Chaurashtakam (Sri Chauragraganya Purushashtakam)
Chaurashtakam (Sri Chauragraganya Purushashtakam)
Chaurashtakam (Sri Chauragraganya Purushashtakam)
caurāṣṭakam (śrī caurāgragaṇya puruṣāṣṭakam)
vraje prasiddhaṃ navanītacauraṃ
gopāṅganānāṃ ca dukūlacauram |
anekajanmārjitapāpacauraṃ
caurāgragaṇyaṃ puruṣaṃ namāmi || 1||
śrīrādhikāyā hṛdayasya cauraṃ
navāmbudaśyāmalakānticauram |
padāśritānāṃ ca samastacauraṃ
caurāgragaṇyaṃ puruṣaṃ namāmi || 2||
akiñcanīkṛtya padāśritaṃ yaḥ
karoti bhikṣuṃ pathi gehahīnam |
kenāpyaho bhīṣaṇacaura īdṛg-
dṛṣṭaḥśruto vā na jagattraye'pi || 3||
yadīya nāmāpi haratyaśeṣaṃ
giriprasārān api pāparāśīn |
āścaryarūpo nanu caura īdṛg
dṛṣṭaḥ śruto vā na mayā kadāpi || 4||
dhanaṃ ca mānaṃ ca tathendriyāṇi
prāṇāṃśca hṛtvā mama sarvameva |
palāyase kutra dhṛto'dya caura
tvaṃ bhaktidāmnāsi mayā niruddhaḥ || 5||
chinatsi ghoraṃ yamapāśabandhaṃ
bhinatsi bhīmaṃ bhavapāśabandham |
chinatsi sarvasya samastabandhaṃ
naivātmano bhaktakṛtaṃ tu bandham || 6||
manmānase tāmasarāśighore
kārāgṛhe duḥkhamaye nibaddhaḥ |
labhasva he caura! hare! cirāya
svacauryadoṣocitameva daṇḍam || 7||
kārāgṛhe vasa sadā hṛdaye madīye
madbhaktipāśadṛḍhabandhananiścalaḥ san |
tvāṃ kṛṣṇa he! pralayakoṭiśatāntare'pi
sarvasvacaura! hṛdayān na hi mocayāmi || 8||
iti śrībilvamaṅgalaṭhākūraviracitaṃ caurāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam |
cauragragaṇya puruṣāṣṭakam |
About This Stotram
Overview
The Chaurashtakam (Sri Chauragraganya Purushashtakam) is an eight-verse Sanskrit hymn in the Vaishnava tradition that praises Lord Krishna under the epithet "foremost among thieves." The text portrays Krishna's acts of stealing — butter, the Gopis' garments, and the sins of devotees — as expressions of divine love and liberation rather than wrongdoing.
What are the benefits of chanting Chaurashtakam?
- Invokes Krishna's grace for the removal of accumulated sins.
- Cultivates a mood of surrender by focusing on Krishna's playful, accessible nature.
- Supports purification of the mind through repetition of the divine name.
- Encourages detachment from worldly possessions and ego.
- Fosters devotion within the Bhakti framework of Vaishnavism.
When is the best time to recite this?
There is no single prescribed time, but recitation is considered especially appropriate during Krishna Janmashtami, the month of Kartika, and during morning or evening devotional sessions. It may be recited at any time as a standalone act of devotion.
What is the historical and traditional background?
The Chaurashtakam belongs to the Vaishnava devotional tradition, with themes that align closely with the Krishna Bhakti movements of medieval India. The author is not known. The title "Chauragraganya Purushashtakam" identifies the hymn as an ashtakam (eight-verse composition) addressed to the supreme being celebrated as the greatest of thieves, a poetic conceit widely used in Vaishnava literature to describe Krishna's irresistible draw on devotees. It circulates as a standalone hymn in various devotional collections.
Available scripts
This text is available in 14 scripts: devanagari, tamil, telugu, kannada, malayalam, gujarati, bengali, iast, gurmukhi, oriya, assamese, sinhala, itrans, hk. Use the script selector above to switch between them.
Related Texts
- Krishna Ashtakam — another eight-verse Sanskrit hymn in praise of Lord Krishna's attributes and deeds.
- Madhurashtakam — a Vaishnava ashtakam by Vallabhacharya celebrating the sweetness (madhurya) of Krishna.
- Gopala Sahasranama — a thousand-name enumeration of Krishna in his form as the cowherd, sharing the same devotional context.