The ritual declaration (viniyoga): for this Rāma Rakṣā Stotra mantra — the seer is Budha Kauśika; the deity is Śrī Sītā-Rāmacandra; the metre is Anuṣṭubh; the power is Sītā; the nail-pin is Śrīmad Hanumān; and the japa of the Rāma Rakṣā Stotra is enjoined for the sake of pleasing Śrī Rāmacandra.
Now the meditation (dhyānam): one should meditate on Rāmacandra — long-armed reaching the knees, holding bow and arrows, seated in the lotus posture, wearing yellow garments, his eyes rivalling the petals of a fresh lotus, serene; Sītā seated on his left thigh, her lotus-like face turned to his eyes; cloud-hued, radiant with countless ornaments, crowned with a mass of matted locks.
Verse 4 — iti dhyānam ||
iti dhyānam ||
Thus ends the meditation.
rāmarakṣāstotram
rāmarakṣāstotram
The main body of the Rāma Rakṣā Stotram — the Rāma-kavaca (armour of Rāma) proper, with its closing verses of praise.
holding sword, quiver, bow and arrows in his hands, the destroyer of the night-stalkers, who by his own sport appeared to protect the world — the unborn, all-pervading Lord.
may Kausalyā's son protect my eyes; may he who delights Viśvāmitra protect my ears; may the protector of the sacrifice protect my nose; may the one dear to Lakṣmaṇa protect my face.
May the treasury of wisdom protect my tongue; may he whom Bharata worships protect my throat; may he of divine weapons protect my shoulders; may he who broke the bow of the enemy protect my arms.
May Sītā's lord protect my hands; may the conqueror of the Jāmadagnya protect my heart; may the destroyer of Khara protect my waist; may the refuge of Jāmbavān protect my navel.
May the lord of Sugrīva protect my hips; may the master of Hanumān protect my thighs; may the best of the Raghus protect my thighs; may the destroyer of the rākṣasa race protect me all round.
May the builder of the bridge protect my knees; may the slayer of the ten-faced Rāvaṇa protect my shanks; may the bestower of prosperity on Vibhīṣaṇa protect my feet; may Rāma protect my entire body.
pātālabhūtalavyomacāriṇaśchadmacāriṇaḥ | na draṣṭumapi śaktāste rakṣitaṃ rāmanāmabhiḥ ||
Those who move in the nether worlds, on the earth and in the sky, and those who move by deception — they cannot even look upon one protected by the name of Rāma.
āttasajjadhanuṣāviṣuspṛśāvakṣayāśuganiṣaṅgasaṅginau | rakṣaṇāya mama rāmalakṣmaṇāvagrataḥ pathi sadaiva gacchatām ||
Bows strung and ready, touching their arrows, their quivers filled with inexhaustible shafts — may Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa ever go before me on the path to protect me.
I bow to Rāma — elder brother of Lakṣmaṇa, best of the Raghus, lord of Sītā, the beautiful, scion of Kakutstha, ocean of compassion, treasury of virtues, dear to the wise, righteous; emperor, true to his pledge, son of Daśaratha, dark-hued, of tranquil form — the delight of all the worlds, ornament of the Raghu race, foe of Rāvaṇa.
I remember in my mind the feet of Śrī Rāmacandra; I praise with my speech the feet of Śrī Rāmacandra; I bow my head to the feet of Śrī Rāmacandra; I take refuge in the feet of Śrī Rāmacandra.
mātā rāmo matpitā rāmacandraḥ svāmī rāmo matsakhā rāmacandraḥ | sarvasvaṃ me rāmacandro dayālurnānyaṃ jāne naiva jāne na jāne ||
Rāma is my mother, Rāmacandra is my father; Rāma is my lord, Rāmacandra is my friend; Rāmacandra, the compassionate, is my all — I know none other, indeed I know none other.
Verse 34 — dakṣiṇe lakṣmaṇo yasya vāme tu janakātmajā |…
To Rāmacandra — the delight of all the worlds, steadfast in the battlefield, lotus-eyed, lord of the Raghu dynasty, embodiment of compassion, source of grace — I take refuge.
To Hanumān — swift as the mind, of speed equal to the wind, his senses subdued, foremost of the wise, son of the wind-god, chief of the hosts of monkeys, messenger of Śrī Rāma — I take refuge.
The name 'Rāma, Rāma' is the roasting of the seeds of worldly existence, the acquisition of the riches of happiness, and the terror of the messengers of Death.
Rāma, the king-jewel, always triumphs; I worship Rāma, the lord of Lakṣmī. The hosts of night-stalkers are struck down by Rāma; to that Rāma I bow. There is no refuge higher than Rāma; I am Rāma's servant; may my mind always rest in Rāma — O Rāma, raise me up.
'Rāma, Rāma' — I delight in the name 'Rāma', so charming; the name of Rāma is equal to the thousand names (of Viṣṇu), O fair-faced one.
About Śrī Rāma Rakṣā Stotram
Śrī Rāma Rakṣā Stotram is a Sanskrit stotra, composed by Budha Kaushika, addressed to Rama — a Stotra. It is presented here in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada, each verse with its English meaning. Source text: sanskritdocuments.org.
The Rāma Rakṣā Stotram is traditionally attributed to Budha Kauśika, a sage of the Rāmāyaṇa tradition who received the hymn of Rāma’s protection from Śiva in a dream.
What is Śrī Rāma Rakṣā Stotram and what does it mean?
Śrī Rāma Rakṣā Stotram is a Sanskrit stotra (devotional hymn), composed by Budha Kaushika, addressed to Rama, of 40 verses. On Avabodhak every verse is shown with its English meaning, so you can understand the text line by line as you read.
How do I pronounce Śrī Rāma Rakṣā Stotram correctly?
Avabodhak presents Śrī Rāma Rakṣā Stotram in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada alongside IAST Roman transliteration that marks every long vowel (ā, ī, ū) and conjunct consonant. Reading the Devanagari text with the IAST line lets you follow the exact pronunciation syllable by syllable, and the guided practice mode replays it line by line.
What is the word-by-word meaning of Śrī Rāma Rakṣā Stotram?
Avabodhak pairs each verse of Śrī Rāma Rakṣā Stotram with its English meaning, and the practice view breaks lines into individual words — so you learn what each word means, not just the overall sense.
Who composed Śrī Rāma Rakṣā Stotram?
Śrī Rāma Rakṣā Stotram is attributed to Budha Kaushika.
In which scripts can I read Śrī Rāma Rakṣā Stotram?
Śrī Rāma Rakṣā Stotram is available in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada on Avabodhak, each with English meaning and IAST transliteration.
Can I chant or practice Śrī Rāma Rakṣā Stotram online?
Yes — Avabodhak offers a free reading view plus guided practice and word-puzzle modes to help you chant and memorise Śrī Rāma Rakṣā Stotram.