Lord Venkateswara: Who He Is, With the Venkateswara Stotram

Who is Lord Venkateswara?

Lord Venkateswara is worshipped as a form of Vishnu. In Tirumala temple tradition, his consort is the goddess Padmavathi. He is depicted with four hands, with the Sudarshana Chakra in his right rear hand. Also known as Balaji, he is the presiding deity of Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh. The core Sri Venkateswara Stotram is a hymn of eleven verses in his praise. It is part of the Venkateswara Suprabhatam, traditionally attributed to Prativadi Bhayankara Annan. The stotram is recited as part of the Suprabhatam service at Tirumala each morning.

Sri Venkateswara Stotram lyrics and meaning

Below are the 15 passages of the Sri Venkateswara Stotram as sung in the recording Diya plays, with the words in English letters under the original script and their meaning in English. The meaning of 1 passage is still being reviewed and is marked.

Words (original script and transliteration)	Meaning in English
कमलाकुचचूचुककुङ्कुमतो नियतारुणितातुलनीलतनो कमलायतलोचन लोकपते विजयी भव वेङ्कटशैलपते kamalaa-kucha-choochuka-kunkumato niyataarunitaatula-neelatano kamalaayata-lochana lokapate vijayee bhava venkata-shailapate	Lord of Venkata Hill, lord of the world, with eyes wide as lotuses: may you be victorious! Your incomparable blue body is always tinged red by the kumkuma powder on Kamala's nipples.
सचतुर्मुखषण्मुखपञ्चमुख प्रमुखाखिलदैवतमौलिमणे शरणागतवत्सल सारनिधे परिपालय मां वृषशैलपते sachaturmukha-shanmukha-panchamukha pramukhaakhila-daivata-maulimane sharanaagata-vatsala saaranidhe paripaalaya maam vrisha-shailapate	Lord of Vrisha Hill, protect me! You are the crown jewel of all the gods, led by four-faced Brahma, six-faced Skanda, and five-faced Shiva; you cherish those who seek refuge and are a treasury of excellence.
अतिवेलतया तव दुर्विषहैः अनुवेलकृतैरपराधशतैः भरितं त्वरितं वृषशैलपते परया कृपया परिपाहि हरे ativelatayaa tava durvishahaih anuvela-kritair-aparaadha-shataih bharitam tvaritam vrisha-shailapate parayaa kripayaa paripaahi hare	Hari, Lord of Vrisha Hill, quickly protect me with your supreme compassion. I am burdened with hundreds of offenses committed again and again, so excessive that they are hard for you to bear.
अधिवेङ्कटशैलमुदारमतेः जनताभिमताधिकदानरतात् परदेवतया गदितान्निगमैः कमलादयितान्न परं कलये adhi-venkata-shailam-udaaramateh janataabhimataadhika-daana-rataat paradevatayaa gaditaan-nigamaih kamalaa-dayitaanna param kalaye	I recognize none higher than Kamala's beloved, who dwells on Venkata Hill: generous in spirit, delighting in giving people more than they desire, and proclaimed by the Vedas to be the supreme deity.
कलवेणुरवावशगोपवधू शतकोटिवृतात्स्मरकोटिसमात् प्रतिवल्लविकाभिमतात्सुखदात् वसुदेवसुतान्न परं कलये kala-venu-ravaavasha-gopa-vadhoo shata-koti-vritaat-smara-koti-samaat prati-vallavikaabhimataat-sukhadaat vasudeva-sutaanna param kalaye	I recognize none higher than Krishna, Vasudeva's son, who gives joy to the cowherd women captivated by his sweet flute and whose beauty rivals ten million Kamadevas.
अभिरामगुणाकरदाशरथे जगदेकधनुर्धर धीरमते रघुनायक रामरमेश विभो वरदो भव देव दयाजलधे abhiraama-gunaakara-daasharathe jagadeka-dhanurdhara dheera-mate raghu-naayaka raama-ramesha vibho varado bhava deva dayaa-jaladhe	Son of Dasharatha, treasury of delightful qualities, unrivaled archer of the world, steadfast in mind; Rama, leader of Raghu's line, lord of Lakshmi, mighty Lord and ocean of compassion: be a giver of boons!
अवनी तनया कमनीयकरं रजनीकरचारुमुखाम्बुरुहम् रजनीचरराजतमोमिहिरम् महनीयमहं रघुराममये avanee tanayaa kamaneeya-karam rajaneekara-chaaru-mukhaamburuham rajaneechara-raaja-tamo-mihiram mahaneeyamaham raghu-raama-maye	I seek the revered Rama of Raghu's line, whose hand is dear to Sita, daughter of the Earth, whose lotus face is lovely as the moon, and who is the sun that dispels the darkness of Ravana, king of the night-roaming demons.
सुमुखं सुहृदं सुलभं सुखदं sumukham suhridam sulabham sukhadam	Rama has a lovely face and a friendly heart; he is easy to approach and gives happiness.
स्वनुजं च सुखायम् अमोघशरम् svanujam cha sukhaayam amogha-sharam	Meaning still under review.
अपहाय रघूद्वहमन्यमहं न कथञ्चन कञ्चन जातु भजे apahaaya raghoodvaham-anyamaham na kathanchana kanchana jaatu bhaje	I will never, in any way, worship anyone else in place of Rama, bearer of Raghu's line.
ॐ Om	The sacred syllable Om.
विना वेङ्कटेशं न नाथो न नाथः सदा वेङ्कटेशं स्मरामि स्मरामि हरे वेङ्कटेश प्रसीद प्रसीद प्रियं वेङ्कटेश प्रयच्छ प्रयच्छ vinaa venkatesham na naatho na naathah sadaa venkatesham smaraami smaraami hare venkatesha praseeda praseeda priyam venkatesha prayachchha prayachchha	Without Venkatesha, I have no lord, no lord. Always I remember Venkatesha, I remember him. Hari, Venkatesha, be gracious, be gracious. Venkatesha, grant what I cherish, grant it.
अहं दूरतस्ते पदाम्भोजयुग्म प्रणामेच्छयागत्य सेवां करोमि सकृत्सेवया नित्यसेवाफलं त्वं प्रयच्छ प्रयच्छ प्रभो वेङ्कटेश aham doorataste padaambhoja-yugma pranaamechchhayaa-gatya sevaam karomi sakrit-sevayaa nitya-sevaa-phalam tvam prayachchha prayachchha prabho venkatesha	I have come from afar, longing to bow to your pair of lotus feet, and I offer you service. Lord Venkatesha, for this single act of service, grant me, grant me, the fruit of serving you always.
अज्ञानिना मया दोषान् अशेषान् विहितान् हरे क्षमस्व त्वं क्षमस्व त्वं शेषशैलशिखामणे ajnaaninaa mayaa doshaan asheshaan vihitaan hare kshamasva tvam kshamasva tvam shesha-shaila-shikhaamane	Hari, crowning jewel of Shesha Hill, all the faults I have committed in ignorance: forgive them, forgive them.
हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare hare raama hare raama raama raama hare hare	O Hare, O Krishna, O Rama: I call to you again and again.

Diya's English explains each passage in plain language; it is not a word-for-word translation.

Prayers to Lord Venkateswara

• Srinivasa Suprabhatam: Venkateswara Suprabhatam Full Text
• Govinda Namalu Lyrics in English, With Meaning

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• Srinivasa Suprabhatam: Venkateswara Suprabhatam Full Text
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