Kunthi Sthuthi

Kunthi Sthuthi

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

( At the end of the Maha Bharatha War between Kauravas and Pandavas , When the entire Kaurava army has perished, Aswathama the son of Guru Drona sent the Brahmastra to kill all the Pandavas. In return Arjuna also sent another Brahmasthra. Lord Krishana made Arjuna to take The shiro rathna(Gem on the head) of Aswathama and asked Aswathama to aim his asthra at the unborn child of Abhimanyu. Lord Krishna then entered the womb of the wife of Abhimanyu and saves her child. Thus the clan of Pandavas is saved. At this juncture Kunthi the mother of the Pandavas addresses this prayer to Lord Krishna. This occurs in the 8th chapter of the first Skanda of Bhagwatha Purana.
It is interesting to note that Kunthi is the sister of Vasudeva the father of Krishna and was earlier given in adoption to king Kunthi Bhoja by Surasena, the father of Vasudeva. Thus she was the maternal aunt of Lord Krishna. The text in Sanskrit as well as a translation in to English of this stotra is given in http://shivu360.blogspot.com/2010/04/kunti-stuti.html )


1.Namasthe purusham thwadhyameeswaram prakruthe param,
Alakshyam sarva bhoothanaam anthar baihiravasthitham.

I salute the Lord Vishnu , the primeval God and the divine Nature,
Who is invisible to all beings , though he is inside and outside all of them.

2.Mayaa ja vanikacchanna majnadhoksham avyayam,
Na lakshyase mooda drusaa nato natyadharo Yadhaa.

He is covered by the curtain of illusion and is invisible and imperishable,
And not felt by the foolish humans and is like an actor dressed for playing the part.

3,.Thadha parama hamsaanaam muni nama malathmanaam,
Bhakthi yoga vidharatha , kadham pasyema hi sthriya.

How can you be perceived by ladies, as you appear only for great sages,
And philosophers who can recognize the soul and also to experts in the path of devotion.

4.Krishnaya Vasudevaya , Devaki nandhanaya cha,
Nanda gopa kumaraya , govindaaya namo nama

Salutations and salutations to Krishna , son of Vasudeva and Devaki,
Who is the son of Nandagopa and Lord of all beings.

5.Nama Pankhaja nabhaya, nama Panjkaja maline,
Nama Pankaja nethraya, namathe pankajangraye.

Salutations to him who has a lotus on his navel
Who wears a lotus wreath, who has eyes like a lotus,
And who has soft feet like that of a lotus flower.

6.Yadha hrishikesa, khalena Devaki kamsena rudhathichiram sucharpitha,
Viomochithaham cha sahathmaja Vibho thwayaiva nadhena muhurvipadganath.

You are the Lord of the senses ,
Who freed Devaki from sorrow ,
As she was imprisoned by the envious Kamsa,
And Oh Lord you have also repeatedly helped my children,
From various constant and serious groups of threats.

7.Vishan mahagnai purushaa dadarsanadha sad sabhaaya, vana vasa kruchratha,
Mrudhe, mrudhe aneka maha radhasthratho drounyasthrathaschasma hare abhisakshitha.

You saved us from poison, great fire ,
Look of evil people, from assembly of the wicked,
From perils of dangerous forest life,
From very many great arrows from great warriors ,
In the war and now from the arrow of Aswathama, the son of Drona.

8.Vipadha santhu nasashwathathra thathra jagat guro,
Bhavatho darsanam yathsyadha punarbhava darsanam.

Oh teacher of the universe , let these calamities occur frequently,
For we are blessed with meeting with you which eliminates the sorrows,
Of this life with its ever occurring cycles of births and deaths.

9.Janmai aiswarya srutha sri bhiredhamana madha pumaan,
Naivaar hathyabhidhaathum vai thwama kinchana gocharam.

Those gentleman intoxicated by wealth , fame , education and beauty,
Will not be ever in a position to even utter your name,
For you being approachable only by those who have nothing of their own.

10.Namo akinchana vithaya , nivrutha guna vruthaye,
Aathmaramaya santhaya kaivalya pathaye nama.

Salutations to the god who is the wealth of those who do not have anything,
Who is beyond the three characters of Saintly, regal and base,
Who delights with himself, who is peace and the path to salvation.

11.Manye thwaam kaala meesana manadhi nidhanam vibhum,
Samam charantham sarvathra bhoothanaam yanmidha kali.

I believe that you are the” time”, the great God who does not have any end or beginning,
Who travels equally in all the beings who appear to differ among themselves.

12.Na vdhe kaschidbhagawasi keershitham thweha manasya nrunaam vidambanam,
Na yasya kaschid dayitho asthi karhichid dweshyascha yasmin vishamaamathirnrunaam.

No one ever understands what is in your mind,
When you are acting like a human being,
You are not close or far off from any one,
And it is people who think that you are biased.

13.Janma karma cha viswathman , na kasya karthur aathmana,
Thiryang nrushishu yaadhaa sa thadathyantha vidambanam.

Oh soul of the universe, you are completely devoid of birth and soul,
And your birth among small creatures, men , sages and aquatic creatures is your pastime.

14.Gopyaa dhadhe thwayi kruthadai dhama thavaadhya they dasasru kalilanjanaa sambhramaksham,
Vakram neeneeya bhaya bhavanaaya sdhithasya saa maam vimohayathi bheerapi yaddbhethi.

When you broke the pot of curd and offended your foster mother,
And when she took the rope to tie you , since you were naughty,
You stood full of fear , bent face , collyrium flowing due to your tears
And with your eyes rolling in confusion and this filled me with wonder,
Because when even fear was afraid of you, how can you be afraid of some one.

15.Kechid dahurajam jaatham punya slokasya keerthaye,
Yadho priuasyanvavaye malayasyeva chandanam.

Some say that though you do not have birth ,
You were born in the clan of the famous and great Yadhu,
In order to add to his fame like the sandalwood tree,
Which is born in the Malaya mountains to enhance the glory of the mountain.

16.Apare vasudevasya devakyaam yachitho abhyagaath,
Ajasthwamasya kshemaya vadhaya cha suradwishaam.

Others say that though you are birth less,
You were born to Vasudeva and Devaki ,
As an answer to their prayer and for,
Killing of all the enemies of Devas.

17.Bharava thaaranayanye bhuvo naava ivodhadhou,
Seedhanthyaa bhoori bharena jatho hyatha bhuvathithaa.

Other say that you appeared like a boat in a great sea,
To take away the burden of earth , which appeared sinking,
As an answer to the prayers of Lord Brahma.

18.Bhave asmin kilasya maana nama vidhyaa kama karmabhi,
Sravana smanaarhani karishyannathi kechane.

Some people tell that you have descended on earth,
To do acts fit to be heard or dealt with,
Even by those who are being tormented in this world,
Of ignorance , desire and selfish acts.

19.Sruvanthi, gayanthi grunanthyabhhekshnasa smaranthi nandanthi thavehitham janaa,
Tha yeva pasyanth yachirena thavakam bhava pravahoparam padaambhujam.

The people who are partial to you listen ,
Sing, repeat to others and meditate,
And would alone soon see your lotus like feet
That would end waves of life of birth and death.

20.Apyadhya nasthwam swakruthehitha prabho jihaasasi swith suhrudho anujeevina,
Yeshaam na chanyathbhavatha padambujath paraayanam rajasu yojithaamhasaam.

Oh Lord , you always had our interest in mind,
And today you are going away from us ,
And we your friends do not have any other protection ,
Other than, Your lotus like feet
And we have made enemies of other kings,
By inflicting lot of suffering on them by this war.

21.Ke vayam namaroopabhyaam yadhubhi saha pandava,
Bhavatho adarashanam yarhi hrishi kaanas mivesithu.

When your name and form are not with Yadhus and Pandavas,
They all would become like the body without the soul .

22. Neyam shobhishyathe thathra yadhe dhanam gadha dhara,
Thwad padai rangitha bhathi swa lakshana vilakshithai.

Oh Lord with the mace , this earth will not shine the as it does now,
As it would not be adorned by your feet and would not have great symbols.

23. Ime jana padhaa svruddhaa supa koushaadhi virudha,
Vanadhri nadhy dhan vantho hyedhanthe thava veekshithai.

This territory with its forests, hills , ripe crops and vegetation,
Will flourish only when they receive your benign glances.

24. Adha Vishwesa vishwathman Viswamoorthe swakeshu may,
Sneha pasam imam chindhi drudam pandushu Vrushneshu.

So Lord of the universe, soul of the universe, personification of the universe,
Please cut off the strong bondage that I have to the clan of Pandu and Vrushni.

25.Twayi may ananya vishayaa mathir madhupathe asakruth,
Rathi mudhwahatha dhaddhaa gadgai vouga mudhanwathi.


Oh Lord of honey, let my mind not go to any other aspects other than you,
And let it be flowing towards you like the Ganges flows towards the sea.

26. Sri Krishna , Krisha sakha vrushnyrusha bhava nidhrug rajaanvyam sadha hanaa napa varga veerya,
Govnda godwija surarthi haravathara yogeswarakhila guro Bhagavan namasthe.

Oh Lord Krishna, friend of Arjuna, greatest in the clan of Vrushni,
You are the fire that which burns the princes who harm this earth,
Oh Govinda, who has taken birth to relieve the distress of all cows,
Al Brahmins and all gods, I salute you Oh teacher, Oh God.