Kurma Stotram

(Prayer to the incarnation of Tortoise)

 

Translated by

 

P.R.Ramachander

 

(Koorma (Tortoise) is the second incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He took this incarnation to help devas to act as the base for the mandhara mountain which was used to churn the ocean. This rare stotra is taken from a very dilapidated Malayalam stotra book, whose name or publishers are not known to me.)

 

Namami  they deva padaravindam,

Prapanna thapopa samatha pathram,

Yan moola hethou  yathayo agna soru,

Samsara dukham  Bahiruthkshi panthi.                         1

 

Oh God I salute your lotus like feet,

Which is like an umbrella preventing heat,

Due to its basic reason  the learned sages,

Get rid of the sorrows  of this world from their mind.

 

Dhathar dasmin  bhava eesa jeevaa,

Sthapathrayeno  apahathaa na sarma,

Aathmam labhanthe  bhagavamsthvangri,

Cchayaam sa  vidhyamara maasreyama.                        2

 

Oh God, please give me relief from the sorrows,

As   I will take rest  in the shades of your feet,

As no being gets relieved of the three types of suffering,

And  these type of sufferings do not come near your feet.

 

Marganthi yathe mukha padma needai,

Chandha  suparnaryashayo vivikthe,

Yasyaghamarshodha  saridhwaraya,

Pade padam theertha padam prapanna.                           3

 

Yach sradhaya  srutha vathya cha bhakthya,

Samsrujy mane  hrudhaye vadhaya,

Jnanena vairagya balena dheera,

Vrujema thathengri  Saroja peetam.                                 4

 

Oh God , Guided by the birds called Vedas,

Which are used to live in your lotus like face,

Is your holy divine lotus like feet,

Which is searched in solitude by he sages,

Which makes them live in the shores of sacred rivers,

And which they establish in their mind,

By  the use of devotion and attention,

As well as which they  establish in their heart,

Using the path of wisdom and renunciation,

And we completely surrender to it.

 

Viswasya janma sthithi samyamarthe,

Krutha avatharasya  padambhujam they,

Vrujema  sarve saranam yadheesa,

Smrutham prayachathya bhayam  swapumsam.                             5

 

For the sake of creation , upkeep and destruction,

Of the world is the incarnation that you took,

And we all surrender to your lotus like feet,

For meditating on it , gives protection to devotees.

 

Yasyanu bandhe asathi  deha gehe,

Mamaha mithyooda duragrahaanaam,

Pumsaam  sudhooram vasatho vipuryaam,

Bhajema  thathe  Bhagawan padabhjam.                                          6

 

The man who does not think about you,

Is wrongly too much attached to body, home  and self,

And so  we are saluting the lotus like feet,

Which exists very , very far away.

 

Panena they deva kadha sudhaya,

Pravrudha bhakthyaa visa daasayaa ye,

Vairagya saram  prathilabhya bodham,

Yadhaanjasanveeyura kunta dhishnyam.                                             7

 

Due to the large amount of devotion ,

Some people with a pure heart ,

Hearing your nectar like story ,

Receive great wisdom by renunciation,

And suddenly get that destruction less state.

 

Thadhapare  chathma Samadhi yoga,

Balena jithwa prakruthim balishtaam,

Thwameva dheeraa pursha  visanthi,

THesham srama syanna thu sevaya they.                                             8

 

Like that  others who are very wise,

By the strength of their Athma Samadhi,

Win over the very strong illusion,

And attain you and do not find it difficult.

 

Thathe vayam loka si sraksha yadhya,

Thwa yanu srushta  sthribhirathmabhi sma,

Sarve viyukthaa  swa vihara thanthram,

Na saknumasthath prathiharthave they.                                                 9

 

Thinking that we should serve you like that,

Possibly you have decided to ignore us,

Who have been created   by you at the time.

Of creation  by Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu,

And we are not able to understand your secret.

 

Yavad balim theja harama kale,

Yadhaa vayanjanna  madhama yathra,

Thadho bhayeshaam  tha imehi lokaa,

Balim  haranthonna  madanthya nooha.                                               10

 

Oh God we are providing you with the sacrifice,

And telling your name  eat food,

And similarly the ordinary people  give you sacrifice,

 And eat the food after offering it to you.

 

Thwam na surname asi saanwayaanaam,

Kootastha aadhya  puusha Purana,

Thwam deva shakthyaam  guna karma yonow,

Rethsthwajayam kavi rathatheja.                                                             11

 

Oh God you are the protector of all devas,

You are stable, the first primeval one ,

You are the power of devas ,

You are the birth place and result of everything,

And you have taken up yourself the job of care of the universe,

And for that you have deposited your male power.

 

Ththo vayam sath pramukhayathathe ,

Bhaboovimathman karavama kim they,

Thwam na swachakshu paridehi shakthya,

Deva kriyatrha  yadanugrahaanaam.                                                         12

 

Oh God what should we the sages do,

To get good results of our intentions,

Please give us the capacity ,

To obey the directions of your blessed sight.