About this stotra
This is an octet (ashtakam = 8 verses) of prayer to Lord Krishna, as the Guru of the entire universe. Shri Krishna Ashtakam is a worshiping prayer devoted to Lord Krishna, praising his powers and glory. Ashtakam means a prayer which contains eight hymns(slokas). Each hymn or verse is composed of four phrases, each describing one quality or great acts of Sri Krishna. All verses end with the phrase "Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum" meaning "Krishna! I bow to you the Guru of the entire Universe."
There are a few variations of the Krishnashtakam, the original being composed by Sri Adi Sankaracharya. This version is by an unknown composer, nevertheless very popular and when chanted with devotion and meaning can lift one to great spiritual heights. In other words, brings one very close to Lord Krishna himself. What more can you ask for.
The last verse is the Phala shruthi or benefit of singing this Ashtakam. Sins committed in billions of lives, would be destroyed.
Krishnashtakam lyrics and meaning
॥ १ ॥♪ CHANTING NOW
Verse 1
वसुदेव सुतं देवं कंसचाणूर मर्दनम् ।
देवकी परमानन्दं कृष्णं वंदे जगद्गुरुम् || १ ||
vasudeva sutaṃ devaṃ kaṃsacāṇūra mardanam .
devakī paramānandaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vaṃde jagadgurum ..
Son of Vasudeva, divine lord, the killer of Kamsa and Chaanura, the supreme happiness of Devaki, we bow to Krishna, the Guru (teacher) of the universe.
Word by word
- वसुदेव (vasudeva)
- Vasudeva
- सुतं (sutaṃ)
- son
- देवं (devaṃ)
- divine lord
- कंसचाणूर (kaṃsacāṇūra)
- Kamsa and Chaanura (kaṃsa:Kamsa | cāṇūra:Chaanura)
- मर्दनम् (mardanam)
- killer
- देवकी (devakī)
- Devaki
- परमानन्दं (paramānandaṃ)
- supreme happiness
- कृष्णं (kṛṣṇaṃ)
- Krishna
- वंदे (vaṃde)
- I bow
- जगद्गुरुम् (jagadgurum)
- teacher of the universe (jagat:universe | guru:teacher)
॥ २ ॥♪ CHANTING NOW
Verse 2
आतसीपुष्पसंकाशम् हारनूपुरशोभितम्
रत्नकण्कणकेयूरं कृष्णं वंदे जगद्गुरुम् || २ ||
atasīpuṣpa sańkāśaḿ hāranūpura śobhitam
ratnakańkaṇakeyūraḿ kṛṣṇaḿ vande jagadgurum
I worship Lord Krishna, Who is the spiritual master of the universe, Who is surrounded by flowers, Who is adorned with a garland and anklets, and Who has gem-studded necklace and arm-bracelet.
Word by word
- आतसीपुष्पसंकाशम् (ātasīpuṣpasaṅkāśam)
- like flax flower (ātasī:flax | puṣpa:flower | saṅkāśam:like)
- हारनूपुरशोभितम् (hāranūpuraśobhitam)
- adorned with garland and anklets (hāra:garland | nūpura:anklets | śobhitam:adorned)
- रत्नकण्कणकेयूरं (ratnakaṅkaṇakeyūram)
- gem-studded bracelet and armlet (ratna:gem | kaṅkaṇa:bracelet | keyūram:armlet)
- कृष्णं (kṛṣṇam)
- Krishna
- वंदे (vande)
- I worship
- जगद्गुरुम् (jagadgurum)
- spiritual master of the universe (jagat:universe | gurum:master)
॥ ३ ॥♪ CHANTING NOW
Verse 3
कुटिलालकसंयुक्तं पूर्णचंद्रनिभाननम्
विलसत्कुण्डलधरं कृष्णं वंदे जगद्गुरुम् || ३ ||
kuṭilālaka saḿyuktaḿ pūrṇacandra nibhānanam
vilasat kuṇḍaladharaḿ kṛṣṇaḿ vande jagadgurum
I worship Lord Krishna, Who is the spiritual master of the universe, Who is adorned with curly locks of hair, Who has a face resplendent like full-moon, and Who has shining earrings.
Word by word
- कुटिलालकसंयुक्तं (kuṭilālaka-saṃyuktaṃ)
- adorned with curly locks (kuṭila:curly | ālaka:locks of hair | saṃyuktaṃ:adorned with)
- पूर्णचंद्रनिभाननम् (pūrṇacandra-nibhānanam)
- face resplendent like full-moon (pūrṇa:full | candra:moon | nibha:like | ānanam:face)
- विलसत्कुण्डलधरं (vilasat-kuṇḍala-dharaṃ)
- shining earrings (vilasat:shining | kuṇḍala:earrings | dharam:bearing)
- कृष्णं (kṛṣṇaṃ)
- Krishna
- वंदे (vande)
- I worship
- जगद्गुरुम् (jagadgurum)
- spiritual master of the universe (jagat:universe | gurum:spiritual master)
॥ ४ ॥♪ CHANTING NOW
Verse 4
मंदारगन्धसंयुक्तं चारुहासं चतुर्भुजम्
बर्हिपिञ्छावचूडाङ्गं कृष्णं वंदे जगद्गुरुम् || ४ ||
mandāra ganda saḿyuktaḿ cāru hāsaḿ caturbhujam
birhi piñcāvacūḍāńgaḿ kṛṣṇaḿ vande jagadgurum
I worship Lord Krishna, Who is the spiritual master of the universe, Who is with the perfume of Mandāra (a coral tree flower), Who has beautiful smile, Who has four hands (as Viṣṇu), and Who has peacock feather at the forehead.
Word by word
- मंदारगन्धसंयुक्तं (mandāragandhasaṃyuktam)
- with Mandāra fragrance (mandāra:Mandāra (coral tree flower) | gandha:fragrance | saṃyuktam:with)
- चारुहासं (cāruhāsam)
- beautiful smile (cāru:beautiful | hāsam:smile)
- चतुर्भुजम् (caturbhujam)
- four-armed (catur:four | bhujam:armed)
- बर्हिपिञ्छावचूडाङ्गं (barhipiñchāvachūḍāṅgam)
- peacock feather adorned body (barhi:peacock | piñcha:feather | avachūḍa:adorned | aṅgam:body)
- कृष्णं (kṛṣṇam)
- Krishna
- वंदे (vande)
- I worship
- जगद्गुरुम् (jagadgurum)
- spiritual master of the universe (jagat:universe | gurum:spiritual master)
॥ ५ ॥♪ CHANTING NOW
Verse 5
उत्फुल्लपद्मपत्राक्षं नीलजीमूतसन्निभम्
यादवानां शिरोरत्नं कृष्णं वंदे जगद्गुरुम् || ५ ||
utpulla padmapatrāakṣaḿ nīlajīmuta sannibham
yādavānāḿ śiroratnaḿ kṛṣṇaḿ vande jagadgurum
I worship Lord Krishna, Who is the spiritual master of the universe, Who has eyes like blooming lotus flower, Who resembles a new blue cloud, and Who is the best in the dynasty of Yadu.
Word by word
- उत्फुल्लपद्मपत्राक्षम् (utphullapadmapatrākṣam)
- with eyes like blooming lotus (utphulla:blooming | padma:lotus | patra:leaf | akṣam:eye)
- नीलजीमूतसन्निभम् (nīlajīmūtasannibham)
- resembling a new blue cloud (nīla:blue | jīmūta:cloud | sannibham:resembling)
- यादवानाम् (yādavānām)
- of the Yadavas
- शिरोरत्नम् (śiroratnam)
- crown jewel (śiraḥ:head | ratnam:jewel)
- कृष्णम् (kṛṣṇam)
- Krishna
- वन्दे (vande)
- I worship
- जगद्गुरुम् (jagadgurum)
- spiritual master of the universe (jagat:universe | gurum:master)
॥ ६ ॥♪ CHANTING NOW
Verse 6
रुक्मिणीकेळिसंयुक्तं पीतांबरसुशोभितम्
अवाप्ततुलसीगन्धं कृष्णं वंदे जगद्गुरुम् || ६ ||
rukmiṇīkelisaḿyuktaḿ pītāmbara suśobhitam
avāpta tulasīgandhaḿ kṛṣṇaḿ vande jagadgurum
I worship Lord Krishna, Who is the spiritual master of the universe, Who plays with Rukmiṇī (Lakṣmī), Who is adorned with yellow-robes, and Who has obtained Tulasī fragrance.
Word by word
- रुक्मिणी (rukmiṇī)
- Rukmiṇī
- केळि (keli)
- play
- संयुक्तं (saṃyuktam)
- united with
- पीतांबर (pītāmbara)
- yellow robes (pīta:yellow | ambara:robes)
- सुशोभितम् (suśobhitam)
- adorned
- अवाप्त (avāpta)
- obtained
- तुलसी (tulasī)
- Tulasī
- गन्धं (gandham)
- fragrance
- कृष्णं (kṛṣṇam)
- Krishna
- वंदे (vande)
- I worship
- जगद्गुरुम् (jagadgurum)
- spiritual master of the universe (jagat:universe | gurum:spiritual master)
॥ ७ ॥♪ CHANTING NOW
Verse 7
गोपिकानां कुचद्वन्द्व कुंकुमाङ्कितवक्षसम्
श्री निकेतं महेष्वासं कृष्णं वंदे जगद्गुरुम् || ७ ||
gopikānāḿ kucadvandva kuńkumāńkita vakṣasam
śrīniketaḿmaheṣvāsaḿ kṛṣṇaḿ vande jagadgurum
I worship Lord Krishna, Who is the spiritual master of the universe, Who has the marks of saffron from the dual-breasts of the cowherdesses, Who is the abode of Lakṣmī (Śrī), and Who has mighty arrows.
Word by word
- गोपिकानां (gopikānām)
- of the cowherdesses
- कुचद्वन्द्व (kucadvandva)
- dual-breasts (kuca:breast | dvandva:pair)
- कुंकुमाङ्कितवक्षसम् (kuṅkumāṅkitavakṣasam)
- saffron-marked chest (kuṅkuma:saffron | aṅkita:marked | vakṣasam:chest)
- श्री (śrī)
- Lakṣmī (Śrī)
- निकेतं (niketam)
- abode
- महेष्वासं (maheṣvāsaṃ)
- mighty archer (maha:great | iṣvāsa:archer)
- कृष्णं (kṛṣṇam)
- Krishna
- वंदे (vande)
- I worship
- जगद्गुरुम् (jagadgurum)
- spiritual master of the universe (jagat:universe | guru:spiritual master)
॥ ८ ॥♪ CHANTING NOW
Verse 8
श्रीवत्साङ्कं महोरस्कं वनमालाविराजितम्
शङ्खचक्रधरं देवं कृष्णं वंदे जगद्गुरुम् || ८ ||
śrīvatsāńkaḿ mahoraskaḿ vanamālā virājitam
sańka cakra dharaḿ devaḿ kṛṣṇaḿ vande jagadgurum
I worship Lord Krishna, Who is the spiritual master of the universe, Who has the sign of ‘‘Śrīvatsa’’ at His broad-chest, Who has a flower-garland, and Who holds a conch and a discus.
Word by word
- श्रीवत्साङ्कं (śrīvatsāṅkaṃ)
- having the mark of Śrīvatsa (śrīvatsa:Śrīvatsa | aṅkaṃ:mark)
- महोरस्कं (mahoraskaṃ)
- broad-chested (maha:great | uras:chest)
- वनमालाविराजितम् (vanamālāvirājitam)
- adorned with a forest garland (vana:forest | mālā:garland | virājitam:adorned)
- शङ्खचक्रधरं (śaṅkhacakradharaṃ)
- holding conch and discus (śaṅkha:conch | cakra:discus | dharaṃ:holding)
- देवं (devaṃ)
- god
- कृष्णं (kṛṣṇaṃ)
- Krishna
- वंदे (vande)
- I worship
- जगद्गुरुम् (jagadgurum)
- spiritual master of the universe (jagat:universe | guru:spiritual master)
॥ ९ ॥♪ CHANTING NOW
Verse 9
कृष्णाष्टकमिदं पुण्यं प्रातरुत्थाय यः पठेत् |
कोटिजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनष्यति ||
kṛṣṇāṣṭakam idaḿ puṇyaḿ prātarutthāya yaḥ paṭhet
koṭi janma kṛtaḿ pāpaḿ smaraṇena svinaṣyati
Upon waking in the morning, those who study these blissful prayers glorifying Sri Krishna, destroy their sins of millions from birth.
Word by word
- कृष्णाष्टकम् (kṛṣṇāṣṭakam)
- eight verses on Krishna (kṛṣṇa:Krishna | aṣṭakam:eight verses)
- इदं (idam)
- this
- पुण्यम् (puṇyam)
- auspicious
- प्रातरुत्थाय (prātarutthāya)
- upon waking in the morning (prātaḥ:morning | utthāya:waking up)
- यः (yaḥ)
- who
- पठेत् (paṭhet)
- recites
- कोटिजन्मकृतम् (koṭijanmakṛtam)
- done over millions of births (koṭi:millions | janma:births | kṛtam:done)
- पापम् (pāpam)
- sin
- स्मरणेन (smaraṇena)
- by remembrance
- विनष्यति (vinaśyati)
- is destroyed
ॐ
