Lord Ayyappa

dharmaśāśtā stotram (śrī bhāratī tīrtha kṛtam)

(Dharmashasta Stotram in English (IAST))

Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamigal

Composed by His Holiness Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamigal, the former Shankaracharya of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, this stotra offers profound salutations to Lord Dharmashasta, popularly known as Lord Ayyappa. The verses celebrate the deity as the protector of Dharma, emphasizing his role as the divine upholder of cosmic order as delineated in the Upanishads. Chanting this hymn invokes the grace of the Lord, fostering inner discipline, righteousness, and spiritual clarity. It serves as a powerful meditative tool for devotees seeking to align their lives with eternal Vedic principles and attain divine protection during their spiritual journey.

jagatpratiṣṭhāheturyaḥ dharmaḥ śrutyantakīrtitaḥ |
tasyāpi śāstā yo devastaṃ sadā samupāśraye || 1 ||
śrīśaṅkarācāryaiḥ śivāvatāraiḥ
dharmapracārāya samastakāle |
susthāpitaṃ śṛṅgamahīdhravarye
pīṭhaṃ yatīndrāḥ paribhūṣayanti || 2 ||
teṣveva karmandivareṣu vidyā-
-tapodhaneṣu prathitānubhāvaḥ |
vidyāsutīrtho'bhinavo'dya yogī
śāstāramālokayituṃ pratasthe || 3 ||
dharmasya goptā yatipuṅgavo'yaṃ
dharmasya śāstāramavaikṣateti |
yuktaṃ tadetadyubhayostayorhi
sammelanaṃ lokahitāya nūnam || 4 ||
kāle'smin kalimaladūṣite'pi dharmaḥ
śrauto'yaṃ na khalu vilopamāpa tatra |
hetuḥ khalvayamiha nūnameva nānyaḥ
śāstā'ste sakalajanaikavandyapādaḥ || 5 ||
jñānaṃ ṣaḍāsyavaratātakṛpaikalabhyaṃ
mokṣastu tārkṣyavaravāhadayaikalabhyaḥ |
jñānaṃ ca mokṣa ubhayaṃ tu vinā śrameṇa
prāpyaṃ janaiḥ hariharātmajasatprasādāt || 6 ||
yamaniyamādisametaiḥ yatacittairyogibhiḥ sadā dhyeyam |
śāstāraṃ hṛdi kalaye dhātāraṃ sarvalokasya || 7 ||
śabaragirinivāsaḥ sarvalokaikapūjyaḥ
natajanasukhakārī namrahṛttāpahārī |
tridaśaditijasevyaḥ svargamokṣapradātā
hariharasutadevaḥ santataṃ śaṃ tanotu || 8 ||
iti śṛṅgeri jagadguru śrī śrī bhāratītīrtha mahāsvāmibhiḥ viracitaṃ dharmaśāstā stotram |

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