Samudra Vasane Devi, the Shloka Before Touching the Earth
समुद्रवसने देवि पर्वतस्तनमण्डले ।
विष्णुपत्नि नमस्तुभ्यं पादस्पर्शं क्षमस्व मे ॥
Samudra-vasane devi parvata-stana-maṇḍale
Viṣṇu-patni namas tubhyaṃ pāda-sparśaṃ kṣamasva me
“O goddess robed in the ocean, whose breasts are the mountains, consort of Vishnu, salutations to you. Forgive me the touch of my feet.”
Traditional bhūmi-vandanā
Word by word
A shloka a child understands is a shloka they keep. Here is what each word is actually doing.
On waking, immediately after Karagre Vasate Lakshmi, just before placing your feet on the floor.
- Teaches ecological respect long before the word exists
- Pairs naturally with the palm-viewing morning verse
- Short, with striking, memorable imagery
- Introduces the idea of asking pardon gracefully
Ask a child what it means that the earth wears the ocean as a dress and the mountains are part of her body, and you will get a better conversation about the planet than most environmental lessons produce. The verse then asks her forgiveness merely for standing on her, which lands with children more than any lecture about care for nature.
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Questions parents ask
It addresses the earth as a goddess robed in the ocean and bearing the mountains, consort of Vishnu, and asks her to forgive the touch of our feet as we step onto the ground.
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All 28 shlokas
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