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 Gujarati:
॥ સુદર્શનાષ્ટકમ્ ॥
શ્રીમતે નિગમાન્ત મહાદેશિકાય નમઃ
શ્રીમાન્ વેઙ્કટનાથાર્યઃ કવિતાર્કિક કેસરી ।
વેદન્તાચાર્ય વર્યો મે સન્નિધત્તામ્ સદા હૃદિ ॥
Verse 1:
પ્રતિભટશ્રેણિ ભીષણ વરગુણસ્તોમ ભૂષણ
જનિભયસ્થાન તારણ જગદવસ્થાન કારણ ।
નિખિલદુષ્કર્મ કર્શન નિગમસદ્ધર્મ દર્શન
જય જય શ્રી સુદર્શન જય જય શ્રી સુદર્શન ॥
Verse 2:
શુભજગદ્રૂપ મણ્ડન સુરગણત્રાસ ખણ્ડન
શતમખબ્રહ્મ વન્દિત શતપથબ્રહ્મ નન્દિત ।
પ્રથિતવિદ્વત્ સપક્ષિત ભજદહિર્બુધ્ન્ય લક્ષિત
જય જય શ્રી સુદર્શન જય જય શ્રી સુદર્શન ॥
Verse 3:
સ્ફુટતટિજ્જાલ પિઞ્જર પૃથુતરજ્વાલ પઞ્જર
પરિગત પ્રત્નવિગ્રહ પતુતરપ્રજ્ઞ દુર્ગ્રહ ।
પ્રહરણ ગ્રામ મણ્ડિત પરિજન ત્રાણ પણ્ડિત
જય જય શ્રી સુદર્શન જય જય શ્રી સુદર્શન ॥
Verse 4:
નિજપદપ્રીત સદ્ગણ નિરુપધિસ્ફીત ષડ્ગુણ
નિગમ નિર્વ્યૂઢ વૈભવ નિજપર વ્યૂહ વૈભવ ।
હરિ હય દ્વેષિ દારણ હર પુર પ્લોષ કારણ
જય જય શ્રી સુદર્શન જય જય શ્રી સુદર્શન ॥
Verse 5:
દનુજ વિસ્તાર કર્તન જનિ તમિસ્રા વિકર્તન
દનુજવિદ્યા નિકર્તન ભજદવિદ્યા નિવર્તન ।
અમર દૃષ્ટ સ્વ વિક્રમ સમર જુષ્ટ ભ્રમિક્રમ
જય જય શ્રી સુદર્શન જય જય શ્રી સુદર્શન ॥
Verse 6:
પ્રથિમુખાલીઢ બન્ધુર પૃથુમહાહેતિ દન્તુર
વિકટમાય બહિષ્કૃત વિવિધમાલા પરિષ્કૃત ।
સ્થિરમહાયન્ત્ર તન્ત્રિત દૃઢ દયા તન્ત્ર યન્ત્રિત
જય જય શ્રી સુદર્શન જય જય શ્રી સુદર્શન ॥
Verse 7:
મહિત સમ્પત્ સદક્ષર વિહિતસમ્પત્ ષડક્ષર
ષડરચક્ર પ્રતિષ્ઠિત સકલ તત્ત્વ પ્રતિષ્ઠિત ।
વિવિધ સઙ્કલ્પ કલ્પક વિબુધસઙ્કલ્પ કલ્પક
જય જય શ્રી સુદર્શન જય જય શ્રી સુદર્શન ॥
Verse 8:
ભુવન નેત્ર ત્રયીમય સવન તેજસ્ત્રયીમય
નિરવધિ સ્વાદુ ચિન્મય નિખિલ શક્તે જગન્મય ।
અમિત વિશ્વક્રિયામય શમિત વિશ્વગ્ભયામય
જય જય શ્રી સુદર્શન જય જય શ્રી સુદર્શન ॥
Verse 9:
ફલ શ્રુતિ
દ્વિચતુષ્કમિદં પ્રભૂતસારં પઠતાં વેઙ્કટનાયક પ્રણીતમ્ ।
વિષમેઽપિ મનોરથઃ પ્રધાવન્ ન વિહન્યેત રથાઙ્ગ ધુર્ય ગુપ્તઃ ॥
॥ ઇતિ શ્રીવેદાન્તદેશિકરચિતં સુદર્શનાષ્ટકં સમાપ્તમ્ ॥
કવિતાર્કિકસિંહાય કલ્યાણગુણશાલિને ।
શ્રીમતે વેઙ્કટેષાય વેદાન્તગુરવે નમઃ ॥
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.