आनन्दरूपे निजबोधरूपे ब्रह्मस्वरूपे श्रुतिमूर्तिरूपे।
शशाङ्करूपे रमणीयरूपे श्रीरङ्गरूपे रमतां मनो मे॥1॥
कावेरितीरे करुणाविलोले मन्दारमूले धृतचारुचेले।
दैत्यान्तकालेऽखिललोकलीले श्रीरङ्गलीले रमतां मनो मे॥2॥
लक्ष्मीनिवासे जगतां निवासे हृत्पद्मवासे रविबिम्बवासे।
कृपानिवासे गुणवृन्दवासे श्रीरङ्गवासे रमतां मनो मे॥3॥
ब्रह्मादिवन्द्ये जगदेकवन्द्ये मुकुन्दवन्द्ये सुरनाथवन्द्ये।
व्यासादिवन्द्ये सनकादिवन्द्ये श्रीरङ्गवन्द्ये रमतां मनो मे॥4॥
ब्रह्माधिराजे गरुडाधिराजे वैकुण्ठराजे सुरराजराजे।
त्रैलोक्यराजेऽखिललोकराजे श्रीरङ्गराजे रमतां मनो मे॥5॥
अमोघमुद्रे परिपूर्णनिद्रे श्रीयोगनिद्रे ससमुद्रनिद्रे।
श्रितैकभद्रे जगदेकनिद्रे श्रीरङ्गभद्रे रमतां मनो मे॥6॥
सचित्रशायी भुजगेन्द्रशायी नन्दाङ्कशायी कमलाङ्कशायी।
क्षीराब्धिशायी वटपत्रशायी श्रीरङ्गशायी रमतां मनो मे॥7॥
इदं हि रङ्गं त्यजतामिहाङ्गं पुनर्न चाङ्गं यदि चाङ्गमेति।
पाणौ रथाङ्गं चरणेऽम्बु गाङ्गं याने विहङ्गं शयने भुजङ्गम्॥8॥
ānandarūpe nijabodharūpe brahmasvarūpe śrutimūrtirūpe। śaśāṅkarūpe ramaṇīyarūpe śrīraṅgarūpe ramatāṃ mano me॥1॥
kāveritīre karuṇāvilole mandāramūle dhṛtacārucele। daityāntakāle’khilalokalīle śrīraṅgalīle ramatāṃ mano me॥2॥
lakṣmīnivāse jagatāṃ nivāse hṛtpadmavāse ravibimbavāse। kṛpānivāse guṇavṛndavāse śrīraṅgavāse ramatāṃ mano me॥3॥
brahmādivandye jagadekavandye mukundavandye suranāthavandye। vyāsādivandye sanakādivandye śrīraṅgavandye ramatāṃ mano me॥4॥
brahmādhirāje garuḍādhirāje vaikuṇṭharāje surarājarāje। trailokyarāje’khilalokarāje śrīraṅgarāje ramatāṃ mano me॥5॥
amoghamudre paripūrṇanidre śrīyoganidre sasamudranidre। śritaikabhadre jagadekanidre śrīraṅgabhadre ramatāṃ mano me॥6॥
sacitraśāyī bhujagendraśāyī nandāṅkaśāyī kamalāṅkaśāyī। kṣīrābdhiśāyī vaṭapatraśāyī śrīraṅgaśāyī ramatāṃ mano me॥7॥
idaṃ hi raṅgaṃ tyajatām ihāṅgaṃ punar na cāṅgaṃ yadi cāṅgam eti। pāṇau rathāṅgaṃ caraṇe’mbu gāṅgaṃ yāne vihaṅgaṃ śayane bhujaṅgam॥8॥
Each verse ends with the refrain "śrīraṅge ramatāṃ mano me" — "may my mind delight in Sri Ranga (the Lord of Srirangam)". The hymn is a sustained meditation on Ranganatha.
Verse 1: in the form of bliss, of innate awareness, of Brahman, of the embodied Vedas, cool as the moon, lovely of form — may my mind delight in the form of Sri Ranga. Verse 2: on the bank of the Kaveri, swaying with compassion, at the foot of the Mandara tree, wearing beautiful raiment, destroyer of demons, who plays through all the worlds — may my mind delight in Sri Ranga’s play. Verse 3: the abode of Lakshmi, dwelling of all worlds, residing in the lotus of the heart and in the orb of the sun, the home of grace and of all virtues — may my mind delight in dwelling on Sri Ranga.
Verse 4 praises him as worshipped by Brahma, Mukunda, the lord of gods, Vyasa and the Sanaka sages. Verse 5 hails him as sovereign over Brahma, over Garuda, king of Vaikuntha, king of the kings of gods, ruler of the three worlds. Verse 6 evokes him of unfailing seal, in perfect repose, the auspicious yoga-nidra upon the ocean. Verse 7 lists his many reclining postures — on the serpent-king, on the milk-ocean, on a banyan leaf — all as Sri Ranga reclining. The closing verse marvels that, having taken refuge in this Ranga, the body is shed never to return; in his hand the discus, at his feet the Ganga, his vehicle the bird Garuda, his bed the serpent Shesha.
The Ranganatha Ashtakam is an eight-verse hymn traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, in praise of Lord Ranganatha, the reclining form of Vishnu enshrined at Srirangam on the banks of the river Kaveri — the foremost of the 108 Divya Desams. Its hallmark is the rhyming refrain on "-e" endings closing every line, and the recurring "Sri Ranga" in each final pada, producing a beautifully chant-friendly cadence. As an ancient devotional composition, it is fully in the public domain and reproduced here in full.
The Ashtakam is recited to invoke the grace of Ranganatha, the cosmic Lord in yoga-nidra who sustains all worlds even in repose. Its repeated prayer — "may my mind delight in Sri Ranga" — is itself a discipline of turning the restless mind again and again towards the Divine. Devotees chant it for peace, for steadiness of mind, for devotion, and (as the final verse promises) for ultimate liberation from the cycle of birth, for the body once surrendered to Ranga need not return. It is especially dear to the Sri Vaishnava tradition.
Ranganatha is Vishnu as the serene sustainer, linked to the great benefic Jupiter (Guru), lord of dharma and wisdom, and to the Sun (Surya) — the hymn itself says he dwells "in the orb of the sun" (ravibimbavāse). Recitation is recommended to strengthen Jupiter for prosperity, knowledge and right conduct, and the Sun for vitality and clarity. As a hymn of the Lord in cosmic repose, it also brings calm during agitated mental periods — useful when the Moon or Mercury is afflicted. Thursday and Ekadashi enhance its benefits.
After bathing, sit before an image of Ranganatha or Vishnu. Light a lamp and offer tulsi, flowers and water. Invoke Ganesha, then recite the eight verses melodiously, savouring the refrain "śrīraṅge ramatāṃ mano me" in each. Conclude with "Om Namo Narayanaya" and a few moments of silent contemplation of the Lord’s reclining form. Daily recitation, or recitation on Saturdays at Srirangam-style worship, is traditional.
Thursday and Ekadashi, Vaikuntha Ekadashi, and Saturdays (sacred at Srirangam) are especially auspicious. Brahma Muhurta and early morning suit daily recitation.
Ranganatha is the reclining form of Lord Vishnu, the presiding deity of Srirangam temple on the Kaveri, foremost among the 108 Divya Desams sacred to Vaishnavas.
Each verse ends with "śrīraṅge ramatāṃ mano me" — "may my mind delight in Sri Ranga" — making the whole hymn a repeated turning of the mind toward the Lord.
It is chanted for peace, steady devotion and Vishnu’s grace; its closing verse promises liberation, declaring that the body surrendered to Ranga need not be born again.
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Reclining in eternity: the contemplative heart of the Ranganatha Ashtakam
Lord Ranganatha — Vishnu at rest on the serpent Adishesha on the island between the sacred Kaveri's branches at Srirangam — represents perhaps the most serene iconographic statement in all of Vaishnava devotion. He does not stand in readiness or sit enthroned; he reclines, absorbed in his own infinite nature, and yet his grace flows outward in an unceasing stream. The Ranganatha Ashtakam, attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, distils this mystery into eight verses of measured Sanskrit beauty. That Shankaracharya — whose primary philosophical orientation was Advaita — is said to have composed a hymn to Saguna Vishnu speaks to the tradition's understanding that the path of nama and rupa (name and form) is a fully valid gateway into the formless truth. Each verse draws the devotee deeper into that paradox of an infinite Lord made accessible through the tangible image of Srirangam.
In the Jyotish tradition, Vishnu is associated with Jupiter (Brihaspati), the planet of wisdom, dharma, and divine grace, while Ranganatha's solar splendour also connects him to Surya; chanting this Ashtakam is thus considered particularly auspicious for those seeking to strengthen these planetary influences. Devotees recite the hymn on Thursdays, on Ekadashi, and during Vaikuntha Ekadashi above all, believing that the eight verses together form a complete offering of devotion — head, heart, and voice united in surrender to the Lord who, even in repose, holds the entire universe within himself.