About this stotra
Note: This is a standalone shloka, distinct from the Achyutashtakam (Click here) by Adi Shankaracharya, which also begins with the words acyutaṃ keśavaṃ.
The Vishnu Namashtakam (The Eight Names of Vishnu) from the Vamana Purana (1.1.1, 1.1.3) consists of exactly three short verses. The first verse lists the eight sacred names of Lord Vishnu, while the following two verses explain the Phalashruti—the spiritual benefits and rewards a person receives by chanting them daily.
Vishnu Namashtakam lyrics and meaning
॥ १ ॥♪ CHANTING NOW
Verse 1
अच्युतं केशवं विष्णुं हरिं सत्यं जनार्दनम् ।
हंसं नारायणं चैवमेतन्नामाष्टकं पठेत् ॥ १॥
acyutaṃ keśavaṃ viṣṇuṃ hariṃ satyaṃ janārdanam .
haṃsaṃ nārāyaṇaṃ caivametannāmāṣṭakaṃ paṭhet ..1..
One should recite this octad of divine names: Achyuta (the Imperishable), Keshava (the Lord with beautiful hair), Vishnu (the All-Pervading), Hari (the Remover of sins), Satya (the Truth), Janardana (the Refuge of all beings), Hamsa (the Supreme Swan), and Narayana (the Abode of all souls).
Word by word
- अच्युतम् (acyutam)
- the Imperishable One
- केशवम् (keśavam)
- Keshava, the beautiful-haired one
- विष्णुम् (viṣṇum)
- Vishnu, the all-pervading
- हरिम् (harim)
- Hari, remover of sins
- सत्यम् (satyam)
- the Truth
- जनार्दनम् (janārdanam)
- Janardana, refuge of beings (jana:beings | ardanam:refuge/approacher)
- हंसम् (haṃsam)
- Hamsa, the Supreme Swan
- नारायणम् (nārāyaṇam)
- Narayana, abode of all souls (nāra:souls | ayanam:abode)
- च एवम् (ca evam)
- and thus (ca:and | evam:thus)
- एतत् नाम-अष्टकम् (etat nāma-aṣṭakam)
- this octad of names (etat:this | nāma:name | aṣṭakam:group of eight)
- पठेत् (paṭhet)
- one should recite
॥ २ ॥♪ CHANTING NOW
Verse 2
त्रिसन्ध्यं यः पठेन्नित्यं दारिद्र्यं तस्य नश्यति ।
शत्रुसैन्यं क्षयं याति दुःस्वप्नः सुखदो भवेत् ॥ २॥
trisandhyaṃ yaḥ paṭhennityaṃ dāridryaṃ tasya naśyati .
śatrusainyaṃ kṣayaṃ yāti duḥsvapnaḥ sukhado bhavet ..2..
One who recites this hymn daily at the three junctures of dawn, noon, and dusk — their poverty is destroyed. The armies of enemies perish, and even bad dreams become bestowers of happiness.
Word by word
- त्रि-सन्ध्यम् (tri-sandhyam)
- at the three junctures (tri:three | sandhyam:junctures, twilight times)
- यः (yaḥ)
- one who
- पठेत् नित्यम् (paṭhet nityam)
- recites daily (paṭhet:recites | nityam:daily)
- दारिद्र्यम् (dāridryam)
- poverty
- तस्य (tasya)
- of that person
- नश्यति (naśyati)
- is destroyed
- शत्रु-सैन्यम् (śatru-sainyam)
- the army of enemies (śatru:enemy | sainyam:army)
- क्षयम् याति (kṣayam yāti)
- goes to destruction (kṣayam:destruction | yāti:goes)
- दुःस्वप्नः (duḥsvapnaḥ)
- bad dream (duḥ:bad | svapnaḥ:dream)
- सुखदः भवेत् (sukhadaḥ bhavet)
- becomes a giver of happiness (sukhadaḥ:giver of happiness | bhavet:becomes)
॥ ३ ॥♪ CHANTING NOW
Verse 3
गङ्गायां मरणं चैव दृढा भक्तिस्तु केशवे ।
ब्रह्मविद्याप्रबोधश्च तस्मान्नित्यं पठेन्नरः ॥
gaṅgāyāṃ maraṇaṃ caiva dṛḍhā bhaktistu keśave .
brahmavidyāprabodhaśca tasmānnityaṃ paṭhennaraḥ ..3..
Death upon the banks of the Ganga, steadfast devotion to Keshava, and the awakening of knowledge of Brahman — for these blessings, one should recite this hymn daily.
Word by word
- गङ्गायाम् (gaṅgāyām)
- at the Ganga
- मरणम् (maraṇam)
- death
- च एव (ca eva)
- and indeed (ca:and | eva:indeed)
- दृढा (dṛḍhā)
- firm, steadfast
- भक्तिः तु (bhaktiḥ tu)
- devotion indeed (bhaktiḥ:devotion | tu:indeed)
- केशवे (keśave)
- to Keshava, Vishnu
- ब्रह्म-विद्या (brahma-vidyā)
- knowledge of Brahman (brahma:Brahman | vidyā:knowledge)
- प्रबोधः (prabodhaḥ)
- awakening, illumination
- च (ca)
- and
- तस्मात् (tasmāt)
- therefore
- नित्यम् (nityam)
- daily, always
- पठेत् (paṭhet)
- should recite
- नरः (naraḥ)
- a person
॥ ४ ॥♪ CHANTING NOW
Verse 4
इति श्रीविष्णुनामाष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ।
iti śrīviṣṇunāmāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam .
Thus concludes the sacred Ashtakam of the eight names of Lord Vishnu, complete in its entirety.
Word by word
- इति (iti)
- thus
- श्री-विष्णु-नाम-अष्टकम् (śrī-viṣṇu-nāma-aṣṭakam)
- the eight names of Lord Vishnu (śrī:sacred/glorious | viṣṇu:Vishnu | nāma:name | aṣṭakam:group of eight)
- सम्पूर्णम् (sampūrṇam)
- complete
ॐ
