Swami Vedantha Desikan
Swami Vedantha Desikan is said to have composed Sudarshana Ashtakam to help the residents of Tirupputkuzhi when they suffered from the grip of an epidemic fever. It is said that he composed it at Tiruvahindrapuram before a major debate with a leader of another ‘sampradaya.’
Swami Desikan won the debate and established the supremacy of Sriman Narayana and Visishtadvaita. Swami Desikan chose the ‘dhrithas’ chandas as a meter for the 8 verses praising Sudarsana.
He chose the ‘aupachandasikam’ meter for the Phala-Sruti sloka. Both these meters hint at the Vedic origin of Sudarshana as indicated by Swami Desikan in his Stotram.
Sudarshana Ashtakam
Sudarshana Ashtakam – Verse 1
Pratibhatasreni Bhishana, Varagunasthoma Bhushana
Janibhyasthana Taarana, Jagadavasthaana Kaarana |
Nikhiladushkarma Karsana, Nigamasaddharma Darsana
Jaya Jaya Sri sudarsana, Jaya Jaya Sri Sudarsana ||
Verse 1 – Meaning
O! Sri Sudarsana! All the enemies of Your Lord’s devotees run away fearing Your prowess. All auspicious attributes find their home in You. Those, who worship You cross the ‘shoreless’ ocean of ‘samsara’ and free themselves from their cycles of birth and death. The entire universe is stabilized by Your mighty power.
You cut asunder all the sins of those who approach You as their refuge. You bless all of Your devotees with the knowledge about the righteous conduct prescribed by the Vedas.
O! Lord Sudarsana! You have these auspicious attributes! Hail to Thee! Hail to Thee!
Sudarshana Ashtakam – Verse 2
Subhajagadrupa Mandana, Suraganathrasa Khandana
Satamakabrahma vandita, Satapatabrahma Nandita |
Pratitavidvat Sapakshita, Bhajata Ahirbudhnya Lakshita
Jaya Jaya Sri Sudarsana, Jaya Jaya Sri Sudarsana ||
Verse 2 – Meaning
O! Sri Sudarsana! You are resplendent as a precious decoration on the hand of Lord Sriman Narayana, who has the universe as His body. Through Your grace, the Devas are freed from fear caused by the Asuras. Lord Indra and Lord Brahma always worship You.
The Satapatha Brahmana belonging to Sukla Yajur Veda hails Your glories and pays its tributes to You. The scholars of this universe seek Your help to overcome their contestants. Ahirbudhnya Samhita states that Ahirbudhnya (Shiva) worships You and seeks the boon to see Your beautiful form with His own eyes.
O! Lord Sudarsana! You have illustrious attributes! Hail To Thee! Hail to Thee!
Sudarshana Ashtakam – Verse 3
Sphutata Dijjaala Pinjara, Pruthutarajwaala Panjara
Parigata Pratnavigraha, Padutaraprajna Durgraha |
Praharana Grama Manditha, Parijana Thraana Panditha
Jaya Jaya Sri Sudarsana, Jaya Jaya Sri Sudarsana ||
Verse 3 – Meaning
O! Lord Sudarsana! You shine like the resplendent assembly of lightning. The bright tongues of flames surrounding You appear like a cage for You. The forms of Vasudeva, Sankarshana, and other Vyuha Murtis find their positions around Your geometric form i.e., Yantra.
Even the scholars with sharp intellects stumble when they try to understand the full extent of Your glory. It is a beautiful sight to see Your sixteen weapons Yours resting on Your hands to serve You. You are dedicated to come to the rescue of those, who seek Your protection.
O! Sri Sudarsana! You have such auspicious attributes! Hail to Thee! Hail to Thee!
Sudarshana Ashtakam – Verse 4
Nijapatapreetha saddgana, Nirupathispeetha Shad Guna
Nigama NirvyuDa Vaibhava, Nijapara Vyuha Vaibhava |
Hari Haya Dweshi Daarana, Hara Pura Plosha Kaarana
Jaya Jaya Sri Sudarsana, Jaya Jaya Sri Sudarsana ||
Verse 4 – Meaning
O! Lord Sudarsana! The righteous people have a firm attachment to Your holy feet. The six auspicious virtues namely knowledge, power, strength, wealth, heroism, and effulgence find their natural home in You. The Vedas have firmly established Your glory in their innumerable sections.
Like Your Lord, You have the forms of ‘para’ and ‘vyuha.’ You cut asunder the fear caused by the foes of Lord Indra, the foremost among Your devotees. You were responsible for the burning down Kashi, the city of Lord Shiva to ashes. You stood at the tip of Shiva’s arrow when He was engaged in the campaign to destroy Tripuraasura.
O! Sri Sudarsana! You have such auspicious qualities. Hail to Thee! Hail to Thee!
Sudarshana Ashtakam – Verse 5
Dhanuja visthaara Kartana, Janitamisraa Vikartana
Dhanujavidya Nikartana,Bhajatavidya Nivatana |
Amara drushtasva Vikrama, Samara Jushta Bramikrama
Jaya Jaya Sri Sudarsana, Jaya Jaya Sri Sudarsana ||
Verse 5 – Meaning
O! Lord Sudarsana! You arrest the growth of the evil-minded Asuras and destroy them down to their roots. You are like the resplendent sun banishing the night of ‘samsara’, which bedevil Your devotees. You overcome any and every act of deception practiced by the Asuras.
You remove every shred of false knowledge that invades the minds of those, who seek refuge in You. The Devas celebrate Your heroic deeds and experience joy in witnessing Your powerful actions. You revolve and rotate in many ways in Your battles against the enemies of Your devotees.
May Thou with such auspicious attributes prosper further! Hail to Thee! Hail To Thee!
Sudarshana Ashtakam – Verse 6
Prathimukhaaleeta Bandhura, Pruthumahaheti Danthura
Vikatamaaya Bahishkrutha, Vividhamaalaa Parishkrutha |
Sthiramahaayantra Tantritha, Dhruta Daya Tantra Yantrita
Jaya Jaya Sri Sudarsana, Jaya Jaya Sri Sudarsana ||
Verse 6 – Meaning
O! Lord Sudarsana! You give darsana to us with Your dynamic gait of One foot placed forward in movement and the other rapidly following it. Your position in that gait is beautiful to behold.
You are surrounded by Your magnificent and fearsome weapons. You are the conqueror of Powerful illusions (mAyA) caused by Asuras. You are not therefore affected by their acts of Mayaa. You are decorated with many beautiful flower garlands that add to your natural beauty.
You are firmly bound in the warp of Your great compassion for Your devotees and bless them when they worship You through Your ‘yantra and mantra.’
O! Sri Sudarsana! You are of such auspicious qualities! Hail to Thee! Hail to Thee!
Sudarshana Ashtakam – Verse 7
Mahita Sampath Sadhakshara, Vihitasampath Shatakshara
Shatarachakra Pratisishtita, Sakala Tattva Prathishtita |
Vividha Sankalpaka Kalpaka, Vibhudhasankalpa Kalpaka
Jaya Jaya Sri Sudarsana, Jaya Jaya Sri Sudarsana ||
Verse 7 – Meaning
O! Lord Sudarsana of many prime qualities! The wealth of the righteous is their true knowledge about Your Lord. You bless them with the unperishable wealth of ‘moksham’, when they seek refuge at Your holy feet. Those who recite Your ‘mantra’ made up of the six letters gain incomparable wealth.
Your devotees invoke You in Your ‘yantra’ of six corners formed by two intersecting triangles and worship You at its epicenter.
You pervade and reside in all the creations of Your Lord. You have the power to complete all deeds that You decide to undertake. You are ‘satya sankalpa’ and serve as the divine ‘Kalpa’ tree granting all the boons that Your devotees entreat.
O! Sri Sudarsana! Hail to Thee! Hail to Thee!
Sudarshana Ashtakam – Verse 8
Bhuvana Netra Trayeemaya, Savanatejastrayeemaya
Niravadhisvaadhu Chinmaya, Nikhila Sakthe Jaganmaya |
Amita Viswakriyaamaya, Samitavishvagbhayaamaya
Jaya Jaya Sri Sudarsana, Jaya Jaya Sri Sudarsana ||
Verse 8 – Meaning
O! Lord Sudarsana! The Eye of the Universe! You are of the form of the Three Vedas. You are of the form of the three fires namely ‘Gaarhapatyam,’ ‘Ahvaneeyam’ and Dakshin Agni of the Yagaas. You are of the delectable form of true knowledge! You have the power to accomplish every deed.
You have taken the form of the universe and its contents. You are worshipped through the sacrificial rituals of Your devotees. In return, You destroy the fears and diseases of those who worship You from all directions.
O! Lord Sudarsana! You are of the auspicious qualities! Hail to Thee! Hail to Thee!
Sudarshana Ashtakam- Verse 9
Phala Sruthi Dwichatushkamidam Prabhoothasaaram patathaam
Venkatanayaka Praneetham |
Vishamepi Manorata: Pradhaavan na Vihanyeta
Rataangadhuryagupta : ||
Those, who recite the stotram consisting of eight verses in praise of Lord Sudarsana composed by Sri Venkatanatha known as Sri Vedantha Desikan comprehend the deep references to the glory of Lord Sudarsana will have the fulfillment of all their wishes.
May Lord Sudarsana will fulfill the wishes of the devotees and grant them eternal bliss!
Source: Sri Vedantha Desikan’s Sudarshana Ashtakam article published in Sapthagiri magazine by “Sri N. Padmanaban”
