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Shlokas
Gurukul





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Salt Lake City Gurkul is a forum for children to discover, learn and appreciate their
cultural roots, Indian and Hindu values. This is done through didactic teaching of Hindi
language, games, yoga, stories especially those from Ramayan and Mahabharat, shlokas,
bahajans, atrs and crafts. There is no fee associated with Gurkul attendance.
Chant this when you wake
up in the morning


Sanskrit to English Word Meaning
Karagre - on the tip of your fingers
Vasate - dwells
Lakshmi - the Goddess of Prosperity;
Karamadhye - palm;
Saraswati - the Goddess of Knowledge Saraswati
Karamule - in the wrist
Tu - whereas
Govindah - the Lord Govindah
Prabhate - in the morning
Karadarshanam - look at your palm

Translation
On the tip of your fingers is Goddess Lakshmi; on the palm is Goddess Saraswati; in the wrist is Lord
Govinda. In this manner, look at your palm. Some times the words karamule sthite Gowri are seen
instead of kara mule tu Govinda!. With this substitution, we are praying Laxmi, Saraswati and
Durga for giving us wealth, the appropriate knowledge to use that wealth, and the strength to sustain
us.

Brief Explanation
This is a morning prayer called karadarshana. One begins the day with this prayer. Kara means
the palm of the hand and it stands for the five karmendriyas, or the organs of action. While looking at
the palm, one invokes the Lord in the form of various deities, thus sanctifying all the actions that will
be done during the day. By acknowledging the Lord as the giver of the capacity to perform actions
and as the giver of the fruits of those actions, one sanctifies the actions. Thus, one prays in the
morning to reinforce the attitude that all actions are performed as a service to the Lord.

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Karagre vasate lakshmi
kara madhye saraswati
kara mule tu govindah
prabhaate kara darshanam
Chant this when you rst step
out of bed in the morning

Sanskrit to English Word Meaning
Samudra-vasane devi! - O ocean-robed goddess!
Parvatha-sthana-mandale! The mountain ranges are your bosoms (adorned prettily by the
mountains). mandithe is also correct
Vishnu-patni namastubhyam - Salutations, O wife of ViShnu, Paadasparsham
Kshamasva me - Forgive my treading (upon) you

Translation
(Oh Mother Earth) The Devi Who is having Ocean as Her Garments and Mountains as Her Bosom,
Who is the Consort of Sri Vishnu, I Bow to You; Please Forgive Us for Touching You with Our Feet.




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Samudravasane devi
parvatsthanmandale
Vishnupatni
namastubhyam
padsparsham kshamaswa
me
Chant this when taking a bath

Sanskrit to English Word Meaning
Ganga, Yamana, Godavari, Saraswathi, Narmada, Sindhu, Kaveri - names of holy
Indian rivers
Ca - of
Jalesmin- In this water
Sannidhim - presence
Kuru - Invoke

Translation
In this water, I invoke the presence of holy waters from the rivers Ganga, Yamana, Godavari,
Saraswathi, Narmada, Sindhu (Indus) and Kaveri.

Brief Explanation
An important part of ritual purification in Hinduism is the bathing of the entire body. It is considered
auspicious to perform this form of purification before any festival, before visiting a temple or
performing a pooja. One not only purifies ones body but also the mind during taking a bath. Such a
purificatory bath is ultimate if it is done in the sacred waters of some great rivers of India like the
river Ganga. Hence one chants this shloka invoking the presence of holy waters while taking a bath.




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Gange cha yamune chaiva
godavari saraswathi
narmade sindhu kaveri jalesmin
sannidhim kuru
Chant this when lighting the
lamp to the deity of your choice



Sanskrit to English Word Meaning
Subham - auspiciousness
karoti - which brings
kalyaanam - prosperity
arogyam - good health
dhanasampadah - abundance of wealth
shatrubuddhih - of the intellects enemy (ignorance)
vinashaaya - for the destruction
dipajyotir - that lamplight
namosthuthe - I salute thee

Translation
I salute the One who is the lamplight that brings auspiciousness, prosperity, good health, abundance
of wealth, and the destruction of the intellects enemy (ignorance).

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Shubham karoti kalyaanam
aarogyam dhana sampadaa
shatru buddhir vinaashaaya dipa
jyotir namostute
Chant this when circumambulating



Sanskrit to English Word Meaning
yani kani cha - whatever
paapaani - sins
janmantara - all my lives
krtani cha - committed
tani tani- those
vinashyanti- destroy
pradakshina- circumambulation
pade pade- with every step

Translation
O Bhagawan! Whatever sins I have committed all my lives (including previous lives), please destroy
them at every step I take around you.

Brief Explanation
Pradakshina, meaning circumambulation, consists of walking around in a clockwise circle around the
deity, as a form of worship in Hindu ceremonies. We see people doing this at our temples where they
go around in circles either chanting some shlokas or just walking with pure devotion. In that context,
this shloka can be sung where in, one asks the lord for forgiveness from the sins that he/she has
committed with every step taken during the Pradakshina.

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Yaani kaani cha paapaani
janmaantara krtani cha
taani taani vinashyanti
pradakshina pade pade
Chant this when taking food




Sanskrit to English Word Meaning
Brahma - The Supreme Lord
Arpanam - offering
Brahma - The Supreme Lord
Havih - clarified butter (offered in in the fire)
Agni - fire
Brahmanahutam - by Brahman in to the fire
Brahmaiva - Brahman will only be
Tena - by the one
Gantavyam - realized/attained
Brahma karma samadhina - considering everything as an act (karma) of Brahman

Translation
Brahman is the oblation (fire sacrifice). Brahman is the ghee (clarified butter, used in a fire sacrifice)
The oblation is poured by Brahman into the fire of Brahman. Brahman shall be realized by the one
who considers everything as (a manifestation or) an act of Brahman.

Brief Explanation
It is customary to offer food before eating to God and chant this shloka. The shloka draws a parallel
between the sacrificial fire (yagna) and the fire of hunger. In essence, the meaning conveyed by the
act of chanting the shloka and by partaking food is as follows: Dear Lord You provide this food, you
are the taster of this food and you!re food. I take this food as a gift from you and I offer this food at
your divine lotus feet.

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Brahmaarpanam brahma havih
Brahmaagnau brahmanaahutam
Brahmaiva tena gantavyam
Brahma karma samaadhina
Chant these when starting any
work




Sanskrit to English Word Meaning
Vakratunda - currved trunk
Mahaakaaya - huge form
koti soorya - a billion suns
samaprabha - equivalent illumination
nirvighnam - no obstacles
Kurume - give me
Deva - God
sarva kaaryeshu - all endeavors
srvadaa - always

Translation
O lord with the curved trunk, with large body, with the effulgence of a billion suns, always remove
the obstacles in all my undertakings.

Brief Explanation
Lord Ganesha is considered the deity for removal of all obstacles in our life. Hence it is customary to
pray to Him first before starting any new activity whether it be pooja, new business or a new journey.
Thinking about the Lord who has a pleasant face (prasanna vadanam) will help us overcome all the
obstacles that might arise in our task. Some times, shubha kaaaryeshu is substituted for sarva
kaaryeshu.

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Vakratunda mahaakaaya koti
soorya samaprabha,
nirvighnam kurumedeva sarva
kaaryeshu sarvadaa
Chant this before studying either
secular or religious texts






Sanskrit to English Word Meaning
Saraswati - o saraswati
Namastubhyam - bow(namah) to you (tubhyam); varadegiver of boons (vara)
kaamaroopini - giver of form/shape to desire (kama)
Vidhyaarambham - start of (Aarambham) studies (vidyaa)
Karishyaami - I will do
Siddhirbhavatu - accomplishments (siddhih) may happen (bhavatu)
me sadaa - always (sadaa) mine (me)

Translation
My salutations to Goddess Saraswathi, the bestower of boons and the fulfiller of my wishes. I begin
my studies seeking your blessings so that I shall always be successful.

Brief Explanation
Goddess Saraswati is considered as the supreme goddess for learning & knowledge. Hence its
customary to start ones studies by chanting this shloka.
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Saraswati namastubhyam varade
kaamaroopini
vidyaarambham karishyaami
siddhirbhavatu me sadaa
Chant these before going to bed at night

Sanskrit to English Word Meaning
Karacharanam - hands and legs
Kritham - do
Vaa - or
Kaayajam - body
Karmajam - actions
Shravana - through the ears
Nayanajam - through the eyes
Vaa - or
Maanasam - mind
Aparaadhaam - faults
Vihitham - sanctioned by the scriptures
Avihihtam - prohibited by the scriptures
sarvam etat - this all
Kshmasva - forgive
jaya jaya - hail hail
karunaanidhe - abode of compassion
Mahadeva

Translation
O Lord, kindly forgive my wrong actions done knowingly or unknowingly, either through my organs
of action (hand, feet and speech) or through my organs of perception (eyes, ears) or by my mind.
Glory to you, Mahadeva, who is the ocean of kindness and compassion, and the cause of happiness.

Brief explanation
Before going to sleep, one ends the day with this prayer. One asks the Lord for forgiveness for wrong
acts that one may have knowingly or knowingly committed during the day. We commit so many
improprieties in our thinking, speech, and bodily actions that we ask your forgiveness O Shambho,
the abode of compassion. While we should take care not to do prohibited actions (such as lying,
hurting, acting out of jealousy, etc), we do some times commit errors even while carrying on the
prescribed actions. In all of these cases, we should seek forgiveness from the Lord and hopefully
learn to be careful in what we think, say, and do.

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Karacharana kritham vaa kaayajam karmajam
vaa
Sravana nayanajam vaa maanasam vaa
aparaadham
Vihitham avihitham vaa sarvam etat kshamasva
Jaya jaya karunaabbdhe Sri Maha Deva
Shambho
Chant these before going to bed at night

Sanskrit to English Word Meaning
Sarve - all
Bhavantu - may be
Sukhinah - happy
Niramayah - free from disease
Badrani - prosperity
Pashyantu - may enjoy
Ma - not
Kaschit - anybody
Duhkhabhag - one who suffers
Bhavet - may be

Translation
May all be happy. May all enjoy health and freedom from disease. May all enjoy prosperity. May
none suffer.

Brief explanation
This prayer is for the prosperity and welfare of humanity. To achieve anything in life, one has to
make an effort and await the results. In addition, many unknown factors and laws influence the
outcome of that effort. By praying to the Lord, one acknowledges these laws as the natural order
inseparable from the Lord, and one acknowledges the Lord as the giver of all results of action.
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Sarve bhavantu sukhinaha sarve
santu niraamayah
sarve bhadrani pashyantu ma
kaschit duhkha bhag bhavet

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