Bhu Stuti Verse 1

The Bhū Stuti is a revered Sanskrit hymn composed by the great philosopher and poet Sri Vedanta Desika. It is a prayer of absolute surrender to Goddess Bhudevi (Mother Earth), the divine consort of Lord Varaha. This verse is the first shloka of the hymn.

Sanskrit Verse

सङ्कल्पकल्पलतिकामवधिं क्षमायाः स्वेच्छावराहमहिषीं सुलभानुकम्पाम् । विश्वस्य मातरमकिञ्चनकामधेनुं विश्वम्भरामशरणः शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥ १॥

Transliteration (IAST)

saṅkalpakalpalatikāmavadhiṃ kṣamāyāḥ svecchāvarāhamahiṣīṃ sulabhānukampām | viśvasya mātaramakiñcanakāmadhenuṃ viśvambharāmaśaraṇaḥ śaraṇaṃ prapadye || 1 ||

Word-by-Word Meaning

Saṅkalpa (सङ्कल्प) – (for mere) thoughts, wishes, or intentions, Kalpa-latikām (कल्पलतिकाम्) – to the wish-fulfilling divine creeper (Kalpalata), Combined (Saṅkalpakalpalatikām) – She who is like the wish-fulfilling creeper that immediately grants whatever one merely thinks of or desires, Avadhiṃ (अवधिं) – the ultimate limit / the utmost boundary, Kṣamāyāḥ (क्षमायाः) – of patience, tolerance, and forgiveness, Svecchā (स्वेच्छा) – by His own independent free will, Varāha (वराह) – Lord Varaha (the boar incarnation of Lord Vishnu), Mahiṣīṃ (महिषीं) – the principal Queen / divine consort, Combined (Svecchāvarāhamahiṣīṃ) – The divine consort of the Lord who assumed the Varaha avatar out of His own free will, Sulabha (सुलभ) – easily accessible / easily attainable, Anukampām (अनुकम्पाम्) – compassion, pity, or mercy, Combined (Sulabhānukampām) – She whose compassion is easily obtained by her devotees, Viśvasya (विश्वस्य) – of the entire universe, Mātaram (मातरम्) – the Mother, Akiñcana (अकिञ्चन) – for the destitute / the helpless / those who have nothing, Kāmadhenuṃ (कामधेनुं) – the wish-fulfilling divine cow (Kamadhenu), Combined (Akiñcanakāmadhenuṃ) – She who acts as the wish-fulfilling cow for the destitute who have no other means, Viśvambharām (विश्वम्भराम्) – to the bearer and sustainer of the universe (a name for Goddess Bhudevi/Mother Earth), Aśaraṇaḥ (अशरणः) – one who is helpless and has no other refuge, Śaraṇaṃ (शरणं) – as my sole refuge / shelter, Prapadye (प्रपद्ये) – I surrender / I seek / I attain

Overall Meaning

“Being completely helpless and having no other refuge, I surrender unto Goddess Viśvambharā (Bhudevi, who sustains the universe). She acts as a wish-fulfilling creeper that grants desires at mere thought, and She is the ultimate boundary of patience and forgiveness. She is the divine consort of the Lord who assumed the Varaha form by His own free will. She is the Mother of the entire universe, easily moved to compassion, and the wish-fulfilling Kamadhenu (divine cow) for the destitute.”