Krishna Ashtakam: Sri Krishnashtakam Hymns & Stotram

The Krishna Ashtakam, written by Adi Sankaracharya, is chanted by devotees of Lord Krishna with utmost devotion, as it is said that reciting the stotram with a pure heart helps one to get his blessings. The word ashtakam originates from the sanskrit word ashta (aṣṭā), which means eight. Ashtakam is a form of Indian poetry and prayer which included eight stanzas, each of four lines following the rhyming scheme a-a-a-a. While sometimes the ashtakam can end abruptly after eight stanzas, however many a times, poets prefer ending it with a couplet that finalizes the ashtakam and concludes it properly in two lines.

The Krishna Ashtakam is a hymn for Lord Krishna, describing him with each stanza and offering him our salutations. This is believed to be the most powerful form of appeasing not only the lord, but also Radha, a part of him because as per mythology praising the Lord pleases Radha, while praising the goddess is the best way of getting Sri Krishna’s blessings.

Krishna Ashtakam: Sri Krishnashtakam Hymns & Stotram

Method of Reciting Krishna Ashtakam

In order to receive the best results, one should follow the proper rituals before reciting the krishnashtakam. First, after waking up early and completing your morning rituals, take a bath, and then clean your place of worship for your daily puja. Then, in front of Lord Krishna’s idol, you should recite the Krishna Ashtakam, ensuring that you enunciate it properly. Chanting the krishnashtakam in Brahma Muhurta (between 4 am to 6 am) is considered auspicious and said to procure better results. Moreover, chanting the ashtakam (and any other mantra for that matter) in multiples of 108 helps one attain the special blessings of God. You can use a tulsi mala to keep a count for the same.

Regularly reciting the same helps bring peace of mind to the natives, as well as bliss and happiness. Moreover, it eradicates all evil while filling one’s life with prosperity, wealth, and satisfaction. Meditating and reciting the Krishna Ashtakam removes the darkness of fear and confusion from our minds while filling it with the light of wisdom. It abolishes all negativity from one’s household, filling it with positive vibes. Some devotees even believe that regularly chanting the ashtakam can help one get rid of many diseases, promoting general well-being and fills their home with affluence, positivity, and contentment.

There are two prevalent Krishna Ashtakam today, both written by Adi Sankaracharya. Below, you can find them both in Sanskrit/Hindi as well as English.

Sri Krishnashtakam in Sanskrit

वसुदेव सुतं देवं कंस चाणूर मर्दनम् ।
देवकी परमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥

अतसी पुष्प सङ्काशं हार नूपुर शोभितम् ।
रत्न कङ्कण केयूरं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥

कुटिलालक संयुक्तं पूर्णचन्द्र निभाननम् ।
विलसत् कुण्डलधरं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरम् ॥

मन्दार गन्ध संयुक्तं चारुहासं चतुर्भुजम् ।
बर्हि पिंछाव चूडाङ्गं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥

उत्फुल्ल पद्मपत्राक्षं नील जीमूत सन्निभम् ।
यादवानां शिरोरत्नं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥

रुक्मिणी केलि संयुक्तं पीताम्बर सुशोभितम् ।
अवाप्त तुलसी गन्धं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥

गोपिकानां कुचद्वन्द कुङ्कुमाङ्कित वक्षसम् ।
श्रीनिकेतं महेष्वासं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥

श्रीवत्साङ्कं महोरस्कं वनमाला विराजितम् ।
शङ्खचक्र धरं देवं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥

कृष्णाष्टक मिदं पुण्यं प्रातरुत्थाय यः पठेत् ।
कोटिजन्म कृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति ॥

Krishna Ashtakam in English

vasudeva sutaṃ devaṃ kaṃsa cāṇūra mardanam ।
devakī paramānandaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum ॥

atasī puṣpa saṅkāśaṃ hāra nūpura śobhitam ।
ratna kaṅkaṇa keyūraṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum ॥

kuṭilālaka saṃyuktaṃ pūrṇacandra nibhānanam ।
vilasat kuṇḍaladharaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadguram ॥

mandāra gandha saṃyuktaṃ cāruhāsaṃ caturbhujam ।
barhi piṃchāva cūḍāṅgaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum ॥

utphulla padmapatrākṣaṃ nīla jīmūta sannibham ।
yādavānāṃ śiroratnaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum ॥

rukmiṇī keli saṃyuktaṃ pītāmbara suśobhitam ।
avāpta tulasī gandhaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum ॥

gopikānāṃ kucadvanda kuṅkumāṅkita vakṣasam ।
śrīniketaṃ maheṣvāsaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum ॥

śrīvatsāṅkaṃ mahoraskaṃ vanamālā virājitam ।
śaṅkhacakra dharaṃ devaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum ॥

kṛṣṇāṣṭaka midaṃ puṇyaṃ prātarutthāya yaḥ paṭhet ।
koṭijanma kṛtaṃ pāpaṃ smaraṇena vinaśyati ॥

Krishna Ashtakam by Adi Sankaracharya

भजे व्रजैकमण्डनं समस्तपापखण्डनं
स्वभक्तचित्तरंजनं सदैव नन्दनन्दनम् |
सुपिच्छगुच्छमस्तकं सुनादवेणुहस्तकं
अनंगरंगसागरं नमामि कृष्णनागरम् ||१||

मनोजगर्वमोचनं विशाललोललोचनं
विधूतगोपशोचनं नमामि पद्मलोचनम् |
करारविन्दभूधरं स्मितावलोकसुन्दरं
महेन्द्रमानदारणं नमामि कृष्णावारणम् ||२||

कदम्बपुष्प कुण्डलं सुचारुगण्डमण्डलं
व्रजांगनैकवल्लभं नमामि कृष्णदुर्लभम् |
यशोदया समोदया सगोपया सनन्दया
युतं सुखैकदायकं नमामि गोपनायकम् ||३||

सदैव पादपंकजं मदीय मानसे निजं
दधानमुक्तमालकं नमामि नन्दबालकम् |
समस्तदोषशोषणं समस्तलोकपोषणं
समस्तगोपमानसं नमामि नन्दलालसम् ||४||

भुवो भरावतारकं भवाब्धिकर्णधारकं
यशोमतीकिशोरकं नमामि चित्तचोरकम् |
दृगन्तकान्तभंगिनं सदा सदालिसंगिनं
दिने दिने नवं नवं नमामि नन्दसम्भवम् ||५||

गुणाकरं सुखाकरं कृपाकरं कृपापरं
सुरद्विषन्निकन्दनं नमामि गोपनन्दनम् |
नवीनगोपनागरं नवीनकेलिलम्पटं
नमामि मेघसुन्दरं तडित्प्रभालसत्पटम् ||६||

समस्तगोपनन्दनं हृदम्बुजैकमोदनं
नमामि कुंजमध्यगं प्रसन्नभानुशोभनम् |
निकामकामदायकं दृगन्तचारुसायकं
रसालवेणुगायकं नमामि कुंजनायकम् ||७||

विदग्धगोपिकामनोमनोज्ञतल्पशायिनं
नमामि कुंजकानने प्रव्रद्धवन्हिपायिनम् |
किशोरकान्तिरंजितं दृअगंजनं सुशोभितं
गजेन्द्रमोक्षकारिणं नमामि श्रीविहारिणम् ||८||

यदा तदा यथा तथा तथैव कृष्णसत्कथा
मया सदैव गीयतां तथा कृपा विधीयताम् |
प्रमाणिकाष्टकद्वयं जपत्यधीत्य यः पुमान
भवेत्स नन्दनन्दने भवे भवे सुभक्तिमान ||९||

इति श्रीमच्छंकराचार्यकृतं श्रीकृष्णाष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ।।
।। श्री कृष्णार्पणमस्तु ।।

Sri Krishnashtakam by Adi Sankaracharya (English)

bhaje vrajaikamaṇḍanaṃ samastapāpakhaṇḍanaṃ
svabhaktacittaraṃjanaṃ sadaiva nandanandanam |
supicchagucchamastakaṃ sunādaveṇuhastakaṃ
anaṃgaraṃgasāgaraṃ namāmi kṛṣṇanāgaram ||1||

manojagarvamocanaṃ viśālalolalocanaṃ
vidhūtagopaśocanaṃ namāmi padmalocanam |
karāravindabhūdharaṃ smitāvalokasundaraṃ
mahendramānadāraṇaṃ namāmi kṛṣṇāvāraṇam ||2||

kadambapuṣpa kuṇḍalaṃ sucārugaṇḍamaṇḍalaṃ
vrajāṃganaikavallabhaṃ namāmi kṛṣṇadurlabham |
yaśodayā samodayā sagopayā sanandayā
yutaṃ sukhaikadāyakaṃ namāmi gopanāyakam ||3||

sadaiva pādapaṃkajaṃ madīya mānase nijaṃ
dadhānamuktamālakaṃ namāmi nandabālakam |
samastadoṣaśoṣaṇaṃ samastalokapoṣaṇaṃ
samastagopamānasaṃ namāmi nandalālasam ||4||

bhuvo bharāvatārakaṃ bhavābdhikarṇadhārakaṃ
yaśomatīkiśorakaṃ namāmi cittacorakam |
dṛgantakāntabhaṃginaṃ sadā sadālisaṃginaṃ
dine dine navaṃ navaṃ namāmi nandasambhavam ||5||

guṇākaraṃ sukhākaraṃ kṛpākaraṃ kṛpāparaṃ
suradviṣannikandanaṃ namāmi gopanandanam |
navīnagopanāgaraṃ navīnakelilampaṭaṃ
namāmi meghasundaraṃ taḍitprabhālasatpaṭam ||6||

samastagopanandanaṃ hṛdambujaikamodanaṃ
namāmi kuṃjamadhyagaṃ prasannabhānuśobhanam |
nikāmakāmadāyakaṃ dṛgantacārusāyakaṃ
rasālaveṇugāyakaṃ namāmi kuṃjanāyakam ||7||

vidagdhagopikāmanomanojñatalpaśāyinaṃ
namāmi kuṃjakānane pravraddhavanhipāyinam |
kiśorakāntiraṃjitaṃ dṛagaṃjanaṃ suśobhitaṃ
gajendramokṣakāriṇaṃ namāmi śrīvihāriṇam ||8||

yadā tadā yathā tathā tathaiva kṛṣṇasatkathā
mayā sadaiva gīyatāṃ tathā kṛpā vidhīyatām |
pramāṇikāṣṭakadvayaṃ japatyadhītya yaḥ pumāna
bhavetsa nandanandane bhave bhave subhaktimāna ||9||

iti śrīmacchaṃkarācāryakṛtaṃ śrīkṛṣṇāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam ।।
।। śrī kṛṣṇārpaṇamastu ।।