Devanagari
देवोऽपराह्णे मधुहोग्रधन्वा
सायं त्रिधामावतु माधवो माम् ।
दोषे हृषीकेश उतार्धरात्रे
निशीथ एकोऽवतु पद्मनाभ: ॥ २१ ॥
Verse text
devo ’parāhṇe madhu-hogradhanvā
sāyaṁ tri-dhāmāvatu mādhavo mām
doṣe hṛṣīkeśa utārdha-rātre
niśītha eko ’vatu padmanābhaḥ
Synonyms
devaḥ
—
the Lord
;
aparāhṇe
—
in the fifth part of the day
;
madhu
—
hā — named Madhusūdana
;
ugra
—
dhanvā — bearing the very fearful bow known as Śārṅga
;
sāyam
—
the sixth part of the day
;
tri
—
dhāmā — manifesting as the three deities Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara
;
avatu
—
may He protect
;
mādhavaḥ
—
named Mādhava
;
mām
—
me
;
doṣe
—
during the first portion of the night
;
hṛṣīkeśaḥ
—
Lord Hṛṣīkeśa
;
uta
—
also
;
ardha
—
rātre — during the second part of the night
;
niśīthe
—
during the third part of the night
;
ekaḥ
—
alone
;
avatu
—
may He protect
;
padmanābhaḥ
—
Lord Padmanābha .
Translation
May Lord Madhusūdana, who carries a bow very fearful for the demons, protect me during the fifth part of the day. In the evening, may Lord Mādhava, appearing as Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara, protect me, and in the beginning of night may Lord Hṛṣīkeśa protect me. At the dead of night [in the second and third parts of night] may Lord Padmanābha alone protect me.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
May Madhusūdana, who carries a bow very fearful for the demons, protect me during the fifth part of the day. In the evening, the sixth part of the day, may Mādhava, who is eternity, knowledge and bliss, protect me, and during pradoṣa may Hṛṣīkeśa protect me. May Padmanābha alone protect me during ārdha-ratra and niśītha.
Aparāhna lasts from the twenty-first ghaṭikā to the twenty-fifth ghaṭikā. Sāyam or evening lasts from the twenty-sixth ghaṭikā to the thirtieth ghaṭikā. Tri-dhāmā means the Lord with three forms: eternity, knowledge and bliss. Having recited mantras for protection during the day divided into six parts, he now recites mantras for protection during the five parts of the night. Doṣa or pradoṣa lasts till the end of the fourth ghaṭikā of the night. From the fifth to the fourteen ghaṭikā is ardharātra (midnight), since midnight is included in it. The fifteenth and sixteenth ghaṭikās are niśītha.