Shri Badrinath Ashtakam

Shri Badrinath Ashtakam is a Sanskrit hymn of eight verses with a ninth phalashruti (fruit) verse, in praise of Lord Badrinath, "Badreesha" (the lord of Badri), the form of Vishnu worshipped at Badrinath in the Garhwal Himalaya. Unlike the Hindi-Sanskrit Stuti and Mahima, this is in classical Sanskrit, and each of the first eight verses ends with the same line: "Shri Badreesham namamyaham," "I bow to Shri Badreesha." The author is not known to us, and it is read as a traditional text from the Gita Press Aarti Sangrah (please confirm the edition).

Verse 1: Bhu-Vaikuntha. "Bhu-vaikuntha-kritavasam" says: I bow to the Lord who has made his home in "Vaikuntha on earth" (Bhu-Vaikuntha), the God of gods (devadeva) and master of the world (jagatpati), who gives the four aims of life (chaturvarga): dharma, artha, kama and moksha. Badrinath is called Bhu-Vaikuntha in tradition.

Verse 2: the three sufferings. He removes the three kinds of suffering (taapatraya): of body and mind (adhyatmika), from other beings (adhibhautika) and from nature and unseen forces (adhidaivika). He directly gives peace (shanti), nourishment (pushti) and strength (bala), and is the giver of supreme bliss.

Verse 3: sin and liberation. He removes sin quickly (sadyah papakshayakaram), gives kaivalya (liberation) quickly and is the maker of the three worlds. The word "sadyah" (at once) is the poet''s way of showing great hope in the Lord''s grace.

Verse 4: the wish-fulfilling tree. He is a Kalpataru, the tree that gives all wishes, for his devotees (bhakta-vanchha-kalpataru), a form of the juice of compassion (karuna-rasa-vigraha), and the one who takes people across the ocean of worldly life (bhavabdhi-parakartaram).

Verse 5: praised by all gods. He is praised by all the gods (sarvadevanutam), eternal (shashvat), the home of all tirthas (sarvatirthaspadam), all-pervading (vibhu), and takes forms by his own play (leelayopatta-vapusham). It says every holy place is gathered in him.

Verse 6: beginningless and wonderful. He is without beginning or end (anadi-nidhanam), "Kaal-kaalam" (the lord even of Time, a name also used for Shiva), "bheemayam" (awe-inspiring), Achyuta (never fallen), and full of all wonders (sarvashcharyamayam). Please note that some printed texts read this verse a little differently, so the Hindi meaning here is the general sense.

Verse 7: Gandhamadana and Nara-Narayana. He stands on the Gandhamadana peak, is of the nature of Nara and Narayana, and is in the middle of Badarikhanda (the Badri region). Nara and Narayana are the twin sages whose tapas, in tradition, was at Badrikashram. The mountains beside the shrine are named Nar and Narayan.

Verse 8: equal vision. He is all-knowing (sarvagyam) and looks equally (samadarshinam) on enemy, neutral and friend, and shines as pure bliss and consciousness (brahmananda-chidabhasam). This verse is the ethical high point: the Lord does not favour one side, and the devotee is asked to grow in the same even-mindedness.

Verse 9: the fruit. "Shri Badreeshashtakam idam, yah pathet prayatah shuchih, sarvapapavinirmuktah sa shantim labhate param": whoever reads this Ashtakam, attentive and pure, is freed from all sin and gains supreme peace. This is a statement of faith and devotional emphasis, not a guarantee.

The wider message. The hymn moves from the Lord''s home and gifts, to his help in suffering, to his nature as the all-pervading, even-minded Lord, and ends with peace as the fruit. Reading can bring calm, but it is not a treatment for illness or anxiety, so please take proper help alongside prayer. See also the Badrinath Stuti, Badrinath Mahima and Vishnu Chalisa.