Vamana Stotram
श्री वामन स्तोत्रम्
What is the Vamana Stotram?
Vamana Stotram The Vamana Stotram is a three verse Sanskrit prayer from the Bhagavata Purana, Canto 8, Chapter 17, in which the goddess Aditi praises Vishnu just before his birth to her as Vamana, the dwarf Brahmachari avatar who later humbles the generous king Mahabali.
This short stotram comes from one of the most loved stories in the Bhagavata Purana. Aditi, mother of the devas, has watched her sons lose their share of the three worlds to the daitya king Mahabali. Guided by sage Kashyapa, she observes the Payovrata vow to Vishnu, and when he appears before her, pleased, she offers these three verses in praise, just before he promises to take birth as her son, the dwarf sage Vamana.
Vamana Stotram Lyrics
Three verses, Aditi's prayer to Vishnu from Srimad Bhagavatam 8.17.8 to 8.17.10. Tap any verse to read its meaning.
yajnesha yajna purushachyuta tirthapada tirthashravah shravana mangala namadheya
apanna loka vrijinopashamodayadya sham nah kridhisha bhagavan asi dinanathah
यज्ञेश यज्ञपुरुषाच्युत तीर्थपाद तीर्थश्रवः श्रवणमङ्गलनामधेय ।
आपन्नलोकवृजिनोपशमोदयाद्य शं नः कृधीश भगवन्नसि दीननाथः ॥
Meaning
Aditi calls Vishnu the lord of every sacrifice, unfailing and gentle, whose very name brings good fortune to anyone who hears it. She asks him, the refuge of the poor and suffering, to grant her family well being.
vishvaya vishva bhavana sthiti samyamaya svairam grihita puru shakti gunaya bhumne
svasthaya shashvad upabrimhita purna bodha vyapaditatma tamase haraye namas te
विश्वाय विश्वभवनस्थितिसंयमाय स्वैरं गृहीतपुरुशक्तिगुणाय भूम्ने ।
स्वस्थाय शश्वदुपबृंहितपूर्णबोधव्यापादितात्मतमसे हरये नमस्ते ॥
Meaning
She bows to him as the universe itself, the one who creates, sustains and ends it all on his own strength, always resting in his own true form, whose knowledge never lets illusion take hold.
ayuh param vapur abhishtam atulya lakshmir dyo bhu rasah sakala yoga gunas tri vargah
jnanam cha kevalam ananta bhavanti tushtat tvatto nrinam kim u sapatna jayadir ashih
आयुः परं वपुरभीष्टमतुल्यलक्ष्मीर्द्योभूरसाः सकलयोगगुणास्त्रिवर्गः ।
ज्ञानं च केवलमनन्त भवन्ति तुष्टात्त्वत्तो नृणां किमु सपत्नजयादिराशीः ॥
Meaning
Aditi says that once he is pleased, a person can be granted a long life, the body they long for, wealth beyond measure, the fruits of yoga and true knowledge, so victory over a rival is a small thing beside that grace.
What the Vamana Stotram Means
All three verses are spoken by Aditi, and together they move from a personal plea to a wide, philosophical vision of Vishnu and back to a personal request. The first verse is intimate, she calls him the shelter of the suffering and asks directly for her family’s good fortune.
The second verse steps back to describe Vishnu as the universe itself, the force behind creation, preservation and dissolution, always steady and never touched by illusion. It is the most abstract verse of the three, closer to a philosophical hymn than a personal request.
The third verse returns to what a devotee actually receives from that grace, long life, a fulfilling existence, prosperity, the fruits of spiritual practice and real knowledge, closing with the gentle observation that beating a rival is a minor thing next to all of that. Read together, the three verses are Aditi’s full case for why this Lord, soon to be born as her son Vamana, deserves complete trust.
How and When to Chant It
- – Sit facing an image of Vishnu or Vamana, or simply face east, after washing your hands and face.
- – Light a lamp and place tulsi leaves nearby if you have them, since tulsi is dear to Vishnu.
- – Recite the three verses slowly, letting the meaning of each land before moving to the next.
- – Pause after the second verse, the most philosophical one, and simply sit with the idea of the universe resting in him.
- – Close by offering the third verse as a request, life, wellbeing, and clarity, for yourself or your family.
- – End with a simple Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya before rising.
Why Devotees Chant the Vamana Stotram
Because it is Aditi’s own prayer just before Vishnu’s birth as Vamana, devotees treat it as an invocation of humility, patience and quiet trust in divine timing.
- : Offers a short, complete prayer for family wellbeing and protection, in Aditi's own words.
- : Used on Vamana Jayanti as part of the day's worship of the dwarf avatar.
- : Reminds the reciter that Vamana's small, humble form carried the same power as his cosmic one, a lesson in not judging by appearance.
- : Fits naturally into Onam observances in Kerala, alongside the wider remembrance of Mahabali's reign.
- : Gives a compact alternative for devotees who want a short daily Vishnu prayer rather than a long stotra.
- : Connects the reciter to the Payovrata tradition of steady, patient devotion under difficulty.
Origin: Aditi's Prayer and the Story of Mahabali
This stotram sits inside one of the Bhagavata Purana’s best known stories. The devas, defeated and driven out by the daitya king Bali, leave their mother Aditi grieving. On sage Kashyapa’s advice, she takes up the Payovrata vow, twelve days of disciplined devotion to Vishnu. Pleased with her steadiness, Vishnu appears before her, and these three verses are her response, praise offered just before he tells her that he himself will be born as her son.
That son is Vamana, a Brahmachari so small and unassuming that when he later approaches Bali’s great sacrifice and asks for only as much land as he can cover in three steps, Bali laughs and agrees without hesitation. It is only after that promise that Vamana grows into his giant cosmic form, Trivikrama, and covers the three worlds in two strides, a moment this page leaves to its own dedicated Trivikrama page rather than retelling here, since this stotram itself belongs to the earlier, dwarf-brahmachari part of the story.
In much of North India the story is remembered mainly for Bali’s humbling. Kerala’s Onam tradition tells it differently and just as sincerely: Mahabali is honoured as a just, generous king whose rule was a golden age, and Onam each year celebrates his annual homecoming to see his people thriving, with Vamana’s role read as a test of Bali’s generosity that he passed with grace, offering his own head for Vishnu’s third step when no land was left. Both readings, the humbling and the homecoming, are part of the same living tradition, and this page holds space for both.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Vamana Stotram about?
It is Aditi's three-verse prayer to Vishnu from the Bhagavata Purana, offered just before he promises to be born to her as Vamana, the dwarf Brahmachari avatar.
Who is speaking in this stotram?
The goddess Aditi, mother of the devas, speaking to Vishnu after completing the Payovrata vow on sage Kashyapa's advice.
Is the Vamana Stotram the same as a Trivikrama Stotram?
No. This stotram belongs to the part of the story before Vamana grows into his giant cosmic form, Trivikrama, who strides across the three worlds. Trivikrama has his own separate hymn tradition, kept on its own page.
How does this connect to Mahabali?
Vamana is born to fulfil Aditi's prayer and later approaches king Mahabali, asking for three paces of land at his sacrifice. Bali's generous agreement, and what follows, is the central story of the Vamana avatar.
How does Kerala's Onam tradition see Mahabali?
With warmth and respect. Onam celebrates Mahabali as a beloved, just king whose annual homecoming is honoured every year, alongside reverence for Vamana, rather than treating the story only as Bali's defeat.
When is Vamana Jayanti celebrated?
On Bhadrapada Shukla Dwadashi, and the theme is also present through Onam in Kerala and the month of Shravana more broadly.
Why does this stotram have only three verses?
Because that is the genuine length of the passage in the Bhagavata Purana, Canto 8, Chapter 17, verses 8 to 10. This page presents it exactly as it appears in the source rather than adding extra verses.
What does chanting this stotram offer devotees?
A short, complete prayer for wellbeing and protection, and a way to connect with the humility at the heart of the Vamana avatar before his cosmic transformation.
॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥