Sri Rama sloka – aapadaam apahartaaram : Learn Sanskrit – 19

Welcome back to Thedal for learning another sloka in Sanskrit along with its meaning!

As we are about to witness a spectacular event at Ayodhya, let us use the occasion to learn a sloka on Lord Rama. This sloka is part of a series called Rama Raksha Stotra (‘chanting for removal of obstacles/danger and getting protection).

Here is the sloka:

aapadaam apahartaaram daatharam sarvasampadaam|
lokaabhiramam shriramam bhuyo bhuyo namaamyaham||

आपदां अपहर्तारं दातारं सर्वसम्पदां |
लोकाभिरामं श्रीरामं भूयो भूयो नमाम्यहं ||

Let us discuss the word-by-word meaning of the above sloka:

aapadaam apahartharam

aapad is calamity/distress (recall a similar word in Tamil meaning the same). apahartaa is stealer/who takes away. (Sita Apaharanam was done by Ravana). In this context, aapadaam apahartaaram means the one who takes away danger from us

daatharam sarvasampadaam

daatha is giver (daanam is giving/charity) sampath is wealth. Thus the phrase means giver of all kinds of wealth

lokaabhiraamam shriraamam

abhirama is someone who is of pleasing type. loka abhirama is someone whose presence pleases the entire world. Shri Rama is lokaabhirama here.

bhuyo bhuyo namaamyaham

bhuya: means again. namaami is ‘salute’ while aham is ‘I’. The phrase thus means ‘I salute him again and again‘.

Here is the total meaning of this sloka:

“I bow again and again to Lord Rama, the remover of miseries, the giver of all kinds of  wealth, who is pleasing to the world and the embodiment of auspiciousness.”

The name of Lord Rama is also known as taaraka mantra which helps us to cross the ocean of ‘samsara‘ and reach the Lord’s abode.  Let’s keep chanting Rama mantra and attain the highest benefit! 

You can read the meaning of other slokas here.