About this stotra
This powerful shloka is chanted at the beginning of any undertaking to invoke divine grace for removing obstacles and ensuring smooth progress. This shloka can be interpreted in two significant ways: either as a prayer to Lord Vishnu or as an invocation to Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. Regardless of whom the verse is addressed to, the purpose remains the same—to seek divine grace at the outset of any task, ensuring its smooth progress without hindrance.
The image of the Lord dressed in white garments (śukla ambara), with a serene and joyful face (prasanna vadanaṃ), symbolises purity, protection, and preservation of the universe. His four arms (catur bhujam) signify the power to uphold dharma and bestow blessings.
By meditating on this divine form while chanting the shloka, we seek the Lord's grace for "sarvavighnopaśāntaye" - where ‘sarva’ means all, ‘vighna’ means obstacles, and ‘upaśāntaye’ means complete removal or dissolution. Whether beginning a new venture, facing a challenge, or starting our daily tasks, this verse invokes divine grace to clear our path. The prayer thus serves as a powerful means for removing obstacles and ensuring success in our endeavours.
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Verse 1
Shuklambaradharam – Verse 1
शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुं शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजम्
प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत् सर्वविघ्नोपशान्तये
śuklāmbaradharaṃ viṣṇuṃ śaśivarṇaṃ caturbhujam
prasannavadanaṃ dhyāyet sarvavighnopaśāntaye
I meditate upon (Lord Ganesha), the one who wears a white garment, who is all-pervasive, who has a (bright) complexion like the moon, who has four hands, who has a cheerful face, for the removal of all obstacles.
(Alternatively)
I meditate upon Lord Vishnu, who wears white garments, who is of the colour of the moon, who has four arms, and who has a pleasing, smiling face. May He remove all obstacles.
Word by word
- शुक्लाम्बरधरं (śuklāmbaradharaṃ)
- wearing white garments (śukla:white | ambara:garment | dharaṃ:wearing)
- विष्णुं (viṣṇuṃ)
- Vishnu
- शशिवर्णं (śaśivarṇaṃ)
- moon-colored (śaśi:moon | varṇaṃ:color)
- चतुर्भुजम् (caturbhujam)
- four-armed (catur:four | bhujam:armed)
- प्रसन्नवदनं (prasannavadanaṃ)
- cheerful-faced (prasanna:cheerful | vadanaṃ:face)
- ध्यायेत् (dhyāyet)
- may meditate
- सर्वविघ्नोपशान्तये (sarvavighnopaśāntaye)
- for removal of all obstacles (sarva:all | vighna:obstacles | upaśāntaye:for removal)