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समुद्रवसने देवि पर्वतस्तनमण्डले । 

samudravasane devi parvatastanamaṇḍale ।

विष्णुपत्नि नमस्तुभ्यं पादस्पर्शं क्षमस्वमे ॥

viṣṇupatni namastubhyaṃ pādasparśaṃ kṣamasvame ॥

 

English Meaning

O Devi (Mother Earth)! One who adorns the oceans as your garments, (and) mountains as your bosom. O consort of Lord Vishnu, salutations to you; Please forgive me for touching you with my feet (on earth, which represents your body).

 

पदच्छेदः padacchedaḥ

समुद्रवसने, देवि, पर्वतस्तनमण्डले विष्णुपत्नि नमस्तुभ्यं पादस्पर्शं क्षमस्व मे

samudravasane devi parvatastanamaṇḍale viṣṇupatni namastubhyaṃ pādasparśaṃ kṣamasvame

 

अन्वयः anvayaḥ

देवि समुद्रवसने पर्वतस्तनमण्डले विष्णुपत्नि नमस्तुभ्यम् । मे पादस्पर्शं क्षमस्व ।

devi samudravasane parvatastanamaṇḍale viṣṇupatni namastubhyaṃ । me pādasparśaṃ kṣamasva ।

 

पदार्थः padārthaḥ

देवि devi = O’ Mother Earth, O’ bhūdevi

समुद्रवसने samudravasane = O’ the one who wears the ocean as your garments

पर्वतस्तनमण्डले parvatastanamaṇḍale = O’ (one) who has mountains as your bosom

विष्णुपत्नि viṣṇupatni = O’ consort of Vishnu

नमस्तुभ्यम् namastubhyaṃ = salutations to you

मे me = my

पादस्पर्शं pādasparśaṃ = touch of my feet 

क्षमस्व kṣamasva = forgive

 

Significance of the Shloka

The earth is a mother to us. She bears us. She rears us. She nurtures us by bestowing every possible resource on us. And even though all her children (all living beings), use her and exploit the treasures she provides, she is resilient and magnanimous.

 

In sanatana-dharma traditions, mother earth is bhūdevi or bhūmi devi. She is worshiped as bhagavān Vishnu’s consort. She is remembered when enjoying the fruits of nature such as water, air, food. From the vedas to puranas, bhūdevi is extolled as the divine mother who generously gives and sustains.

 

This shloka reminds us that when we wake up in the morning and our feet touch the earth, we are stepping on our loving mother. She does not become angry when we walk on her or jump up and down. But as humans we must offer our gratitude to the divine mother earth - who patiently and abundantly gives us everything we need.

 

Let us do the absolute minimum of paying respect to that earth. Of taking care of it. Not polluting it. And leaving it for the next generations at least as pure as we found it, if not more.

 

Every morning, let us chant this shloka before stepping on the floor and think, “How can I make a difference to Mother Earth today?”

 

Story - Hiranyāksha

Once there was an asura named Hiranyāksha. He is believed to be the 1st Asura in this universe. He stole Bhūmidevi and hid her in the cosmic ocean named Garbhodaka.

 

Narayaṇa took the Varaha avatara - the form of a gigantic wild boar and fought and killed Hiranyāksha.

 

He then picked up Mother Earth from within the Garbhodaka ocean and began to look for a safe place to place her. After consulting with Brahma, he placed Bhūmidevi on the head of his serpent ādishesha.

 

Our scriptures say that even today ādishesha or Anantanāga or sheshnāga balances the earth on his hood.