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Vishnu mantra: Om Namo Narayanaya, Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya and Shantakaram
Two short mantras are at the heart of Vaishnava practice — the ashtakshara of eight syllables and the dvadashakshara of twelve — and one dhyana shloka is how many people picture Vishnu before they begin to chant.
Om Namo Narayanaya: the Ashtakshari mantra
ॐ नमो नारायणाय
Om Namo Narayanaya
Source: Narayana Upanishad (Krishna Yajurveda), which spells out its eight syllables.
Meaning: "Om, salutation to Narayana" — Narayana as the refuge in whom all beings rest. With the Om it has eight syllables, hence ashtakshara.
When it is chanted: Daily, and above all on Ekadashi and Thursdays.
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya: the Dvadashakshari mantra
ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
Source: Bhagavata Purana 4.8.54, where Narada teaches it to the boy Dhruva.
Meaning: "Om, salutation to the Lord Vasudeva." Twelve syllables after the Om, addressed to Vishnu as Vasudeva, the one who dwells in all.
When it is chanted: Daily japa on a tulsi mala, and on Ekadashi.
Shantakaram Bhujagashayanam: the Vishnu dhyana shloka
शान्ताकारं भुजगशयनं पद्मनाभं सुरेशं विश्वाधारं गगनसदृशं मेघवर्णं शुभाङ्गम् ।
लक्ष्मीकान्तं कमलनयनं योगिभिर्ध्यानगम्यं वन्दे विष्णुं भवभयहरं सर्वलोकैकनाथम् ॥
Shantakaram Bhujagashayanam Padmanabham Suresham Vishvadharam Gaganasadrisham Meghavarnam Shubhangam
Lakshmikantam Kamalanayanam Yogibhirdhyanagamyam Vande Vishnum Bhavabhayaharam Sarvalokaikanatham
Source: A traditional dhyana verse, recited among the opening verses of the Vishnu Sahasranama.
Meaning: "I bow to Vishnu: peaceful in form, resting on the serpent, the lotus at his navel, lord of the gods, support of the universe, vast as the sky, dark as a rain cloud, of auspicious form, beloved of Lakshmi, lotus-eyed, reached by yogis in meditation, who removes the fear of worldly existence, the one lord of all the worlds."
When it is chanted: Recited before Vishnu worship or the Vishnu Sahasranama.
How to chant a Vishnu mantra
- Keep to one mantra; changing mantras every few days is the commonest way a practice fades.
- Sit at the same time each day, after a bath if you can, facing east or north.
- Chant on a mala of 108 beads — one mala is the customary measure — and turn the mala at the larger meru bead rather than crossing it.
- Say the words clearly, at a pace you can keep; attention matters more than speed.
- The traditional time for Vishnu is Thursday, and Ekadashi; any day is fine for a daily practice.
Mantra practice belongs to a tradition of devotion and reflection. It is not a substitute for medical, legal or financial help, and no mantra comes with a promised result.
108 names of Vishnu
The traditional list of Vishnu's 108 names, each with its transliteration and meaning, numbered as it is recited.
Vishnu mantra: common questions
How many times should a Vishnu mantra be chanted?
One mala of 108 is the customary daily measure. Some keep a larger vow, such as eleven malas, or a number completed over forty days; follow your own teacher's or family's practice where it differs.