pralaya-payodhi-jale dhṛtavān asi vedaṁvihita-vahitra-caritram akhedamkeśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare
Word for word
pralaya-payodhi-jalein the turbulent waters of devastation;dhṛtavānholding;asiYou are;vedamthe Vedas;vihitadone;vahitra-caritramacting as a boat;akhedameasily;keśavaO Keśava, of fine hair!;dhṛta-mīna-śarīraYou who have accepted the form of a giant fish;jayaall glories to You!;jagat-īśaO Lord of the universe!;hareO Lord Hari!
Translation
O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of a fish! All glories to You! You easily acted as a boat in the form of a giant fish to give protection to the Vedas, which had sunk in the turbulent sea of devastation.
kṣitir iha vipulatare tiṣṭhati tava pṛṣṭhedharaṇi-dharaṇa-kiṇa-cakra-gariṣṭhekeśava dhṛta-kūrma-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare
Word for word
kṣitiḥthe great Mandara Mountain;ihahere;vipulataregigantic;tiṣṭhatirests;tava pṛṣṭheupon Your back;dharaṇi-dharaṇaholding up the world;kiṇa-cakraa large circular scar;gariṣṭhethe heaviest;keśavaO Lord Keśava, of fine hair!;dhṛta-kūrma-śarīrawho have accepted the form of a tortoise
Translation
jaya jagadīśa hare...
O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of a tortoise! All glories to You! The great Mount Mandara rests upon Your gigantic back, which acts as a pivot for churning the ocean of milk and which has thus been marked with a large circular scarlike depression. In this way Your back has become most glorious.
vasatisits;daśana-śikhareupon the tip of Your tusk;dharaṇīthe earth;tavaYour;lagnāsits fixed;śaśiniof the moon;kalaṅka-kalaa faint spot;ivajust like;nimagnāwhich had become immersed (in the Garbhodaka Ocean);keśavaO Lord Keśava, of fine hair!;dhṛta-śūkara-rūpawho have accepted the form of a boar
Translation
jaya jagadīśa hare...
O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of a boar! All glories to You! The earth, which had sunk to the bottom of the Garbha Ocean, sits fixed upon the tip of Your tusk like a spot upon the moon.
tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śṛṅgaṁdalita-hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛṅgamkeśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare
Word for word
tavaYour;kara-kamala-vareupon the beautiful lotus hands;nakhamthe nails;adbhuta-śṛṅgamwonderfully sharp tips;dalitaripped apart;hiraṇyakaśipu-tanuthe body of the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu;bhṛṅgamthe wasp;keśavaO Lord Keśava, of fine hair!;dhṛta-narahari-rūpawho have accepted the form of half man, half lion (nara: man, hari: lion)
Translation
jaya jagadīśa hare...
O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of a half-man, half-lion! All glories to You! With the wonderfully sharp nails on Your beautiful lotus hands You have ripped apart the wasplike body of Hiraṇyakaśipu.
chalayasi vikramaṇe balim adbhuta-vāmanapada-nakha-nīra-janita-jana-pāvanakeśava dhṛta-vāmana-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare
Word for word
chalayasiYou deceive;vikramaṇeby Your massive steps;balimKing Bali;adbhuta-vāmanaO wonderful dwarf!;pada-nakhafrom the nails of Your lotus feet;nīra-janitaby the (Ganges) water that has emanated;jana-pāvanaYou deliver all living beings within this world;keśavaO Lord Keśava, of fine hair!;dhṛta-vāmana-rūpawho have accepted the form of a dwarf brāhmaṇa
Translation
jaya jagadīśa hare...
O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of a wonderful dwarf brāhmaṇa! All glories to You! With Your massive steps You deceive King Bali, and with the Ganges water emanating from the nails of Your lotus feet You deliver all living beings in this world.
kṣatriya-rudhira-maye jagad-apagata-pāpamsnapayasi payasi śamita-bhava-tāpamkeśava dhṛta-bhṛgupati-rūpa jaya jagadiśa hare
Word for word
kṣatriya-rudhira-mayein the rivers of blood from the bodies of the demoniac kṣatriyas that You have slain;jagatthe earth;apagata-pāpamthe sins are taken away;snapayasiYou cause to bathe;payasiin the water;śamitapeople are relieved;bhava-tāpamfrom the blazing fire of material existence;keśavaO Lord Keśava, of fine hair!;dhṛta-bhṛgupati-rūpawho have accepted the form of Paraśurāma, protector of the sages (bhṛgu: of the sages, pati: the protector)
Translation
jaya jagadīśa hare...
O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of Bhṛgupati [Paraśurāma]! All glories to You! You bathe the earth in the rivers of blood from the bodies of the demonic kṣatriyas You have slain. In this way you wash away the sins of the world and give relief to those who suffer in material existence
vitarasi dikṣu raṇe dik-pati-kamanīyaṁdaśa-mukha-mauli-balim ramaṇīyamkeśava dhṛta-rāma-śarīra jaya jagadiśa hare
Word for word
vitarasiYou distribute;dikṣuin all directions;raṇein the battle (of Laṅkā);dik-patito the presiding deities of the ten directions;kamanīyamwhich was desired by all of them;daśa-mukhaof the ten headed demon Rāvaṇa;mauli-baliman offering of the heads;ramaṇīyamdelightful;keśavaO Lord Keśava, of fine hair!;dhṛta-rāma-śarīrawho have accepted the form of Rāmacandra
Translation
jaya jagadīśa hare...
O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of Rāmacandra! All glories to You! In the battle of Laṅkā You destroy the ten-headed demon Rāvaṇa and distribute his heads as a delightful offering to the presiding deities of the ten directions—a feat long desired by them all, whom that monster had much harassed.
vahasi vapuṣi viśade vasanaṁ jaladābhaṁhala-hati-bhīti-milita-yamunābhamkeśava dhṛta-haladhara-rūpa jaya jagadiśa hare
Word for word
vahasiYou wear;vapuṣi viśadeon Your brilliant white body;vasanamgarments;jalada-ābhamthe color of a fresh blue rain cloud;hala-hatidue to the striking of Your plowshare;bhītiwho feels great fear;militahappened;yamunā-bhamthe personified river Yamunā appeared;keśavaO Lord Keśava, of fine hair!;dhṛta-haladhara-rūpawho have accepted the form of Lord Balarāma, the wielder of the plow (hala: plow, dhara: the holder)
Translation
jaya jagadīśa hare...
O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of plow-wielding Balarāma! All glories to You! On Your brilliant white body You wear garments colored like a fresh rain cloud and the river Yamunā, whom You frighten with the blows of Your plow.
nindāsī yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātaṁsadaya-hṛdaya darśita-paśu-ghātamkeśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare
Word for word
nindasiYou decry;yajña-vidheḥperformed by the rules of Vedic sacrifice;ahahaoh!;śruti-jātamaccording to the scriptures;sadaya-hṛdayaof compassionate heart;darśitashown;paśu-ghātamthe slaughtering of poor animals;keśavaO Lord Keśava, of fine hair!;dhṛta-buddha-śarīrawho have accepted the form of Lord Buddha
Translation
jaya jagadīśa hare...
O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of Buddha! All glories to You! Your heart filled with compassion, you decry animal slaughter performed according to the scriptural rules of Vedic sacrifice.
mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālaṁdhūmaketum iva kim api karālamkeśava dhṛta-kalki-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare
Word for word
mleccha-nivahathe multitude of wicked barbarian men (at the end of the Kali yuga);nidhanefor annihilating;kalayasiYou carry;karavālama sword;dhūmaketum ivaappearing like a comet;kim apiindescribably;karālamterrifying;keśavaO Lord Keśava, of fine hair!;dhṛta-kalki-śarīrawho have accepted the form of Lord Kalki
Translation
jaya jagadīśa hare...
O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of Kalki! All glories to You! Like a comet bearing an indescribably terrifying sword, You annihilate the wicked barbarian kings at the end of Kali-yuga.
śrī-jayedeva-kaver idam uditam udāraṁśṛṇu sukha-daṁ śubha-daṁ bhava-sāramkeśava dhṛta-daśa-vidha-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare
Word for word
śrī-jayadeva-kaveḥof the poet Jayadeva;idamthis hymn;uditamwhich has arisen;udāramwhich is most exalted;śṛṇuplease hear;sukha-dama bestower of happiness;śubha-dama bestower of auspiciousness;bhava-sāramand is the best thing in this dark world;keśavaO Lord Keśava, of fine hair!;dhṛtawho have accepted;daśa-vidha-rūpathese ten different forms of incarnation
Translation
jaya jagadīśa hare...
O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari, who have assumed these ten different incarnations! All glories to You! O readers, please hear this most excellent hymn by poet Jayadeva, for it bestows happiness and good fortune and is the best thing in this dark world.
vedān uddharaterescuing the Vedas;jaganti vahatebearing the Mandara Mountain on Your back;bhū-golam udbibhratelifting the earth;daityam dārayatetearing apart the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu;balim chalayatetricking the demon king Bali;kṣatra-kṣayam kurvateslaying all of the wicked kṣatriyas;paulastyam jayateconquering the son of Pulastya [the rākṣasa king Rāvaṇa];halam kalayatecarrying a plow;kāruṇyam ātanvateshowing compassion;mlecchān mūrchayatekilling the degraded low class men;daśa-ākṛti kṛteO You who appears in the forms of these ten incarnations!;kṛṣṇāyaO Lord Kṛṣṇa!;tubhyam namaḥI offer my obeisances unto You
Translation
O Lord Kṛṣṇa, I offer my obeisances unto You, who incarnate in these ten forms. In the form of Matsya You rescue the Vedas, as Kūrma You bear Mount Mandara on Your back, as Varāha You lift the earth on Your tusk, as Narasiṁha You tear open the chest of the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, as Vāmana You trick King Bali, as Paraśurāma You slay all the wicked kṣatriyas, as Rāmacandra you defeat Rāvaṇa, the son of Pulastya, as Balarāma You carry a plow, as Lord Buddha You show compassion toward all, and as Kalki You kill the mlecchas.
About Pralaya Payodhi Jale
Jayadeva Gosvami's Dasavatara-stotra from the Gita-govinda, describing Vishnu's ten incarnations one by one — from the fish saving the Vedas at the dissolution of the universe through Buddha and the coming Kalki — a classical Sanskrit hymn still widely sung.
Pralaya Payodhi Jale was composed by Jayadeva Goswami. It appears in Songs of Vaishnava Acaryas.
What is the meaning of Pralaya Payodhi Jale?
O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of a fish! All glories to You! You easily acted as a boat in the form of a giant fish to give protection to the Vedas, which had sunk in the turbulent sea of devastation.
Where can I listen to Pralaya Payodhi Jale?
You can listen to 7 recordings of Pralaya Payodhi Jale on this page, including versions sung by Srila Prabhupada, HG Swarupa Damodar Prabhu, HG Jai Sachinandana Prabhu, HG Sivarama Prabhu.
How many verses does Pralaya Payodhi Jale have?
Pralaya Payodhi Jale has 12 verses.
Can I download Pralaya Payodhi Jale as a PPT or PDF?
Yes. A ready-to-display slide deck for Pralaya Payodhi Jale — verse and translation on each slide — is available to download in both PowerPoint (.pptx) and PDF formats from this page, for use in kirtan or temple programs.
Audio courtesy of ISKCON Desire Tree, ISKCON Devotees. All glories to the devotee singers.
