Sri Venkateswara Temple, Pittsburgh

December 2009

. ïI ve»qez kravlMb StaeÇm! .

śrī ve˙nkateśa kar(a)-āvalamba stotram
(A Hymn seeking the protective Hand of Śrī Veṅkateśwara)
by
Śrī Nrsiṁ ha Bhārati, Śrṅgeri Śaṅkara Matham
 . ïI>.

. ïI ve»qez kravlMb StaeÇm! .

śrī ve˙nkateśa kar(a)-āvalamba stotram
A Hymn seeking the Protective of the Hand of Śrī Veṅkateśa

ïI ze;zEl suinketn idVymUteR naray[aCyut hre nilnayta],

lIlakqa] pirri]t svRlaek ïI ve»qez mm deih kravlMbm!.
śrī śesaśaila suniketana divya-mūrte
nārāyanācyuta hare nalināyatāksa
līlākatāksa pariraksita sarvaloka
śrī veṅkateśa mama dehi karāvalambam
Nārāyana, Acyuta, Hari! Having Your divinity manifested as Śrī Veṅkateśa in Śrī
Śesaśaila (Śesa Hill), You protect the entire cosmos with a mere glance of Your
delightful lotus eyes. Please offer me the support of Your hand. 1

äüaidviNdtpdaMbuj zŒpa[e ïImTsudzRn suzaei-t idVyhSte,

kaé{ysagr zr{y supu{ymUteR ïI ve»qez mm deih kravlMbm!.
brahmādivandita-padāmbuja śaṅkhapāne
śrīmatsudarśana suśobhita divyahasta
kārunyasāgara śaranya supunyamūrte
śrī veṅkateśa mama dehi karāvalambam
You adorn the divine Conch and Sudarśana discus! Brahma and other devas
worship Your lotus feet; You are verily the sea of compassion, an embodiment of
the holiest traits and a haven for all. Śrī Veṅkateśa, please offer me the support of
Your hand. 2

vedaNt-ve* -vsagr-k[Rxar ïIpÒna- kmlaicRtpadpÒ,

laekEk-pavn praTpr paphairn! ïI ve»qez mm deih kravlMbm!.
vedānta-vedya bhavasāgara-karnadhāra
śrīpadmanābha kamalārcita-pādapadma
lokaika-pāvana parātpara pāpahārin
śrī veṅkateśa mama dehi karāvalambam
You are none other than Śrī Padmanābha whose lotus feet (His divine Consort) Śrī
Laksmī (Kamalā) extols. You can be discerned from the Vedas and Vedānta
(Upanisad). Only You can render the universe holy by removing all sins. Śrī
Veṅkateśa, please offer me the support of Your hand. 3

lúmIpte ingmlúy injSvêp kamaiddae; pirhark baexdaiyn!,

dETyaidmdRn jnadRn vasudev ïI ve»qez mm deih kravlMbm!.
laksmīpate nigamalaksya nijasvarūpa
kāmādidosa parihāraka bodhadāyin
daityādimardana janārdana vāsudeva
śrī veṅkateśa mama dehi karāvalambam
You are Janārdhana (Savior), Vāsudeva and slayer of the Asuras (demons repre-
senting evil); You are the Divine Spouse Śrī Laksmī and You are the very essence
of the Vedas. You are the panacea for all desires and other misdemeanors. Śrī
Veṅkateśa, please offer me the protection of Your hand. 4

tapÇy< hr iv-ae r-sa murare s<r] ma< ké[ya srsIéha],

miCD:yimTynuidn< pirr] iv:[ae ïI ve»qez mm deih kravlMbm!.
tāpatrayaṁ hara vibho rabhasā murāre
saṁ raksa māṁ karunayā sarasīruhāksa
macchisyamityanudinaṁ pariraksa visno
śrī veṅkateśa mama dehi karāvalambam
Murāri (Slayer of demon Mura), the lotus-eyed! Visnu, the most merciful! Remove
the three anxieties* affecting all human beings. Always look after me considering
me as Your disciple. Śrī Veṅkateśa, please offer me the support of Your hand.
(*Tāpa-trayam are the anxieties of the mind: AaXyaiTmk ādhyātmika caused by

self, AaixdEivk ādhidaivika caused by destiny and Aaix-aEitk ādhibhautika

caused by Nature) 5

ïI jatêpnvrÆ lsiTkrIq-kStUirkaitlkzaei-llaqdez,
rakeNÊibMb vdnaMbuj vairja] ïI ve»qez mm deih kravlMbm!.
śrī jātarūpa-navaratna lasatkirīta-
kastūrikā-tilaka-śobhilalātadeśa
rākendubimba vadanāmbuja vārijāksa
śrī veṅkateśa mama dehi karāvalambam
Your lotus-like face resembles the moon, and Your forehead shines with tilaka
made with musk. Your eyes are like lotus flowers and Your crown – studded with
nine gemstones – glistens! Please offer me the support of Your hand. 6

vNdaélaek-vrdan-vcaeivlas rÆaF(har pirzaei-t kMbuk{Q,

keyUrrÆ suiv-ais-idgNtral ïI ve»qez mm deih kravlMbm!.
vandāruloka-varadāna-vacovilāsa
ratnādhyahāra pariśobhita kambukandha
keyūraratna suvibhāsi-digantarāla
śrī veṅkateśa mama dehi karāvalambam
Your conch-like neck is aglitter with the necklace made of nine precious gems!
The epaulet on Your shoulder is resplendent to brighten all directions! With
gracious words You grant boons to the devotees who worship You. Śrī Veṅkateśa,
please offer me the support of Your hand. 7

idVya¼daiÂt -ujÖy m¼laTmn! keyUr-U;[ suzaei-t dI"Rbahae,

nageNÔ-k»[ krÖy kamdaiyn! ïI ve»qez mm deih kravlMbm!.
divyāṅgadāṅcita bhujadvaya maṅgalātman
keyūrabhūsana suśobhita dīrghabāho
nāgendra-kaṅkana karadvaya kāmadāyin
śrī veṅkateśa mama dehi karāvalambam
You are the quintessence of auspiciousness! Bracelets adorn Your long arms. You
satisfy all the wishes of Your devotees with both hands bejeweled with the motif of
Śesha (the Serpent on whom Śrī Veṅkateśa is seated in His eternal abode of
Vaikuntha). Śrī Veṅkateśa, please offer me the support of Your hand. 8

Svaimn! jgÏar[vairixmXym¶ mamuÏra* k&pya ké[apyaexe,

lúmI—í deih mm xmR sm&iÏhetu< ïI ve»qez mm deih kravlMbm!.
svāmin jagad-dharana-vāridhi-madhyamagna
māmuddharādya krpayā karunāpayodhe
laksmīṁ śca dehi mama dharma samrddhihetuṁ
śrī veṅkateśa mama dehi karāvalambam
You are the very support of the worlds and an ocean of compassion. Please offer
me salvation from drowning in mundane existence. May Your auspicious look be-
stow on me the spiritual merit in abundant measure. Śrī Veṅkateśa, please offer me
the protection of Your hand. 9
 idVya¼ragpircicRt kaemla¼ pItaMbrav&ttnae té[akR -as,
sTka na- pirxan sup” bNx ïI ve»qez mm deih kravlMbm!.
divyāṅga-rāgaparicarcita komalāṅga
pītāmbarāvrtatano tarunārka bhāsa
satkāṅca nābha paridhāna supatta bandha
śrī veṅkateśa mama dehi karāvalambam
Your handsome (and eternally) youthful form is smeared with divine colors and
You are attired in yellow silk brilliant as the rising sun. Your girdle is wound in
fine cloth and Brahma (the Creator) sprouts in Your navel. Śrī Veṅkateśa, please
offer me the protection of Your hand. 10

rÆaF(dam suinbÏ-kiq-àdez mai[K(dpR[ susiÚ- janudez,

j'!"aÖyen pirmaeiht svRlaek ïI ve»qez mm deih kravlMbm!.
ratnādhyadāma sunibaddha-kati-pradeśa
mānikyadarpana susannibha jānudeśa
jaṅghādvayena parimohita sarvaloka
śrī veṅkateśa mama dehi karāvalambam
Your ornamental band fastening Your waist is embellished with precious stones!
Your knees reflect like mirrors made of rubies! Your legs fascinate the entire
universe! Śrī Veṅkateśa, please offer me the support of Your hand. 11

laekEkpavn-sirTprIzai-ta'!ºe TvTpaddzRn idne c mma"mIz,

had¡ tmí skl< lymap -Umn! ïI ve»qez mm deih kravlMbm!.
lokaikapāvana-saritpariśobhitāṅghre
tvatpādadarśana dine ca mamāghamīśa
hārdaṁ tamaśca sakalaṁ layamāpa bhūman
śrī veṅkateśa mama dehi karāvalambam
Your feet are awash with the waters that cleanse the worlds (river Gaṅga). When I
espy Your feet, my sins and the darkness (of ignorance) in my mind are erased. Śrī
Veṅkateśa, please offer me the protection of Your hand. 12

kamaid-vEir-invhaeCyut me àyat> dairÕmPypgt< skl< dyalae,

dIn c ma< smvlaeK( dayÔR †ò(a ïI ve»qez mm deih kravlMbm!.
kāmādi-vairi-nivahocyuta me prayātah
dāridryamapyapagataṁ sakalaṁ dayālo
 dīnaṅca māṁ samavalokya dayārdra drstyā
śrī veṅkateśa mama dehi karāvalambam
When You gave a mere merciful glance at my lamentable self, all my adversities,
greed and other dysfunctional traits, as also my material depravity left me! Śrī
Veṅkateśa, please offer me the protection of Your hand. 13

ïI ve»qez pdp»j ;q!pden ïImÚ&ish<yitnarict< jgTyam!,

@tTpQiNt mnuja> pué;aeÄmSy te àaßuviNt prma< pdvI— murare>.
śrī veṅkateśa padapaṅkaja satpadena
śrīman-nrsiṁ ha-yatināracitaṁ jagatyām
etat-pathanti manujāh purusottamasya te
prāpnuvanti paramāṁ padavīṁ murāreh
These verses were composed by the ascetic Śrī Nrsiṁ ha attracted as was to the lo-
tus feet of Śrī Veṅkateśa like a female bee. People who recite these verses will
reach the abode of Śrī Murāri (Visnu). 14

#it ïI ï&¼eir jgÌué[a ïI n&ish< -arit

Svaimna rict< ïI ve»qez kravlMb StaeÇ< s<pU[Rm!.
iti śrī śrṅgeri jagadgurunā śrī nrsiṁ ha bhārati
svāminā racitaṁ śrī veṅkateśa karāvalamba stotraṁ saṁ pūrnam
Thus concludes Śrī Veṅkateśa Karāvalamba Stotram
composed by Śrī Nrsiṁ ha Bhārati, the preceptor of the world at Śrṅgeri.

iïy> kaNtay kLya[ inxye inxye=iwRna<,

ïIve»qinvasay ïIinvasay m¼lm!.

lúmI sivæmalaek suæU ivæmc]u;e,

c]u; svRlaekana< ve»qezay m¼lm!.

Not much is known about the author of the lilting composition, Śrī Ve˙nkateśa
Kar(a)-āvalamba Stotram. The signature at the end is that of Śrī Śrṅgeri Nrsiṁha
Bhārati, probably, the twenty-sixth Jagadguru (CE 1663-1706) of Śrī Śrṅgeri
Śārada Pītham, one of the four original maţhas established by Ādi Śaṅkara around
CE 820.