Traditionally, this stotram is recited in homes, when some one in the family has fever or illness of other kinds. Swami Desikan is said to have composed it to help the residents of Thiruputtkuzhi, when they suffered from the grip of an epidemic fever. Alternatively, it is said that he composed it at Thiruvahindrapuram prior to a major debate with a leader of another Sampradhaya. That debate blososmed later as the Sri Sookthi of ParaMadha Bhangam, an exceptionally terse analysis of the defects in other siddhAnthams and a celebration of Bhagavath RaamAnuja SiddhAntham over them all . Swami Desikan won that debate in front of Lord DevanAthan and thereby established the supremacy of SrimannArAyAna and Vishishtaadvaitam. Swami Desikan chose the Dhrithas Chandas as a meter for the 8 verses praising Sudarsana. He chose the Oupachandasikam meter for the Phala Sruti sloka. Both these meters hint at the Vedic origin of Sudarsanar as indicated by Swami Desikan in one or more verses of this Stotram.
Sudarshana Ashtakam Lyrics in Bengali:
॥ সুদর্শনাষ্টকম্ ॥
শ্রীমতে নিগমান্ত মহাদেশিকায় নমঃ
শ্রীমান্ বেঙ্কটনাথার্যঃ কবিতার্কিক কেসরী ।
বেদন্তাচার্য বর্যো মে সন্নিধত্তাম্ সদা হৃদি ॥
Verse 1:
প্রতিভটশ্রেণি ভীষণ বরগুণস্তোম ভূষণ
জনিভয়স্থান তারণ জগদবস্থান কারণ ।
নিখিলদুষ্কর্ম কর্শন নিগমসদ্ধর্ম দর্শন
জয় জয় শ্রী সুদর্শন জয় জয় শ্রী সুদর্শন ॥
Verse 2:
শুভজগদ্রূপ মণ্ডন সুরগণত্রাস খণ্ডন
শতমখব্রহ্ম বন্দিত শতপথব্রহ্ম নন্দিত ।
প্রথিতবিদ্বত্ সপক্ষিত ভজদহির্বুধ্ন্য লক্ষিত
জয় জয় শ্রী সুদর্শন জয় জয় শ্রী সুদর্শন ॥
Verse 3:
স্ফুটতটিজ্জাল পিঞ্জর পৃথুতরজ্বাল পঞ্জর
পরিগত প্রত্নবিগ্রহ পতুতরপ্রজ্ঞ দুর্গ্রহ ।
প্রহরণ গ্রাম মণ্ডিত পরিজন ত্রাণ পণ্ডিত
জয় জয় শ্রী সুদর্শন জয় জয় শ্রী সুদর্শন ॥
Verse 4:
নিজপদপ্রীত সদ্গণ নিরুপধিস্ফীত ষড্গুণ
নিগম নির্ব্যূঢ বৈভব নিজপর ব্যূহ বৈভব ।
হরি হয় দ্বেষি দারণ হর পুর প্লোষ কারণ
জয় জয় শ্রী সুদর্শন জয় জয় শ্রী সুদর্শন ॥
Verse 5:
দনুজ বিস্তার কর্তন জনি তমিস্রা বিকর্তন
দনুজবিদ্যা নিকর্তন ভজদবিদ্যা নিবর্তন ।
অমর দৃষ্ট স্ব বিক্রম সমর জুষ্ট ভ্রমিক্রম
জয় জয় শ্রী সুদর্শন জয় জয় শ্রী সুদর্শন ॥
Verse 6:
প্রথিমুখালীঢ বন্ধুর পৃথুমহাহেতি দন্তুর
বিকটমায় বহিষ্কৃত বিবিধমালা পরিষ্কৃত ।
স্থিরমহায়ন্ত্র তন্ত্রিত দৃঢ দয়া তন্ত্র য়ন্ত্রিত
জয় জয় শ্রী সুদর্শন জয় জয় শ্রী সুদর্শন ॥
Verse 7:
মহিত সম্পত্ সদক্ষর বিহিতসম্পত্ ষডক্ষর
ষডরচক্র প্রতিষ্ঠিত সকল তত্ত্ব প্রতিষ্ঠিত ।
বিবিধ সঙ্কল্প কল্পক বিবুধসঙ্কল্প কল্পক
জয় জয় শ্রী সুদর্শন জয় জয় শ্রী সুদর্শন ॥
Verse 8:
ভুবন নেত্র ত্রয়ীময় সবন তেজস্ত্রয়ীময়
নিরবধি স্বাদু চিন্ময় নিখিল শক্তে জগন্ময় ।
অমিত বিশ্বক্রিয়াময় শমিত বিশ্বগ্ভয়াময়
জয় জয় শ্রী সুদর্শন জয় জয় শ্রী সুদর্শন ॥
Verse 9:
ফল শ্রুতি
দ্বিচতুষ্কমিদং প্রভূতসারং পঠতাং বেঙ্কটনায়ক প্রণীতম্ ।
বিষমেঽপি মনোরথঃ প্রধাবন্ ন বিহন্যেত রথাঙ্গ ধুর্য গুপ্তঃ ॥
॥ ইতি শ্রীবেদান্তদেশিকরচিতং সুদর্শনাষ্টকং সমাপ্তম্ ॥
কবিতার্কিকসিংহায় কল্যাণগুণশালিনে ।
শ্রীমতে বেঙ্কটেষায় বেদান্তগুরবে নমঃ ॥
Sudarshana Ashtakam Meaning:
1) Oh Sri Sudarsana! All the enemies of your Lord’s devotees run away fearing your prowess. All auspicious attributes find their home in you. Those, who worship you cross the shore less ocean of Samsara and free themselves from their cycles of Births and Deaths. The entire Universe is stabilized by your mighty power. You cut asunder all the sins of those, who approach you as their refuge. You bless all of your devotees with the knowledge about the righteous conduct prescribed by the Vedas. Oh Lord Sudarsana of these auspicious attributes! Hail to Thee! Hail to Thee!
2) Oh Sri Sudarsana! You are resplendent as a precious decoration on the hand of Sriman Narayana, who has the universe as His body. Through your grace, Devas are freed from the fear caused by the Asuras. Indra and Brahma always worship you. The Satapata Brahmana belonging to Sukla Yajur Veda hails your glories and pays its tributes to you. The scholars of this universe seek your help to overcome their contestants. Ahirbudhnya Samhita states that Ahirbudhnyan (Sivan) worships you and sought the boon to see your beautiful form with His own eyes. Oh Lord Sudarsana of illustrious attributes! Hail to Thee! Hail to Thee!
3) Oh Lord Sudarsana! You shine like the resplendent assembly of lightings. The bright tongues of flames surrounding you appear like a cage (home) for you. The forms of Vasudava, Sankarshana and other Vyuha Murthys find their positions around your geometric form (Yantra). Even the scholars with sharp intellects stumble, when they try to understand the full extent of your glory. It is a beautiful sight to see the sixteen weapons of yours resting on your hands to serve you. You are dedicated to come to the rescue of those, who seek your protection. Oh Sri Sudarsana of such auspicious attributes! Hail to Thee! Hail to Thee!
4) Oh Lord Sudarsana! The Righteous people have firm attachment to your holy feet. The Six Kalyana Gunaas — Knowledge, Power, Strength, Wealth, Heroism, and effulgence– find their natural home in you. The Vedas have firmly established your glory in their many sections. Like your Lord, You have the forms of Param and Vyuham. You cut asunder the fear caused by the foes of Indra, the foremost among your devotees. You were responsible for the burning down of Kasi, the city of Siva to ashes. You stood at the tip of Siva”s arrow, when He was engaged in the campaign to destroy Tripuraasura. Oh Sri Sudarsana of such Kalyana Gunas! Hail to Thee! Hail to Thee!
5) Oh Lord Sudarsana! You arrest the growth of the evil-minded Asuras and destroy them down to their roots. You are like the resplendent Sun banishing the dark night of Samsara, which bedevil your devotees. You overcome any and every act of deception practiced by the Asuras. You remove every shred of false knowledge that invades the minds of those, who seek refuge in you. The Devas celebrate your heroic deeds and experience joy in witnessing your powerful actions. You revolve and rotate in many ways in your battles against the enemies of your devotees. May Thou with such auspicious attributes prosper further! Hail to Thee! Hail to Thee!
6) Oh Lord Sudarsana! You give darsana to us with your dynamic gait of One foot placed forward in movement and the other rapidly following it. Your position in that gait is beautiful to behold. You are surrounded by your magnificent and fearsome weapons. You are the conqueror of powerful illusions (Mayaa) caused by Asuras. You are not
therefore affected by their acts of Mayaa. You are decorated with many beautiful flower garlands that add to your natural beauty. You are firmly bound in the warp of your great compassion for your devotees and bless them, when they worship You through Your Yantra and Mantra.Oh Sri Sudarsana of such auspicious Gunaas! Hail to Thee! Hail to Thee!
7) Oh Lord Sudarsana of many prime Gunaas! The wealth of the righteous is their true knowledge about Your Lord. You bless them with the unperishable wealth of Moksham, when they seek refuge at your holy feet. Those, who recite Your Mantra made up of the Six Letters (Aksharas) gain incomparable wealth. Your devotees (Upasakas) Invoke You in Your Yantra of six corners formed by two intersecting triangles and worship you at its epicenter. You pervade and reside in all the creations of Your Lord. You have the power to complete all deeds that you decide to undertake.
You are thus a Satya Sankalpa and serve as the divine Kalpaka tree granting all the boons that your devotees request. Oh Sri Sudarsana! Hail to Thee! Hail to Thee!
8) Oh Lord Sudarsana, the eye of the Universe! You are of the form of the three Vedas. You are of the form of the three fires– Gaarhapatyam, Aahavaneeyam and Dakshinagni— of the Yagaas. You are of the delectable form of true knowledge! You have the power to accomplish every deed. You have taken the form of the Universe and its contents. You are worshipped thru the sacrificial rituals of your devotees. In return, you destroy the fears and diseases of those, who worship You from all directions. Oh Lord Sudarsana of auspicious qualities! Hail to Thee! Hail to Thee!
9) Those, who recite this Stotram consisting of 8 verses in praise of Sudarsana composed by Venkatanatha known as Vedantha Desikan comprehend the deep references to the glory of Lord Sudarsana and will have the fulfillment of all their wishes. The boon-granting powers of Lord Sudarsana will make them realize all their wishes by overcoming all the obstacles that stand in the way.