Foremost of Lord Vishnu’s Prayers

Shantakaram Bhujaga Shayanam is one of the foremost Vaishnava Prayers. It finds its place in the Dhyanam section of the Vishnu Sahasranamam. Watch our video titled Benefits of Chanting Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram | How to Chant Vishnu Sahasranamam to know the benefits.

Immediate Benefits of the Shantakaram Mantra

Chanting Shantakaram Bhujaga Shayanam regularly, ends all doubts and confusion. It blesses you with a forceful personality. The most important benefit is that it eliminates all fear granting you spiritual protection. Fear of the future constantly haunts an average man. The Lord takes charge of such an individual, safeguarding one’s mental health. One’s concentration increases.

One shall gain the strength to face one’s fears without succumbing to them.
You become sensitive to negative energy and can stop it from entering your personal space.

Meaning of the Shantakaram Mantra and Associated Benefits

Now, I shall analyse the verses.

The verses are-

Shaantaakaaram Bhujaga Shayanam Padmanaabham Suresham
Vishvaadhaaram Gagana Sadrsham Megha Varnam Shubhaangam

Lakshmi Kaantam Kamala Nayanam Yogibhir Dhyaanagamyam
Vande Vishnum Bhava Bhaya Haram Sarva Lokaika Natham

Lord Vishnu is an ocean of virtues. Each line of the verse recalls the qualities of Lord Vishnu. Shantakaram means I seek the blessings of the Lord who is the embodiment of peace. We see that Lord Vishnu lies in the resting posture, unperturbed by the material world. He is the problem-solver of the devas. Creative ideas trigger only when one is peaceful.

Chanting this verse quietens the mind, activating the creative energy. When Sage Brighu kicked Lord Vishnu, He remained calm without showing the least trace of anger. So, comes the name Shantakaram, Bhujaga Shayanam means the one Who sleeps on the king of Snakes. Snakes represent desires that cling on to us despite our efforts to eliminate them. Sleeping on snakes, means that he has transcended all desires.

Maya cannot touch him. To know more about Maya, watch our video titled What is Maya? | Concept of Maya in Advaita Vedanta | Maya, the Illusion of Self

Padmanabham specifically glorifies Garbhodakashayi Vishnu or the sleeping pose of the Lord from whose lotus like navel Lord Brahma emanated. The Padmanabha Swamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram worships this form as the primary deity. Now Suresham means the lord of the gods.

It also translates as the lord of noble men. Lord Vishnu always stays with those who tread the path of Dharma and have noble qualities such as honesty, truthfulness and do what is suitable for the ultimate good of all. Vishvaadhaaram means the one who is the foundation of the universe. Without Lord Vishnu, the universe cannot exist. During the churning of the ocean, the Kurma Avatar held the Mandara mountain on his back.
Without Lord Vishnu’s support, the universe cannot function.

8 Questions from Sanatana Dharma

The scores generated in this Quiz are absolute. There are right or wrong answers to each Question. A percentage towards 100 indicates that you are more aligned to the overall subject matter.

The Great Lord Narayana is like the boundless sky

He is like the bark of the Banyan tree, supporting the leaves and branches. Scientists believe that life emerged from the ocean. It is interesting to note that Lord Vishnu also rests in the Ksheer Sagar which is the milky ocean. Lord Vishnu is boundless like the sky. This signifies the word Gaganasadrisham in the shloka.

Megha Varnam means His complexion resembles monsoon clouds similar to Lord Krishna. You may also like our video titled ‘How to Increase Love for Krishna | How to Progress in Bhakti?’ Shubhaangam means the one who has an auspicious body. Lord Vishnu is the personification of beauty from head to toe. Lakshmi Devi herself lives in His body as Shrivatsa, while the Kaustubha Mani adorns his chest.

Lakshmi Kaantam means the husband of goddess Lakshmi. According to Vishnu Purana, Goddess Lakshmi emerged from the ocean during Samudra Manthan and wedded Lord Narayana.

Bhagawan Vishnu and Lord Shiva’s sweet Pastime

Now, Kamala Nayanam means the one who has eyes like lotus petals. There is a very sweet pastime in the Harivamsa Parva of the Mahabharata and the Linga Purana. Lord Vishnu promised to worship Lord Shiva with 1008 lotus flowers. In order to test His devotion, Lord Shiva hid one lotus flower. Thereafter, Lord Vishnu unhesitatingly plucked one of his eyes and offered it to Him. Pleased by Lord Vishnu’s devotion, Lord Shiva gifted him the Sudarshana Chakra.

This does not prove Lord Vishnu to be inferior to Lord Shiva. Both are non-different and are manifestations of the ever-same Brahman. Yogi Bhir Dhyana Gamyam means the one on whom the yogis meditate upon. Dhruva Maharaj, the son of king Uttanapada attained Lord Vishnu through the path of Yoga. Vande Vishnu Bhava Bhaya Haram means I worship Lord Vishnu who steals all fear of the material world.

Those who recite this prayer with unwavering dedication surely cross the material world as easily as one would cross the impression of the hooves of a cow. Lord Vishnu shall make one fearless. He shall grant you the strength to take tough decisions in life, increasing will power.

The Proprietor of the 14 Lokas

Sarva Lokaika Natham means the one who is the master of all Lokas. All the 14 Lokas belong to Lord Vishnu. He is one’s original father, mother and dear friend. Now let us look into the process of chanting Shantakaram Bhujaga Shayanam. Ideally, a Sanatani interested in worshipping any of the forms of the Lord or His formless aspect, must stop the consumption of non-vegetarian food.

Lord Vishnu adorns Pitambari or Silken Yellow dress. So one must wear light coloured clothes preferably yellow. One can chant the verses whenever one has time. Now that you have seen the video and have understood the meaning of the verses, visualize Lord Vishnu during the recitation. Dhyana is a superior form of meditation.

Manas Puja is the Best Form of Meditation

Thus, the mantra is ideal for Manas puja meditation. You may find our video titled Manas Puja of Ishta Devata | How to do Mental Worship of Ishta Devata? interesting. If you have already taken up a Vishnu Sadhana, chant the verses before starting your rounds. This will speed up your spiritual progress.

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