Tiruvaradhanam

The steps, with their mantras

1. Remembering the acharya

   Begin by remembering Perumal and your acharya, and the sages who gave us the Veda.

   oṃ śrī kṛṣṇa parabrahmaṇe namaḥ || oṃ asmadgurubhyo namaḥ ||

   Salutation to Sri Krishna, the Supreme Brahman. Salutation to our acharyas.

   oṃ namaḥ paramaṛṣibhyaḥ namaḥ paramaṛṣibhyaḥ || oṃ pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṃ pūrṇāt pūrṇamudacyate | pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate || oṃ namaḥ paramaṛṣibhyaḥ namaḥ paramaṛṣibhyaḥ ||

   Salutation to the great sages. That is whole, this is whole; from the whole the whole arises; taking the whole from the whole, the whole remains.

2. Meditating on the Lord

   Sit quietly and see Sriman Narayana in your heart, with these verses of Alavandar's Stotra Ratnam.

   amaryādaḥ kṣudraś calamatir asūyāprasavabhūḥ kṛtaghno durmānī smaraparavaśo vañcanaparaḥ | nṛśaṃsaḥ pāpiṣṭhaḥ katham aham ito duḥkhajaladher apārād uttīrṇas tava paricareyaṃ caraṇayoḥ ||

   I who cross every limit, mean, fickle, a birthplace of envy, ungrateful, proud, ruled by desire, given to deceit, cruel and sinful: how can I cross this shoreless sea of sorrow and serve at Your feet?

   namo namo vāṅmanasātibhūmaye namo namo vāṅmanasaikabhūmaye | namo namo 'nantamahāvibhūtaye namo namo 'nantadayaikasindhave ||

   Salutation again and again to the One beyond word and thought, and yet the only object of word and thought; to the One of endless glory, the one ocean of endless compassion.

   na dharmaniṣṭho 'smi na cātmavedī na bhaktimāṃs tvaccaraṇāravinde | akiñcano 'nanyagatiḥ śaraṇya tvatpādamūlaṃ śaraṇaṃ prapadye ||

   I am not steadfast in dharma, I do not know the self, I have no devotion to Your lotus feet. With nothing, and no other refuge, O Refuge of all, I take refuge at Your feet.

3. Waking Perumal

   Gently wake the Lord with these verses. Then clap softly three times and open the doors of His shrine. Think that it is your acharya who is having you perform this worship.

   kausalyā suprajā rāma pūrvā sandhyā pravartate | uttiṣṭha naraśārdūla kartavyaṃ daivam āhnikam ||

   Rama, dear son of Kausalya, the dawn has come. Rise, O lion among men; the day's sacred duties await.

   uttiṣṭhottiṣṭha govinda uttiṣṭha garuḍadhvaja | uttiṣṭha kamalākānta trailokyaṃ maṅgalaṃ kuru ||

   Rise, rise, Govinda; rise, You whose banner bears Garuda; rise, Beloved of Lakshmi, and make the three worlds auspicious.

   tato 'khilajagatpadmabodhāyācyutabhānunā | devakīpūrvasandhyāyām āvirbhūtaṃ mahātmanā ||

   Then, to awaken the lotus of the whole world, Achyuta, the great sun, rose in the dawn that was Devaki.

4. Inviting Perumal and His own

   With a namaskaram, invite the Lord with all His divine family to come and receive the worship.

   oṃ samastaparivārāya sarvadivyamaṅgalavigrahāya śrīmate nārāyaṇāya namaḥ | śrībhūnīḷāgodādidevībhyo namaḥ | anantagaruḍaviṣvaksenādinityasūrigaṇebhyo namaḥ | śrīparāṅkuśaparakālayativaravaravaramunyādyāḷvārācāryebhyo namaḥ | oṃ sarvān dhyāyāmi āvāhayāmi | svāgataṃ samarpayāmi ||

   Salutation to Sriman Narayana of all-auspicious divine form, with all His family; to Sri, Bhu, Nila, Goda and the divine consorts; to Ananta, Garuda, Vishvaksena and all the nityasuris; to Nammalwar, Thirumangai Alwar, Ramanuja, Manavala Mamunigal and all the Alwars and acharyas. I meditate on all of you, invite you, and offer you welcome.

5. Welcoming and adorning

   Offer each service with its words. For arghyam show a little water to His hands, for padyam to His feet (twice) and for achamaniyam to His hands and mouth (three times), each time pouring it into a second bowl. For the bath, imagine bathing Him in warm scented water. For the cloth, the ornaments and the tilakam, offer a flower in their place.

   oṃ śrīmate nārāyaṇāya namaḥ | ratnasiṃhāsanaṃ samarpayāmi | arghyaṃ samarpayāmi | pādyaṃ samarpayāmi | ācamanīyaṃ samarpayāmi | snānaṃ samarpayāmi | śuddhācamanīyaṃ samarpayāmi | plotavastraṃ samarpayāmi | vastrayugmaṃ samarpayāmi | ūrdhvapuṇḍrān samarpayāmi | yajñopavītaṃ samarpayāmi | divyaśrīcandanaṃ samarpayāmi | divyābharaṇālaṅkārān samarpayāmi ||

   Salutation to Sriman Narayana. I offer a jewelled throne; water for the hands, for the feet and to sip; the bath and water to sip again; a cloth to dry Him; a pair of garments; the urdhva pundram; the sacred thread; divine sandal paste; divine ornaments. (Say 'oṃ śrīmate nārāyaṇāya namaḥ' before each offering.)

6. Flowers and tulasi with His names

   Offer flowers and tulasi at His lotus feet with each name: first the twenty-four names of the Lord, then the names of the Thayars, the nityasuris and the acharyas.

   oṃ śrīmate nārāyaṇāya namaḥ | tulasīdalaiś ca puṣpaiḥ pūjayāmi ||

   Salutation to Sriman Narayana. I worship You with tulasi leaves and flowers.

   oṃ keśavāya namaḥ | oṃ nārāyaṇāya namaḥ | oṃ mādhavāya namaḥ | oṃ govindāya namaḥ | oṃ viṣṇave namaḥ | oṃ madhusūdanāya namaḥ | oṃ trivikramāya namaḥ | oṃ vāmanāya namaḥ | oṃ śrīdharāya namaḥ | oṃ hṛṣīkeśāya namaḥ | oṃ padmanābhāya namaḥ | oṃ dāmodarāya namaḥ | oṃ saṅkarṣaṇāya namaḥ | oṃ vāsudevāya namaḥ | oṃ pradyumnāya namaḥ | oṃ aniruddhāya namaḥ | oṃ puruṣottamāya namaḥ | oṃ adhokṣajāya namaḥ | oṃ nārasiṃhāya namaḥ | oṃ acyutāya namaḥ | oṃ janārdanāya namaḥ | oṃ upendrāya namaḥ | oṃ haraye namaḥ | oṃ śrīkṛṣṇāya namaḥ ||

   The twenty-four names of the Lord, from Kesava to Sri Krishna.

   oṃ śrī mahālakṣmyai namaḥ | oṃ śrī bhūdevyai namaḥ | oṃ śrī nīḷādevyai namaḥ | oṃ śrī godādevyai namaḥ | oṃ śrī anantāya namaḥ | oṃ śrī garuḍāya namaḥ | oṃ śrīmate viṣvaksenāya namaḥ | oṃ śrī parāṅkuśāya namaḥ | oṃ śrīmate rāmānujāya namaḥ | oṃ śrīmad varavaramunaye namaḥ | oṃ svācāryebhyo namaḥ | oṃ pūrvācāryebhyo namaḥ ||

   Salutation to Sri Mahalakshmi, Bhudevi, Niladevi and Godadevi; to Ananta, Garuda and Vishvaksena; to Nammalwar, Ramanuja and Manavala Mamunigal; to one's own acharya and to all the acharyas before.

7. Incense and lamp

   Light an incense stick and offer it, then light the lamp and show it to the Lord, and offer water to sip.

   oṃ śrīmate nārāyaṇāya namaḥ | dhūpaṃ samarpayāmi | dīpaṃ samarpayāmi | śuddhācamanīyaṃ samarpayāmi ||

   Salutation to Sriman Narayana. I offer incense, the lamp, and pure water to sip.

8. Sevakalam: the guru parampara

   Recite the taniyans of the line of acharyas.

   śrīśaileśadayāpātraṃ dhībhaktyādiguṇārṇavam | yatīndrapravaṇaṃ vande ramyajāmātaraṃ munim ||

   I bow to Manavala Mamunigal, who received the grace of Tiruvaymozhi Pillai, an ocean of wisdom, devotion and every virtue, devoted to Ramanuja.

   lakṣmīnāthasamārambhāṃ nāthayāmunamadhyamām | asmadācāryaparyantāṃ vande guruparamparām ||

   I bow to the line of acharyas that begins with the Lord of Lakshmi, has Nathamuni and Yamunacharya in its middle, and reaches down to my own acharya.

   yo nityam acyutapadāmbujayugmarukmavyāmohatas taditarāṇi tṛṇāya mene | asmadguror bhagavato 'sya dayaikasindhoḥ rāmānujasya caraṇau śaraṇaṃ prapadye ||

   Ramanuja, who was so drawn to the golden lotus feet of Achyuta that he counted everything else as straw: I take refuge at the feet of this, our acharya, the ocean of compassion.

   mātā pitā yuvatayas tanayā vibhūtiḥ sarvaṃ yad eva niyamena madanvayānām | ādyasya naḥ kulapater vakulābhirāmaṃ śrīmat tadaṅghriyugalaṃ praṇamāmi mūrdhnā ||

   Mother, father, wife, children, wealth and everything to all of my line: I bow my head to the blessed feet, lovely with vakula flowers, of Nammalwar, the first head of our family.

   bhūtaṃ saraś ca mahadāhvayabhaṭṭanātha śrībhaktisārakulaśekharayogivāhān | bhaktāṅghrireṇuparakālayatīndramiśrān śrīmatparāṅkuśamuniṃ praṇato 'smi nityam ||

   I always bow to Bhoothath Alwar, Poigai Alwar, Pey Alwar, Periyalwar, Thirumazhisai Alwar, Kulasekhara Alwar, Thiruppan Alwar, Thondaradippodi Alwar, Thirumangai Alwar and Ramanuja, and to Nammalwar.

9. Offering food

   Sprinkle water on the floor saying 'oṃ puṇḍarīkākṣāya namaḥ' three times, place there the fruits or food to be offered, and offer them to the Lord. Then offer betel leaves (tambulam).

   oṃ puṇḍarīkākṣāya namaḥ ||

   Salutation to the lotus-eyed Lord.

   oṃ śrīmate nārāyaṇāya namaḥ | naivedyaṃ samarpayāmi ||

   Salutation to Sriman Narayana. I offer this food.

   yā prītir vidurārpite muraripo kuntyarpite yādṛśī yā govardhanamūrdhni yā ca pṛthuke stanye yaśodārpite | bhāradvājasamarpite śabarikādatte 'dhare yoṣitāṃ yā prītir munipatnībhaktiracite prītyarpite tāṃ kuru ||

   O Krishna, the joy You took in what Vidura and Kunti offered, in the feast on Govardhana, in Kuchela's flattened rice, in Yashoda's milk, in what Bharadvaja and Shabari gave, in what the gopis and the sages' wives offered with devotion: take that same joy in what I offer with love.

   oṃ śrīmate nārāyaṇāya namaḥ | tāmbūlaṃ samarpayāmi ||

   Salutation to Sriman Narayana. I offer betel leaves.

10. Arati, and fanning Perumal

    Light camphor and wave it before the Lord clockwise, with the mangalam verses. Then gently wave the chamara (fan) before Him while reciting Tiruppavai 29 and 30.

    oṃ śrīmate nārāyaṇāya namaḥ | maṅgalanīrājanaṃ samarpayāmi ||

    Salutation to Sriman Narayana. I offer the auspicious arati.

    śriyaḥ kāntāya kalyāṇanidhaye nidhaye 'rthinām | śrīveṅkaṭanivāsāya śrīnivāsāya maṅgalam ||

    Mangalam to Srinivasa who dwells on Venkatam, the beloved of Lakshmi, the treasure of every auspicious quality, the treasure of all who seek Him.

    maṅgalāśāsanaparair madācāryapurogamaiḥ | sarvaiś ca pūrvair ācāryaiḥ satkṛtāyāstu maṅgalam ||

    Mangalam to Him whom my acharya and all the acharyas before have honoured, ever wishing Him well.

    oṃ śrīmate nārāyaṇāya namaḥ | cāmaropacāraṃ samarpayāmi ||

    Salutation to Sriman Narayana. I offer the service of the fan.

    ciṟṟañ ciṟukālē vantu uṉṉaic cēvittu uṉpoṟṟāmarai aṭiyē pōṟṟum poruḷ kēḷāypeṟṟam mēyttu uṇṇum kulattiṟ piṟantu nīkuṟṟēval eṅkaḷaik koḷḷāmal pōkātuiṟṟaip paṟaikoḷvāṉ aṉṟu kāṇ kōvintāeṟṟaikkum ēḻ ēḻ piṟavikkum uṉtaṉṉōṭuuṟṟōmē āvōm uṉakkē nām āṭceyvōmmaṟṟai nam kāmaṅkaḷ māṟṟu-ēlōr empāvāyvaṅkak kaṭal kaṭainta mātavaṉaik kēcavaṉaittiṅkaḷ-tirumukattuc cēyiḻaiyār ceṉṟu iṟaiñciaṅkup paṟaikoṇṭa-āṟṟai aṇi putuvaippaiṅkamalat taṇ teriyal paṭṭarpirāṉ kōtai coṉṉacaṅkat tamiḻmālai muppatum tappāmēiṅku ip paricu uraippār īriraṇṭu māl varait tōḷceṅkaṇ-tirumukattuc celvat tirumālāleṅkum tiruvaruḷ peṟṟu iṉpuṟuvar empāvāy

    Read it with its meaning →

    Tiruppavai 29 and 30, recited while fanning the Lord.

11. Standing prayers

    Stand and recite, for the glory of Ramanuja's teaching, Srirangam and the acharyas.

    sarvadeśadaśākāleṣv avyāhataparākramā | rāmānujāryadivyājñā vardhatām abhivardhatām || rāmānujāryadivyājñā prativāsaram ujjvalā | digantavyāpinī bhūyāt sā hi lokahitaiṣiṇī ||

    May Ramanuja's divine teaching, unstoppable in every place, state and time, grow and grow; may it shine brighter every day and reach every corner of the world, for it seeks the good of all.

    śrīman śrīraṅgaśriyam anupadravām anudinaṃ saṃvardhaya || śrīman śrīraṅgaśriyam anupadravām anudinaṃ saṃvardhaya ||

    O Lord, make the glory of Srirangam grow every day, free from all harm.

    namaḥ śrīśailanāthāya kuntīnagarajanmane | prasādalabdhaparamaprāpyakaiṅkaryaśāline ||

    Salutation to Tiruvaymozhi Pillai, born in Kuntinagaram, who by grace received the highest goal, service to the Lord.

    śrīśaileśadayāpātraṃ dhībhaktyādiguṇārṇavam | yatīndrapravaṇaṃ vande ramyajāmātaraṃ munim ||

    I bow to Manavala Mamunigal, who received the grace of Tiruvaymozhi Pillai, an ocean of wisdom, devotion and every virtue, devoted to Ramanuja.

    vāḻi tiruvāymoḻip piḷḷai mātakavālvāḻum maṇavāḷa māmuṉivaṉ vāḻiyavaṉmāṟaṉ tiruvāymoḻip poruḷai māṉilattōrtēṟum paṭi uraikkum cīr

    Long live Manavala Mamunigal, who lives by the great grace of Tiruvaymozhi Pillai; long live his glory, who explains the meaning of Nammalwar's Tiruvaymozhi so that the people of this great earth understand it.

    ceyya tāmarait tāḷiṇai vāḻiyēcēlai vāḻi tirunāpi vāḻiyētuyya mārpum purinūlum vāḻiyēcuntarat tiruttōḷiṇai vāḻiyēkaiyumēntiya mukkōlum vāḻiyēkaruṇai poṅkiya kaṇṇiṇai vāḻiyēpoyyilāta maṇavāḷa māmuṉipunti vāḻi pukaḻ vāḻi vāḻiyē

    Long live his red lotus feet, his saffron robe and holy navel, his pure chest and sacred thread, his beautiful shoulders, the tridandam in his hand and his eyes overflowing with compassion; long live the mind and the fame of Manavala Mamunigal, who is free of all falsehood.

    aṭiyārkaḷ vāḻa araṅka nakar vāḻacaṭakōpaṉ taṇtamiḻ nūl vāḻa – kaṭal cūḻntamaṉṉulakam vāḻa – maṇavāḷa māmuṉiyēiṉṉumoru nūṟṟāṇṭirum

    So that the devotees flourish, Srirangam flourishes, Nammalwar's cool Tamil flourishes, and the whole sea-girt world flourishes: O Manavala Mamuni, stay with us a hundred years more.

    tiruvāṭip pūrattil cekattutittāḷ vāḻiyētiruppāvai muppatuñ ceppiṉāḷ vāḻiyēperiyāḻvār peṟṟeṭutta peṇpiḷḷai vāḻiyēperumpūtūr māmuṉikkup piṉṉāṉāḷ vāḻiyēorunūṟṟu nāṟpattu mūṉṟuraittāḷ vāḻiyēuyararaṅkarkkē kaṇṇiyukantaḷittāḷ vāḻiyēmaruvārun tirumalli vaḷanāṭi vāḻiyēvaṇputuvai nakarkkōtai malarppataṅkaḷ vāḻiyē

    Long live Andal, who appeared on Adi Pooram; who sang the thirty pasurams of Tiruppavai; the daughter of Periyalwar; the younger sister of Ramanuja; who sang the hundred and forty-three pasurams of Nachiyar Tirumozhi; who joyfully gave her garland to the Lord of Srirangam; the lady of fragrant Srivilliputhur: long live the flower-feet of Kodhai.

    śrīmate ramyajāmātṛmunīndrāya mahātmane | śrīraṅgavāsine bhūyāt nityaśrīr nityamaṅgalam ||

    May there be lasting glory and lasting auspiciousness to the great Manavala Mamunigal, who dwells in Srirangam.

12. Laying Perumal to rest

    Offer a flower as His bed and think of Him resting comfortably in your heart. Standing, ask pardon for any lapse, pray for the good of the world, and offer the whole worship back to Him.

    oṃ samastaparivārāya sarvadivyamaṅgalavigrahāya śrīmate nārāyaṇāya namaḥ | paryaṅkāsanaṃ samarpayāmi ||

    Salutation to Sriman Narayana of all-auspicious divine form, with all His family. I offer You Your couch.

    mantrahīnaṃ kriyāhīnaṃ bhaktihīnaṃ janārdana | yat kṛtaṃ tu mayā deva paripūrṇaṃ tad astu te || upacārāpadeśena kṛtān aharahar mayā | apacārān imān sarvān kṣamasva puruṣottama ||

    Whatever I have done, lacking in mantra, in action and in devotion, O Janardana, let it be complete before You. Forgive, O Purushottama, all the faults I commit day after day in the name of service.

    svasti prajābhyaḥ paripālayantāṃ nyāyyena mārgeṇa mahīṃ mahīśāḥ | gobrāhmaṇebhyaḥ śubham astu nityaṃ lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu || kāle varṣatu parjanyaḥ pṛthivī sasyaśālinī | deśo 'yaṃ kṣobharahito brāhmaṇāḥ santu nirbhayāḥ || kāverī vardhatāṃ kāle kāle varṣatu vāsavaḥ | śrīraṅganātho jayatu śrīraṅgaśrīś ca vardhatām ||

    May all be well with the people; may rulers protect the earth by the right path; may good come always to cows and brahmanas; may all the worlds be happy. May the rains come in time and the earth be rich with crops; may this land be free of unrest and the good free of fear. May the Kaveri flow full and the rains come in season; victory to Sri Ranganatha, and may the glory of Srirangam grow.

    kāyena vācā manasendriyair vā buddhyātmanā vā prakṛteḥ svabhāvāt | karomi yad yat sakalaṃ parasmai nārāyaṇāyeti samarpayāmi || śrīmannārāyaṇāyeti samarpayāmi ||

    Whatever I do, by body, speech, mind or senses, by intellect or self, or by my very nature, all of it I offer to the Supreme, to Sriman Narayana.

    pannagādhīśaparyaṅke ramāhastopadhānake | sukhaṃ śeṣva vṛṣādhīśa sudarśanasurakṣitaḥ || śaṅkhacakragadākhaḍgadivyāyudhagaṇās tathā | śrīśa rakṣāvidhānāya sadā jāgṛta jāgṛta ||

    Rest happily, Lord of the Venkata hill, on the couch of the king of serpents, with Lakshmi's hand for Your pillow, guarded by the Sudarshana. And you, His divine weapons, conch, discus, mace and sword: keep watch always to guard the Lord of Sri.

13. Closing, tirtham and prasadam

    Remember your acharya and thank the sages. Then take a spoonful of the water from the second bowl into the right palm and sip it as tirtham, three times. Share the prasadam with everyone.

    oṃ sarvaṃ śrīkṛṣṇārpaṇam astu || oṃ asmadgurubhyo namaḥ ||

    May all this be an offering to Sri Krishna. Salutation to our acharyas.

    oṃ namaḥ paramaṛṣibhyaḥ namaḥ paramaṛṣibhyaḥ || oṃ pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṃ pūrṇāt pūrṇamudacyate | pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate || oṃ namaḥ paramaṛṣibhyaḥ namaḥ paramaṛṣibhyaḥ ||

    Salutation to the great sages; the peace verse, as at the beginning.

This is the short daily form for the home. The full Tiruvaradhanam, with the mantras received at samashrayanam, is learned from one's acharya; and families differ in small details. Where they do, keep your family's and your acharya's practice.

Sources: Nithya Aradhana Procedure, JIVA (chinnajeeyar.org) · Sattrumurai and vāḻi tirunāmams (divyaprabandham.koyil.org)