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Pratah Smaranam

प्रातःस्मरणम्

प्रातः स्मरामि हृदि संस्फुरदात्मतत्त्वं
सच्चित्सुखं परमहंसगतिं तुरीयम् ।
यत्स्वप्नजागरसुषुप्तमवैति नित्यं
तद्ब्रह्म निष्कलमहं न च भूतसङ्घः ॥ १ ॥

प्रातर्भजामि मनसो वचसामगम्यं
वाचो विभान्ति निखिला यदनुग्रहेण ।
यं नेति नेति वचनैरनिगमाः अवोचन्
तं देवदेवमजमच्युतमाहुरग्र्यम् ॥ २ ॥

प्रातर्नमामि तमसः परमर्कवर्णं
पूर्णं सनातनपदं पुरुषोत्तमाख्यम् ।
यस्मिन्निदं जगदशेषमशेषमूर्तौ
रज्ज्वां भुजङ्गम इव प्रतिभासितं वै ॥ ३ ॥

Prātaḥ smarāmi hṛdi saṃsphuradātmatattvaṃ
Saccitsukhaṃ paramahaṃsagatiṃ turīyam ।
Yatsvapnajāgarasuṣuptamavaiti nityaṃ
Tadbrahma niṣkalamahaṃ na ca bhūtasaṅghaḥ ॥ 1 ॥

Prātarbhajāmi manaso vacasāmagamyaṃ
Vāco vibhānti nikhilā yadanugraheṇa ।
Yaṃ neti neti vacanairnigamā avochan
Taṃ devadevamajamacyutamāhuragryam ॥ 2 ॥

Prātarnamāmi tamasaḥ paramarkavarṇaṃ
Pūrṇaṃ sanātanapadaṃ puruṣottamākhyam ।
Yasminnidaṃ jagadaśeṣamaśeṣamūrtau
Rajjvāṃ bhujaṅgama iva pratibhāsitaṃ vai ॥ 3 ॥

Source

Traditionally attributed to आदि शङ्कराचार्यः (Ādi Śaṅkarācārya).

It appears in standard stotra collections such as the Bṛhat-stotra-ratnākara, Gita Press’s Stotra-ratnāvalī, and the many “Śaṅkara-stotra” compilations. It is also part of the morning recitation (prātaḥ-smaraṇa) in many Smārta and Advaita traditions.

Note

The attribution to Śaṅkara is traditional. The content fits his Advaita teaching closely, but with many short stotras in his name, scholars generally treat authorship as uncertain. The text has no clear manuscript history

Meaning

Verse 1 — प्रातः स्मरामि

In the morning, I remember the essential nature of the Self, which shines within the heart and is existence, consciousness and bliss. It is the supreme state realised by the paramahaṃsas, the fourth state beyond waking, dreaming and deep sleep. That indivisible Brahman is what I am, not merely this aggregate of material elements.

Verse 2 — प्रातर्भजामि

In the morning, I worship that which cannot be reached by the mind or expressed by speech, but by whose grace all speech becomes possible. The scriptures describe it through the expression नेति नेति — “not this, not this.” It is the supreme, unborn and imperishable Lord of the gods.

Verse 3 — प्रातर्नमामि

In the morning, I bow to the Supreme Being, radiant like the sun, the eternal and complete reality known as Puruṣottama. In that reality, the entire universe appears, just as a snake may appear in a rope due to mistaken perception.

Practice

This is a morning contemplation prayer traditionally recited upon waking. It consists of three verses contemplating Brahman, the supreme reality, before beginning the activities of the day.

  • Recite the three verses in the morning after waking.
  • Reflect on the nature of the Self and the distinction between the eternal reality and the changing world.
  • Sit quietly for a few moments after recitation.
  • Begin the day's activities with clarity and awareness.