Dvadasha Stotra


The Dvadasha Stotra is a series of 12 stotras, or religious hymns, composed by Madhvacharya, the 13th-century founder of the Dvaita school of Indian philosophy. Dvadaśa in Sanskrit means "twelve", and all the 12 stotras are in praise of the Hindu god Vishnu. The third stotra is considered a summary of Madhvacharya's philosophy.
It is believed that the stotras were composed in connection with the installation of the idol of the Hindu god Krishna at Udupi.
There have been numerous musical compositions of the Dvadasha Stotra over the years. It is also a ritual to recite the Dvadasha Stotra at the time of naivedya or the offering of food to God performed at Madhva temples.

Hymn

The first verse of the stotra is as follows:

Commentaries and translations

There are eight known commentaries on the Dvadasha Stotra, authored by:
  • Gangodamishra
  • Gudhakartrika
  • Chalari Narasimhacharya
  • Channapattana Thimmannacharya
  • Umarji Tirumalacharya
  • C M Padmanabhacharya
  • Punyashravana Bhikshu
  • Sri Vishwapati Tîrtha