Dashavatara Stotram of Shri Svami Desikan

॥ श्रीस्वामिवेदान्तदेशिकैः अनुगृहीतं दशावतारस्तोत्रम् ॥

देवो नश्शुभमातनोतु  दशधा निर्वर्तयन्भूमिकां
रङ्गे धामनि लब्धनिर्भररसैरध्यक्षितो भावुकैः ।
यद्भावेषु पृथग्विधेष्वनुगुणान्भावान् स्वयं बिभ्रती
यद्धर्मैरिह धर्मिणी विहरते नानाकृतिर्नायिका॥१॥

निर्मग्नश्रुतिजालमार्गणदशादत्तक्षणैरीक्षणै-
रन्तस्तन्वदिवारविन्दगहनान्यौदन्वतीनामपाम्।
निष्प्रत्यूहतरङ्गरिङ्गणमिथःप्रत्यूढपाथच्छटा-
डोलारोहसदोहलं भगवतो मात्स्यं वपुः पातु नः॥२॥

अव्यासुर्भुवत्रयीमनिभृतं कण्डूय़नैरद्रिणा
निद्राणस्य परस्य कूर्मवपुषो निःश्वासवातोर्मयः
यद्विक्षेपणत्संस्कृतोदधिपयःप्रेङ्खोलपर्यङ्किका-
नित्यारोहणनिर्वृतो विहरते देवः सहैव श्रिया॥३॥

गोपायेदनिशं जगन्ति कुहनापोत्री पवित्रीकृत-
ब्रह्माण्डः प्रलयोर्मिघोषगुरुभिर्घोणारवैर्घुर्घुरैः।
यद्दंष्ट्राङ्कुरकोटिगाढघटनानिष्कंपनित्यस्थितिः
ब्रह्मस्तंबमसौदसौ भगवती मुस्तेव विश्वंभरा ॥४॥

प्रत्यादिष्टपुरातनप्रहरणग्रामः क्षणं पाणिजैः
पायात्त्रीणि जगन्त्यकुण्ठमहिमा वैकुण्ठकण्ठीरवः।
यद्प्रादुर्भवनादवन्ध्यजठरा यादृच्छिकाद्वेधसां
या काचित्सहसा महासुरगृहस्थूणा पितामह्यभूत् ॥५॥

व्रीडाविद्धवदान्यादानवयशोनासीरधाटीभटः
त्रय्यक्षंमकुटंपुनन्नवतु नस्त्रैविक्रमो विक्रमः।
यत्प्रस्तावसमुच्छ्रितध्वजपटीवृत्तान्तसिद्धान्तिभि-
स्स्रोतोभिस्सुरसिन्धुरष्टसु दिशासौधेषु दोधूयते ॥६॥

क्रोधाग्निं जमदग्निपीडनभवं सन्तर्पयिष्यन्क्रमा-
दक्षत्रामपि सन्ततक्ष य इमां त्रिस्सप्तकृत्वः क्षितिम्।
दत्वा कर्मणि दक्षिणां क्वचन तामास्कन्द्य सिन्धुं वस-
न्नब्रह्मण्यमपाकरोतु भगवानाब्रह्मकीटं मुनिः  ॥७॥

पारावारपयोविशोषणकलापारीणकालानल-
ज्वालाजालविहारहारिविशिखव्यापारघोरक्रमः।
सर्वावस्थसकृत्प्रपन्नजनतासंरक्षणैकव्रती
धर्मो विग्रहवानधर्मविरतिं धन्वी स तन्वीत नः ॥८॥

फक्कत्कौरवपट्टणप्रभृतयः प्रास्तप्रलंबादयः
तालाङ्कस्य तथाविधा विहृतयस्तन्वन्तु भद्राणि नः
क्षिरं शर्करयैव याभिरपृथग्भूता प्रभूतैर्गुणैः
आकौमारकमस्वदन्त जगते कृष्णस्य ता खेलय: ॥९॥

नाथायैव नमःपदं भवतु नश्चित्रैश्चरित्रक्रमै-
र्भूयोऽपिर्भुवानान्यमूनि कुहनागोपाय गोपायते।
कालिन्दीरसिकाय कालियफणिस्फारस्फटावाटिका
रङ्गोत्सङ्गविशङ्कचंक्रमधुरापर्यायचर्याय ते ॥१०॥

भाविन्या दशया भवन्निह भवध्वंसाय नः कल्पतां
कल्की विष्णुयशस्सुतः कलिकथाकालुष्यकूलङ्कषः।
निश्शेषक्षतकण्टकेक्षितितले धाराजलौघैर्ध्रुवं
धर्म्यं कार्तयुगं प्ररोहयति यन्निस्त्रिंश धाराधर:॥११॥

इच्छामीन विहारकच्छप महापोत्रिन् यदृच्छा हरे
रक्षावामन रोषराम करुणाकाकुत्स्थ हेला हलिन्
क्रीडावल्लव कल्कवाहनदशा कल्किन्निति प्रत्यहं
जल्पन्तः पुरुषाः पुनन्ति भुवनं पुण्यौघपण्यापणाः ॥१२॥

विद्योदन्वति वेङ्कटेश्वरकवौ जातं जगन्मङ्गळं
देवेशस्य दशावतारविषयं स्तोत्रं विवक्षेत यः ।
वक्त्रे तस्य सरस्वती बहुमुखी भक्तिः परामानसे
शुद्धिः कापि तनुर्दिशासु दशसु ख्यातिः शुभा जृम्भते ॥१३॥

$$$$$$$$$

MEANING OF DASHAVATARA STOTRAM

May Lord Vishnu who played ten various roles in the stage of the world which was enjoyed by the devotees shower happiness on us. His Divine consort Lakshmi takes appropriate roles in each incarnation and follows the Dharma of the Lord. (1)

In search of drowned Vedas with attentive looks and created a vision of lotus forest in the waters of the ocean with rapid movement under the ocean that created the rise and fall of the waves wherein the Lord looks like enjoying the swing in the ocean and that Great Form of Fish protect us all. (2)

May the waves of breathing of the tortoise form who sleeps by the repeated churning of Mountain Manthara as if it scratches the itching protect the entire three worlds. By the breathing the waters raise and create a rocking cradle on the ocean wherein the Lord with Tortoise Form rests and sports along with His consort Lakshmi. (3)

May the Lord Mayavi Boar who by his Ghur Ghur sound of his nostrils which was like the sound of giant waves at the time of final deluge by the Universe was cleansed always protect the worlds. By holding firmly and unshakingly the canine teeth of His (Varaha’s) Lord the Goddess of Earth like a gigantic rhizome created all things from Grass to Brahma. (4)

Leaving all His usual (old) weapons, the Lord who appeared in Man-lion form using His nails killed Hiranyakashipu. He made the pillar of the house of Hiranyakashipu as the paternal grandmother of Brahma (son of Vishnu) by taking birth (appearing) from that pillar. That Lord Man-Lion protect all the three worlds. (5)

May the feet of Trivikrama protect us which made Mahabali feel ashamed and the feet of the Lord Vamana when reached space worshipped by Brahma by making Abhishekaam from his Kamandalu and that water fell on the matted hair of Shiva and its flow furling like flag on all the eight directions. (6)

The Lord Parashuram doused his anger ignited as a result of his father Jamadagni’s killing, by slaying the clans of Kings of 21 generations and gave away the Earth acquired from the Kings in a Yaga as Dakshina, hence decided not to reside on the Earth given away as Dakshina lived on the Earth created between the oceans. May that Lord remove all the inauspiciousness from the small insect to the great Brahma. (7)

The arrows of Ram have the power to dry up the ocean and they appear to have stolen unimaginably destructive fire. Sri Ram has a vow that He never abandons anyone who surrenders to him even once. That Lord Sri Ram the best archer the embodiment of Dharma may remove all the Adharmas in us. (8)

May the sports of Sri Balaram who once pulled Hastinapuram the city of Kauravas by his plough, Killed Pralambasura and who has Palm tree as his flag shower auspiciousness on us. The sports of Sri Balaram and Sri Krishna from their childhood are to be experienced together as the sugar added to milk increases the sweetness. (9)

In disguise of cowherd by his wondrous actions who protected these worlds, who danced on the hook of the Kalindi snake and made the waters sweet. May our word of salute belong to that Krishna. (10)

Let the Lord of Kalki, an incarnation yet to betaken as son of Vishnu Yasha: going to remove all Dharmas of Kali Yuga be the destroyer of our bondage of this life. Kalki will cut off all the thorns of Earth by his cloud like sword and help to reestablish Dharma of Krita Yuga. (11)

O willfully taken the form of Fish, O Sporting Tortoise, O the Great Boar, O unexpected Man-Lion Form, O Protective Vamana, O Angry Parashu Ram, O Merciful Ram, O Playing (with plough) Bala Ram, O Playful Krishna, O Kalki sitting on the white horse! Those men who recite these names daily will purify this world as a shop of Good deeds. (12)

Who recites this world auspicious Stotra (prayer) of Lord of Lords came out from the ocean of Vidyas - the poet Venkateshvara, Goddess Sarasvati would stay in various forms, devotion would grow in his mind, his body would become pure and his fame would spread in all the ten directions. (13)

*******