The Vishnu Shatpadi stotram has been composed by Sri Adi Shankaracharya in praise of Sri Vishnu. Srimad Adi Shankaracharya is famous for many compositions on many deities. Even though he was a proponent of Advaita philosophy, he has composed this stotra on Sri Vishnu, who is followed by Vaishnavas, followers of the Dvaita philosophy.

Shatpadi means 6 verses. Shatpadi also refers to a honey bee as Shat means 6 & Padi means Footed. In this stotra Sri Vishnu is described as having a Lotus face and Lotus feet, symbolising beauty and purity. And like a honey bee, this Shatpadi is that which can draw honey from the Lotus. In other words it means that chanting the Shatpadi can lead one to attaining the essence of Sri Vishnu, which is Moksha.

The stotra praises Sri Vishnu and asking for His help in crossing the Ocean of Samsara. Samsara is the recurring cycle of birth and death and the only way out of this cycle is to attain realisation.This exit requires not only effort from our side, but also the grace of the Supreme Divinity in the form that we approach It.

There are 2 types of meters in sanskrit verse, Akshara Chandas and Matra Chandas. In Akshara Chandas the number of syllables are fixed per pada or quarter of the shloka. Eg: Anushtup Chandas.

In Matra chandas, while the syllables may differ, the mAtras are fixed. This Stotra is composed in the Matra Chandas called Arya.