Dashavatara Stotram
दशावतार स्तोत्रम्
What is the Dashavatara Stotram?
Dashavatara Stotram The Dashavatara Stotram is a Sanskrit hymn by the 12th-century poet Jayadeva, opening 'Pralaya Payodhi Jale', drawn from his Gita Govinda. Its ten verses salute Vishnu's ten avatars, from Matsya the fish to Kalki, each closing with the refrain 'jaya jagadisha hare'.
The Dashavatara Stotram is one of the best loved short hymns in the Vaishnava tradition. Composed by the poet-saint Jayadeva in the twelfth century, it forms the opening song of the first canto of his lyric masterpiece, the Gita Govinda. In ten flowing verses the poet celebrates the ten principal descents (avatars) of Lord Vishnu, and a final verse signs the work with the poet’s own name.Each verse paints a single vivid image of one avatar, from Matsya the fish who rescues the Vedas from the deluge to Kalki who will end the age with a blazing sword. Every stanza ends with the same joyful cry, जय जगदीश हरे (jaya jagadisha hare), ‘Victory to you, Lord of the universe, Hari’, which gives the hymn its steady, chant-like pulse.
Dashavatara Stotram Lyrics (Sanskrit & English)
Verses follow the Gita Govinda recension of Jayadeva. This ordering lists Balarama (the plough-bearer) as the eighth avatar and Buddha as the ninth, as the poet composed it. Each verse ends with the shared refrain praising Kesava, Lord Hari.
pralaya-payodhi-jale dhritavan asi vedam
vihita-vahitra-charitram akhedam
keshava dhrita-mina-sharira jaya jagadisha hare
प्रलयपयोधिजले धृतवानसि वेदम् । विहितवहित्रचरित्रमखेदम् ।
केशव धृतमीनशरीर जय जगदीश हरे ॥
Meaning
As the waters of the great deluge swallowed the worlds, you held the Vedas safe. Taking the form of a fish, you became a boat for the sacred knowledge and ferried it across the flood without the slightest weariness. Victory to you, Kesava, who wears the body of a fish, Lord of the universe, Hari.
kshitir iha vipulatare tishthati tava prishthe
dharani-dharana-kina-chakra-garishthe
keshava dhrita-kurma-sharira jaya jagadisha hare
क्षितिरिह विपुलतरे तिष्ठति तव पृष्ठे । धरणिधरणकिणचक्रगरिष्ठे ।
केशव धृतकूर्मशरीर जय जगदीश हरे ॥
Meaning
When the ocean was churned, the whole wide earth rested upon your broad back. Bearing the great mountain, your shell grew a thick, ring-shaped callus from carrying that weight. Victory to you, Kesava, who took the tortoise body, Lord of the universe, Hari.
vasati dashana-shikhare dharani tava lagna
shashini kalanka-kaleva nimagna
keshava dhrita-shukara-rupa jaya jagadisha hare
वसति दशनशिखरे धरणी तव लग्ना । शशिनि कलङ्ककलेव निमग्ना ।
केशव धृतशूकररूप जय जगदीश हरे ॥
Meaning
The earth clung to the tip of your tusk as you raised her from the cosmic waters, resting there like the faint dark mark that lies upon the disc of the moon. Victory to you, Kesava, who assumed the form of the boar, Lord of the universe, Hari.
tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-shringam
dalita-hiranyakashipu-tanu-bhringam
keshava dhrita-narahari-rupa jaya jagadisha hare
तव करकमलवरे नखमद्भुतशृङ्गम् । दलितहिरण्यकशिपुतनुभृङ्गम् ।
केशव धृतनरहरिरूप जय जगदीश हरे ॥
Meaning
Upon your beautiful lotus hands the nails rose into wondrous, pointed peaks. With them you tore open the body of Hiranyakashipu as effortlessly as a bee splits a soft flower. Victory to you, Kesava, who wears the form of the man-lion, Lord of the universe, Hari.
chhalayasi vikramane balim adbhuta-vamana
pada-nakha-nira-janita-jana-pavana
keshava dhrita-vamana-rupa jaya jagadisha hare
छलयसि विक्रमणे बलिमद्भुतवामन । पदनखनीरजनितजनपावन ।
केशव धृतवामनरूप जय जगदीश हरे ॥
Meaning
In your marvellous dwarf form you outwitted King Bali as you strode measuring the worlds. The water that washed from the nail of your uplifted foot became the sacred stream that purifies all people. Victory to you, Kesava, who took the dwarf form, Lord of the universe, Hari.
kshatriya-rudhira-maye jagad-apagata-papam
snapayasi payasi shamita-bhava-tapam
keshava dhrita-bhrigupati-rupa jaya jagadisha hare
क्षत्रियरुधिरमये जगदपगतपापम् । स्नपयसि पयसि शमितभवतापम् ।
केशव धृतभृगुपतिरूप जय जगदीश हरे ॥
Meaning
You bathed the world in rivers of warrior blood, washing away its wrongs and cooling the burning fever of worldly sorrow. Victory to you, Kesava, who took the form of Bhrigu's descendant, Lord of the universe, Hari.
vitarasi dikshu rane dik-pati-kamaniyam
dasha-mukha-mauli-balim ramaniyam
keshava dhrita-rama-sharira jaya jagadisha hare
वितरसि दिक्षु रणे दिक्पतिकमनीयम् । दशमुखमौलिबलिं रमणीयम् ।
केशव धृतरामशरीर जय जगदीश हरे ॥
Meaning
On the field of battle you offered up the ten crowned heads of Ravana in every direction, a delightful gift most pleasing to the guardians of the quarters. Victory to you, Kesava, who wears the body of Rama, Lord of the universe, Hari.
vahasi vapushi vishade vasanam jaladabham
hala-hati-bhiti-milita-yamunabham
keshava dhrita-haladhara-rupa jaya jagadisha hare
वहसि वपुषि विशदे वसनं जलदाभम् । हलहतिभीतिमिलितयमुनाभम् ।
केशव धृतहलधररूप जय जगदीश हरे ॥
Meaning
Upon your radiant body you wear a garment dark as a raincloud, coloured like the Yamuna, who drew trembling close to you in fear of the blow of your plough. Victory to you, Kesava, who took the form of the plough-bearer, Lord of the universe, Hari.
nindasi yajna-vidher ahaha shruti-jatam
sadaya-hridaya darshita-pashu-ghatam
keshava dhrita-buddha-sharira jaya jagadisha hare
निन्दसि यज्ञविधेरहह श्रुतिजातम् । सदयहृदय दर्शितपशुघातम् ।
केशव धृतबुद्धशरीर जय जगदीश हरे ॥
Meaning
With a heart overflowing with compassion, you looked upon the killing of animals in sacrifice and, moved by tenderness, reproached the whole body of ritual injunctions that ordained it. Victory to you, Kesava, who wears the body of Buddha, Lord of the universe, Hari.
mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavalam
dhumaketum iva kim api karalam
keshava dhrita-kalki-sharira jaya jagadisha hare
म्लेच्छनिवहनिधने कलयसि करवालम् । धूमकेतुमिव किमपि करालम् ।
केशव धृतकल्किशरीर जय जगदीश हरे ॥
Meaning
To bring an end to the hordes of the wicked, you wield a fearsome sword that streaks across the sky and blazes with dread like a great comet of doom. Victory to you, Kesava, who wears the body of Kalki, Lord of the universe, Hari.
Phalashruti
shri-jayadeva-kaver idam uditam udaram
shrinu sukha-dam shubha-dam bhava-saram
keshava dhrita-dasha-vidha-rupa jaya jagadisha hare
श्रीजयदेवकवेरिदमुदितमुदारम् । शृणु सुखदं शुभदं भवसारम् ।
केशव धृतदशविधरूप जय जगदीश हरे ॥
Meaning
Listen to this noble song that has risen from the poet Sri Jayadeva, a hymn that grants happiness, bestows blessing, and holds the very essence that carries the soul beyond worldly existence. Victory to you, Kesava, who bears the tenfold form, Lord of the universe, Hari.
Meaning & Significance
The genius of the Dashavatara Stotram lies in its economy. Jayadeva devotes just two lines of description to each avatar, yet in that small space he fixes one unforgettable picture: the earth balanced on a tusk like a spot on the moon, the churning-mountain wearing a callus into the tortoise’s shell, the water from Vamana’s toenail becoming the river that cleanses humanity.
The recurring refrain, केशव धृत… जय जगदीश हरे, ties the ten scenes together. Each time it names the form Vishnu has assumed (fish body, tortoise body, boar form, and so on) and then breaks into the same shout of victory. Sung aloud, the repeated line turns the hymn into a rhythmic act of praise rather than a mere list, so the devotee moves through cosmic history one incarnation at a time while returning always to the same devotional heartbeat.
Read together, the ten verses trace a sweep of divine purpose: preserving knowledge, upholding the earth, defeating tyranny, honouring a promise, and finally renewing a fallen age. The closing Phalashruti verse steps back from the imagery to name the poet and to state plainly what the song is for: joy, auspiciousness, and liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
How to Chant the Dashavatara Stotram
- Settle and purify – Sit in a clean space before an image of Vishnu, ideally after a bath. Light a lamp or incense and take a few slow breaths to steady the mind.
- Open with intent – Begin with a short salutation to Vishnu (for example 'Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya') and hold the wish to honour all ten avatars.
- Recite verse by verse – Chant each verse clearly, pausing at the refrain 'jaya jagadisha hare'. Let the repeated refrain set an even rhythm across all ten avatars.
- Follow the imagery – As you sing each stanza, picture the avatar it describes. This keeps the recitation attentive rather than mechanical and deepens the mood.
- Close with the Phalashruti – End with the eleventh verse naming Jayadeva, then bow and offer a moment of silent gratitude before rising.
What Are the Benefits of Chanting?
Devotees turn to the Dashavatara Stotram both as a daily prayer and as a compact meditation on Vishnu’s protective descents. Its traditional benefits include:
- A complete Vishnu prayer: In a few minutes it offers homage to all ten avatars, making it a full act of Vishnu worship on its own.
- Steadies the mind: The repeating refrain gives the recitation a calming, meditative rhythm that helps focus and quieten restless thoughts.
- Cultivates devotion: The vivid images draw the heart toward each divine form and nurture bhakti, loving remembrance of the Lord.
- Auspicious for festivals: Chanting it on avatar Jayantis and Ekadashi is felt to bring blessing, protection and spiritual merit.
- Easy to learn: Being short and rhythmic, it is simple to memorise and pass on to children and new learners of stotras.
- Sattvic and uplifting: As the poet's own closing verse says, it is meant to grant joy, auspiciousness and progress toward liberation.
Who Composed This Stotram?
The Dashavatara Stotram is not a stand-alone prayer in origin. It is the opening devotional song of the Gita Govinda, the twelfth-century Sanskrit lyric cycle composed by Jayadeva, a court poet associated with the region of Bengal and Odisha. The larger work is famous for its songs on the love of Radha and Krishna, and it begins by invoking Krishna as the source of all avatars.
Because it names and honours the ten descents so gracefully, this song was quickly lifted out of the Gita Govinda and sung on its own in temples and homes. In the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition it became especially popular and is still sung as a standard part of daily and festival worship. The verses count Balarama, the plough-bearing brother of Krishna, among the ten, and place Buddha in the ninth position, reflecting the way many Vaishnava lists were framed in Jayadeva’s time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the Dashavatara Stotram?
It was composed by the poet-saint Jayadeva in the twelfth century as the opening song of the first canto of his Sanskrit lyric work, the Gita Govinda.
What does 'Pralaya Payodhi Jale' mean?
It is the opening line of the first verse and means 'in the waters of the great deluge'. It describes Matsya, the fish avatar, who rescued the Vedas from the cosmic flood.
Which ten avatars are praised in this hymn?
In Jayadeva's order they are Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Varaha (boar), Narasimha (man-lion), Vamana (dwarf), Parashurama, Rama, Balarama (the plough-bearer), Buddha and Kalki.
What does the refrain 'jaya jagadisha hare' mean?
It means 'Victory to you, O Lord of the universe, O Hari'. It closes every verse, first naming the form Vishnu has taken and then breaking into this cry of praise.
When should the Dashavatara Stotram be chanted?
It can be recited daily, but it is felt to be especially auspicious on Ekadashi, on Thursdays, and on the various avatar Jayantis such as Rama Navami and Narasimha Jayanti.
Why does this hymn list Buddha and Balarama among the avatars?
Jayadeva follows a Vaishnava reckoning of his era that counts Balarama, Krishna's elder brother, and Buddha within the ten principal descents. Other lists arrange the avatars differently, but this hymn preserves the poet's own sequence.
॥ जय जगदीश हरे ॥