Shri Ramashtakam by Vyasa: The Non-Dual Rama Stotra, Text & Meaning
Shri Ramashtakam - Sanskrit Text
॥ श्रीरामाष्टकम् ॥
भजे विशेषसुन्दरं समस्तपापखण्डनम् ।
स्वभक्तचित्तरञ्जनं सदैव राममद्वयम् ॥१॥
जटाकलापशोभितं समस्तपापनाशकम् ।
स्वभक्तभीतिभञ्जनं भजेह राममद्वयम् ॥२॥
निजस्वरूपबोधकं कृपाकरं भवापहम् ।
समं शिवं निरञ्जनं भजेह राममद्वयम् ॥३॥
सहप्रपञ्चकल्पितं ह्यनामरूपवास्तवम् ।
निराकृतिं निरामयं भजेह राममद्वयम् ॥४॥
निष्प्रपञ्चनिर्विकल्पनिर्मलं निरामयम् ।
चिदेकरूपसन्ततं भजेह राममद्वयम् ॥५॥
भवाब्धिपोतरूपकं ह्यशेषदेहकल्पितम् ।
गुणाकरं कृपाकरं भजेह राममद्वयम् ॥६॥
महावाक्यबोधकैर्विराजमानवाक्पदैः ।
परं ब्रह्म व्यापकं भजेह राममद्वयम् ॥७॥
शिवप्रदं सुखप्रदं भवच्छिदं भ्रमापहम् ।
विराजमानदैशिकं भजेह राममद्वयम् ॥८॥
रामाष्टकं पठति यः सुकरं सुपुण्यं
व्यासेन भाषितमिदं शृणुते मनुष्यः ।
विद्यां श्रियं विपुलसौख्यमनन्तकीर्तिं
सम्प्राप्य देहविलये लभते च मोक्षम् ॥९॥
॥ इति श्रीव्यासविरचितं रामाष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ॥
Transliteration (Roman/IAST)
bhaje viśeṣa-sundaraṃ samasta-pāpa-khaṇḍanam |
svabhakta-citta-rañjanaṃ sadaiva rāmam-advayam ||1||
(Each verse closes with the refrain "bhajeha rāmam-advayam" - "I worship Rama, the non-dual one.")
rāmāṣṭakaṃ paṭhati yaḥ sukaraṃ supuṇyaṃ
vyāsena bhāṣitam-idaṃ śṛṇute manuṣyaḥ |
vidyāṃ śriyaṃ vipula-saukhyam-ananta-kīrtiṃ
samprāpya deha-vilaye labhate ca mokṣam ||9||
Meaning
Verse 1: I worship Rama, the supremely beautiful, the destroyer of all sins, who delights the hearts of his devotees - ever the non-dual (advaya) Lord.
Verse 2: Adorned with a crown of matted locks, destroyer of all sins, breaker of the fears of his devotees; I worship that non-dual Rama.
Verse 3: The revealer of one's own true Self, the doer of compassion, remover of worldly existence, the impartial, the auspicious (Shiva), the stainless one; I worship that non-dual Rama.
Verse 4: Though appearing along with the manifest world, he is the reality beyond name and form, without shape, without affliction; I worship that non-dual Rama.
Verse 5: Beyond the world, beyond all alternatives, pure, free from affliction, the unbroken single form of pure Consciousness; I worship that non-dual Rama.
Verse 6: The very boat that carries us across the ocean of existence, who has fashioned all bodies, the mine of virtues, the doer of compassion; I worship that non-dual Rama.
Verse 7: Revealed by the great Vedantic sayings (mahavakyas) through their shining words, the all-pervading Supreme Brahman; I worship that non-dual Rama.
Verse 8: The giver of auspiciousness, the giver of happiness, the severer of worldly existence, the remover of delusion, the resplendent supreme Guide; I worship that non-dual Rama.
Phalashruti: Whoever recites or hears this easy and highly meritorious Ramashtakam spoken by Vyasa attains learning, prosperity, abundant happiness and endless fame, and at the dissolution of the body attains liberation (moksha).
About this Stotra
Shri Ramashtakam attributed to the sage Vyasa is a distinctive Rama hymn of the Vedantic, non-dualist (advaita) cast. Unlike narrative stotras that recount Rama's deeds in the Ramayana, this ashtaka contemplates Rama as the Supreme Brahman - the formless, attributeless reality pointed to by the great Upanishadic sayings (mahavakyas). Every one of its eight verses ends with the refrain "bhajeha rāmam-advayam" - "I worship Rama, the non-dual one" - fixing the mind again and again on Rama as the one undivided Consciousness beyond name and form. The opening verses also honour his benign personal form (his beauty, his matted locks, his compassion), so the hymn gracefully unites saguna (with-form) devotion and nirguna (formless) contemplation. The phalashruti names Vyasa as composer and promises both worldly goods and ultimate liberation.
Significance & Spiritual Benefits
This stotra is treasured by those who seek not only Rama's protection but the knowledge of the Self. Its repeated "advayam" trains the mind to see Rama as the inner reality - the boat across the ocean of samsara, the revealer of one's own Self, the all-pervading Brahman. The phalashruti is comprehensive: it promises vidya (knowledge and learning), shri (prosperity and grace), vipula-saukhya (abundant happiness), ananta-kirti (endless fame), and finally moksha at the body's end. Recitation thus serves both the devotee seeking worldly well-being and the seeker on the path of jnana. The verses are short and easy (the text itself calls it "sukaram"), making it ideal for daily contemplative practice.
Astrological Relevance
Rama, the avatara born in the solar dynasty (Surya-vamsha), is associated in jyotisha with the Sun (Surya) - karaka of the atman (soul), vitality, father, authority and the lagna (ascendant). Worshipping Rama strengthens a weak or afflicted Sun, restoring confidence, clarity of purpose and dignity, and is a remedy for difficulties with father and authority. Uniquely, this Ramashtakam's Vedantic emphasis on the Self and liberation resonates strongly with Ketu and the 12th house - the karakas of moksha, detachment and self-realisation - so it is a fitting recitation during a Ketu mahadasha or when the chart points to a spiritual, inward turn. Its promise of vidya links it to the 4th and 5th houses (education, intelligence) and to Budha (Mercury) and Guru (Jupiter), while shri (prosperity) ties it to the 2nd and 11th houses of wealth. As a Rama-nama recitation it also brings overall sattva and planetary peace.
How to Chant (Vidhi)
Bathe and sit before an image of Shri Rama facing east. Light a lamp and offer tulsi, flowers and incense. Recite ॐ and then the eight verses slowly, letting the mind rest on the refrain "rāmam-advayam" and on the meaning of Rama as the non-dual reality. Conclude with the phalashruti. Because the hymn is contemplative, an unhurried pace and a still mind matter more than repetition count; daily recitation as part of one's sadhana is ideal.
Best Day & Time
Sunday (the Sun's day) and the Navami tithi - especially Rama Navami - are most auspicious. Early morning at sunrise suits Rama's solar character and is the best time for contemplative recitation. The stotra is also well suited to daily japa-sandhya practice and to the nine days of Chaitra Navaratri.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Rama called "advaya" in this stotra?
"Advaya" means non-dual. The hymn worships Rama not only as the prince of Ayodhya but as the one undivided Supreme Brahman beyond name and form, revealed by the Upanishadic mahavakyas - uniting personal devotion with non-dual contemplation.
Who composed this Ramashtakam?
The colophon and phalashruti attribute it to the sage Vyasa ("vyasena bhashitam," "vyasaviracitam"), distinguishing it from the several other Ramashtakams in the tradition.
What does reciting it bestow?
The phalashruti promises learning (vidya), prosperity (shri), abundant happiness, endless fame, and - at the end of life - liberation (moksha), making it a hymn for both worldly welfare and spiritual freedom.
Rama as pure Brahman: the Vedantic dimension of this stotra
What sets the Shri Ramashtakam attributed to Vyasa apart from the broad river of Rama-bhakti poetry is its deliberate non-dual perspective. Where most devotional hymns celebrate Rama's charming form, his warrior valor, or his role as the ideal king, this eight-verse stotra quietly insists that the prince of Ayodhya and the formless, birthless Absolute are one and the same reality. Devotees who carry a Vedantic inclination - those who feel equally at home in jnana and bhakti - find in this stotra a rare meeting point: the heart's yearning for a personal God and the intellect's grasp of non-duality are held together without contradiction. Recitation is considered especially meaningful at dawn, after sandhyavandanam, or during the auspicious period of Brahma-muhurta when the mind is naturally still.
In the Jyotish tradition, the Sun governs the atman, the individual soul, and its ultimate identity with the Paramatman. A stotra that explicitly frames Rama as the Supreme Self therefore aligns beautifully with solar worship, and devotees whose Surya is afflicted or who wish to strengthen self-knowledge and spiritual confidence are traditionally encouraged to include this hymn in their morning practice. The phala-shruti associated with the stotra speaks of knowledge, fame, prosperity, and ultimately liberation - gifts that, in the devotional understanding, flow naturally when one recognises the Lord as inseparable from one's own deepest Self.