Shlokas · Daily prayers

Daily Prayer Shlokas

Short Sanskrit shlokas recited through the day in Hindu homes — on waking, before study, before meals, when lighting the lamp and at the end of prayers. Many children learn these as their first prayers.

When to recite: Each shloka belongs to a moment of the day, given in its heading. They are often taught to children and recited together as a family.

On waking — Kara Darshanam

1. कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मीः करमध्ये सरस्वती ।
   करमूले तु गोविन्दः प्रभाते करदर्शनम् ॥

   karāgre vasate lakṣmīḥ karamadhye sarasvatī |
   karamūle tu govindaḥ prabhāte karadarśanam ||

   At the tips of the fingers dwells Lakshmi, in the middle of the palm Saraswati, and at the base Govinda. So, on waking, look at your hands.

Before beginning any work — Ganesha

1. वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटि समप्रभ ।
   निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा ॥

   vakratuṇḍa mahākāya sūryakoṭi samaprabha |
   nirvighnaṃ kuru me deva sarvakāryeṣu sarvadā ||

   O Lord with the curved trunk and mighty body, radiant as ten million suns, remove all obstacles from everything I do, always.

To the Guru

1. गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः ।
   गुरुः साक्षात् परब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

   gururbrahmā gururviṣṇuḥ gururdevo maheśvaraḥ |
   guruḥ sākṣāt parabrahma tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ||

   The Guru is Brahma, the Guru is Vishnu, the Guru is the god Maheshvara; the Guru is the Supreme Brahman itself. Salutations to that revered Guru.

Before study — Saraswati

1. सरस्वति नमस्तुभ्यं वरदे कामरूपिणि ।
   विद्यारम्भं करिष्यामि सिद्धिर्भवतु मे सदा ॥

   sarasvati namastubhyaṃ varade kāmarūpiṇi |
   vidyārambhaṃ kariṣyāmi siddhirbhavatu me sadā ||

   Salutations to you, Saraswati, giver of boons, who takes any form at will. I am beginning my studies — may I always succeed.

To Vishnu

1. शान्ताकारं भुजगशयनं पद्मनाभं सुरेशं
   विश्वाधारं गगनसदृशं मेघवर्णं शुभाङ्गम् ।
   लक्ष्मीकान्तं कमलनयनं योगिभिर्ध्यानगम्यं
   वन्दे विष्णुं भवभयहरं सर्वलोकैकनाथम् ॥

   śāntākāraṃ bhujagaśayanaṃ padmanābhaṃ sureśaṃ
   viśvādhāraṃ gaganasadṛśaṃ meghavarṇaṃ śubhāṅgam |
   lakṣmīkāntaṃ kamalanayanaṃ yogibhirdhyānagamyaṃ
   vande viṣṇuṃ bhavabhayaharaṃ sarvalokaikanātham ||

   I bow to Vishnu — of peaceful form, resting on the serpent, with a lotus at his navel, lord of the gods, support of the universe, vast as the sky, dark as a cloud, of auspicious form, beloved of Lakshmi, lotus-eyed, reached by yogis in meditation, remover of the fear of worldly life, the one lord of all the worlds.

To Hanuman

1. मनोजवं मारुततुल्यवेगं जितेन्द्रियं बुद्धिमतां वरिष्ठम् ।
   वातात्मजं वानरयूथमुख्यं श्रीरामदूतं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥

   manojavaṃ mārutatulyavegaṃ jitendriyaṃ buddhimatāṃ variṣṭham |
   vātātmajaṃ vānarayūthamukhyaṃ śrīrāmadūtaṃ śaraṇaṃ prapadye ||

   I take refuge in the messenger of Shri Rama — swift as the mind and fast as the wind, master of the senses, foremost among the wise, son of the Wind, chief of the monkey host.

To the Goddess

1. सर्वमङ्गलमाङ्गल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थसाधिके ।
   शरण्ये त्र्यम्बके गौरि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

   sarvamaṅgalamāṅgalye śive sarvārthasādhike |
   śaraṇye tryambake gauri nārāyaṇi namo’stu te ||

   O most auspicious of all that is auspicious, consort of Shiva, who fulfils every aim, our refuge, three-eyed Gauri — Narayani, salutations to you.

When lighting the lamp

1. शुभं करोति कल्याणम् आरोग्यं धनसम्पदा ।
   शत्रुबुद्धिविनाशाय दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

   śubhaṃ karoti kalyāṇam ārogyaṃ dhanasampadā |
   śatrubuddhivināśāya dīpajyotirnamo’stu te ||

   Salutations to the light of the lamp, which brings goodness, well-being, health and prosperity, and destroys hostile thoughts.

Before meals (Bhagavad Gita 4.24)

1. ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।
   ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥

   brahmārpaṇaṃ brahma havirbrahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam |
   brahmaiva tena gantavyaṃ brahmakarmasamādhinā ||

   The offering is Brahman, the oblation is Brahman, offered by Brahman into the fire of Brahman. Brahman is reached by one who sees Brahman in every action.

For the welfare of all

1. ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
   सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ॥

   oṃ sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ sarve santu nirāmayāḥ |
   sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu mā kaścidduḥkhabhāgbhavet ||

   May all be happy, may all be free from illness, may all see what is good, and may no one suffer.

From darkness to light (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad)

1. ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय ।
   तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।
   मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय ।
   ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

   oṃ asato mā sadgamaya |
   tamaso mā jyotirgamaya |
   mṛtyormā amṛtaṃ gamaya |
   oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||

   Lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality. Om, peace, peace, peace.

Peace invocation (Isha Upanishad)

1. ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पूर्णमुदच्यते ।
   पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥

   oṃ pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṃ pūrṇātpūrṇamudacyate |
   pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate ||

   That is whole, this is whole; from the whole the whole arises. Taking the whole from the whole, the whole alone remains.