Dhanyashtakam

Dhanyashtakam: Mantra with Meaning

Dhanyashtakam is an eight-versed hymn, composed by Shri Adi Shankaracharya. Dhanya literally means "blessed person" and Ashtakam means "collection of eight verses". Hence, Dhanyashtakam describes what kind of person is truly blessed or what noble qualities should a person have to be considered spiritually blessed. Regular recitation of this hymn, with clear understanding of the meaning, develops the knowledge of inner Self, feeling of Oneness, equality in everything, freedom from the duality that arises in the senses, and freedom from earthly bondage, thus clearing his path for the success (spiritual success, or self-realization).

Composed By: Adi Shankaracharya

Spiritual Guru teaching the knowledge of Vedas and Upanishads to his disciples

Play the music, and sing the stotra along with it. NOTE: Verse 5, 8 and its quick succedding verse is not in the audio.

॥ धन्याष्टकं ॥

तज्ज्ञानं प्रशमकरं यदिन्द्रियाणां
तज्ज्ञेयं यदुपनिषत्सु निश्चितार्थम् ।
ते धन्या भुवि परमार्थनिश्चितेहाः
शेषास्तु भ्रमनिलये परिभ्रमन्तः ॥१॥

That alone is knowledge which brings about tranquility of the senses, that alone is to be known which have its significance established in the Upanishads,
They alone are blessed whose aspiration is firmly set on knowing this Supreme Truth. All others are simply whirling around in the confusion of maze called "world".

आदौ विजित्य विषयान्मदमोहराग-
द्वेषादिशत्रुगणमाहृतयोगराज्याः ।
ज्ञात्वा मतं समनुभूतपरात्मविद्या-
कान्तासुखं वनगृहे विचरन्ति धन्याः ॥२॥

Blessed are those who have conquered the enemies within – the enemies like passion, desire, hatred, attachment and aversion, and get into the kingdom of Yoga which is contemplation on the Supreme,
And move about in the abode of forest, enjoying the company of the beloved called "knowledge" having a clear understanding of their path.

त्यक्त्वा गृहे रतिमधोगतिहेतुभूताम्
आत्मेच्छयोपनिषदर्थरसं पिबन्तः ।
वीतस्पृहा विषयभोगपदे विरक्ता
धन्याश्चरन्ति विजनेषु विरक्तसङ्गाः ॥३॥

Blessed are those who have renounced the pleasures of the home which is the cause of one's downfall in life, who drink the essence of the Upanishads with the desire to know about the Atman,
And who wander in solitude far away from society becoming detached from the passion and the material wealth.

त्यक्त्वा ममाहमिति बन्धकरे पदे द्वे
मानावमानसदृशाः समदर्शिनश्च ।
कर्तारमन्यमवगम्य तदर्पितानि
कुर्वन्ति कर्मपरिपाकफलानि धन्याः ॥४॥

Blessed are those who forsake the two words "me" and "mine" which is the only cause of bondage in this world, who view honor and insult with the eyes of equality,
And who understand themselves to be different from the doer within, thus resigning the fruits of actions to that doer (this signifies non-attachment to the body and to the fruits of action).

त्यक्त्वईषणा-त्रयमवेक्षित-मोक्ष-मर्गा
भैक्षामृतेन परिकल्पित-देह-यात्राः ।
ज्योतिः परात्परतरं परमात्मसंज्ञं
धन्या द्विजारहसि हृद्यवलोकयन्ति ॥५॥

Blessed are them who have forsaken the three desires (of wealth, recognition and family) and walk in the path of salvation, who manage their walk of life with the nectar of alms,
Who are twice-born, who live in solitude and visualize in their heart the eternal light of Soul (Paramatma) and understand it.

नासन्न सन्न सदसन्न महन्नचाणु
न स्त्री पुमान्न च नपुंसकमेकबीजम् ।
यैर्ब्रह्म तत्सममुपासितमेकचित्तैः
धन्या विरेजुरित्तरे-भव-पाश-बद्धाः ॥६॥

Blessed are those who contemplate upon the Brahman without considering it as good nor bad, great nor low, neither man nor woman, nor a eunuch, but the One Source (seed) of all,
Who with concentration only search for the eternal truth and become the person of luster without getting entangled in the shackles of worldly life.

अज्ञान-पङ्क-परिमग्नमपेतसारं
दुःखालयं मरण-जन्म-जरावसक्तम् ।
संसार-बन्धनमनित्यमवेक्ष्य धन्या
ज्ञानासिना तदवशीर्य विनिश्चयन्ति ॥७॥

Blessed are those who get free from the mire of ignorance, sorrow, death, birth and disability due to aging,
Who understand that these ties of the world are transient, and thus cut the bondage with the sword of wisdom with the firm understanding of the reality behind them.

शान्तैरनन्यमतिभिर्मधुरस्वभावैः
एकत्व-निश्चित-मनोभिरपेतमोहैः ।
साकं वनेषु विजितात्म-पदस्वरुपं
तद्वस्तु सम्यगनिशं विमृशन्ति धन्याः ॥८॥

Blessed are those who, with serene mind, pleasant disposition and with no thought of otherness in their minds, contemplate upon the Oneness of the Self being free from delusion,
Who live in the forest associating with the company of sages (realized ones), and who always engage in discussing with them that reality (reality of Oneness).

अहिमिव जनयोगं सर्वदा वर्जयेद्यः
कुणपमिव सुनारीं त्यक्तुकामो विरागी ।
विषमिव विषयान्यो मन्यमानो दुरन्तान्
जयति परमहंसो मुक्तिभावं समेति ॥

Those who avoid crowd of people as if it is a snake, who disregard enchantment of beauty in woman as if it is a corpse,
And who leave out bad thoughts as if it is a poison, such people will get victory over everything, and they will certainly attain salvation.

सम्पूर्णं जगदेव नन्दनवनं सर्वेऽपि कल्पद्रुमा
गाङ्गं वरि समस्तवारिनिवहः पुण्याः समस्ताः क्रियाः ।
वाचः प्राकृतसंस्कृताः श्रुतिशिरोवाराणसी मेदिनी
सर्वावस्थितिरस्य वस्तुविषया दृष्टे परब्रह्मणि ॥

To them who have realized the Supreme Brahman, the entire world is like a garden, all the trees are wish-giving trees, all waters are the water of Ganga, and all their actions are pure and blessed,
Whatever they speak in their mother-tongue or in Sanskrit are the summary of Vedas, the entire world is a Varanasi (Kashi), and all objects and subjects are the part of Para Brahman itself (i.e. they see Truth everywhere).

इति श्रीमद् शङ्कराचार्यविरचितं धन्याष्टकं समाप्तम् ॥

Hence ends Dhanyashtakam composed by Shri Shankaracharya.

---

---

NOTE:
You may find that some texts do not match the words from the song. Know that, the texts written here is the correct and complete one.