Maa Kali dressed with lights, flowers, and the scythe of the shrine.

Sacred Learning

Oṃ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Dvādaśākṣarī; public Kṛṣṇa-Vāsudeva nāma (Bhāgavata milieu).

Dvādaśākṣarī; public Kṛṣṇa-Vāsudeva nāma (Bhāgavata milieu).

Canonical source text

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय

IAST transliteration

oṃ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Close translation

Oṃ. Salutation to the Blessed Lord Vāsudeva.

Reader-friendly meaning

Twelve syllables naming Kṛṣṇa as Vāsudeva, the Blessed.

Meenananda editorial explanation

Houses use this as a public Kṛṣṇa nāma. It sits beside the Gītā in this library because the same Lord speaks on the field.

Practice context

A household nāma-japa. Diksha-mantras of a lineage stay with the Guru.

Word meanings

  • भगवते — to the Blessed Lord
  • वासुदेवाय — to Vāsudeva

Public dvādaśākṣarī; Sanskrit public domain. Sanskrit: public domain. Foundation translations: CC BY-SA 4.0.