Krishna Ashtakam
Krishna Ashtakam
Krishna Ashtakam
kRRiShNAShTakam
vasudeva sutaM devaM kaMsa chANUra mardanam |
devakI paramAnandaM kRRiShNaM vande jagadgurum ||
atasI puShpa sa~NkAshaM hAra nUpura shobhitam |
ratna ka~NkaNa keyUraM kRRiShNaM vande jagadgurum ||
kuTilAlaka saMyuktaM pUrNachandra nibhAnanam |
vilasat kuNDaladharaM kRRiShNaM vande jagadguram ||
mandAra gandha saMyuktaM chAruhAsaM chaturbhujam |
barhi pinChAva chUDANgaM kRRiShNaM vande jagadgurum ||
utphulla padmapatrAkShaM nIla jImUta sannibham |
yAdavAnAM shiroratnaM kRRiShNaM vande jagadgurum ||
rukmiNI keli saMyuktaM pItAmbara sushobhitam |
avApta tulasI gandhaM kRRiShNaM vande jagadgurum ||
gopikAnAM kuchadvanda kuNkumANkita vakShasam |
shrIniketaM maheShvAsaM kRRiShNaM vande jagadgurum ||
shrIvatsA~NkaM mahoraskaM vanamAlA virAjitam |
sha~Nkhachakra dharaM devaM kRRiShNaM vande jagadgurum ||
kRRiShNAShTaka midaM puNyaM prAtarutthAya yaH paThet |
koTijanma kRRitaM pApaM smaraNena vinashyati ||
Related Scriptures
About This Stotram
Overview
The Krishna Ashtakam is a Sanskrit devotional hymn of eight verses that praises Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. Each verse invokes specific aspects of Krishna's divine form and deeds, including his role as the sustainer of the universe and his compassionate nature. The text belongs to the broader corpus of Vaishnava ashtakam literature.
What are the benefits of chanting Krishna Ashtakam?
- Purification of the mind and removal of accumulated sins
- Development of devotion (bhakti) toward Lord Krishna
- Removal of obstacles and adversities
- Spiritual progress toward liberation (moksha)
When is the best time to recite this?
The Krishna Ashtakam is traditionally recited during morning and evening prayers. It is particularly appropriate on Janmashtami, Ekadashi, and other occasions dedicated to Lord Krishna.
What is the historical and traditional background?
The Krishna Ashtakam belongs to the tradition of ashtakam compositions — eight-verse hymns dedicated to a single deity — that flourished in Vaishnava devotional literature. The authorship of this specific text is not attributed to any known historical figure and is considered a traditional composition. It has circulated within various sampradayas as a popular devotional piece. The style and content are consistent with bhakti literature that emerged during and after the medieval period.
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
- Madhurashtakam — another Krishna ashtakam that meditates on the sweetness of Krishna's every aspect
- Vishnu Sahasranama — a foundational Vaishnava text listing a thousand names of Vishnu, the deity of whom Krishna is an avatar