Rama Charama Shlokam

The Rāma Charama Shlokam can be found in the Rāmāyaṇa. This shloka is given to us by Lord Rāma when Vibhīshaṇa approaches Rāma and asks to be a part of his army.

When Vibhīshaṇa approached Lord Rāma to be a part of his army, Lord Rāma asked the senior members of His military as to whether or not to accept his proposal. Lord Rāma asks Sugrīva, Nal, Neel, Angad, and Jāmbavān. All of them refuse to accept Vibhīshaṇa saying he was Rāvaṇa's brother. Finally, Lord Rāma asked Hanumān for his opinion as he had traveled to Lankā and had seen the situation at ground zero. Hanumān tells the Lord that among all the people he had seen in Lankā, Vibhīshaṇa was the only truly trustworthy person.

He told the Lord that he was a pure bhakta, and the Lord could wholeheartedly trust him and harbor him. This was when the Lord gave us the second Charama Shlokam. The Rāma Charama Shlokam is as follows,

सकृदेव प्रपन्नाय तवास्मीति च याचते ।

अभयं सर्वभूतेभ्यो ददाम्येतत् व्रतं मम ॥

sakṛd eva prapannāya tavāsmīti ca yācate

abhayaṁ sarva-bhūtebhyo dadāmy etat vrataṁ mama

The meaning of the shloka is as follows,

To all those beings that wholeheartedly seek My shelter and plead for My mercy and say I am yours, I shall undoubtedly offer My protection to all of them. This is My vow.