Shatpadi Stotram (Vishnu Shatpadi, Avinayam Apanaya Vishno) by Adi Shankaracharya: Full Text with Meaning

Quick answer: The Shatpadi Stotram (Vishnu Shatpadi) is a short hymn of 7 verses by Adi Shankaracharya to Vishnu. It begins 'avinayam apanaya vishno' ('O Vishnu, take away my lack of humility') and contains the famous line 'the wave belongs to the ocean, never the ocean to the wave'. It is recited as a daily prayer, on Thursdays and on Ekadashi.

Last updated: 20 October 2026. The Sanskrit below is the complete text published by sanskritdocuments.org (file vishnu6padi.itx, transliterated and proofread by Sorin Suciu; Author field: Shankaracharya), converted to Devanagari and IAST by software from the source, with no word typed by hand and no letter changed. Our own plain-English meaning follows every verse.

Shatpadi Stotram: full text with meaning

Each verse appears in Devanagari and then in IAST transliteration, followed by its meaning. Each verse has two lines, and verse 7 names the hymn itself.

The prayer (verses 1 to 6)

Verse 1

अविनयमपनय विष्णो दमय मनः शमय विषयमृगतृष्णाम् ।
भूतदयां विस्तारय तारय संसारसागरतः ॥ १॥

avinayamapanaya viṣṇo damaya manaḥ śamaya viṣayamṛgatṛṣṇām |
bhūtadayāṃ vistāraya tāraya saṃsārasāgarataḥ || 1||

Meaning: O Vishnu, take away my lack of humility; tame my mind; quiet my thirst for the things of the senses, which is like chasing a mirage. Widen my compassion for all beings, and carry me across the ocean of worldly life.

Verse 2

दिव्यधुनीमकरन्दे परिमलपरिभोगसच्चिदानन्दे ।
श्रीपतिपदारविन्दे भवभयखेदच्छिदे वन्दे ॥ २॥

divyadhunīmakarande parimalaparibhogasaccidānande |
śrīpatipadāravinde bhavabhayakhedacchide vande || 2||

Meaning: I bow to the lotus feet of the Lord of Lakshmi, whose nectar is the heavenly river Ganga, whose fragrance and delight are being, consciousness and bliss, and which cut away the fear and pain of worldly existence.

Verse 3

सत्यपि भेदापगमे नाथ तवाहं न मामकीनस्त्वम् ।
सामुद्रो हि तरङ्गः क्वचन समुद्रो न तारङ्गः ॥ ३॥

satyapi bhedāpagame nātha tavāhaṃ na māmakīnastvam |
sāmudro hi taraṅgaḥ kvacana samudro na tāraṅgaḥ || 3||

Meaning: Even when all difference is gone, O Lord, I am yours; you are not mine. The wave belongs to the ocean; never is the ocean the wave's.

Verse 4

उद्धृतनग नगभिदनुज दनुजकुलामित्र मित्रशशिदृष्टे ।
दृष्टे भवति प्रभवति न भवति किं भवतिरस्कारः ॥ ४॥

uddhṛtanaga nagabhidanuja danujakulāmitra mitraśaśidṛṣṭe |
dṛṣṭe bhavati prabhavati na bhavati kiṃ bhavatiraskāraḥ || 4||

Meaning: O lifter of the mountain, younger brother of Indra, enemy of the demon race, whose eyes are the sun and the moon: once you, the source of all, have been seen, is not worldly existence overcome?

Verse 5

मत्स्यादिभिरवतारैरवतारवताऽवता सदा वसुधाम् ।
परमेश्वर परिपाल्यो भवता भवतापभीतोऽहम् ॥ ५॥

matsyādibhiravatārairavatāravatā'vatā sadā vasudhām |
parameśvara paripālyo bhavatā bhavatāpabhīto'ham || 5||

Meaning: O supreme Lord, who always protect the earth through your avatars, beginning with the Fish: I, afraid of the burning heat of worldly life, am yours to protect.

Verse 6

दामोदर गुणमन्दिर सुन्दरवदनारविन्द गोविन्द ।
भवजलधिमथनमन्दर परमं दरमपनय त्वं मे ॥ ६॥

dāmodara guṇamandira sundaravadanāravinda govinda |
bhavajaladhimathanamandara paramaṃ daramapanaya tvaṃ me || 6||

Meaning: O Damodara, home of all virtues, Govinda with the lovely lotus face, Mandara mountain that churns the ocean of worldly life: take away my great fear.

The closing verse (verse 7)

Verse 7

नारायण करुणामय शरणं करवाणि तावकौ चरणौ ।
इति षट्पदी मदीये वदनसरोजे सदा वसतु ॥ ७॥

nārāyaṇa karuṇāmaya śaraṇaṃ karavāṇi tāvakau caraṇau |
iti ṣaṭpadī madīye vadanasaroje sadā vasatu || 7||

Meaning: O Narayana, full of compassion, I take refuge at your two feet. May this six-footed hymn, like a bee, dwell always in the lotus of my mouth.

Colophon

॥ इति श्रीमद् शङ्कराचार्यविरचितं विष्णुषट्पदीस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ॥

|| iti śrīmad śaṅkarācāryaviracitaṃ viṣṇuṣaṭpadīstotraṃ sampūrṇam ||

Meaning: Thus ends the Vishnu Shatpadi Stotram composed by the revered Shankaracharya.

What the hymn asks for

In six short verses Shankaracharya asks for the whole of the inner life: humility, a tamed mind and compassion (verse 1); shelter at the Lord's feet (verse 2); a right understanding of the bond between the soul and God (verse 3); the vision of the Lord (verse 4); protection (verse 5); and freedom from fear (verse 6). Verse 4 is full of wordplay, repeating 'naga', 'danuja', 'mitra' and 'bhava' in different senses, and verse 5 plays on 'avatāra' and 'avatā' (protector).

When is it traditionally recited?

• Every morning: it takes two minutes and is a complete prayer in itself.
• On Thursdays: with Vishnu worship. See our Thursday guide to Vishnu worship and the Thursday rituals guide for NRI families.
• On Ekadashi: the coming Ekadashis are Papankusha Ekadashi on Thursday 22 October 2026, Rama Ekadashi on Thursday 5 November, Devutthana Ekadashi on Friday 20 November and Vaikuntha Ekadashi on Sunday 20 December (dates for New Delhi; check your local panchang abroad).

How to recite it at home

1. Sit before an image of Vishnu, Krishna or Narayana and light a lamp.
2. Recite the seven verses slowly, pausing on verse 3.
3. Offer a tulasi leaf or a flower at the last verse, 'nārāyaṇa karuṇāmaya śaraṇaṃ karavāṇi tāvakau caraṇau' (I take refuge at your feet).
4. On a longer day, continue with the Achyutashtakam, the Sudarshana Ashtakam or the Vishnu Sahasranama.

Pronunciation help

• In the IAST, a line over a vowel (ā, ī, ū) means it is held twice as long; ṛ is a short 'ri' (uddhṛta: ud-dhri-ta).
• ś and ṣ are both 'sh' sounds; c is always 'ch' (vande, caraṇau: cha-ra-nau).
• In verse 3 'samudro na tāraṅgaḥ' the long ā of tāraṅgaḥ ('belonging to the wave') is the point of the line; say it clearly.

Traditional beliefs about the Shatpadi Stotram

Devotees traditionally believe that reciting the Shatpadi with faith:

• softens pride and restlessness, as verse 1 prays;
• brings Vishnu's protection and freedom from fear (verses 5 and 6);
• keeps the Lord's name 'on the lips', as the closing verse asks.

These are matters of faith, not guarantees of any worldly result.

Tips for NRI families

• A first Sanskrit hymn for children. Seven short verses with a clear meaning make the Shatpadi a good start before longer hymns.
• Discuss verse 3 together. The wave and the ocean is a simple image that opens a family conversation about God and the self.
• Other hymns of Shankaracharya. The Bhaja Govindam, the Govindashtakam, the Nirvana Shatakam, the Ganga Stotram and the Totakashtakam (by his disciple); read about Adi Shankaracharya and his teachings.

Frequently asked questions

Who composed the Shatpadi Stotram?

Adi Shankaracharya. The Author field of the sanskritdocuments.org text names Shankaracharya, and the colophon reads 'composed by the revered Shankaracharya'.

Why is it called Shatpadi?

Shatpadi means 'six-footed', a word for the bee. The last verse prays that this hymn of six verses may dwell like a bee in the lotus of the devotee's mouth, that is, may always be on the lips. The source numbers seven verses: six of prayer and the closing verse.

What does 'the wave belongs to the ocean' mean?

Verse 3 says that even when the devotee realises that there is no real difference between the soul and God, the relationship is not equal: 'I am yours, you are not mine', just as a wave belongs to the ocean but the ocean does not belong to the wave. It is one of Shankaracharya's best-loved lines on devotion and non-duality.

When is it traditionally recited?

Daily as a short morning prayer, on Thursdays with Vishnu worship, and on Ekadashi days such as Papankusha Ekadashi on Thursday 22 October 2026 and Vaikuntha Ekadashi on Sunday 20 December 2026 (dates for India).

How long does it take?

About 2 minutes for all seven verses, which makes it ideal for children and for busy mornings.

What are the benefits of reciting it?

The hymn itself asks for humility, a calm mind, compassion for all beings and freedom from fear. Devotees traditionally believe that reciting it with faith brings these qualities and Vishnu's protection; it is a prayer, not a guarantee of any outcome.

Editor's note (20 October 2026)

This page was published on 20 October 2026 at the address readers and search engines were already requesting. The Sanskrit is the full text of the Vishnu Shatpadi on sanskritdocuments.org (file vishnu6padi.itx, transliterated and proofread by Sorin Suciu; Author field: Shankaracharya; colophon: composed by the revered Shankaracharya). sanskritdocuments.org has no second copy of this hymn to compare with; the text reads correctly throughout, so no letter is changed. The source numbers the hymn in seven verses, which we follow. The meanings are our own; the wordplay of verses 4 and 5 is rendered for sense, not word for word.

Related guides

• Achyutashtakam with meaning
• Govindashtakam with meaning
• Bhaja Govindam: complete guide
• Sudarshana Ashtakam
• Vishnu Sahasranama guide
• Vishnu hub