पालयाच्युत स्तोत्रम्
"Palayachyutha" means "Protect me, O Infallible One." Sri Vadiraja Tirtha wrote this as a personal plea to the Krishna deity at Udupi, describing his beauty from face to feet. It's one of the most beloved compositions in the Madhwa tradition. The melody is simple, the Sanskrit is accessible, and the devotion is completely direct. No philosophical abstraction, just a saint asking Krishna for protection. He calls Udupi "Raupya Peeta," the silver seat. If you've been to the Krishna Matha, you'll feel it in every verse.
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Chant all 20 verses →The opening verses are below.
पालयाच्युत पालयाजित पालया कमलालय
लीलया धृत भूधरांबुरुहोदर स्वजनोदर
मध्वमानसपद्मभानुसमं स्मरप्रतिमं स्मर
स्निग्दनिर्मलशीतकांतिलसन्मुखं करुणोन्मुखम्
हृद्यकंबुज मानकंधरमक्षयं दुरितक्षयं
स्निग्द संस्तुत रूप्यपीठकृतालयं हरिमालयम्
अंगदादिसुशोभिपाणियुगेन संक्शुभितैनसं
तुंगमाल्य मणींद्रहारसरोरसं खलनीरसम्
मंगलप्रदमंथदामविराचितं भजताजितं तंगृणे
वर रूप्यपीठकृतालयं हरिमालयम्
इति श्री वादिराजतीर्थश्री चरणकृतं श्री कृष्णाष्टकम्
In Devanagari
Palayachyutha is a heartfelt plea to Krishna, palaya achyuta, protect me, O Achyuta, composed by the sixteenth-century Madhva saint Sri Vadiraja Tirtha before the Lord of Udupi. It belongs to the Haridasa tradition, the great stream of Kannada devotion that gave us Purandara Dasa and Kanaka Dasa, and it is sung at Udupi and in Madhva homes across Karnataka. Simple, melodic and deeply personal, it is the cry of a devotee who has placed everything in Krishna's hands, sung for refuge, for protection, and for trust in the Lord who keeps whoever calls. Here the same song is set in Devanagari, so readers of that script can follow and sing along.