Namaskaram

R

Sri Rama Dwadasa Nama Stotram

Stotram

śrī rāma dvādaśanāma stotraṃ

prathamaṃ śrīdharaṃ vidyāddvitīyaṃ raghunāyakam |
tṛtīyaṃ rāmacaṃdraṃ ca caturthaṃ rāvaṇāṃtakam || 1 ||

paṃcamaṃ lokapūjyaṃ ca ṣaṣṭhamaṃ jānakīpatim |
saptamaṃ vāsudevaṃ ca śrīrāmaṃ cā'ṣṭamaṃ tathā || 2 ||

navamaṃ jaladaśyāmaṃ daśamaṃ lakṣmaṇāgrajam |
ekādaśaṃ ca goviṃdaṃ dvādaśaṃ setubaṃdhanam || 3 ||

dvādaśaitāni nāmāni yaḥ paṭhecchraddhayānvitaḥ |
ardharātre tu dvādaśyāṃ kuṣṭhadāridryanāśanam || 4 ||

araṇye caiva saṃgrāme agnau bhayanivāraṇam |
brahmahatyā surāpānaṃ gohatyādi nivāraṇam || 5 ||

saptavāraṃ paṭhennityaṃ sarvāriṣṭanivāraṇam |
grahaṇe ca jale sthitvā nadītīre viśeṣataḥ |
aśvamedhaśataṃ puṇyaṃ brahmalokaṃ gamiṣyati || 6 ||

iti śrī skāṃdapurāṇe uttarakhaṃḍe śrī umāmaheśvarasaṃvāde śrī rāma dvādaśanāmastotram |

Meaning

  1. Sri Dharam Vidyat…

    The first name — Shridhara, the bearer of Goddess Lakshmi; the second — Raghunayaka, Lord of the Raghu dynasty.

  2. Ramachandram Cha…

    The third — Ramachandra, the moon among men; the fourth — Ravanantaka, destroyer of Ravana.

  3. Lokapujyam Cha…

    The fifth — Lokapujya, worshipped by all; the sixth — Janakipati, beloved consort of Sita Devi.

  4. Vasudevam Cha…

    The seventh — Vasudeva, the all-pervading one; the eighth — Sri Rama, the compassionate Lord.

  5. Jaladhashyama…

    The ninth — Jaladashyama, dark as a rain cloud; the tenth — Lakshmanagraja, elder brother of Lakshmana.

  6. Govindam Cha…

    The eleventh — Govinda, nourisher of beings; the twelfth — Setubandhana, builder of the bridge to Lanka.

  7. Who recites with faith…

    One who recites these twelve names at midnight on Dwadashi destroys poverty and diseases like leprosy.

  8. In forests or battle…

    It grants protection from fire, danger, and even grave sins like cow-killing or intoxication.

  9. Reciting seven times a week…

    Removes all misfortunes. Chanting near rivers or during eclipses grants the merit of performing 100 Ashwamedha Yajnas.

Summary:

Sri Rama Dwadasha Nama Stotram is a powerful hymn of twelve divine names of Lord Rama. Each name reveals a unique aspect — His compassion, valor, and divine protection. Regular recitation bestows purity, peace, and liberation while removing sins, fears, and obstacles. Chanting on sacred occasions like Dwadashi or near holy rivers multiplies its spiritual benefits a hundredfold.

Frequently asked questions

What are the twelve names in the Sri Rama Dwadasa Nama Stotram?
In order they are Shridhara, Raghunayaka, Ramachandra, Ravanantaka, Lokapujya, Janakipati, Vasudeva, Sri Rama, Jaladashyama, Lakshmanagraja, Govinda and Setubandhana. The first three verses count them off with ordinal words such as prathamam and dvitiyam, which makes the order easy to memorise.
Which Purana does the Rama Dwadasa Nama Stotram come from?
Its colophon places it in the Uttara Khanda of the Skanda Purana, within a dialogue between Uma and Maheshvara. The twelve names of Rama are therefore taught in a conversation between Parvati and Shiva.
Why does the Rama Dwadasa Nama Stotram mention midnight on Dwadashi?
The fourth verse says that reciting the twelve names with faith at midnight on a Dwadashi tithi destroys kushtha, a skin disease, and poverty. Naming both an hour and a tithi in this way is unusual for so short a stotram.
How many times a day does the Rama Dwadasa Nama Stotram ask to be recited?
The sixth verse, sapta varam pathen nityam, asks for seven recitations every day and says this wards off all misfortune. The same verse adds that chanting it while standing in water during an eclipse, especially on a river bank, earns the merit of a hundred Ashvamedha sacrifices.
What protection does the phala shruti of the Rama Dwadasa Nama Stotram describe?
The fifth verse says the names remove fear in a forest, in battle and in fire, and clear even grave sins such as brahmahatya, drinking liquor and killing a cow. The whole text is six short verses and can be read in under two minutes.

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