अरुणोदयकाले तु ये पठंति जपंति च । आयुर्बलं च तेषां श्रीर्वर्द्धते च दिनेदिने
Those who recite and repeat it at the time of sunrise, their lifespan, strength, and prosperity increase day by day.
रात्रौ जागरणे प्राप्ते कलौ भागवतो नरः । पठनान्मुक्तिमाप्नोति यावदिंद्राश्चतुर्दश
At night, when wakefulness arises, if a devotee recites it in the age of Kali, he attains liberation for as long as the fourteen Indras reign.
एकैकेन तु नाम्ना वै हरौ तुलसिकारणात् । पूजा सा चैव विज्ञेया कोटियज्ञफलाधिका
Each and every name of Hari, when worshipped with Tulasī, should be known to yield a result greater than ten million sacrifices.
मार्गे च गच्छमानास्तु ये पठंति द्विजातयः । न दोषा मार्गजास्तेषां भवंति किल पार्वति
If twice-born men recite it while traveling on the road, O Pārvatī, the faults arising from the road do not affect them.
शृणु देवि प्रवक्ष्यामि माहात्म्यं केशवस्य तु । ये शृण्वंति नरश्रेष्ठास्ते पुण्याः पुण्यरूपिणः
Listen, O goddess, I will declare the greatness of Keśava; those best of men who hear it are virtuous and embodiments of merit.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे उमापतिनारदसंवादे सहस्रनाममहिमानाम द्विसप्ततितमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, in the section of fifty-five thousand verses, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa, in the dialogue between Umāpati and Nārada, this is the seventy-second chapter named 'The Greatness of the Thousand Names.'
महादेव उवाच- ॐरामरक्षास्तोत्रस्य श्रीमहर्षिर्विश्वामित्रऋषिः । श्रीरामो देवता अनुष्टुप्छंदः । विष्णुप्रीत्यर्थे जपे विनियोगः
Mahādeva said: Om. For the Rāmarakṣā hymn, the venerable sage Viśvāmitra is the seer; Śrī Rāma is the deity; the meter is Anuṣṭubh; the recitation is for the pleasure of Viṣṇu.
अतसीपुष्पसंकाशं पीतवाससमच्युतम् । ध्यात्वा वै पुंडरीकाक्षं श्रीरामं विष्णुमव्ययम्
Meditating on Śrī Rāma Viṣṇu, lotus-eyed, imperishable, resembling the color of the flax flower, wearing yellow garments—
पातु वो हृदयं रामः श्रीकंठः कंठमेव च । नाभिं पातु मखत्राता कटिं मे विश्वरक्षकः
May Rāma protect your heart, Śrīkaṇṭha your throat; may the protector of sacrifices guard your navel, and the protector of the universe your waist.
करौ पातु दाशरथिः पादौ मे विश्वरूपधृक् । चक्षुषी पातु वै देव सीतापतिरनुत्तमः
May the son of Daśaratha protect my hands, the bearer of the universal form my feet; may the supreme Lord, husband of Sītā, protect my eyes.
शिखां मे पातु विश्वात्मा कर्णौ मे पातु कामदः । पार्श्वयोस्तु सुरत्राता कालकोटिदुरासदः
May the soul of the universe protect my crown, the fulfiller of desires my ears; may the protector of the gods, difficult to approach even for Death, guard my sides.
अनंतः सर्वदा पातु शरीरं विश्वनायकः । जिह्वां मे पातु पापघ्नो लोकशिक्षाप्रवर्त्तकः
May the endless Lord, leader of the universe, always protect my body; may the destroyer of sin, the initiator of the world's instruction, protect my tongue.
राघवः पातु मे दंतान्केशान्रक्षतु केशवः । सक्थिनी पातु मे दत्त विजयो नाम विश्वसृक्
May Rāghava protect my teeth, may Keśava guard my hair; may Datta protect my thighs, and may the one named Vijaya, the creator of the universe, protect me.
एतां रामबलोपेतां रक्षां यो वै पुमान्पठेत् । स चिरायुः सुखी विद्वान्लभते दिव्यसंपदम्
Whoever recites this protection, endowed with the strength of Rāma, that man attains long life, happiness, wisdom, and divine prosperity.
रक्षां करोति भूतेभ्यः सदा रक्षा तु वैष्णवी । रामेति रामभद्रेति रामचंद्रेति यः स्मरेत्
This protection always wards off beings; it is truly Vaiṣṇava protection. Whoever remembers 'Rāma', 'Rāmabhadra', or 'Rāmacandra',
विमुक्तः स नरः पापान्मुक्तिं प्राप्नोति शाश्वतीम् । वसिष्ठेन इदं प्रोक्तं गुरवे विष्णुरूपिणे
that man is freed from sins and attains eternal liberation. This was spoken by Vasiṣṭha to the guru who is the form of Viṣṇu.
ततो मे ब्रह्मणः प्राप्तं मयोक्तं नारदं प्रति । नारदेन तु भूर्लोके प्रापितं सुजनेष्विह
Then I received it from Brahmā and have spoken it to Nārada; and Nārada has conveyed it to the good people on earth.
सुप्त्वावाथ गृहे वापि मार्गे गच्छंत एव वा । ये पठंति नरश्रेष्ठास्ते नराः पुण्यभागिनः
Whether sleeping, at home, or traveling on the road, those best of men who recite this are truly fortunate and blessed.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे उमापतिनारदसंवादे रामक्षास्तोत्रंनाम त्रिसप्ततितमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, in the section of fifty-five thousand verses, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa, in the dialogue of Umāpati and Nārada, this is the seventy-third chapter named 'The Hymn of Rāma's Protection.'
महादेव उवाच- शृणु देवि प्रवक्ष्यामि धर्ममाहात्म्यमुत्तमम् । यच्छ्रुत्वा न पुनर्जन्म जायते भुवि कर्हिचित्
Mahādeva said: Listen, O goddess, I will declare the supreme greatness of dharma; by hearing this, one is never born again on earth.
धर्मादर्थं च कामं च मोक्षं चैतत्त्रयं लभेत् । तस्माद्धर्मं समीहेत विद्वान्यः स बुधः स्मृतः
From dharma, one attains wealth, desire, and liberation—these three. Therefore, the wise should strive for dharma; such a one is called learned.
तपसा चैव दानेन व्रतेन नियमेन च । तपसा प्राप्यते स्वर्गः सात्विकेन तथैव च
By austerity, by giving, by vows, and by discipline—by austerity, heaven is attained, and likewise by the quality of goodness.
इहायातो लभेद्राज्यं क्रोधलोभविवर्जितः । जन्मांतरेण मुक्तिः स्यात्पदं विंदति वैष्णवम्
One who comes here, free from anger and greed, obtains sovereignty; in another birth, liberation is attained, and the Vaiṣṇava state is reached.
तपसा राजसेनेह राजसश्चैव जायते । तप्त्वा तामसभावेन क्रूरकर्मा हि निष्ठुरः
By royal austerity here, one is born as a royal person; but by practicing with a dark nature, a cruel person performs harsh deeds.
तपस्तद्रक्षसां चोक्तं भुक्तिदं तामसात्मनाम् । यत्तप्तं सात्विकं चैव तत्तपो भवति ध्रुवम्
The austerity prescribed for demons grants enjoyment to those of dark nature; but whatever is practiced with goodness, that austerity is certainly true.
रजस्तमोभ्यां नियतं तपस्यां वने सतां वायुभुजां सुनिर्जने । तपस्विनां चैव धनादिवांच्छतां वनेऽपि दोषाः प्रभवंति रागिणाम्
Through passion and darkness, even in the forest among the virtuous who live on air in solitude, faults arise for those who desire wealth, even among ascetics.
गृहेऽपि पंचेंद्रियनिग्रहस्तपस्त्वकुत्सिते कर्मणि यः प्रवर्त्तते । निवृत्तरागस्य तपोवनं गृहं गृहाश्रमोऽतो गदितः स्वधर्मः
Even at home, the restraint of the five senses is austerity; but one who engages in impure actions—if his passion is subdued, his home is like a forest of ascetics, and thus the householder's path is called one's own dharma.
सुदुस्तरः सत्वजितेंद्रियाणां संहन्यते श्रेष्ठतमः शुभाश्रमः । गृहस्तु धर्मः प्रवरो मनीषिणां ब्रह्मादिभिश्चाभिहितो नगात्मजे
For those who have conquered their senses, the highest and most auspicious stage is extremely difficult to attain; but for the wise, the householder's dharma is declared best, even by Brahmā and others, O daughter of the mountain.
तप्त्वा तपस्वी विपिने क्षुधार्तो गृहं समायाति सदान्नदातुः । भक्त्या स चान्नं प्रददाति तस्मै तपोविभागं भजते हि तस्य
When an ascetic, afflicted by hunger, comes from the forest to the house of one who always gives food, and that person gives food with devotion, he partakes in the merit of the ascetic's austerity.
गृहाश्रमं ज्येष्ठमिहाश्रमाणां सम्यक्च यः पालयते मनुष्यः । इहैव भुंजन्समनुष्यभोगान्स्वर्गं प्रयातीति न संशयोऽत्र । गृहं सदा पालयतां नराणां पापं समायाति कथं हि देवि
Among all the stages of life, the householder's is the foremost; whoever properly maintains it, enjoying human pleasures here, surely attains heaven—of this there is no doubt. How could sin approach those who always uphold the householder's life, O goddess?