Pratah Smaranam is a stotram consisting of verses that are to be recited in the morning soon after waking up from the bed. It is a prayer that invokes all that is sacred in the land of Bharat, from the Goddesses, to Mother Earth, to the Primeval Deities, our ancient Sages, the Seven Worlds, to the Immortals — in fact, everything around us is sacred and this Mantra is a perfect way of Invoking the Divinity in the morning…
Salutations to Divinity:
कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मिः करमध्ये सरस्वति ।
करमूले तु गोविन्दः प्रभाते करदर्शनम् ॥
Karaagre Vasate Lakssmih Karamadhye Sarasvati |
Karamuule Tu Govindah Prabhaate Karadarshanam ||
On the tip of my hands resides Lakshmi (the Goddess of Prosperity) (fingers are our working tools)
In my palms resides Saraswati (the Goddess of Knowledge) (knowledge controls your destiny)
At the base of my hands resides Govinda (Vishnu: the God of Sustenance) (for good health and vibrant energy)
In the morning I take blessings of all three with reverence in my palms.
Salutations to Mother Earth:
समुद्रवसने देवि पर्वतस्तनमण्डले ।
विष्णुपत्नि नमस्तुभ्यं पादस्पर्शं क्षमस्वमे ॥
Samudra-Vasane Devi Parvata-Stana-Mannddale |
Vissnnu-Patni Namas-Tubhyam Paada-Sparsham Kssamasva-Me ||
Oh Mother Goddess, who has ocean as her garments and mountains as her bosom,
Who is the consort of Lord Vishnu, I bow to you.
Please forgive me for touching you with my feet.
Salutations to the Primeval Deities and the Nine planets:
ब्रह्मा, मुरारी, त्रिपुरान्त्कारी,
भानुः, शशी, भूमिसुतो, बुधस्चः |
गुरुश्च, शुक्रः, शनि-राहु-केतवः
कुर्वन्तु सर्वे मम सुप्रभातम् ||
Brahma Murari Tripurantakari
Bhanuh Sasi Bhumisuto Budhascha I
Guruscha Sukrah Sani-Rahu Ketavah
Kurvantu sarve mama suprabhatam II
Brahma, Vishnu , Shiva the destroyer of three cities,
Sun, Moon, Mercury who is the son of Earth,
Jupiter, Venus, Rahu and Kethu,
May all these make my morning auspicious for me!
Homage to the Sages:
भृगु वशिष्ठ क्रतु अङ्गिरासा
मनुः पुलत्स्य पुलहसः गौथमः |
रैभ्यो मरीचिः च्यवनः दक्षः
कुर्वन्तु सर्वे मम सुप्रभातम् ||
Bhrigur Vasishtha Krathur Angirasa
Manuh Pulasthya Pulahassa Gowthama
Raibhyo Marichihi Chyavana Dakshaha
Kuruvantu sarve mama suprabhatam.
Sages Bhrigu, Vasishtha, Kratu, Angeerasa,
Manu, Pulasthya, Pulaha, Gowthama
Raibhya, Mareechi, Chyavana and Daksha
May all of them make my morning auspicious for me !
Homage to Sanatkumara, ancient Rishis, the Seven Svara and the Seven Nether-worlds:
सनत्कुमारः सनकः सनन्दनः
सनातनो प्यसुरिपिङ्गलौच |
सप्त स्वराः सप्त रसातलानि
कुर्वन्तु सर्वे मम सुप्रभातम् ||
Sanatkumarah Sankah Sanandanah
Sanatano pyasuripingalaucha I
Sapta Svarah sapta rasatalani
Kurvantu sarve mama suprabhatam II
Sages Sanatkumara, Sanaka, Sanadana and Sanatana,
Asuri, Pingala; the Seven Notes (Sarja, Rsabha, Gandhara, Madhyam, Panchama, Dhaivata and Nisada);
and the seven Nether-worlds (Atla, Vitala, Sutala, Talatala, Rasatala, Mahatala and Patala),
May all these make my morning auspicious for me !
Homage to Seven Oceans, Mountains, Sages, Continents, Forests and Heavens:
सप्तर्णवाः सप्त कुलाचलश्य
सप्तर्षयो दुवीपवनानि सप्त |
भुरदिकृत्वा भुवनानि सप्त
कुर्वन्तु सर्वे मम सुप्रभातम् ||
Saptarnavah sapta kulacha lascha
Saptarsayo dvipavananai sapta |
Bhuradi krtva bhuvanani sapta
Kurvantu sarve mama suprabhatam ||
The seven oceans ( Lavanabdhi, Iksu, Suravarpa, Ajay, Dadhi, Ksira and Svadu-jala),
the seven mountains (Mahendra, Malaya, Sahydri, Suktiman, Rkasavan, Vindhya and Pariyatra): the seven Rishis (Kasyapa , Atri, Bharadvaja, Vivamita, Gautama, Jamadagni and Vasistha),
the seven continents (Jambu, Plaksa, Salmala, Kusa, Kroncha, Saka and Puskara),
the seven forests (Dandakaranya, Khandarany, Champakaranya, Vedaranya, Naimisaranya, Brahmaranys and Dharmaranya)
and the seven worlds (Bhuh, Bhuvah, Svah Mahah, Janah, Traph and Satyam)
May all these make my morning auspicious for me !
Homage to the five basic Elements:
पृथ्वी सगन्धा सरसतथापः
स्प्शीर्च वयुर्ज्वलनामच तेजः |
नभः ससब्दं महता सहैव
कुर्वन्तु सर्वे मम सुप्रभातम् ||
Prthvi Sagandha sarasatathapah
sparsi cha vayurjvalanama cha tejah I
Nabhah sasabdam mahata sahaiva
kurvantu sarve mama suprabhatam II
The Earth with its quality of smell
Water with its quality of taste
Air with its quality of touch
Fire with its quality of glow
Akasa (space) with its quality of sound
May all these elements along with the element of intellect make my morning auspicious for me!
इत्थं प्रभाते परमं पवित्रं
पठेत् स्मरेद्वा शृणुयाच्च तत्वदः ।
दुःस्वप्ननाशस्त्विह सुप्रभातं
भवेच नित्यम् भग्वत् प्रसादः ||
Ittham Prabhaate Paramam Pavitram
Patthet Smared-Vaa Shrnnuyaac-Ca Bhaktyaa |
Duhsvapna-Naashastv-Iha Suprabhaatam
Kurvantu Sarve Mama Suprabhaatam ||
Reciting, remembering or listening of this purifying hymn
early in the morning with devotion has the quality of
destroying bad dreams and making the
morning auspicious by the grace of the Divine.
वैन्यं पृथु हैःयमर्जुनं च
शाकुन्त्लेयं भरतं नलं च |
रामं चयो वै स्मरति प्रभाते
तस्यर्थलाभो विजयश्च हस्ते ||
Vainyam Prthum Haihayamarjunam cha
Sakuntaleyam Bharatam Nalam cha |
Ramam cha yo vai smarati prabhate
Tasyarthalabho vijayascha haste ||
Prthu, son of King Vena, Sahasrarjuna of Haihaya Dynasty,
Bharata, Raja Nala, and the ideal king Sri Rama,
He who remembers them in the morning
acquires affluence and always comes out victorious.
बली विभीषणः भीष्मः
प्रह्लाद नारदः ध्रुवः |
शदे ते वैष्णवः प्रातः स्मरन् पापः नाशनं
अश्वत्थामा बली व्यासः हनुमनस्चः विभीषणः ||
Balir Vibheeshano Bheeshmah
Prahlado Narado Dhruva
shadae te vaishnavah protah smaram papa nashanam
Ashwatthama balir Vyaso Hanumaashcah Vibheeshana
Bali, Vibheeshana, Bheeshma, Pralhad, Narad, Dhruv,
These six are called Vashnava [devotees of Lord Vishnu], remembering whom destroys sins.
Ashwatthama, Bali, Vyasa, Hanuman, Vibheeshana,
कृपा परशुरमश्चः सप्तैतेः चिरञ्जीविनः
सप्तैतेः स्मरेन्नित्यं मार्कण्डेयः अथष्तमं
जीवेः तवर्षशतं सान्ग्रं अपंर्युतु विवर्जितः
कुर्वन्तु सर्वे मम सुप्रभातम् ||
Kripah Parashuramashchah saptaite chirajivinah
saptaitaan smarenityam Maarkandeyam athashtamam
jeeve tvarshashatam saangram apamryutu vivarjitaha
kuruvantu sarve mama suprabhatam
Kripah and Parashurama
These seven are Chiranjeevee (forever living)
These seven immortals should be remembered and Markandeya, the Eighth one
The one who does this will live for hundred years avoiding accidental deaths.
May all these make my morning auspicious for me!
~ Ravindra Sathe and Sadhana Sargam, from the album, Morning Mantras
