Brahma Stotram
ब्रह्म स्तोत्रम्
What is the Brahma Stotram?
Brahma Stotram The Brahma Stotram (Deva Krutam) is a twenty-verse Sanskrit hymn to Brahma, the creator, from the Suta Samhita of the Skanda Purana. Spoken by the gods, it praises Brahma as the four-faced maker of the worlds and the giver of the knowledge of Brahman, and is chanted by devotees especially at Pushkar.
The Brahma Stotram is a Sanskrit hymn of praise to Brahma, the creator among the Hindu trinity. This particular text, the Deva Krutam (that is, spoken by the gods), comes from the Suta Samhita section of the Skanda Purana. Across its twenty verses the devas address Brahma not only as the four-faced maker of the worlds but as the pure consciousness behind them, the giver of the knowledge of Brahman.Brahma receives very few dedicated hymns compared with Vishnu or Shiva, which makes this stotra valued by those who worship him, above all the pilgrims of Pushkar in Rajasthan, home to one of the very few temples to Brahma in India.
Brahma Stotram Lyrics (Sanskrit & English)
Deva Krutam Brahma Stotram, 20 verses in anushtubh meter, from the Suta Samhita of the Skanda Purana (colophon: iti skanda-purane suta-samhitayam deva-kruta brahma-stotram). Verses reproduced from established stotra collections; there is no separate Phalashruti verse in this text.
Brahmane brahma-vijnana-dugdhodadhi vidhayine
brahma-tattva-didrikshunam brahmadaya namo namah
ब्रह्मणे ब्रह्मविज्ञानदुग्धोदधि विधायिने
ब्रह्मतत्त्वदिदृक्षूणां ब्रह्मदाय नमो नमः ॥ १ ॥
Meaning
Salutation to Brahma, who churns out the very ocean of milk that is the knowledge of Brahman, and who grants that supreme knowledge to all who long to behold the truth of the Absolute.
Kashta-samsara-magnanam samsarottara-hetave
sakshine sarva-bhutanam sakshi-hinaya te namah
कष्टसंसारमग्नानां संसारोत्तारहेतवे
साक्षिणे सर्वभूतानां साक्षिहीनाय ते नमः ॥ २ ॥
Meaning
To him who is the cause of deliverance for those sunk in the sorrow of worldly existence; the silent witness of every creature, who yet has no witness above himself – salutation.
Sarva-dhatre vidhatre cha sarva-dvandvapaharine
sarvavasthasu sarvesham sakshine vai namo namah
सर्वधात्रे विधात्रे च सर्वद्वन्द्वापहारिणे
सर्वावस्थासु सर्वेषां साक्षिणे वै नमो नमः ॥ ३ ॥
Meaning
To the upholder and ordainer of all, the remover of every pair of opposites, and the witness of all beings through all their states of waking, dream and sleep – repeated salutation.
Paratpara-vihinaya paraya paramesthine
parijnanavatam atta-svarupaya namo namah
परात्परविहीनाय पराय परमेष्ठिने
परिज्ञानवतामात्तस्वरूपाय नमो नमः ॥ ४ ॥
Meaning
To the highest who has none higher than himself, the supreme Paramesthin, whose true nature is grasped only by those of complete realization – salutation.
Padmajaya pavitraya padmanabha-sutaya cha
padma-pushpaih supujyaya namah padma-dharaya cha
पद्मजाय पवित्राय पद्मनाभसुताय च
पद्मपुष्पैः सुपूज्याय नमः पद्मधराय च ॥ ५ ॥
Meaning
To the lotus-born and ever-pure one, the son of the lotus-naveled Vishnu, fittingly worshipped with lotus flowers and himself a bearer of the lotus – salutation.
Sura-jyeshthaya suryadi-devata-tripti-karine
surasura-naradinam sukhadaya namo namah
सुरज्येष्ठाय सूर्यादिदेवता तृप्तिकारिणे
सुरासुरनरादीनां सुखदाय नमो नमः ॥ ६ ॥
Meaning
To the eldest of the gods, who brings contentment to Surya and the other deities, and who gives happiness to gods, asuras and humans alike – salutation.
Vedhase vishva-netraya vishuddha-jnana-rupine
veda-vedyaya vedanta-nidhaye vai namo namah
वेधसे विश्वनेत्राय विशुद्धज्ञानरूपिणे
वेदवेद्याय वेदान्तनिधये वै नमो नमः ॥ ७ ॥
Meaning
To Vedhas, the eye of the universe, whose very form is spotless knowledge, who is to be known through the Vedas and is the repository of all Vedanta – salutation.
Vidhaye vidhi-hinaya vidhi-vakya-vidhayine
vidhyukta-karma-nishthanam namo vidya-pradayine
विधये विधिहीनाय विधिवाक्यविधायिने
विध्युक्तकर्मनिष्ठानां नमो विद्याप्रदायिने ॥ ८ ॥
Meaning
To Vidhi himself, bound by no rule yet the one who frames the very words of scriptural injunction, the giver of knowledge to those devoted to the duties the Vedas enjoin – salutation.
Virinchaya vishishtaya vishishtarti-haraya cha
vishannanam vishadabdhi-vinashaya namo namah
विरिञ्चाय विशिष्टाय विशिष्टार्तिहराय च
विषण्णानां विषादाब्धिविनाशाय नमो नमः ॥ ९ ॥
Meaning
To Virinca, the pre-eminent, who takes away the sharp distress of the worthy and dries up the whole ocean of grief for the dejected – salutation.
Namo hiranyagarbhaya hiranya-giri-vartine
hiranya-dana-labhyaya hiranyati-priyaya cha
नमो हिरण्यगर्भाय हिरण्यगिरिवर्तिने
हिरण्यदानलभ्याय हिरण्यातिप्रियाय च ॥ १० ॥
Meaning
Salutation to Hiranyagarbha, the golden-wombed, who abides upon the golden mountain, who is won through the gift of gold and holds gold dear.
Shatananaya shantaya shankara-jnana-dayine
shamadi-sahitayaiva jnanadaya namo namah
शताननाय शान्ताय शङ्करज्ञानदायिने
शमादिसहितायैव ज्ञानदाय नमो नमः ॥ ११ ॥
Meaning
To the many-faced and ever-serene one, the giver of sacred, liberating knowledge, who bestows wisdom together with inner calm and its allied virtues – salutation.
Shambhave shambhu-bhaktanam shankaraya sharirinam
shankara-jnana-hinanam shatrave vai namo namah
शम्भवे शम्भुभक्तानां शङ्कराय शरीरिणाम्
शाङ्करज्ञानहीनानां शत्रवे वै नमो नमः ॥ १२ ॥
Meaning
To Shambhu for the devotees of Shambhu, the bringer of good to all embodied beings, and the sworn adversary of ignorance in those who lack the knowledge of Shiva – salutation.
Namah svayambhuve nityam svayam bhu-brahma-dayine
svayam brahma-svarupaya svatantraya paratmane
नमः स्वयम्भुवे नित्यं स्वयं भूब्रह्मदायिने
स्वयं ब्रह्मस्वरूपाय स्वतन्त्राय परात्मने ॥ १३ ॥
Meaning
Constant salutation to the self-born, who of his own accord grants the knowledge of Brahman, whose own nature is Brahman itself, independent, the supreme Self.
Druhinaya duracara-niratasya duratmanah
duhkha-dayanya-jantunam atma-daya namo namah
द्रुहिणाय दुराचारनिरतस्य दुरात्मनः
दुःखदायान्यजन्तूनां आत्मदाय नमो नमः ॥ १४ ॥
Meaning
To Druhina, who brings sorrow to the wicked-souled given over to evil conduct, yet gives his very Self to all other, worthy creatures – salutation.
Vandya-hinaya vandyaya varadaya parasya cha
varishthaya varishthanam chatur-vaktraya vai namah
वन्द्यहीनाय वन्द्याय वरदाय परस्य च
वरिष्ठाय वरिष्ठानां चतुर्वक्त्राय वै नमः ॥ १५ ॥
Meaning
To the adorable one who has no one above him to adore, the giver of boons, the greatest of the great, the four-faced Chaturvaktra – salutation.
Prajapati-samakhyaya prajanam pataye namah
prajapatya-viraktasya namah prajna-pradayine
प्रजापतिसमाख्याय प्रजानां पतये नमः
प्राजापत्यविरक्तस्य नमः प्रज्ञाप्रदायिने ॥ १६ ॥
Meaning
To him whose name is Prajapati, the lord of all creatures, and to the giver of insight for the one who has grown detached from the fruits of the Prajapatya rite – salutation.
Pitamahaya pitradi-kalpana-rahitaya cha
pishunagamya-dehaya peshalaya namo namah
पितामहाय पित्रादिकल्पनारहिताय च
पिशुनागम्यदेहाय पेशलाय नमो नमः ॥ १७ ॥
Meaning
To the Grandsire, who is beyond all notions of father and forebear, whose form the slanderer and the malicious can never reach, the gentle and gracious one – salutation.
Jagat-kartre jagad-goptre jagad-dhantre paratmane
jagad-drishya-vihinaya chinmatra-jyotishe namah
जगत्कर्त्रे जगद्गोप्त्रे जगद्धन्त्रे परात्मने
जगद्दृश्यविहीनाय चिन्मात्रज्योतिषे नमः ॥ १८ ॥
Meaning
To the maker, protector and dissolver of the world, the supreme Self who remains untouched by the visible world, the light that is pure consciousness alone – salutation.
Vishvottirnaya vishvaya vishva-hinaya sakshine
svaprakashaika-manaya namah purna-paratmane
विश्वोत्तीर्णाय विश्वाय विश्वहीनाय साक्षिणे
स्वप्रकाशैकमानाय नमः पूर्णपरात्मने ॥ १९ ॥
Meaning
To him who transcends the universe yet is the universe, who stands apart from it as its witness, whose only measure is self-luminous awareness, the full and supreme Self – salutation.
Stutyaya stuti-hinaya stotra-rupaya tattvatah
stotrinam api sarvesham sukhadaya namo namah
स्तुत्याय स्तुतिहीनाय स्तोत्ररूपाय तत्त्वतः
स्तोतृणामपि सर्वेषां सुखदाय नमो नमः ॥ २० ॥
Meaning
To the one worthy of all praise who yet stands beyond praise, who in truth is the very form of the hymn, and who gives joy to all who offer him praise – salutation.
Meaning & Significance
The hymn works on two levels at once. On the surface each verse offers salutation (namo namah) to Brahma under a chain of epithets: Vedhas, Virinca, Hiranyagarbha, Svayambhu, Prajapati, Pitamaha and the four-faced Chaturvaktra. Beneath that stream of names the devas point steadily at something formless. Brahma is called the witness of all beings who has no witness above him, the one who transcends the universe yet is the universe, the light that is consciousness alone.
Several verses turn on paradox. Brahma is worthy of praise yet beyond praise; he frames the rules of scripture yet is bound by none; he brings sorrow to the wicked while giving his own Self to the worthy. The steady message is that the creator seated on the lotus and the changeless Absolute (Brahman) are, at the deepest reading, one and the same. This non-dual flavour is typical of the Suta Samhita, the layer of the Skanda Purana in which the hymn is set.
How to Chant the Brahma Stotram
- Purify and settle – Bathe, sit facing east on a clean seat, and take a few slow breaths to steady the mind before you begin.
- Light a lamp – Offer a ghee or oil lamp and, if you can, lotus or other flowers, since the hymn itself calls Brahma the one worshipped with lotus flowers.
- Set an intention – Briefly recall that you are addressing the creator and the knowledge of Brahman he grants, then open with the line to the gods (Deva Ucuh).
- Recite with the meter – Chant each anushtubh verse at an even, unhurried pace, keeping its natural rhythm; there is no need to rush through all twenty.
- Close in silence – After the final verse and the colophon, sit quietly for a minute, then offer the recitation and its merit before you rise.
What Are the Benefits of Chanting?
Devotees who keep up this stotra describe benefits that are as much inward as outward:
- Clarity of mind: The repeated focus on Brahma as pure knowledge is said to sharpen study and discernment, which suits students and seekers well.
- Steadiness in difficulty: The second verse names Brahma as the rescuer of those sunk in worldly sorrow, and reciters turn to it for composure during hard times.
- Support for right action: Brahma is praised as the giver of knowledge to those devoted to their prescribed duties, encouraging sincere and disciplined work.
- A rare devotion to the creator: Because Brahma is so seldom worshipped, offering him this hymn is felt to be a meaningful and uncommon act of bhakti.
- A link to Pushkar: Chanting the stotra connects the devotee to the Pushkar tradition and its Kartik Purnima observances, even from far away.
- Turning toward the Absolute: Its non-dual verses gently guide the reciter beyond form toward Brahman, the goal the hymn keeps naming.
Who Composed This Stotram?
The Deva Krutam Brahma Stotram is preserved in the Suta Samhita, a philosophical layer of the Skanda Purana, and its closing line names the source plainly: iti skanda-purane suta-samhitayam deva-kruta brahma-stotram. The frame places the words in the mouths of the gods (deva ucuh), who praise Brahma after he acts on their behalf.
Brahma’s living worship centres on Pushkar, near Ajmer in Rajasthan, whose sacred lake and Brahma temple are described at length in the Padma Purana. The great annual gathering at Kartik Purnima draws pilgrims to bathe in the lake and honour the creator, and hymns like this one belong to that devotional world. The Suta Samhita is itself known for weaving Advaitic (non-dual) teaching into its praises, which is why so many verses of this stotra read Brahma as identical with the formless Brahman.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Brahma Stotram authentic, and where is it from?
Yes. This hymn, the Deva Krutam Brahma Stotram, is drawn from the Suta Samhita of the Skanda Purana, and its colophon names that source directly. It appears with the same 20 verses across established Sanskrit stotra collections.
How many verses does the Brahma Stotram have?
Twenty verses in the anushtubh meter, each ending in salutation (namo namah), introduced by the line that the gods (deva ucuh) spoke it.
Why are there so few hymns dedicated to Brahma?
Brahma receives little independent worship in later Hinduism, with Pushkar holding one of his very few temples. Several stories are told to explain this, but the practical result is that dedicated hymns to him, like this stotra, are relatively rare and prized.
Is this hymn connected to Pushkar?
Brahma's main centre of worship is Pushkar in Rajasthan, and this stotra suits Brahma devotion there, especially around Kartik Purnima. The text itself, however, comes from the Skanda Purana rather than from a Pushkar-specific work.
Who can recite the Brahma Stotram?
Anyone may recite it with sincerity and respect. It is commonly chanted in the early morning after bathing, on Thursdays and full-moon days, and during any Brahma puja.
What does the Brahma Stotram pray for?
Rather than material requests, its verses ask for knowledge, above all the knowledge of Brahman that Brahma is said to grant, along with clarity, steadiness and freedom from the sorrow of worldly existence.
इति श्रीस्कान्दपुराणे सूतसंहितायां देवकृतं ब्रह्मस्तोत्रम् ॥