devotion to thee,
But I who consider
myself learned do not have even that,
And how is it
possible to realize God without devotion?
And so you are my
only refuge, oh, Friend of the oppressed.
Drishtir na bodha vishaytaa samathabhidana,
Vaishamyamevathadeeyam
vishayee karothi,
Santhi
kutho mama bhavethsamathana chethasya,
Thasmathwamadhya saranam mama deena bandho.
12
Tolerance which is
needed for realization is not with me,
This makes me see
differences , when they are not there,
And how will I get
peace , if I do not have tolerance?
And so you are my
only refuge, oh, Friend of the oppressed.
Maithree
sameshu na cha mesthi kadhapi nadha,
Dheene
thadha na karunamudhitha cha punye,
Papenupekshanavaho
mama muthkadam sya,
Thasmathwamadhya saranam mama deena bandho.
13
Friendship with my equals,
mercy towards the oppressed,
Desire for doing
good deeds, never come to me,
And how can I ever
be happy as I am interested in sin?
And so you are my
only refuge, oh, Friend of the oppressed.
Nethradhikam
mama bahir vishayeshu saktham,
Naandarmukham
bhavathi thama vihaya thasya,
Kwandar
mukhatwamapahaya sukhasya vaartha,
Thasmathwamadhya saranam mama deena bandho.
14
My senses like eyes
are only interested in outward aspects,
They do not bother
to see or feel inside me and how can I,
Get perennial pleasure
without their seeing inward?
And so you are my
only refuge, oh, Friend of the oppressed.
Thyaktham
grahadhyapi maya bhava thaapa santhya,
Naaseedasaou
hruthahyadho mama mayaa they,
Saachaadhunaa
kimuvidhasyathi nethi jane,
Thasmathwamadhya saranam mama deena bandho.
15
I forsook things like
house, to calm the pain of life,
But my mind still is
attached to them because of your Maya,
And I do not know
what this illusion is going to do to me?
And so you are my
only refuge, oh, Friend of the oppressed.
Praptha
danam gruha kutumbhajaswadhara,
Rajyaya
daihika mahendrapuram cha nadha,
Sarvam vinaswaramidham
na phalayakasmai,
Thasmathwamadhya saranam mama deena bandho.
16
If I get riches,
house, family, elephant, horse or wife,
If I become a king
and get everything and go to even
heaven,
All these are
temporary and would get destroyed and there is no use,
And so you are my
only refuge, oh, Friend of the oppressed.
Pranaan
nirudhya vidhi
Yogam
vinasthi manasa sthiratha kutho mey,
Thaam vai
vinaamama na chethasi santhi vartha,
Thasmathwamadhya saranam mama deena bandho.
17
I have never learnt
to control breath using yoga,
Without learning
yoga, how can my mind be stable?
Without stability of
mind where is the question of peace?
And so you are my
only refuge, oh, Friend of the oppressed.
Jnanam
yadha mama bhaveth krupaya gurunaam,
Sevam
thadha na vidhina karavam hi thesham,
Sevapi sadhanathaya vidhithasthi
chithe,
Thasmathwamadhya saranam mama deena bandho.
18
There is no
possibility for me of getting Jnana by
the grace of Guru,
For I have not
served any Guru in the fashion
recommended,
And also it is known that this service leads to salvation,
And so you are my
only refuge, oh, Friend of the oppressed.
Govinda
Sankara Hare Girije Ramesa,
Sambho
janardhana Gireesa Mukunda Sambha,.
Naa anya gathirmama kadhanchanavaam vihaya,
Thasmathwamadhya saranam mama deena bandho.
19
I do not see any
other way except you .
Oh Govinda, Oh
Sankara, Oh Hari, Oh Sambha,Oh Ramesa
Oh Janardhana, Oh
Gireesa, Oh Mukunda, Oh Sambha,
And so you are my
only refuge, oh, Friend of the oppressed.
Phalasthuthi
Ethath
sthavam Bhagwadaasrayinabhi dhanam,
Ye manava
prathi dinam pranatha patanthi,
They
manusha bhava rathim parihruthya santhim,
Gachandhi kim cha paramathmani bhakthi madha.
Benefit accruing
That man who recites this poem of praise
Called “Refuge in God”,
daily and with devotion,
Would attain
perennial peace after destruction of sorrows,
And also would
without any doubt attain devotion to God.
