Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

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ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय

Mantras, Slokas & Daily PrayersVishnuTraditionalSanskrit

The twelve-syllable (dvadashakshara) mantra of Vishnu-Krishna — the mantra of the Srimad Bhagavata itself, given to Dhruva by Narada, and beloved across all Vaishnava traditions.

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Dvadashakshara Mantra

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

om namo bhagavate vasudevaya

oṃ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Om — salutations to the blessed Lord Vasudeva, who dwells in all beings and in whom all beings dwell.

When it is recited: Daily japa, Ekadashi, Satyanarayan puja, and while reading the Srimad Bhagavata. Often the first mantra taught to children in Vaishnava homes.

Traditional significance: Vasudeva means both the son of Vasudeva (Krishna) and “the one who dwells in all things.” The Bhagavata opens with this salutation, and the boy Dhruva attained the Lord's vision through its japa — making it the classic mantra of single-minded devotion.

Questions

What does “bhagavate” mean?

Bhagavan is the possessor of the six opulences in full — strength, fame, wealth, knowledge, beauty and renunciation. “Namo bhagavate” salutes the Lord as that complete whole.

Shantakaram — Meditation on Vishnu Hare Krishna Mahamantra Satyanarayan Vrat Katha

Source: Srimad Bhagavata (invocation) — Puranic tradition. Regional versions may vary — this text follows the version most widely used in community worship.