Rama Ashtottara Shatanama Stotram
श्री रामाष्टोत्तरशतनामस्तोत्रम्
What is the Rama Ashtottara Shatanama Stotram?
Rama Ashtottara Stotram It is a Sanskrit hymn that gathers 108 names of Rama into seventeen anushtubh verses meant for chanting, not a bare name list. The verses trace Rama's life roughly in order, from his birth and marriage through the forest years, the war with Ravana, and end on verses that call him the supreme reality behind all creation.
The Rama Ashtottara Shatanama Stotram gathers 108 names of Rama into seventeen compact Sanskrit verses, built for chanting rather than read as a checklist. Unlike a plain namavali, where names are listed one after another for ritual archana, a stotram like this strings the names into full anushtubh meter, so reciting it flows the way a hymn should. The names trace Rama’s life in rough order: his birth as Dasharatha’s son, his marriage to Sita, the years of exile, the killing of Ravana, and the building of the bridge to Lanka, before the final verse turns philosophical and names him the reality underlying everything. This page gives the full Sanskrit text in Roman and Devanagari script, a plain-English meaning under each verse, and notes on how devotees typically chant it.
Rama Ashtottara Shatanama Stotram Lyrics in English
This text is cross-checked against two independently maintained stotra archives and matches word for word except for one line in verse sixteen, where some editions read Shivalingapratishthata (establisher of the Shivalinga) in place of Vibhishanapratishthata (establisher of Vibhishana's kingship); both readings are noted below. This is a different composition from the separately preserved Rama Ashtottara Shatanama Stotram attributed to the Rama Rahasya Upanishad, which opens with different words entirely – see the FAQ for that distinction. Tap Meaning under any verse to expand it.
shri ramo ramabhadrash cha ramachandrash cha shashvatah
rajivalochanah shriman rajendro raghupungavah
श्रीरामो रामभद्रश्च रामचन्द्रश्च शाश्वतः
राजीवलोचनः श्रीमान् राजेन्द्रो रघुपुङ्गवः
Meaning
This opening verse names Rama by his most familiar titles: Ramabhadra (gentle Rama), Ramachandra (moon-like Rama), and Shashvata (the eternal one). It also calls him lotus-eyed, an auspicious king, and the finest of the Raghu line, setting up the mix of royal and cosmic identity that runs through the whole hymn.
janakivallabho jaitro jitamitro janardanah
vishvamitrapriyo dantah sharanatranatatparah
जानकीवल्लभो जैत्रो जितामित्रो जनार्दनः
विश्वामित्रप्रियो दान्तः शरणत्राणतत्परः
Meaning
Here Rama is Sita's beloved, unbeaten in battle, and Janardana, a name usually reserved for Vishnu. The verse also recalls his bond with sage Vishvamitra, whose praise he earned, and his readiness to shelter anyone who comes to him seeking protection.
valipramathano vagmi satyavaksatyavikramah
satyavrato vratadharah sadahanumadashritah
वालिप्रमथनो वाग्मी सत्यवाक्सत्यविक्रमः
सत्यव्रतो व्रतधरः सदाहनुमदाश्रितः
Meaning
This verse points to episodes from the Ramayana: felling the tyrant monkey-king Vali, and being a gifted, truthful speaker whose valor matches his word. It closes with his devotion to his vows and his constant closeness to Hanuman, described here as always by his side.
kausaleyah kharadhvamsi viradhavadhapanditah
vibhishanaparitrata harakodandakhandanah
कौसलेयः खरध्वंसी विराधवधपण्डितः
विभीषणपरित्राता हरकोदण्डखण्डनः
Meaning
Rama is remembered here as Kausalya's son and as the warrior who killed the demon Khara and outwitted Viradha in the forest. The verse also honors him as the one who rescued and sheltered Vibhishana, and as the archer who broke Shiva's own bow at Sita's swayamvara.
saptatalaprabhetta cha dashagrivashiroharah
jamadagnyamahadarpadalanastatakantakah
सप्ततालप्रभेत्ता च दशग्रीवशिरोहरः
जामदग्न्यमहादर्पदलनस्ताटकान्तकः
Meaning
Two feats of raw strength appear side by side: piercing seven sal trees with a single arrow to prove his power to Sugriva, and ending Ravana's terror. The verse also recalls him humbling the sage Parashurama's pride and ending the demoness Tataka's hold over the forest.
vedantasaro vedatma bhavarogasya bheshajam
dushanatrishirohanta trimurtistrigunatmakah
वेदान्तसारो वेदात्मा भवरोगस्यभेषजम्
दूषणत्रिशिरोहन्ता त्रिमूर्तिस्त्रिगुणात्मकः
Meaning
This shloka shifts toward Rama's philosophical identity, calling him the essence of Vedanta and the soul of the Vedas, and describing him as medicine for the disease of worldly existence. It closes by naming him slayer of the demons Dushana and Trishira, and identifying him with the Trimurti and the three gunas that shape creation.
trivikramastrilokatma punyacharitrakirtanah
trilokarakshako dhanvi dandakaranyakartanah
त्रिविक्रमस्त्रिलोकात्मा पुण्यचारित्रकीर्तनः
त्रिलोकरक्षको धन्वी दण्डकारण्यकर्तनः
Meaning
Rama is Trivikrama here, the one who strides across the three worlds, and the soul that pervades them. His deeds are called worth singing for their purity, and the verse credits him with protecting all three worlds and clearing the wilderness of Dandaka forest for peaceful life.
ahalyashapashamanah pitribhakto varapradah
jitendriyo jitakrodho jitamitro jagadguruh
अहल्याशापशमनः पितृभक्तो वरप्रदः
जितेन्द्रियो जितक्रोधो जितामित्रो जगद्गुरुः
Meaning
This verse recalls him lifting the curse on Ahalya and honors his devotion to his father alongside his generosity in granting boons. It also praises his mastery over his senses and his anger, repeats his title as conqueror of enemies, and names him teacher of the world.
rikshavanarasanghati chitrakutasamashrayah
jayantatranavaradah sumitraputrasevitah
ऋक्षवानरसङ्घाती चित्रकूटसमाश्रयः
जयन्तत्राणवरदः सुमित्रापुत्रसेवितः
Meaning
Here the focus turns to Rama's allies: he is the one who rallied the bears and monkeys into a single army, and who took shelter at Chitrakuta during exile. The verse also recalls the boon that spared the crow Jayanta after he tested Sita, and honors Lakshmana's constant service at his side.
sarvadevadhidevash cha mritavanarajivanah
mayamarichahanta cha mahadevo mahabhujah
सर्वदेवाधिदेवश्च मृतवानरजीवनः
मायामारीचहन्ता च महादेवो महाभुजः
Meaning
Rama is called god above all gods here, and credited with reviving the fallen monkey warriors after the war. The verse also recalls his defeat of the illusion-demon Maricha, who took the form of a golden deer, and names him Mahadeva and mighty-armed.
sarvadevastutah saumyo brahmanyo munisamstutah
mahayogi mahodarah sugrivepsitarajyadah
सर्वदेवस्तुतः सौम्यो ब्रह्मण्यो मुनिसंस्तुतः
महायोगी महोदारः सुग्रीवेप्सितराज्यदः
Meaning
This verse gathers titles of stature and calm: praised by every god, gentle by nature, a friend to dharma, and honored by sages in their own hymns. It ends by calling him a great yogi, large-hearted, and the one who gave Sugriva the kingdom he had long wanted back.
sarvapunyadhikaphalah smritasarvaghanashanah
adipurushah paramapurusho mahapurusha eva cha
सर्वपुण्याधिकफलः स्मृतसर्वाघनाशनः
आदिपुरुषः परमपुरुषो महापुरुष एव च
Meaning
Rama's merit is described here as outweighing every other form of merit, with the claim that simply remembering him dissolves accumulated sin. The verse closes with three grand titles built on the idea of being: the primeval being, the supreme being, and the great being.
punyodayo dayasarah puranapurushottamah
smitavaktro mitabhashi purvabhashi cha raghavah
पुण्योदयो दयासारः पुराणपुरुषोत्तमः
स्मितवक्त्रो मितभाषी पूर्वभाषी च राघवः
Meaning
Here Rama is the rise of good fortune itself and the essence of compassion, called the finest of the beings who came before creation. The verse also paints a gentler picture: a smiling face, measured words, and the courtesy of greeting others first.
anantagunagambhiro dhirodattagunottamah
mayamanushacharitro mahadevadipujitah
अनन्तगुणगम्भीरो धीरोदात्तगुणोत्तमः
मायामानुषचारित्रो महादेवादिपूजितः
Meaning
This verse calls Rama profound beyond counting, with virtues that have no end, and describes him as the noblest of the calm and dignified. It also names his human life as divine play, and states that even Mahadeva and the other gods hold him in worship.
setukrijjitavarashih sarvatirthamayo harih
shyamangah sundarah shurah pitavasa dhanurdharah
सेतुकृज्जितवाराशिः सर्वतीर्थमयो हरिः
श्यामाङ्गः सुन्दरः शूरः पीतवासा धनुर्धरः
Meaning
Rama is remembered here as the one who built the bridge across the ocean and conquered its waters, and as the embodiment of every sacred crossing and pilgrimage site. Physically, the verse describes him as dark-limbed, handsome, valiant, dressed in yellow, and carrying his bow.
sarvayajnadhipo yajva jaramaranavarjitah
vibhishanapratishthata sarvavagunavarjitah
सर्वयज्ञाधिपो यज्वा जरामरणवर्जितः
विभीषणप्रतिष्ठाता सर्वावगुणवर्जितः
Meaning
This verse names Rama lord of every sacrifice and a performer of yajnas himself, free from old age and death. It also credits him with restoring Vibhishana to his rightful place as king of Lanka (a small number of editions instead read this line as his consecrating the Shivalinga at Rameshwaram), and calls him entirely free of fault.
paramatma parambrahma sachchidanandavigrahah
paranjyotih parandhama parakashah paratparah
pareshah paragah parah sarvadevatmakah parah
परमात्मा परब्रह्म सच्चिदानन्दविग्रहः
परञ्ज्योतिः परन्धाम पराकाशः परात्परः
परेशः पारगः पारः सर्वदेवात्मकः परः
Meaning
The closing verse leaves the Ramayana's events behind for pure philosophy, naming Rama the supreme self, the supreme reality, and a form made of pure being, consciousness, and bliss. It piles on abstractions, light beyond light, abode beyond abode, space beyond space, before settling on a final claim: he is the one reality within which every god exists.
Meaning & Significance
An ashtottara shatanama stotram, literally a hymn of one hundred and eight names, is a specific form in Sanskrit devotional literature, distinct from an ashtottara shatanamavali, which lists the same names as bare vocatives for ritual archana, where a flower or a grain of rice is offered with each name. This stotram strings the 108 names of Rama into full anushtubh verses, so it reads as continuous poetry rather than a roll call.
Read in order, the seventeen verses roughly follow Rama’s life. The early shlokas name him as Dasharatha and Kausalya’s son and Sita’s husband, then move through the forest years: the killing of Khara, Viradha, and Tataka, the humbling of Parashurama’s pride, and the constant presence of Hanuman and Lakshmana. The middle verses turn to the epic’s central events, the death of Vali, the alliance with Sugriva, the bridge to Lanka, and the fall of Ravana, before the final verses shift almost entirely into philosophy, calling Rama the supreme self, pure being-consciousness-bliss, and the one reality within which every other god exists.
That closing turn matters. Several ashtottara stotras for Rama stay close to the Ramayana narrative throughout, but this one deliberately ends on abstraction, treating the avatar of the epic and the formless absolute as the same reality seen two ways. It is one reason this hymn is chanted not just by those recalling Rama’s story, but by those approaching him as Vedanta’s Brahman carrying a name and a form.
How Do You Chant the Rama Ashtottara Shatanama Stotram?
- Sit facing east, – on a clean seat, with a picture or murti of Rama in front of you if you have one.
- Light a lamp or incense, – and take a moment to settle your breathing before beginning.
- Open with a short invocation, – such as Om Shri Ramaya Namah, to mark the shift from ordinary thought into chanting.
- Recite the seventeen verses in order, – at a steady, unhurried pace rather than rushing to finish; the meaning lands better read slowly.
- Notice the shift after verse twelve, – where the hymn moves from Ramayana events into pure philosophy, and let your pace settle into that change.
- Close with the final line, – iti shri ramashtottara nama stotram, and sit quietly for a minute before getting up.
- Pair it with the Shatanamavali if you wish, – using the same 108 names individually for archana, offering a flower or a grain of rice with each one.
What Are the Benefits of Chanting?
These are effects devotees describe from a steady chanting practice, not medical or financial promises, and they do not replace effort, care, or professional advice in areas that need it.
- A clearer sense of Rama's story: Chanting the names in order gives you a compact, memorized map of the Ramayana's key turns, which is different from reading the epic once and losing the sequence.
- Steadier focus during hard periods: The repeated structure of the verses gives a wandering mind something specific to return to, which many people find settles racing thoughts faster than trying to reason through them.
- A daily anchor around Rama Navami: Adding this stotram to your routine in the days around Rama Navami gives the festival a personal, practiced center instead of one big ritual and nothing else.
- Comfort with formal Sanskrit chanting: Because the verses are short and the vocabulary repeats across them, this stotram is a manageable way to build confidence before attempting longer hymns.
- A bridge between story and philosophy: Reciting the whole sequence, from Rama's birth to the closing philosophical verses, is a gentle way to sit with the idea that the avatar and the absolute are one and the same reality.
- Something short enough to sustain: At under five minutes, it fits into a morning routine without a major time commitment, which is often the real reason a practice survives past the first week.
Origin of the Rama Ashtottara Shatanama Stotram
Ashtottara shatanama stotras, hymns of 108 names in verse form, exist for most major deities in Hindu worship, and Rama has more than one such composition in circulation. The text on this page is the version most consistently reproduced across independent stotra archives, opening with Shri Ramo Ramabhadrash cha Ramachandrash cha Shashvatah and closing on the philosophical verse beginning Paramatma Parambrahma. Like most stotras of this length, it carries no named individual author in the sources that preserve it; it is treated as a traditional devotional composition rather than attributed to a specific poet.
It is worth being clear that Rama has more than one 108-name hymn in circulation. Sanskrit manuscript archives separately preserve a Rama Ashtottara Shatanama Stotram explicitly described as occurring within the Rama Rahasya Upanishad, and that text opens with an entirely different first line, Ramo Ravanasamharakritamanushavigrahah. It is a distinct composition from the one on this page, and the two should not be treated as interchangeable even though both circulate under a similar title. This page presents only the version verified word for word against independent sources, rather than blending the two or guessing which one a reader might actually be looking for.
The stotram form itself, full verses rather than a bare name list, is meant for continuous recitation. Its companion form, the Ashtottara Shatanamavali, breaks the same 108 names into individual phrases ending in namah for use during archana, where each name accompanies a small offering. Both forms draw on the same set of Rama’s names; they simply serve two different moments in worship, one for chanting and one for ritual offering.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Rama Ashtottara Shatanama Stotram?
It is a Sanskrit hymn made of 108 names of Rama, arranged into seventeen verses so the full set can be chanted as continuous poetry rather than read as a list.
Is this the same as Rama Sahasranama?
No. Ashtottara means one hundred and eight, while sahasranama means a thousand names. The Rama Sahasranama is a much longer composition with ten times as many names; this stotram is the shorter, more commonly chanted 108-name version.
Is this the same text as the one attributed to the Rama Rahasya Upanishad?
No, and it is worth being precise here. Manuscript archives preserve a separate 108-name hymn to Rama that is explicitly attributed to the Rama Rahasya Upanishad, opening with different words entirely. The stotram on this page is a different, independently verified composition that is the version most widely reproduced across stotra collections, and this page does not claim it comes from the Rama Rahasya Upanishad.
What is the difference between this stotram and a Shatanamavali?
A stotram strings the 108 names into full verses meant for chanting, while a shatanamavali lists the same names individually, each followed by namah, for use during archana when a flower or a grain of rice is offered with every name.
How long does it take to chant all 108 names?
About four to five minutes at an unhurried pace, since the seventeen verses are short and flow easily once you know the meter.
When is the best time to chant it?
Morning after bathing is the traditional preference, and Rama Navami is the festival most associated with this stotram, but any quiet moment you can commit to daily works for a personal practice.
Can beginners chant this without knowing Sanskrit?
Yes. The Roman transliteration on this page is written to be readable without diacritical marks, and reading each verse slowly a few times before your first full recitation helps the rhythm settle in.
Do any of the 108 names repeat within the stotram?
A small number of names or near-synonyms do recur, such as Jitamitra appearing in both the second and eighth verses. This is common in namavali-style compositions and is part of the original text rather than an error.
॥ श्री रामाय नमः ॥