Shri Badrinath Mahima

Shri Badrinath Mahima is a nine-verse hymn in Hindi-Sanskrit style in praise of Lord Badrinath (Badri Vishal), the form of Vishnu worshipped at Badrinath on the Alaknanda in the Garhwal Himalaya, one of the Char Dham and a Vaishnava Divya Desam. Every verse ends with the refrain "Shri Badrinath Jagatprabhum," "Badrinath, the Lord of the world." Where the Stuti pictures the temple and its worshippers, the Mahima moves more toward the Lord''s nature. 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: the snowy ashram. "Tuhin girimadhi param sukhprad, ashramam atishobhitam" speaks of an ashram of great beauty and happiness among the snow mountains (tuhin giri), where the crown-jewel (mukutmani) of all the gods lives. Badrikashram is described in the Puranas as the place of Nara-Narayana''s tapas.

Verse 2: the Ganga. The pure stream of the heavenly river (Sursari) flows there, destroying heaps of sin (agh-samooh), and siddhas, munis and gods cry "jai jai." In tradition, the Ganga is called Alaknanda at this place.

Verse 3: cool breeze and flowers. A soft, fragrant, cool wind blows over the flowers, and Shakti, Shesha and Mahesh remember him. See the Parvati Chalisa and Shiv Chalisa.

Verse 4: the Vedas and the sages. The great sages Sanaka and the others (Sanakadi) keep speaking Vedic words, and Brahma and Narada praise him. Sanakadi are the four ancient child-sages in the Puranic tradition, symbols of pure knowledge.

Verse 5: the all-pervading Lord. He is the support of all the world, all-pervading (vyapak), the Brahman beyond sight (alakh) and faultless (anamaya), whose great glory fills the world. The verse moves from the shrine to the philosophical idea that the same Lord is everywhere.

Verse 6: service by gods and Lakshmi. Indra, Uddhava, Chandra, Ravi (the Sun) and the Gandharvas serve him with devotion, and Kamala (Lakshmi) serves him constantly. Uddhava is Krishna''s friend and devotee, whom the Bhagavata tradition sends to Badrikashram.

Verse 7: the yogis and the light. Yogis practise yoga day and night and look constantly at the Light (jyoti). The prayer: "Kripa kijai bhaktajan par," be gracious to your devotees. It shows that for the poet, the highest vision of the Lord is an inner light.

Verse 8: protector and remover of evil. The Lord is unborn (aj), faultless, protector of cows (go) and the learned (dvija), worshipped by the gods, sustainer of the world and destroyer of demons (asura-ghalak). The cow and the learned are named as the ones whom good rule protects.

Verse 9: the holy name. One who repeats your name day and night gains a good life of devotion, and the poet asks: be ever gracious to your servant. The verse ends the hymn with a simple practice: japa of the name. See the Vishnu Chalisa.

The wider message. The hymn goes from the Himalaya and the river, to the gods and sages around the Lord, to his all-pervading nature, to the yogi''s inner light and finally to the humble practice of the name. Benefits mentioned, such as freedom from sin and grace, are matters of faith and a devotional focus. Reading can bring calm, but it is not a treatment for illness or anxiety. See also the Badrinath Ashtakam.