आदित्य हृदयम्
Āditya Hṛdayam
Deity
surya
Verses
21
Recitation
~8 min
Best Day
Sunday
The Aditya Hridayam is from the Yuddha Kanda (Sarga 107) of Valmiki's Ramayana. On the battlefield of Lanka, exhausted and facing Ravana for the final time, Lord Rama is approached by sage Agastya, who reveals this ancient hymn to the Sun. Reciting it, Rama gains renewed strength and slays Ravana that very day.
The stotra praises Surya not merely as a luminary but as the supreme being — Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and all gods in one form. It is traditionally recited at sunrise on Sundays, on Ratha Saptami, on Makar Sankranti, and at any time when one needs courage, health, victory in difficult tasks, or relief from grave illness.
This is a foundational edition presenting the dhyana, the contextual frame verses, and the central "Raśmimantam Samudyantam" stotra (verses 4–14) which forms the heart of the recitation. The full 31-verse edition will be added in subsequent expansions.
Shloka 1
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
ततो युद्धपरिश्रान्तं समरे चिन्तया स्थितम् । रावणं चाग्रतो दृष्ट्वा युद्धाय समुपस्थितम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tato yuddha-pariśrāntaṃ samare cintayā sthitam rāvaṇaṃ cāgrato dṛṣṭvā yuddhāya samupasthitam
English meaning
Then, on the battlefield — exhausted by the fight and lost in thought, seeing Ravana before him, ready once more for combat —
Shloka 2
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
दैवतैश्च समागम्य द्रष्टुमभ्यागतो रणम् । उपागम्याब्रवीद्रामम् अगस्त्यो भगवान् ऋषिः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
daivataiś ca samāgamya draṣṭum abhyāgato raṇam upāgamyābravīd rāmam agastyo bhagavān ṛṣiḥ
English meaning
The blessed sage Agastya, who had come with the gods to witness the battle, approached Lord Rama and spoke these words:
Shloka 3
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
राम राम महाबाहो शृणु गुह्यं सनातनम् । येन सर्वानरीन् वत्स समरे विजयिष्यसि ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
rāma rāma mahā-bāho śṛṇu guhyaṃ sanātanam yena sarvān arīn vatsa samare vijayiṣyasi
English meaning
"Rama, mighty-armed Rama! Listen now to this eternal secret — by which, dear son, you shall conquer all enemies in battle.
Shloka 4
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
आदित्यहृदयं पुण्यं सर्वशत्रुविनाशनम् । जयावहं जपेन्नित्यम् अक्षयं परमं शिवम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
āditya-hṛdayaṃ puṇyaṃ sarva-śatru-vināśanam jayāvahaṃ japen nityam akṣayaṃ paramaṃ śivam
English meaning
This is the holy Aditya Hridayam — destroyer of every enemy, bringer of victory. Recite it always — it is imperishable, supreme, auspicious.
Shloka 5
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
सर्वमङ्गलमाङ्गल्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् । चिन्ताशोकप्रशमनम् आयुर्वर्धनमुत्तमम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sarva-maṅgala-māṅgalyaṃ sarva-pāpa-praṇāśanam cintā-śoka-praśamanam āyur-vardhanam uttamam
English meaning
It is the auspiciousness of all auspicious things, destroyer of all sins, the calmer of anxiety and grief, the supreme bestower of long life.
Shloka 6
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
रश्मिमन्तं समुद्यन्तं देवासुरनमस्कृतम् । पूजयस्व विवस्वन्तं भास्करं भुवनेश्वरम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
raśmimantaṃ samudyantaṃ devāsura-namaskṛtam pūjayasva vivasvantaṃ bhāskaraṃ bhuvaneśvaram
English meaning
Worship Him whose rays stream forth, who is rising in glory, to whom gods and demons alike bow — Vivasvan, the Maker of Light, the Lord of all worlds.
Shloka 7
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
सर्वदेवात्मको ह्येष तेजस्वी रश्मिभावनः । एष देवासुरगणाँल्लोकान् पाति गभस्तिभिः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sarva-devātmako hy eṣa tejasvī raśmi-bhāvanaḥ eṣa devāsura-gaṇāl̐ lokān pāti gabhastibhiḥ
English meaning
He is the very self of all gods — radiant, the source of all rays. With his beams he protects all worlds — gods, demons, and the hosts therein.
Shloka 8
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
एष ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च शिवः स्कन्दः प्रजापतिः । महेन्द्रो धनदः कालो यमः सोमो ह्यपां पतिः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
eṣa brahmā ca viṣṇuś ca śivaḥ skandaḥ prajāpatiḥ mahendro dhana-daḥ kālo yamaḥ somo hy apāṃ patiḥ
English meaning
He is Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva — He is Skanda, Prajapati, great Indra, Kubera (giver of wealth), Time itself, Yama, the Moon, and the Lord of waters.
Shloka 9
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
पितरो वसवः साध्या ह्यश्विनौ मरुतो मनुः । वायुर्वह्निः प्रजाप्राणः ऋतुकर्ता प्रभाकरः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
pitaro vasavaḥ sādhyā hy aśvinau maruto manuḥ vāyur vahniḥ prajā-prāṇaḥ ṛtu-kartā prabhākaraḥ
English meaning
He is the Pitris, the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the two Ashwins, the Maruts, and Manu — wind, fire, the breath of beings, maker of the seasons, the Light-bringer.
Shloka 10
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
आदित्यः सविता सूर्यः खगः पूषा गभस्तिमान् । सुवर्णसदृशो भानुः हिरण्यरेता दिवाकरः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
ādityaḥ savitā sūryaḥ khagaḥ pūṣā gabhastimān suvarṇa-sadṛśo bhānur hiraṇya-retā divākaraḥ
English meaning
He is Aditya (son of Aditi), Savitr the impeller, Surya, the sky-traveller, Pushan the nourisher, the rayed one — gold-hued, brilliant, possessor of golden seed, Maker of Day.
Shloka 11
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
हरिदश्वः सहस्रार्चिः सप्तसप्तिर्मरीचिमान् । तिमिरोन्मथनः शम्भुस्त्वष्टा मार्ताण्डकोऽंशुमान् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
haridaśvaḥ sahasrārciḥ sapta-saptir marīcimān timironmathanaḥ śambhus tvaṣṭā mārtāṇḍako'ṃśumān
English meaning
Drawn by green horses, of a thousand flames, with seven steeds and countless rays — destroyer of darkness, the auspicious, the shaper, Martanda (the dead-egg-born), the rayed one.
Shloka 12
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
हिरण्यगर्भः शिशिरस्तपनो भास्करो रविः । अग्निगर्भोऽदितेः पुत्रः शङ्खः शिशिरनाशनः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
hiraṇya-garbhaḥ śiśiras tapano bhāskaro raviḥ agni-garbho'diteḥ putraḥ śaṅkhaḥ śiśira-nāśanaḥ
English meaning
The golden-wombed, the cool one and the burner, Bhaskara, Ravi — fire-wombed, son of Aditi, conch-bright, the destroyer of frost.
Shloka 13
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
व्योमनाथस्तमोभेदी ऋग्यजुःसामपारगः । घनवृष्टिरपां मित्रो विन्ध्यवीथीप्लवङ्गमः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
vyoma-nāthas tamo-bhedī ṛg-yajuḥ-sāma-pāra-gaḥ ghana-vṛṣṭir apāṃ mitro vindhya-vīthī-plavaṅgamaḥ
English meaning
Lord of the sky, piercer of darkness, master of the Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas — sender of dense rain, friend of the waters, who leaps across the path north of the Vindhyas.
Shloka 14
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
आतपी मण्डली मृत्युः पिङ्गलः सर्वतापनः । कविर्विश्वो महातेजा रक्तः सर्वभवोद्भवः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
ātapī maṇḍalī mṛtyuḥ piṅgalaḥ sarva-tāpanaḥ kavir viśvo mahā-tejā raktaḥ sarva-bhavod-bhavaḥ
English meaning
The heat-giver, the disc-shaped one, Death itself, the tawny one, scorcher of all — the seer, the universal one, of vast splendour, ruddy, source of all becoming.
Shloka 15
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
नक्षत्रग्रहताराणाम् अधिपो विश्वभावनः । तेजसामपि तेजस्वी द्वादशात्मन् नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
nakṣatra-graha-tārāṇām adhipo viśva-bhāvanaḥ tejasām api tejasvī dvādaśātman namo'stu te
English meaning
Lord of the constellations, planets, and stars — the bringer-into-being of the universe. Splendour even of splendours — O twelve-formed One, salutations to you!
Shloka 16
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
एनमापत्सु कृच्छ्रेषु कान्तारेषु भयेषु च । कीर्तयन् पुरुषः कश्चिन्नावसीदति राघव ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
enam āpatsu kṛcchreṣu kāntāreṣu bhayeṣu ca kīrtayan puruṣaḥ kaścin nāvasīdati rāghava
English meaning
In calamities, in hardships, in lonely forests, and in fearful straits — the one who chants this hymn, O Raghava, never sinks down.
Shloka 17
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
पूजयस्वैनमेकाग्रः देवदेवं जगत्पतिम् । एतत् त्रिगुणितं जप्त्वा युद्धेषु विजयिष्यसि ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
pūjayasvainam ekāgraḥ deva-devaṃ jagat-patim etat tri-guṇitaṃ japtvā yuddheṣu vijayiṣyasi
English meaning
Worship Him, the God of gods, the Lord of the world, with one-pointed mind. Recite this hymn three times, and you will be victorious in battles.
Shloka 18
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
अस्मिन् क्षणे महाबाहो रावणं त्वं वधिष्यसि । एवमुक्त्वा तदाऽगस्त्यो जगाम च यथागतम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
asmin kṣaṇe mahā-bāho rāvaṇaṃ tvaṃ vadhiṣyasi evam uktvā tadā'gastyo jagāma ca yathāgatam
English meaning
In this very hour, mighty-armed one, you shall slay Ravana." Having spoken thus, Agastya departed as he had come.
Shloka 19
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
एतच्छ्रुत्वा महातेजा नष्टशोकोऽभवत्तदा । धारयामास सुप्रीतो राघवः प्रयतात्मवान् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
etac chrutvā mahā-tejā naṣṭa-śoko'bhavat tadā dhārayām āsa suprīto rāghavaḥ prayatātmavān
English meaning
Hearing this, the great one of vast splendour was at once freed from grief. With self disciplined and heart joyful, Raghava held the hymn fast in mind.
Shloka 20
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
आदित्यं प्रेक्ष्य जप्त्वा तु परं हर्षमवाप्तवान् । त्रिराचम्य शुचिर्भूत्वा धनुरादाय वीर्यवान् ॥ रावणं प्रेक्ष्य हृष्टात्मा युद्धाय समुपागमत् । सर्वयत्नेन महता वधे तस्य धृतोऽभवत् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
ādityaṃ prekṣya japtvā tu paraṃ harṣam avāptavān trir ācamya śucir bhūtvā dhanur ādāya vīryavān rāvaṇaṃ prekṣya hṛṣṭātmā yuddhāya samupāgamat sarva-yatnena mahatā vadhe tasya dhṛto'bhavat
English meaning
Gazing upon the Sun and reciting the hymn, he was filled with supreme joy. Sipping water thrice and made pure, the valiant one took up his bow. Looking again at Ravana with a glad heart, he advanced for the battle — firmly resolved with all his might to slay him.
Shloka 21
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
अथ रविरवदन्निरीक्ष्य रामं मुदितमनाः परमं प्रहृष्यमाणः । निशिचरपतिसंक्षयं विदित्वा सुरगणमध्यगतो वचस्त्वरेति ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
atha ravir avadan nirīkṣya rāmaṃ mudita-manāḥ paramaṃ prahṛṣyamāṇaḥ niśicara-pati-saṃkṣayaṃ viditvā sura-gaṇa-madhya-gato vacas tvareti
English meaning
Then the Sun, beholding Rama, supremely pleased and rejoicing — knowing that the destruction of the Lord of Night-rangers was at hand — standing in the midst of the host of gods, spoke this single word: "Hasten!"
Sources verified against
When should I recite Aditya Hridayam?
Best days: Sunday. Best time: pre-dawn.
What language is this stotra in?
The original is in Sanskrit (or Awadhi for the Hanuman Chalisa). We provide it in Devanagari script, IAST transliteration for pronunciation, and English meaning for understanding.
How accurate is the text?
Each stotra is cross-validated against multiple published authoritative sources, listed on this page under "Sources verified against". If you spot any discrepancy from your tradition, please let us know.
How long does it take to recite?
Approximately 8 minutes at a steady, devotional pace.
