Shri Badrinath Stuti

Lord Badrinath, also called Badri Vishal and Vishwambhar ("sustainer of the world"), is Vishnu worshipped at Badrinath on the bank of the Alaknanda in the Garhwal Himalaya of Uttarakhand, between the Nar and Narayan mountains below the Neelkanth peak. The shrine is one of the Char Dham, one of the four pilgrimages of Uttarakhand (Chota Char Dham), and in the Vaishnava tradition one of the 108 Divya Desams. In tradition, Vishnu sat here in tapas as Nara-Narayana, and a popular belief says Lakshmi took the form of a badri (jujube) tree to shelter him, which gives the place its name. Adi Shankaracharya is traditionally remembered for re-establishing worship here. The hymn''s authorship 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 place. "Pawan mand sugandh sheetal, hemmandir shobhitam" describes soft, fragrant, cool breezes and a golden temple (hem-mandir). Nearby flows the pure Ganga (here the Alaknanda), and the refrain names the Lord: Shri Badrinath Vishwambharam. The verse sets the scene first, as a pilgrim sees it.

Verse 2: Shesha, Shiva and Brahma. Sheshnag remembers him day and night, Maheshwar (Shiva) meditates on him and Brahma, with the Vedas, praises him. It shows that the great gods themselves turn to him.

Verse 3: gods and siddhas. Indra, Chandra, Kubera and the Sun (Dinakar) offer incense and lamps, and the perfected sages (siddha) and munis shout "jai jai." The offerings are the ordinary ones of every temple: incense and lamps, so ordinary worship is placed beside the great.

Verse 4: Shakti, Ganesha and Narada. Gauri (Shakti), Ganesha, Sharada (Saraswati) and Sage Narada speak his praise, and his yoga, dhyana and endless leela are recalled. See the Gauri Chalisa, Ganesh Chalisa and Saraswati Chalisa.

Verse 5: music and Lakshmi. Yakshas and Kinnaras make merry, Gandharvas sing, and Shri (Lakshmi) with Bhumi, the earth goddess, wave the chamar (fly-whisk) over him. The chamar is a sign of royal honour, so Vishnu is shown as the king of the world.

Verse 6: Kailash and Yudhishthira. The verse speaks of Maheshwar, the one pure (niranjan) god of Kailash on the mountain peak, and says King Yudhishthira praises Badrinath. In tradition the Pandavas'' last journey toward the Himalaya passed through this region.

Verse 7: the fruit. "Shri Badrinath ji ki param stuti, yah padhat paap vinashanam" says that reading this highest stuti destroys sin, and that it is like the merit of crores of tirthas, easy and fruitful. This is a statement of faith and devotional emphasis, not a guarantee.

The wider message. The hymn shows the whole creation turning to one Lord at one remote Himalayan shrine, and then invites the reader to join in. Benefits mentioned in tradition, such as peace and purity of mind, are matters of faith. Reading it at home is a way to remember the shrine, whether or not you travel. See also the Badrinath Mahima, Badrinath Ashtakam and Vishnu Chalisa.