Śrī Viṣṇu Praṇāma
Śāntākāraṁ bhujaga-śayanaṁ — Meditation on Lord Viṣṇu
Peace is His very form. He lies on the serpent’s coils, a lotus springs from His navel, and He rules the gods. He holds up the universe, is boundless as the sky, has the colour of a rain cloud and a body beautiful in every limb. Beloved of Lakṣmī, with eyes like lotuses, He is reached by yogīs through meditation. I bow to Viṣṇu, who removes the fear of worldly life, the one master of all the worlds.
About Śrī Viṣṇu Praṇāma
Śāntākāraṁ is one of the best-known meditation verses on Lord Viṣṇu, and it pictures Him in the Ananta-śayana pose: calm, lying on the serpent bed, a lotus rising from His navel, dark as a rain cloud, with Lakṣmī as His beloved. Its four long lines of seventeen syllables are in the slow mandākrāntā metre. The verse is traditional; no scriptural source or author for it has been found. Devotees recite it before Viṣṇu worship, and many popular editions print it among the meditation verses said before the Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma.
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Frequently asked
What is the meaning of Śrī Viṣṇu Praṇāma?
Peace is His very form. He lies on the serpent’s coils, a lotus springs from His navel, and He rules the gods. He holds up the universe, is boundless as the sky, has the colour of a rain cloud and a body beautiful in every limb. Beloved of Lakṣmī, with eyes like lotuses, He is reached by yogīs through meditation. I bow to Viṣṇu, who removes the fear of worldly life, the one master of all the worlds.
How many verses does Śrī Viṣṇu Praṇāma have?
Śrī Viṣṇu Praṇāma has 1 verse.
Can I download Śrī Viṣṇu Praṇāma as a PPT or PDF?
Yes. A ready-to-display slide deck for Śrī Viṣṇu Praṇāma — 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.