Shri Kamalapati Ashtakam: Sanskrit Text, Meaning & Benefits
Shri Kamalapati Ashtakam - Sanskrit Text
भुजगतल्पगतं घनसुन्दरं गरुडवाहनमम्बुजलोचनम् ।
नलिनचक्रगदाकरमव्ययं भजत रे मनुजाः कमलापतिम् ॥१॥
अलिकुलासितकोमलकुन्तलं विमलपीतदुकूलमनोहरम् ।
जलधिजाङ्कितवामकलेवरं भजत रे मनुजाः कमलापतिम् ॥२॥
किमु जपैश्च तपोभिरुताध्वरैरपि किमुत्तमतीर्थनिषेवणैः ।
किमुत शास्त्रकदम्बविलोकनैर्भजत रे मनुजाः कमलापतिम् ॥३॥
मनुजदेहमिमं भुवि दुर्लभं समधिगम्य सुरैरपि वाञ्छितम् ।
विषयलम्पटतामपहाय वै भजत रे मनुजाः कमलापतिम् ॥४॥
न वनिता न सुतो न सहोदरो न हि पिता जननी न च बान्धवः ।
व्रजति साकमनेन जनेन वै भजत रे मनुजाः कमलापतिम् ॥५॥
सकलमेव चलं सचराचरं जगदिदं सुतरां धनयौवनम् ।
समवलोक्य विवेकदृशा द्रुतं भजत रे मनुजाः कमलापतिम् ॥६॥
विविधरोगयुतं क्षणभङ्गुरं परवशं नवमार्गमलाकुलम् ।
परिनिरीक्ष्य शरीरमिदं स्वकं भजत रे मनुजाः कमलापतिम् ॥७॥
मुनिवरैरनिशं हृदि भावितं शिवविरिञ्चिमहेन्द्रनुतं सदा ।
मरणजन्मजराभयमोचनं भजत रे मनुजाः कमलापतिम् ॥८॥
हरिपदाष्टकमेतदनुत्तमं परमहंसजनेन समीरितम् ।
पठति यस्तु समाहितचेतसा व्रजति विष्णुपदं स नरो ध्रुवम् ॥९॥
Transliteration (Roman/IAST)
bhujaga-talpa-gataṁ ghana-sundaraṁ garuḍa-vāhanam ambuja-locanam ।
nalina-cakra-gadā-karam avyayaṁ bhajata re manujāḥ kamalāpatim ॥1॥
ali-kulāsita-komala-kuntalaṁ vimala-pīta-dukūla-manoharam ।
jaladhi-jāṅkita-vāma-kalevaraṁ bhajata re manujāḥ kamalāpatim ॥2॥
kimu japaiś ca tapobhir utādhvarair api kim uttama-tīrtha-niṣevaṇaiḥ ।
kim uta śāstra-kadamba-vilokanair bhajata re manujāḥ kamalāpatim ॥3॥
manuja-deham imaṁ bhuvi durlabhaṁ samadhigamya surair api vāñchitam ।
viṣaya-lampaṭatām apahāya vai bhajata re manujāḥ kamalāpatim ॥4॥
na vanitā na suto na sahodaro na hi pitā jananī na ca bāndhavaḥ ।
vrajati sākam anena janena vai bhajata re manujāḥ kamalāpatim ॥5॥
sakalam eva calaṁ sa-carācaraṁ jagad idaṁ sutarāṁ dhana-yauvanam ।
samavalokya viveka-dṛśā drutaṁ bhajata re manujāḥ kamalāpatim ॥6॥
vividha-roga-yutaṁ kṣaṇa-bhaṅguraṁ para-vaśaṁ nava-mārga-malākulam ।
parinirīkṣya śarīram idaṁ svakaṁ bhajata re manujāḥ kamalāpatim ॥7॥
muni-varair aniśaṁ hṛdi bhāvitaṁ śiva-viriñci-mahendra-nutaṁ sadā ।
maraṇa-janma-jarā-bhaya-mocanaṁ bhajata re manujāḥ kamalāpatim ॥8॥
hari-padāṣṭakam etad anuttamaṁ parama-haṁsa-janena samīritam ।
paṭhati yas tu samāhita-cetasā vrajati viṣṇu-padaṁ sa naro dhruvam ॥9॥
Meaning
Each verse ends with the rousing call "Worship, O human beings, the Lord of Kamala (Lakshmi)!" Worship him who reclines on the serpent couch, beautiful as a dark cloud, riding Garuda, with lotus eyes, bearing the lotus, discus and mace, the imperishable. Worship him whose soft locks are dark as a swarm of bees, charming in his spotless yellow silk, his left side marked by the ocean-born Lakshmi. What use are mere repetitions, austerities, sacrifices, pilgrimages to holy waters, or poring over heaps of scriptures? - simply worship the Lord of Lakshmi. Having attained this human body, so rare on earth and coveted even by the gods, give up your craving for sense-objects and worship him. Neither wife, nor son, nor brother, nor father, mother nor kinsman goes with you at the end - so worship him. Seeing with the eye of discrimination that this whole moving and unmoving world, and wealth and youth especially, are fleeting, quickly worship him. Examining your own body - full of various diseases, perishable in a moment, dependent on others, foul with its nine openings - worship him. Worship him who is ever contemplated in the hearts of the great sages, always praised by Shiva, Brahma and Indra, the liberator from the fear of death, birth and old age. The closing verse declares that whoever recites this supreme Hari-padashtakam, spoken by the highest realised souls, with a concentrated mind, surely attains the abode of Vishnu.
About this Stotra
The Shri Kamalapati Ashtakam, also known as the Hari-padashtakam, is an eight-verse hymn (with a phala-shruti) addressed to Vishnu as Kamalapati - the lord and consort of Kamala, the lotus-goddess Lakshmi. Its refrain, "bhajata re manujah Kamalapatim," is a direct, urgent appeal to all of humanity to turn to the Lord. The hymn belongs to the tradition of vairagya (dispassion) stotras: alongside its beautiful descriptions of Vishnu, it powerfully reminds the listener of the transience of the body, wealth, youth and relationships, urging that the rare human birth be used for devotion before it slips away.
Significance & Spiritual Benefits
The hymn's final verse promises that one who recites it with a concentrated mind attains Vishnuloka, the supreme abode. Beyond this, its great value is in cultivating viveka (discrimination) and vairagya (detachment); it teaches the listener to see through the illusions of wealth, youth, relationships and the body, and to redirect life toward the eternal. Reciting it inspires earnest devotion, dissolves attachment, and is said to free one from the fear of death, birth and old age. It is treasured as both a beautiful praise of Vishnu and a stirring call to spiritual urgency.
Astrological Relevance
As a hymn to Kamalapati - the Lord of Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and fortune - this ashtakam carries a strong association with the blessings of prosperity governed by the 2nd house (accumulated wealth) and 11th house (gains), and with the benefics Venus (Shukra, luxury and abundance) and Jupiter (Guru, fortune and dharma). Worshipping Vishnu together with Lakshmi is a classic remedy for financial difficulty, instability of income, and the strengthening of wealth-giving houses. At the same time, the hymn's deep vairagya teaching pacifies the restless cravings of an over-strong materialistic chart and supports the spiritual maturity associated with Saturn and Ketu. Reciting it balances the pursuit of legitimate prosperity with detachment, attracting Lakshmi's grace without bondage to it.
How to Chant (Vidhi)
Bathe and sit facing east before an image of Vishnu with Lakshmi. Light a lamp and offer lotus or other flowers, tulsi and water. Recite the eight verses with devotion and reflection, allowing the hymn's reminders of transience to deepen your earnestness, and end with the phala-shruti verse. It may be recited daily, especially in the morning. Conclude by surrendering the fruits of the recitation at the Lord's feet.
Best Day & Time
Thursday (the day of Vishnu and Guru) and Friday (the day of Lakshmi and Venus) are especially auspicious, as are Ekadashi and the early-morning hours. Diwali and other Lakshmi festivals add special potency for the wealth-blessing aspect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kamalapati?
Kamalapati means "the Lord of Kamala (Lakshmi)" - that is, Lord Vishnu, the consort of the goddess of wealth and fortune.
What is the central message of the hymn?
That the human body, wealth, youth and relationships are all fleeting, so one should use this rare human birth to worship the Lord of Lakshmi while there is still time.
What does reciting it grant?
The closing verse promises that whoever recites this Hari-padashtakam with a focused mind surely attains the abode of Vishnu, and the hymn fosters both devotion and dispassion.
A stirring call to worship while the human birth lasts
The Kamalapati Ashtakam - also known as the Hari-padashtakam - carries a note of urgency that is rare in Sanskrit devotional literature. Its refrain, Bhajata re manujah Kamalapatim, is a direct address to humankind: worship Vishnu, the lord of Lakshmi, now, while this precious and impermanent human life lasts. This framing draws on the classical Vaishnava understanding that human birth is uniquely capable of devotion and liberation, and that squandering it in distraction is the deepest loss. Each of the eight verses approaches this invitation from a different angle, holding up the glory of Vishnu as the reason why this urgency is not fear but love.
The hymn is well suited to Ekadashi observances, to Thursday worship (the day traditionally associated with Vishnu and the guru in the Jyotish calendar), and to any period of renewed personal commitment to bhakti sadhana. In the Jyotish tradition, Venus (Shukra) and the second and eleventh houses govern Lakshmi's blessings of abundance; devotees believe that sincere worship of Kamala-pati, the lord whose consort is Lakshmi herself, opens the heart to both material sufficiency and spiritual richness. The ashtakam's greatest gift may be its emotional tone: it does not threaten or admonish but invites, warmly and persistently, reminding the devotee that the welcome at Vishnu's feet is always open.