Parameshwara Stuti Stotram: A Vedantic Hymn of Surrender to the Supreme
Parameshwara Stuti Stotram - Sanskrit Text
॥ परमेश्वर स्तुति स्तोत्रम् ॥
त्वमेकः शुद्धोऽसि त्वयि निगमबाह्या मलमयं
प्रपञ्चं पश्यन्ति भ्रमपरवशाः पापनिरताः ।
बहिस्तेभ्यः कृत्वा स्वपदशरणं मानय विभो
गजेन्द्रे दृष्टं ते शरणद वदान्यं स्वपददम् ॥१॥
न सृष्टेस्ते हानिर्यदि हि कृपयातोऽवसि च मां
त्वयानेके गुप्ता व्यसनमिति तेऽस्ति श्रुतिपथे ।
अतो मामुद्धर्तुं घटय मयि दृष्टिं सुविमलां
न रिक्तां मे याच्ञां स्वजनरत कर्तुं भव हरे ॥२॥
कदाहं भो स्वामिन्नियतमनसा त्वां हृदि
भजन्नभद्रे संसारे ह्यनवरतदुःखेऽतिविरसः ।
लभेयं तां शान्तिं परममुनिभिर्या ह्यधिगता
दयां कृत्वा मे त्वं वितर परशान्तिं भवहर ॥३॥
विधाता चेद्विश्वं सृजति सृजतां मे शुभकृतिं
विधुश्चेत्पाता मावतु जनिमृतेर्दुःखजलधेः ।
हरः संहर्ता संहरतु मम शोकं सजनकं
यथाहं मुक्तः स्यां किमपि तु तथा ते विदधताम् ॥४॥
अहं ब्रह्मानन्दस्त्वमपि च तदाख्यः सुविदित-
स्ततोऽहं भिन्नो नो कथमपि भवत्तः श्रुतिदृशा ।
तथा चेदानीं त्वं त्वयि मम विभेदस्य जननीं
स्वमायां संवार्य प्रभव मम भेदं निरसितुम् ॥५॥
कदाहं हे स्वामिञ्जनिमृतिमयं दुःखनिबिडं
भवं हित्वा सत्येऽनवरतसुखे स्वात्मवपुषि ।
रमे तस्मिन्नित्यं निखिलमुनयो ब्रह्मरसिका
रमन्ते यस्मिंस्ते कृतसकलकृत्या यतिवराः ॥६॥
पठन्त्येके शास्त्रं निगममपरे तत्परतया
यजन्त्यन्ये त्वां वै ददति च पदार्थांस्तव हितान् ।
अहं तु स्वामिंस्ते शरणमगमं संसृतिभयाद्
यथा ते प्रीतिः स्यात् हितकर तथा त्वं कुरु विभो ॥७॥
अहं ज्योतिर्नित्यो गगनमिव तृप्तः सुखमयः
श्रुतौ सिद्धोऽद्वैतः कथमपि न भिन्नोऽस्मि विधुतः ।
इति ज्ञाते तत्त्वे भवति च परः संसृतिलयो
अतस्तत्त्वज्ञानं मयि सुघटयेस्त्वं हि कृपया ॥८॥
अनादौ संसारे जनिमृतिमये दुःखितमना
मुमुक्षुः सन्कश्चिद्भजति हि गुरुं ज्ञानपरमम् ।
ततो ज्ञात्वा यं वै तुदति न पुनः क्लेशनिवहै-
र्भजेऽहं तं देवं भवति च परो यस्य भजनात् ॥९॥
विवेको वैराग्यो न च शमदमाद्याः षडपरे
मुमुक्षा मे नास्ति प्रभवति कथं ज्ञानममलम् ।
अतः संसाराब्धेस्तरणसरणिं मामुपदिशन्
स्वबुद्धिं श्रौतीं मे वितर भगवंस्त्वं हि कृपया ॥१०॥
कदाहं भो स्वामिन्निगममतिवेद्यं शिवमयं
चिदानन्दं नित्यं श्रुतिहृतपरिच्छेदनिवहम् ।
त्वमर्थाभिन्नं त्वामभिरम इहात्मन्यविरतं
मनीषामेवं मे सफलय वदान्य स्वकृपया ॥११॥
यदर्थं सर्वं वै प्रियमसुधनादि प्रभवति
स्वयं नान्यार्थो हि प्रिय इति च वेदे प्रविदितम् ।
स आत्मा सर्वेषां जनिमृतिमतां वेदगदित-
स्ततोऽहं तं वेद्यं सततममलं यामि शरणम् ॥१२॥
मया त्यक्तं सर्वं कथमपि भवेत्स्वात्मनि मति-
स्त्वदीया माया मां प्रति तु विपरीतं कृतवती ।
ततोऽहं किं कुर्यां न हि मम मतिः क्वापि चरति
दयां कृत्वा नाथ स्वपदशरणं देहि शिवदम् ॥१३॥
नगा दैत्याः कीशा भवजलधिपारं हि गमितास्त्वया
चान्ये स्वामिन्किमिति समयेऽस्मिञ्छयितवान् ।
न हेलां त्वं कुर्यास्त्वयि निहितसर्वे मयि विभो
न हि त्वां हित्वाहं कमपि शरणं चान्यमगमम् ॥१४॥
अनन्ताद्या विज्ञा न गुणजलधेस्तेऽन्तमगमन्
अतो न पारं यायात्तव गुणगणानां कथमयम् ।
गुणवद्धि त्वां जनिमृतिहरं याति परमां
गतिं योगिप्राप्यामिति मनसि बुद्ध्वाहमनमम् ॥१५॥
॥ इति श्रीमन्मौक्तिकरामोदासीनशिष्यब्रह्मानन्दविरचितं परमेश्वरस्तुतिसारस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ॥
Transliteration (Roman/IAST)
tvameकaḥ śuddho'si tvayi nigama-bāhyā malamayaṃ
prapañcaṃ paśyanti bhrama-paravaśāḥ pāpa-niratāḥ |
bahis tebhyaḥ kṛtvā svapada-śaraṇaṃ mānaya vibho
gajendre dṛṣṭaṃ te śaraṇada vadānyaṃ svapada-dam ||1||
aham brahmānandas tvamapi ca tad-ākhyaḥ suvidita-
stato'haṃ bhinno no kathamapi bhavattaḥ śruti-dṛśā ||5||
na hi tvāṃ hitvā'haṃ kamapi śaraṇaṃ cānyam agamam ||14||
Meaning
The Parameshwara Stuti is a philosophical hymn of praise and surrender to the Supreme Lord (Parameshwara), composed in the spirit of Advaita Vedanta. The poet pleads for grace: "You alone are pure; only the deluded and sinful see this world as defiled. Give me refuge at your feet, O bountiful giver of refuge, as you did for Gajendra (the elephant-king)." He confesses his lack of spiritual qualities - discrimination, dispassion, the sixfold disciplines, even the desire for liberation (verse 10) - and asks the Lord simply to grant him saving knowledge by grace. He affirms the great Vedantic identity: "I am Brahmananda (the bliss of Brahman) and you too are known by that name; by the vision of the scriptures I am in no way separate from you" (verse 5), and prays that the Lord dissolve the illusory sense of separation. The hymn closes (verse 14) with total surrender: "Having abandoned you, I have gone to no other for refuge."
About this Stotra
According to its concluding colophon, the Parameshwara Stuti Sara Stotram was composed by Brahmananda, a disciple in the lineage of Mauktikarama Udasina. It is a stotra of the Vedantic-devotional type: while it praises the personal Lord (Parameshwara) and pleads for his grace, its deeper movement is toward the non-dual realisation that the devotee and the Supreme are one. It weaves together the bhakti of surrender and the jnana of Advaita, in the manner of the great Vedantic hymns. The reference to Gajendra-moksha - the Lord's rescue of the elephant-king - anchors the prayer in the classic theme of divine grace reaching the helpless devotee.
Significance & Spiritual Benefits
This stotra is valued by seekers on the path of knowledge (jnana) and devotion alike. Its honest confession of spiritual inadequacy and its plea for grace make it a powerful prayer for the sincere aspirant who feels unequal to the disciplines of the path. Reciting and contemplating it cultivates surrender, dispassion and the longing for liberation (mumukshutva), and gently turns the mind toward the non-dual truth of the Self. It is recited for inner peace (shanti), for the dissolution of the sense of separation from God, and as an aid to Vedantic reflection (manana).
Astrological Relevance
As a hymn to Parameshwara - the Supreme, often identified with Shiva and with the formless Absolute - this stotra resonates with the significations of Saturn (Shani), the great teacher of detachment, discipline and dispassion, and of Jupiter (Guru), the karaka of wisdom, dharma and liberation (moksha). Its themes of vairagya (dispassion) and mumukshutva (longing for liberation) align with a strong 9th and 12th house (dharma and moksha) and with Ketu, the karaka of detachment and spiritual realisation. Recitation is a fitting practice during Saturn's testing periods and for those seeking to strengthen the moksha-significations of the chart, turning hardship toward inner freedom.
How to Chant (Vidhi)
Sit purified in a quiet place before an image of the Lord (Shiva or the ishta-devata) or simply in meditation. Light a lamp and incense. Recite the verses slowly, pausing to reflect on their meaning, for this is as much a hymn of contemplation as of recitation. It is well suited to the practice of svadhyaya (self-study) and manana (reflection) following Vedantic study. Conclude in silent meditation, resting in the sense of surrender and oneness it evokes.
Best Day & Time
Monday, the day of Shiva, and the early morning Brahma-muhurta hours suited to meditation are ideal. Pradosha and Shivaratri are especially auspicious for a hymn to Parameshwara. As a contemplative prayer, it may be recited at any time of inner stillness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Parameshwara in this stotra?
Parameshwara means the Supreme Lord - the highest reality, often identified with Shiva and with the non-dual Absolute (Brahman) of Vedanta. The hymn praises this Supreme and prays for its saving grace.
Is this a devotional or a philosophical hymn?
Both. It combines heartfelt surrender (bhakti) with the non-dual realisation of Advaita Vedanta (jnana), affirming that the devotee and the Supreme are ultimately one.
Who composed it?
Its colophon attributes it to Brahmananda, a disciple in the lineage of Mauktikarama Udasina, who titled it the Parameshwara Stuti Sara Stotram.
Where bhakti and Advaita meet: surrender in the Parameshwara Stuti
The Parameshwara Stuti Stotram occupies a rare devotional space where the warmth of bhakti and the clarity of Vedantic jnana are not in tension but in tender conversation. Its fifteen verses address the Supreme not as a deity separate from the devotee but as the very ground of existence in whom the devotee dissolves through the act of surrender, sharanagati. This non-dual undercurrent makes it particularly resonant for practitioners who have moved beyond petitionary prayer into a mode of worship that is as much philosophical contemplation as heartfelt offering. The hymn draws on the classical understanding of Parameshwara as the formless absolute who nonetheless receives the love of form-loving hearts, a paradox that devotional poetry handles with a grace that philosophical prose rarely matches.
In the Jyotish tradition, the stotram's themes of renunciation, surrender, and transcendence naturally link it to the energies of Saturn, Jupiter, and Ketu - the planets associated with karma, wisdom, and liberation respectively. Devotees seeking to cultivate detachment during difficult Saturn periods, or those preparing for spiritual retreat, are known to incorporate this stuti into their daily practice. It is traditionally considered suitable for recitation at dawn or dusk, moments of transition that mirror the stotram's own posture at the threshold between the personal self and the infinite. The lasting gift of this text is its reminder that true surrender is not defeat but the deepest form of recognition.