Prahlada Stuti
॥ प्रह्लाद स्तुतिः ॥
What is the Prahlada Stuti?
Prahlada Stuti is the forty-three verse prayer the boy devotee Prahlada offered to Lord Narasimha in the Srimad Bhagavata Purana, right after the Lord tore apart the demon king Hiranyakashipu. It teaches that pure, fearless devotion matters more than birth, learning or worldly rank.
When Lord Narasimha had just killed the demon Hiranyakashipu, His fury was so terrible that even Brahma and Shiva held back. Only a child stepped forward without fear, Hiranyakashipu’s own son, Prahlada. What he said next became one of the most quoted prayers in the Bhagavata Purana, forty-three verses spoken in the ninth chapter of the seventh canto.
Prahlada Stuti Lyrics (Sanskrit & English)
Roman transliteration is shown first with the Devanagari beneath. Tap 'Meaning' under any verse for a plain-English explanation.
śrī-prahrāda uvāca
brahmādayaḥ sura-gaṇā munayo ’tha siddhāḥ
sattvaikatāna-gatayo vacasāṁ pravāhaiḥ
nārādhituṁ puru-guṇair adhunāpi pipruḥ
kiṁ toṣṭum arhati sa me harir ugra-jāteḥ
श्रीप्रह्राद उवाच
ब्रह्मादय: सुरगणा मुनयोऽथ सिद्धा:
सत्त्वैकतानगतयो वचसां प्रवाहै: ।
नाराधितुं पुरुगुणैरधुनापि पिप्रु:
किं तोष्टुमर्हति स मे हरिरुग्रजाते:
Meaning
Prahlada wonders how he, born into a demon family, could offer worthy prayers to the Lord. Even Brahma and the great sages, who are far more qualified, cannot fully satisfy Him with their words. So what could someone like him possibly say?
manye dhanābhijana-rūpa-tapaḥ-śrutaujas-
tejaḥ-prabhāva-bala-pauruṣa-buddhi-yogāḥ
nārādhanāya hi bhavanti parasya puṁso
bhaktyā tutoṣa bhagavān gaja-yūtha-pāya
मन्ये धनाभिजनरूपतप:श्रुतौज-
स्तेज:प्रभावबलपौरुषबुद्धियोगा: ।
नाराधनाय हि भवन्ति परस्य पुंसो
भक्त्या तुतोष भगवान्गजयूथपाय
Meaning
Wealth, high birth, beauty, austerity, learning, strength and intelligence cannot win the Lord's favor on their own. Only devotion can, the way Gajendra the elephant king satisfied Him through pure bhakti alone.
viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha-
pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaṁ variṣṭham
manye tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitārtha-
prāṇaṁ punāti sa kulaṁ na tu bhūrimānaḥ
विप्राद् द्विषड्गुणयुतादरविन्दनाभ-
पादारविन्दविमुखात् श्वपचं वरिष्ठम् ।
मन्ये तदर्पितमनोवचनेहितार्थ-
प्राणं पुनाति स कुलं न तु भूरिमान:
Meaning
A learned brahmana who turns away from the Lord's feet is lower than a devotee from the humblest background who has offered everything, mind, words, actions and life, to the Supreme. Such a devotee can purify his whole family, while empty pride purifies no one, not even the proud man himself.
naivātmanaḥ prabhur ayaṁ nija-lābha-pūrṇo
mānaṁ janād aviduṣaḥ karuṇo vṛṇīte
yad yaj jano bhagavate vidadhīta mānaṁ
tac cātmane prati-mukhasya yathā mukha-śrīḥ
नैवात्मन: प्रभुरयं निजलाभपूर्णो
मानं जनादविदुष: करुणो वृणीते ।
यद् यज्जनो भगवते विदधीत मानं
तच्चात्मने प्रतिमुखस्य यथा मुखश्री:
Meaning
The Lord is complete in Himself and needs nothing from anyone. When someone offers Him worship, the benefit flows back to the giver, the way a decorated face is reflected as decorated in a mirror.
tasmād ahaṁ vigata-viklava īśvarasya
sarvātmanā mahi gṛṇāmi yathā manīṣam
nīco ’jayā guṇa-visargam anupraviṣṭaḥ
pūyeta yena hi pumān anuvarṇitena
तस्मादहं विगतविक्लव ईश्वरस्य
सर्वात्मना महि गृणामि यथा मनीषम् ।
नीचोऽजया गुणविसर्गमनुप्रविष्ट:
पूयेत येन हि पुमाननुवर्णितेन
Meaning
So Prahlada, though born into a demon lineage, resolves to offer this prayer without hesitation, using whatever intelligence he has. Anyone forced by ignorance into worldly life can be purified simply by praising the Lord and hearing His glories.
sarve hy amī vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmno
brahmādayo vayam iveśa na codvijantaḥ
kṣemāya bhūtaya utātma-sukhāya cāsya
vikrīḍitaṁ bhagavato rucirāvatāraiḥ
सर्वे ह्यमी विधिकरास्तव सत्त्वधाम्नो
ब्रह्मादयो वयमिवेश न चोद्विजन्त: ।
क्षेमाय भूतय उतात्मसुखाय चास्य
विक्रीडितं भगवतो रुचिरावतारै:
Meaning
All the demigods, including Brahma, are the Lord's obedient servants and, unlike Prahlada's family, are never disturbed by Him. This fearsome form was taken for the Lord's own pleasure, and such appearances always work for the world's protection and welfare.
tad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayādya
modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā
lokāś ca nirvṛtim itāḥ pratiyanti sarve
rūpaṁ nṛsiṁha vibhayāya janāḥ smaranti
तद्यच्छ मन्युमसुरश्च हतस्त्वयाद्य
मोदेत साधुरपि वृश्चिकसर्पहत्या ।
लोकाश्च निर्वृतिमिता: प्रतियन्ति सर्वे
रूपं नृसिंह विभयाय जना: स्मरन्ति
Meaning
Prahlada asks the Lord to let go of His anger now that his father Hiranyakashipu, the great demon, has been killed. Just as even saints feel relief when a scorpion or snake is destroyed, the whole world now feels safe and will remember this form of Narasimha as a source of protection from fear.
nāhaṁ bibhemy ajita te ’tibhayānakāsya-
jihvārka-netra-bhrukuṭī-rabhasogra-daṁṣṭrāt
āntra-srajaḥ-kṣataja-keśara-śaṅku-karṇān
nirhrāda-bhīta-digibhād ari-bhin-nakhāgrāt
नाहं बिभेम्यजित तेऽतिभयानकास्य-
जिह्वार्कनेत्रभ्रुकुटीरभसोग्रदंष्ट्रात् ।
आन्त्रस्रज: क्षतजकेशरशङ्कुकर्णा-
न्निर्ह्रादभीतदिगिभादरिभिन्नखाग्रात्
Meaning
Prahlada says he is not afraid of the Lord's terrifying face, tongue, blazing eyes, frowning brows, sharp teeth, garland of intestines, blood soaked mane, sharp ears, thunderous roar that scatters elephants, or claws meant for killing enemies.
trasto ’smy ahaṁ kṛpaṇa-vatsala duḥsahogra-
saṁsāra-cakra-kadanād grasatāṁ praṇītaḥ
baddhaḥ sva-karmabhir uśattama te ’ṅghri-mūlaṁ
prīto ’pavarga-śaraṇaṁ hvayase kadā nu
त्रस्तोऽस्म्यहं कृपणवत्सल दु:सहोग्र-
संसारचक्रकदनाद् ग्रसतां प्रणीत: ।
बद्ध: स्वकर्मभिरुशत्तम तेऽङ्घ्रिमूलं
प्रीतोऽपवर्गशरणं ह्वयसे कदा नु
Meaning
Yet he admits he is genuinely afraid, not of the Lord's form but of the harsh cycle of birth and death that keeps catching him. Bound by his own past actions, he asks when the Lord, so kind to the fallen, will finally call him to the shelter of His feet.
yasmāt priyāpriya-viyoga-saṁyoga-janma-
śokāgninā sakala-yoniṣu dahyamānaḥ
duḥkhauṣadhaṁ tad api duḥkham atad-dhiyāhaṁ
bhūman bhramāmi vada me tava dāsya-yogam
यस्मात् प्रियाप्रियवियोगसंयोगजन्म-
शोकाग्निना सकलयोनिषु दह्यमान: ।
दु:खौषधं तदपि दु:खमतद्धियाहं
भूमन्भ्रमामि वद मे तव दास्ययोगम्
Meaning
Union and separation from what we love or dislike burn a person like fire, wherever they are born. Even the usual remedies for suffering bring their own suffering, so Prahlada asks the Lord to simply teach him how to serve Him.
so ’haṁ priyasya suhṛdaḥ paradevatāyā
līlā-kathās tava nṛsiṁha viriñca-gītāḥ
añjas titarmy anugṛṇan guṇa-vipramukto
durgāṇi te pada-yugālaya-haṁsa-saṅgaḥ
सोऽहं प्रियस्य सुहृद: परदेवताया
लीलाकथास्तव नृसिंह विरिञ्चगीता: ।
अञ्जस्तितर्म्यनुगृणन्गुणविप्रमुक्तो
दुर्गाणि ते पदयुगालयहंससङ्ग:
Meaning
By serving the Lord in the company of liberated devotees, Prahlada says he can become free of the three material qualities and joyfully sing the Lord's glories, following in Brahma's footsteps, and in this way cross beyond life's hardships.
bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha
nārtasya cāgadam udanvati majjato nauḥ
taptasya tat-pratividhir ya ihāñjaseṣṭas
tāvad vibho tanu-bhṛtāṁ tvad-upekṣitānām
बालस्य नेह शरणं पितरौ नृसिंह
नार्तस्य चागदमुदन्वति मज्जतो नौ: ।
तप्तस्य तत्प्रतिविधिर्य इहाञ्जसेष्ट-
स्तावद्विभो तनुभृतां त्वदुपेक्षितानाम्
Meaning
For a child, parents cannot really shelter him; for the sick, no medicine truly cures; for one drowning, no boat truly saves, if the Lord has turned away. Whatever help such neglected souls find is at best temporary.
yasmin yato yarhi yena ca yasya yasmād
yasmai yathā yad uta yas tv aparaḥ paro vā
bhāvaḥ karoti vikaroti pṛthak svabhāvaḥ
sañcoditas tad akhilaṁ bhavataḥ svarūpam
यस्मिन्यतो यर्हि येन च यस्य यस्माद्
यस्मै यथा यदुत यस्त्वपर: परो वा ।
भाव: करोति विकरोति पृथक्स्वभाव:
सञ्चोदितस्तदखिलं भवत: स्वरूपम्
Meaning
Everything and everyone, from Brahma down to the smallest creature, acts under the pull of material nature. The cause, the place, the time and the goal behind every action are all nothing but expressions of the Lord's own energy.
māyā manaḥ sṛjati karmamayaṁ balīyaḥ
kālena codita-guṇānumatena puṁsaḥ
chandomayaṁ yad ajayārpita-ṣoḍaśāraṁ
saṁsāra-cakram aja ko ’titaret tvad-anyaḥ
माया मन: सृजति कर्ममयं बलीय:
कालेन चोदितगुणानुमतेन पुंस: ।
छन्दोमयं यदजयार्पितषोडशारं
संसारचक्रमज कोऽतितरेत् त्वदन्य:
Meaning
The Lord's illusory energy, driven by time, builds a powerful mental trap made of desire and ritual duty, holding the soul in an endless wheel of birth and death. No one but the Lord can free a person from this cycle.
sa tvaṁ hi nitya-vijitātma-guṇaḥ sva-dhāmnā
kālo vaśī-kṛta-visṛjya-visarga-śaktiḥ
cakre visṛṣṭam ajayeśvara ṣoḍaśāre
niṣpīḍyamānam upakarṣa vibho prapannam
स त्वं हि नित्यविजितात्मगुण: स्वधाम्ना
कालो वशीकृतविसृज्यविसर्गशक्ति: ।
चक्रे विसृष्टमजयेश्वर षोडशारे
निष्पीड्यमानमुपकर्ष विभो प्रपन्नम्
Meaning
The Lord Himself is time, ever in control of the material qualities that bind everyone else. Prahlada, crushed by this wheel of time, surrenders completely and asks to be drawn close to the Lord's feet.
dṛṣṭā mayā divi vibho ’khila-dhiṣṇya-pānām
āyuḥ śriyo vibhava icchati yāñ jano ’yam
ye ’smat pituḥ kupita-hāsa-vijṛmbhita-bhrū-
visphūrjitena lulitāḥ sa tu te nirastaḥ
दृष्टा मया दिवि विभोऽखिलधिष्ण्यपाना-
मायु: श्रियो विभव इच्छति याञ्जनोऽयम् ।
येऽस्मत्पितु: कुपितहासविजृम्भितभ्रू-
विस्फूर्जितेन लुलिता: स तु ते निरस्त:
Meaning
Prahlada has already seen, through his father's life, everything that long life, wealth and heavenly power can offer, and how empty it is. His father's mere frown once shook the demigods, yet the Lord destroyed that same powerful father in an instant.
tasmād amūs tanu-bhṛtām aham āśiṣo ’jña
āyuḥ śriyaṁ vibhavam aindriyam āviriñcyāt
necchāmi te vilulitān uruvikrameṇa
kālātmanopanaya māṁ nija-bhṛtya-pārśvam
तस्मादमूस्तनुभृतामहमाशिषोऽज्ञ
आयु: श्रियं विभवमैन्द्रियमाविरिञ्च्यात् ।
नेच्छामि ते विलुलितानुरुविक्रमेण
कालात्मनोपनय मां निजभृत्यपार्श्वम्
Meaning
Having witnessed this, Prahlada no longer wants long life, wealth or sensory pleasure, not even Brahma's position, since the Lord's power scatters all of it eventually. He asks instead to be placed beside the Lord's devotees, to serve them.
kutrāśiṣaḥ śruti-sukhā mṛgatṛṣṇi-rūpāḥ
kvedaṁ kalevaram aśeṣa-rujāṁ virohaḥ
nirvidyate na tu jano yad apīti vidvān
kāmānalaṁ madhu-lavaiḥ śamayan durāpaiḥ
कुत्राशिष: श्रुतिसुखा मृगतृष्णिरूपा:
क्वेदं कलेवरमशेषरुजां विरोह: ।
निर्विद्यते न तु जनो यदपीति विद्वान्
कामानलं मधुलवै: शमयन्दुरापै:
Meaning
Worldly wishes are like a mirage, sweet to hear about but never truly reached. The body itself is just a bundle of diseases, yet even the wise keep chasing fleeting pleasure instead of facing this truth.
kvāhaṁ rajaḥ-prabhava īśa tamo ’dhike ’smin
jātaḥ suretara-kule kva tavānukampā
na brahmaṇo na tu bhavasya na vai ramāyā
yan me ’rpitaḥ śirasi padma-karaḥ prasādaḥ
क्वाहं रज:प्रभव ईश तमोऽधिकेऽस्मिन्
जात: सुरेतरकुले क्व तवानुकम्पा ।
न ब्रह्मणो न तु भवस्य न वै रमाया
यन्मेऽर्पित: शिरसि पद्मकर: प्रसाद:
Meaning
Prahlada marvels at the gap between his own low birth, full of passion and ignorance, and the Lord's causeless mercy, mercy that was never even given to Brahma, Shiva or Lakshmi, yet was placed on his own head.
naiṣā parāvara-matir bhavato nanu syāj
jantor yathātma-suhṛdo jagatas tathāpi
saṁsevayā surataror iva te prasādaḥ
sevānurūpam udayo na parāvaratvam
नैषा परावरमतिर्भवतो ननु स्या-
ज्जन्तोर्यथात्मसुहृदो जगतस्तथापि ।
संसेवया सुरतरोरिव ते प्रसाद:
सेवानुरूपमुदयो न परावरत्वम्
Meaning
The Lord does not judge anyone as high or low the way ordinary beings do. Still, His grace responds to the sincerity of one's service, the way a wish fulfilling tree gives according to what is asked, without favoring one person over another.
evaṁ janaṁ nipatitaṁ prabhavāhi-kūpe
kāmābhikāmam anu yaḥ prapatan prasaṅgāt
kṛtvātmasāt surarṣiṇā bhagavan gṛhītaḥ
so ’haṁ kathaṁ nu visṛje tava bhṛtya-sevām
एवं जनं निपतितं प्रभवाहिकूपे
कामाभिकाममनु य: प्रपतन्प्रसङ्गात् ।
कृत्वात्मसात् सुरर्षिणा भगवन्गृहीत:
सोऽहं कथं नु विसृजे तव भृत्यसेवाम्
Meaning
Prahlada describes himself as someone who kept falling deeper into a well of desire, one longing after another, until the sage Narada took him on as a disciple and showed him the way out. How, he asks, could he ever abandon service to a guide like that?
mat-prāṇa-rakṣaṇam ananta pitur vadhaś ca
manye sva-bhṛtya-ṛṣi-vākyam ṛtaṁ vidhātum
khaḍgaṁ pragṛhya yad avocad asad-vidhitsus
tvām īśvaro mad-aparo ’vatu kaṁ harāmi
मत्प्राणरक्षणमनन्त पितुर्वधश्च
मन्ये स्वभृत्यऋषिवाक्यमृतं विधातुम् ।
खड्गं प्रगृह्य यदवोचदसद्विधित्सु-
स्त्वामीश्वरो मदपरोऽवतु कं हरामि
Meaning
Prahlada sees both his own rescue and his father's death as the Lord fulfilling Narada's words, spoken when Hiranyakashipu, sword raised, demanded to know what power could save his son. There was no other reason for what happened.
ekas tvam eva jagad etam amuṣya yat tvam
ādy-antayoḥ pṛthag avasyasi madhyataś ca
sṛṣṭvā guṇa-vyatikaraṁ nija-māyayedaṁ
nāneva tair avasitas tad anupraviṣṭaḥ
एकस्त्वमेव जगदेतममुष्य यत्त्व-
माद्यन्तयो: पृथगवस्यसि मध्यतश्च ।
सृष्ट्वा गुणव्यतिकरं निजमाययेदं
नानेव तैरवसितस्तदनुप्रविष्ट:
Meaning
The Lord alone is this entire universe. He exists before creation, after its end, and through everything in between, appearing as many through His own energy while remaining one.
tvaṁ vā idaṁ sadasad īśa bhavāṁs tato ’nyo
māyā yad ātma-para-buddhir iyaṁ hy apārthā
yad yasya janma nidhanaṁ sthitir īkṣaṇaṁ ca
tad vaitad eva vasukālavad aṣṭi-tarvoḥ
त्वं वा इदं सदसदीश भवांस्ततोऽन्यो
माया यदात्मपरबुद्धिरियं ह्यपार्था ।
यद्यस्य जन्म निधनं स्थितिरीक्षणं च
तद्वैतदेव वसुकालवदष्टितर्वो:
Meaning
Whatever seems real or unreal in this world is not separate from the Lord. The sense of 'mine' and 'yours' is a kind of illusion, since everything that is born, exists and dies comes from Him, the way a tree and its seed are ultimately one and the same thing.
nyasyedam ātmani jagad vilayāmbu-madhye
śeṣetmanā nija-sukhānubhavo nirīhaḥ
yogena mīlita-dṛg-ātma-nipīta-nidras
turye sthito na tu tamo na guṇāṁś ca yuṅkṣe
न्यस्येदमात्मनि जगद्विलयाम्बुमध्ये
शेषेत्मना निजसुखानुभवो निरीह: ।
योगेन मीलितदृगात्मनिपीतनिद्र-
स्तुर्ये स्थितो न तु तमो न गुणांश्च युङ्क्षे
Meaning
After the universe dissolves, the Lord rests in Himself, appearing to sleep yet always fully awake in transcendence, untouched by the modes of material nature, His stillness nothing like ordinary sleep.
tasyaiva te vapur idaṁ nija-kāla-śaktyā
sañcodita-prakṛti-dharmaṇa ātma-gūḍham
ambhasy ananta-śayanād viramat-samādher
nābher abhūt sva-kaṇikā-vaṭavan-mahābjam
तस्यैव ते वपुरिदं निजकालशक्त्या
सञ्चोदितप्रकृतिधर्मण आत्मगूढम् ।
अम्भस्यनन्तशयनाद्विरमत्समाधे-
र्नाभेरभूत् स्वकणिकावटवन्महाब्जम्
Meaning
This entire material creation is also the Lord's own body, stirred into motion by His time energy. From His navel, as He rests on Ananta Shesha, a small seed appears, and from that seed grows the vast lotus universe, the way a banyan tree grows from a tiny seed.
tat-sambhavaḥ kavir ato ’nyad apaśyamānas
tvāṁ bījam ātmani tataṁ sa bahir vicintya
nāvindad abda-śatam apsu nimajjamāno
jāte ’ṅkure katham uhopalabheta bījam
तत्सम्भव: कविरतोऽन्यदपश्यमान-
स्त्वां बीजमात्मनि ततं स बहिर्विचिन्त्य ।
नाविन्ददब्दशतमप्सु निमज्जमानो
जातेऽङ्कुरे कथमुहोपलभेत बीजम्
Meaning
Brahma, born from that lotus, could see nothing beyond it and searched outside himself for its source for a hundred years, diving through the waters without success, because once a seed sprouts, the seed itself can no longer be found.
sa tv ātma-yonir ativismita āśrito ’bjaṁ
kālena tīvra-tapasā pariśuddha-bhāvaḥ
tvām ātmanīśa bhuvi gandham ivātisūkṣmaṁ
bhūtendriyāśayamaye vitataṁ dadarśa
स त्वात्मयोनिरतिविस्मित आश्रितोऽब्जं
कालेन तीव्रतपसा परिशुद्धभाव: ।
त्वामात्मनीश भुवि गन्धमिवातिसूक्ष्मं
भूतेन्द्रियाशयमये विततं ददर्श
Meaning
Amazed at his own origin, Brahma took shelter in the lotus and, after long austerity, finally saw the Lord spread subtly through his own body and senses, the way a faint scent is present in the earth itself.
evaṁ sahasra-vadanāṅghri-śiraḥ-karoru-
nāsādya-karṇa-nayanābharaṇāyudhāḍhyam
māyāmayaṁ sad-upalakṣita-sanniveśaṁ
dṛṣṭvā mahā-puruṣam āpa mudaṁ viriñcaḥ
एवं सहस्रवदनाङ्घ्रिशिर:करोरु-
नासाद्यकर्णनयनाभरणायुधाढ्यम् ।
मायामयं सदुपलक्षितसन्निवेशं
दृष्ट्वा महापुरुषमाप मुदं विरिञ्च:
Meaning
Brahma then beheld the Lord's cosmic form, with countless faces, feet, hands, ears and eyes, richly adorned with ornaments and weapons, and was filled with wonder and joy at the sight.
tasmai bhavān haya-śiras tanuvaṁ hi bibhrad
veda-druhāv atibalau madhu-kaiṭabhākhyau
hatvānayac chruti-gaṇāṁś ca rajas tamaś ca
sattvaṁ tava priyatamāṁ tanum āmananti
तस्मै भवान्हयशिरस्तनुवं हि बिभ्रद्
वेदद्रुहावतिबलौ मधुकैटभाख्यौ ।
हत्वानयच्छ्रुतिगणांश्च रजस्तमश्च
सत्त्वं तव प्रियतमां तनुमामनन्ति
Meaning
As Hayagriva, with the head of a horse, the Lord killed the two powerful demons Madhu and Kaitabha and returned the Vedic knowledge to Brahma. For this reason, the sages regard this form as the Lord's most cherished and purely transcendental body.
itthaṁ nṛ-tiryag-ṛṣi-deva-jhaṣāvatārair
lokān vibhāvayasi haṁsi jagat pratīpān
dharmaṁ mahā-puruṣa pāsi yugānuvṛttaṁ
channaḥ kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo ’tha sa tvam
इत्थं नृतिर्यगृषिदेवझषावतारै-
र्लोकान् विभावयसि हंसि जगत्प्रतीपान् ।
धर्मं महापुरुष पासि युगानुवृत्तं
छन्न: कलौ यदभवस्त्रियुगोऽथ स त्वम्
Meaning
Through incarnations as humans, animals, sages, demigods and fish, the Lord protects the world in every age and destroys whatever opposes it. Even in the Age of Kali He remains hidden, which is why He is called Triyuga, present openly in only three of the four ages.
naitan manas tava kathāsu vikuṇṭha-nātha
samprīyate durita-duṣṭam asādhu tīvram
kāmāturaṁ harṣa-śoka-bhayaiṣaṇārtaṁ
tasmin kathaṁ tava gatiṁ vimṛśāmi dīnaḥ
नैतन्मनस्तव कथासु विकुण्ठनाथ
सम्प्रीयते दुरितदुष्टमसाधु तीव्रम् ।
कामातुरं हर्षशोकभयैषणार्तं
तस्मिन्कथं तव गतिं विमृशामि दीन:
Meaning
Prahlada admits his own mind rarely delights in the Lord's stories, being pulled instead by lust, joy, grief and fear. He asks how someone this troubled can hope to understand the Lord's true movements.
jihvaikato ’cyuta vikarṣati māvitṛptā
śiśno ’nyatas tvag-udaraṁ śravaṇaṁ kutaścit
ghrāṇo ’nyataś capala-dṛk kva ca karma-śaktir
bahvyaḥ sapatnya iva geha-patiṁ lunanti
जिह्वैकतोऽच्युत विकर्षति मावितृप्ता
शिश्नोऽन्यतस्त्वगुदरं श्रवणं कुतश्चित् ।
घ्राणोऽन्यतश्चपलदृक् क्व च कर्मशक्ति-
र्बह्व्य: सपत्न्य इव गेहपतिं लुनन्ति
Meaning
Prahlada compares himself to a man pulled in every direction by rival wives: the tongue wants taste, the body wants comfort, the ears chase idle songs instead of the Lord's glories, and the eyes and other senses each drag him elsewhere.
evaṁ sva-karma-patitaṁ bhava-vaitaraṇyām
anyonya-janma-maraṇāśana-bhīta-bhītam
paśyañ janaṁ sva-para-vigraha-vaira-maitraṁ
hanteti pāracara pīpṛhi mūḍham adya
एवं स्वकर्मपतितं भववैतरण्या-
मन्योन्यजन्ममरणाशनभीतभीतम् ।
पश्यञ्जनं स्वपरविग्रहवैरमैत्रं
हन्तेति पारचर पीपृहि मूढमद्य
Meaning
Trapped by his own past actions in the river of worldly life, fearing repeated birth and death, and caught between friend and foe, Prahlada asks the Lord, who stands beyond that river, to look on him and everyone equally lost and lift them out.
ko nv atra te ’khila-guro bhagavan prayāsa
uttāraṇe ’sya bhava-sambhava-lopa-hetoḥ
mūḍheṣu vai mahad-anugraha ārta-bandho
kiṁ tena te priya-janān anusevatāṁ naḥ
को न्वत्र तेऽखिलगुरो भगवन्प्रयास
उत्तारणेऽस्य भवसम्भवलोपहेतो: ।
मूढेषु वै महदनुग्रह आर्तबन्धो
किं तेन ते प्रियजनाननुसेवतां न:
Meaning
Prahlada asks what effort it could possibly cost the Lord, the teacher of the whole universe, to save fallen souls, since showing mercy to the confused is simply what greatness does, and he hopes that mercy will extend to devotees like himself.
naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās
tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ
śoce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyārtha-
māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān
नैवोद्विजे पर दुरत्ययवैतरण्या-
स्त्वद्वीर्यगायनमहामृतमग्नचित्त: ।
शोचे ततो विमुखचेतस इन्द्रियार्थ
मायासुखाय भरमुद्वहतो विमूढान्
Meaning
Prahlada says he is not afraid of worldly existence itself, since his mind stays absorbed in the Lord's glory wherever he is. What troubles him instead is sorrow for those who turn away and exhaust themselves chasing illusory happiness.
prāyeṇa deva munayaḥ sva-vimukti-kāmā
maunaṁ caranti vijane na parārtha-niṣṭhāḥ
naitān vihāya kṛpaṇān vimumukṣa eko
nānyaṁ tvad asya śaraṇaṁ bhramato ’nupaśye
प्रायेण देव मुनय: स्वविमुक्तिकामा
मौनं चरन्ति विजने न परार्थनिष्ठा: ।
नैतान्विहाय कृपणान्विमुमुक्ष एको
नान्यं त्वदस्य शरणं भ्रमतोऽनुपश्ये
Meaning
Most sages who seek only their own liberation withdraw into silence in remote places, uninterested in helping others. Prahlada says he refuses to leave those struggling souls behind and seeks no shelter for himself alone.
yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ
kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham
tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ
kaṇḍūtivan manasijaṁ viṣaheta dhīraḥ
यन्मैथुनादिगृहमेधिसुखं हि तुच्छं
कण्डूयनेन करयोरिव दु:खदु:खम् ।
तृप्यन्ति नेह कृपणा बहुदु:खभाज:
कण्डूतिवन्मनसिजं विषहेत धीर:
Meaning
Ordinary pleasures, especially sexual pleasure, are like scratching an itch, mistaken for happiness though they are really a form of suffering. Restless people never find satisfaction this way, while the steady minded who simply endure the itch are spared this trap.
mauna-vrata-śruta-tapo-’dhyayana-sva-dharma-
vyākhyā-raho-japa-samādhaya āpavargyāḥ
prāyaḥ paraṁ puruṣa te tv ajitendriyāṇāṁ
vārtā bhavanty uta na vātra tu dāmbhikānām
मौनव्रतश्रुततपोऽध्ययनस्वधर्म-
व्याख्यारहोजपसमाधय आपवर्ग्या: ।
प्राय: परं पुरुष ते त्वजितेन्द्रियाणां
वार्ता भवन्त्युत न वात्र तु दाम्भिकानाम्
Meaning
Practices like silence, vows, austerity, Vedic study and formal ritual are meant to lead toward liberation, yet for those who have not mastered their senses they often become little more than a livelihood, especially for those doing them out of false pride.
rūpe ime sad-asatī tava veda-sṛṣṭe
bījāṅkurāv iva na cānyad arūpakasya
yuktāḥ samakṣam ubhayatra vicakṣante tvāṁ
yogena vahnim iva dāruṣu nānyataḥ syāt
रूपे इमे सदसती तव वेदसृष्टे
बीजाङ्कुराविव न चान्यदरूपकस्य ।
युक्ता: समक्षमुभयत्र विचक्षन्ते त्वां
योगेन वह्निमिव दारुषु नान्यत: स्यात्
Meaning
Vedic knowledge shows that both cause and effect in this universe are the Lord's own energies, like a seed and its sprout. Just as a wise person recognizes fire's presence throughout wood, a devotee recognizes the Lord as both cause and result.
tvaṁ vāyur agnir avanir viyad ambu mātrāḥ
prāṇendriyāṇi hṛdayaṁ cid anugrahaś ca
sarvaṁ tvam eva saguṇo viguṇaś ca bhūman
nānyat tvad asty api mano-vacasā niruktam
त्वं वायुरग्निरवनिर्वियदम्बु मात्रा:
प्राणेन्द्रियाणि हृदयं चिदनुग्रहश्च ।
सर्वं त्वमेव सगुणो विगुणश्च भूमन्
नान्यत् त्वदस्त्यपि मनोवचसा निरुक्तम्
Meaning
The Lord is the air, fire, earth, sky and water, the senses, the mind and awareness itself. Everything, whether described in words or grasped by the mind, ultimately comes back to Him alone.
naite guṇā na guṇino mahad-ādayo ye
sarve manaḥ prabhṛtayaḥ sahadeva-martyāḥ
ādy-antavanta urugāya vidanti hi tvām
evaṁ vimṛśya sudhiyo viramanti śabdāt
नैते गुणा न गुणिनो महदादयो ये
सर्वे मन: प्रभृतय: सहदेवमर्त्या: ।
आद्यन्तवन्त उरुगाय विदन्ति हि त्वा-
मेवं विमृश्य सुधियो विरमन्ति शब्दात्
Meaning
Neither the material qualities, nor the beings who preside over them, nor the elements, mind, demigods or humans can fully know the Lord, since all of them are born and eventually pass away. Recognizing this, the truly wise turn from mere words to actual devotional service.
tat te ’rhattama namaḥ stuti-karma-pūjāḥ
karma smṛtiś caraṇayoḥ śravaṇaṁ kathāyām
saṁsevayā tvayi vineti ṣaḍ-aṅgayā kiṁ
bhaktiṁ janaḥ paramahaṁsa-gatau labheta
तत्तेऽर्हत्तम नम: स्तुतिकर्मपूजा:
कर्म स्मृतिश्चरणयो: श्रवणं कथायाम् ।
संसेवया त्वयि विनेति षडङ्गया किं
भक्तिं जन: परमहंसगतौ लभेत
Meaning
Therefore Prahlada offers his respects to the Lord, since without six kinds of devotion, prayer, dedicated action, worship, service, remembering His feet and hearing His stories, no one can reach the level of devotion meant for the greatest of souls.
What Does the Prahlada Stuti Mean?
The Prahlada Stuti turns the usual order of a Sanskrit hymn upside down. Instead of a sage or a king offering the prayer, it is a child, born into a family that hated the Supreme Lord, who speaks. Prahlada opens by asking how someone from a demon lineage could dare praise the Lord when even Brahma and the great sages struggle to find the right words. That question sets the tone for everything that follows: devotion has nothing to do with birth, wealth, learning or social standing.
As the verses move forward, Prahlada turns from personal humility to a wider argument about the nature of the material world. He describes the body as a bundle of miseries, compares fleeting sense pleasure to scratching an itch, and says that even the standard paths of austerity, silence and ritual study rarely free a person who has not conquered the senses. What can free a person, he says, is surrender at the Lord’s feet and the company of those who have already found that shelter.
The closing verses reach past personal salvation. Prahlada tells the Lord he has no wish to be liberated alone while everyone else remains lost in illusion, and names six simple acts of bhakti, praising the Lord, offering one’s work to Him, worship, remembering His feet, and listening to His stories, as the real ground of devotion. It is this mix of raw humility and total surrender that has kept the prayer close to Vaishnava bhakti practice for centuries.
How Do You Chant the Prahlada Stuti?
- Sit facing Lord Narasimha – place a picture or murti of Narasimha, ideally shown with Prahlada at His feet, and settle into a clean, quiet spot
- Steady the breath first – take a few slow breaths before beginning so the mind is not racing when the verses start
- Chant slowly, verse by verse – there is no need to rush through all forty-three verses; even a handful said with attention carries more weight than a hurried full recitation
- Let the fear go, not just the words – Prahlada's own posture was fearless surrender, so read each verse as an address to a protector, not as a formula to get through
What Are the Benefits of Chanting the Prahlada Stuti?
Chanting the Prahlada Stuti is less about ritual perfection and more about the state of mind it asks you to adopt: unafraid, humble and fully surrendered.
- Eases fear and anxiety: the prayer was born from a scene of real danger, and its verses speak directly to whatever is frightening you right now
- Softens pride and anger: Prahlada's own humility, coming from someone who had every reason to be arrogant, works against the ego rather than feeding it
- Builds steady, unshowy devotion: reciting it regularly nudges a person away from ritual for its own sake and toward the plain surrender it describes
- Invokes Narasimha's protection: devotees turn to this prayer especially in moments of crisis, since it is the very prayer that calmed the Lord's fiercest form
Where Does the Prahlada Stuti Come From?
The Prahlada Stuti comes from the Srimad Bhagavata Purana, in the ninth chapter of the seventh canto, verses 8 through 50. The chapter tells the story of Hiranyakashipu, a demon king who had won a boon that made him almost impossible to kill, and his son Prahlada, who refused to give up devotion to Vishnu despite his father’s threats. When Hiranyakashipu mocked his son and asked whether Vishnu lived inside a palace pillar, the Lord burst out of that very pillar in the form of Narasimha, half man and half lion, and killed the demon at twilight on the threshold of the palace, so that none of the terms of the boon were broken.
Even after the demon fell, Narasimha’s fury did not settle. Brahma and Shiva both approached and stepped back, unable to calm Him. It was Prahlada, still a boy and still Hiranyakashipu’s son, who walked up without fear and offered these forty-three verses. The moment the Lord placed His hand on Prahlada’s head, His anger gave way to affection, and the prayer that follows has been recited ever since as an example of what fearless, unconditional devotion looks like.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the demigods ask Prahlada to approach Lord Narasimha?
After killing Hiranyakashipu, Narasimha remained so terrifying that even Brahma and Shiva could not calm Him. Prahlada, a small child with no fear because his devotion was pure, walked up and offered his prayers, and the Lord's anger melted into affection as soon as He touched the boy's head.
What is the central teaching of the Prahlada Stuti?
That worldly qualifications, wealth, high birth, beauty, learning, cannot buy the Lord's favor. Only sincere, surrendered devotion does, and a person's background has nothing to do with whether that devotion is possible.
Who is the author of the Prahlada Stuti?
The words are Prahlada's own, spoken as a young boy soon after Narasimha killed his father. Sage Vyasa later recorded them as part of the Srimad Bhagavata Purana.
How many verses does the Prahlada Stuti have?
Forty-three, running from verse 8 to verse 50 of the ninth chapter of the seventh canto of the Bhagavata Purana.
When is the best time to recite the Prahlada Stuti?
Traditionally at dusk, since that is when Narasimha appeared, or early in the morning. Many devotees also recite it on Narasimha Jayanti, on Pradosham days, and on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Can anyone recite the Prahlada Stuti, regardless of background?
Yes, and that is really the point of the prayer. Prahlada himself was born into a family opposed to the Lord, and across these verses he argues that devotion is open to anyone who offers it sincerely.
॥ ॐ नमो भगवते नरसिंहाय ॥