What is Krishna Ashtakam?

An ashtakam to Krishna as Vishnu embraced by Shri — the witness of all minds, holder of mace, conch and discus, wearer of the forest garland, refuge of those who seek refuge.

Which deity is Krishna Ashtakam dedicated to?

Krishna Ashtakam is a Sanskrit hymn dedicated to Lord Krishna.

Krishna Ashtakam – Lyrics, Meaning & Commentary

श्रियाश्लिष्टो विष्णुः स्थिरचरवपुर्वेदविषयो धियां साक्षी शुद्धो हरिरसुरहन्ताब्जनयनः ।
गदी शंखी चक्री विमलवनमाली स्थिररुचिः शरण्यो लोकेशो मम भवतु कृष्णोऽक्षिविषयः ।। 1।।

श्रिया (śriyā)by Shri
आश्लिष्टः (āśliṣṭaḥ)held close
विष्णुः (viṣṇuḥ)Vishnu
स्थिरचरवपुः (sthiracaravapuḥ)whose body is all that stands still and all that moves
वेदविषयः (vedaviṣayaḥ)of whom the Veda speaks
धियाम् (dhiyām)of the thoughts of all
साक्षी (sākṣī)the witness
शुद्धः (śuddhaḥ)clean
हरिः (hariḥ)Hari
असुरहन्ता (asurahantā)who makes an end of the asuras
अब्जनयनः (abjanayanaḥ)whose eyes are lotuses
गदी (gadī)carrying the mace
शंखी (śaṃkhī)carrying the conch
चक्री (cakrī)carrying the discus
विमलवनमाली (vimalavanamālī)wearing a fresh garland of wild flowers
स्थिररुचिः (sthiraruciḥ)whose light never dims
शरण्यः (śaraṇyaḥ)the refuge
लोकेशः (lokeśaḥ)lord of the worlds
मम (mama)my
भवतु (bhavatu)may he become
कृष्णः (kṛṣṇaḥ)Krishna
अक्षिविषयः (akṣiviṣayaḥ)what my eyes see

anvaya श्रिया आश्लिष्टः विष्णुः स्थिरचरवपुः वेदविषयः धियाम् साक्षी शुद्धः असुरहन्ता अब्जनयनः हरिः गदी शंखी चक्री विमलवनमाली स्थिररुचिः शरण्यः लोकेशः कृष्णः मम अक्षिविषयः भवतु

chandas Śikhariṇī, 17 syllables in each of 4 pādas

अक्षिविषयः what the eyes see — Viṣaya is what a sense takes in. The prayer is not for knowledge of him but for sight of him, and this is what the whole hymn asks for.

धियाम् साक्षी the witness of all thoughts — Sākṣī is the one who was there and saw. He sits in every mind as the one who watches it.

स्थिरचरवपुः whose body is the still and the moving — Sthira is what stays put, cara what walks about. The pair covers everything there is.

note The fourth pāda of this verse is the refrain of the whole hymn. In verses 2 to 8 the printed text shortens it to शरण्यो. and the reciter supplies the rest: शरण्यो लोकेशो मम भवतु कृष्णोऽक्षिविषयः. The copy of this hymn we started from wrote every visarga as a plain colon and carried six spelling slips, among them स्थिररूचिः for स्थिररुचिः. They were corrected against printed editions on 18 September 2026, and every pāda now scans as Śikhariṇī. Some editions read स्थिरचरगुरुः, the teacher of the still and the moving, where this text reads स्थिरचरवपुः.

यतः सर्वं जातं वियदनिलमुख्यं जगदिदं स्थितौ निःशेषं योऽवति निजसुखांशेन मधुहा ।
लये सर्वं स्वस्मिन् हरति कलया यस्तु स विभुः । शरण्यो. ।।2।।

असूनायम्यादौ यमनियममुख्यैः सुकरणैर्निरुध्येदं चित्तं हृदि विमलमानीय सकलम् ।
यमीड्यं पश्यन्ति प्रवरमतयो मायिनमसौ । शरण्यो. ।।3।।

असून् (asūn)the breaths
आयम्य (āyamya)having held in
आदौ (ādau)first
यमनियममुख्यैः (yamaniyamamukhyaiḥ)by yama, niyama and the rest
सुकरणैः (sukaraṇaiḥ)by good means
निरुध्य (nirudhya)having checked
इदम् (idam)this
चित्तम् (cittam)mind
हृदि (hṛdi)in the heart
विमलम् (vimalam)made clean
आनीय (ānīya)having brought
सकलम् (sakalam)the whole of it
यम् (yam)whom
ईड्यम् (īḍyam)worthy of praise
पश्यन्ति (paśyanti)they see
प्रवरमतयः (pravaramatayaḥ)those of the best minds
मायिनम् (māyinam)the one who wields maya
असौ (asau)he
शरण्यः (śaraṇyaḥ)the refuge

anvaya प्रवरमतयः आदौ असून् आयम्य यमनियममुख्यैः सुकरणैः इदम् चित्तम् निरुध्य सकलम् विमलम् हृदि आनीय यम् ईड्यम् मायिनम् पश्यन्ति असौ शरण्यः

chandas Śikhariṇī, 17 syllables in each of 4 pādas

यमनियम yama and niyama — The first two of the eight steps of yoga: what to hold back from, and what to keep up. The verse names them as the beginning of the road to seeing him.

मायिनम् the one who wields maya — Māyin is the holder of maya, the power by which the world is spread out. The word is used of a conjurer as well, one who makes what is seen.

note Three words in this verse were corrected: निर्येरुध्येदं to निरुध्येदं, which is निरुध्य and इदम् joined, ह्रदि to हृदि, and यमीडयं to यमीड्यम्. Some editions read विलयमानीय, brought to rest, where this text reads विमलमानीय, brought clean; the gloss follows the text as it stands. The fourth pāda is the shortened refrain.

पृथिव्यां तिष्ठन् यो यमयति महीं वेद न धरा यमित्यादौ वेदो वदति जगतामीशममलम् ।
नियन्तारं ध्येयं मुनिसुरनृणां मोक्षदमसौ । शरण्यो. ।।4।।

महेन्द्रादिर्देवो जयति दितिजान्यस्य बलतो न कस्य स्वातन्त्र्यं क्वचिदपि कृतौ यत्कृतिमृते ।
कवित्वादेर्गर्वं परिहरति योऽसौ विजयिनः । शरण्यो. ।।5।।

विना यस्य ध्यानं व्रजति पशुतां सूकरमुखां विना यस्य ज्ञानं जनिमृतिभयं याति जनता ।
विना यस्य स्मृत्या कृमिशतजनिं याति स विभुः । शरण्यो. ।।6।।

नरातंकोत्तंकः शरणशरणो भ्रान्तिहरणो घनश्यामः कामो व्रजशिशुवयस्योऽर्जुनसखः ।
स्वयम्भूर्भूतानां जनक उचिताचारसुखदः । शरण्यो. ।।7।।

नरातंकोत्तंकः (narātaṃkottaṃkaḥ)who roots out the fears that afflict people
शरणशरणः (śaraṇaśaraṇaḥ)the refuge of all who look for refuge
भ्रान्तिहरणः (bhrāntiharaṇaḥ)who takes away the whirl of confusion
घनश्यामः (ghanaśyāmaḥ)dark as a rain cloud
कामः (kāmaḥ)the one who is wanted
व्रजशिशुवयस्यः (vrajaśiśuvayasyaḥ)playmate of the children of Vraja
अर्जुनसखः (arjunasakhaḥ)friend of Arjuna
स्वयम्भूः (svayambhūḥ)self-existent
भूतानाम् (bhūtānām)of all beings
जनकः (janakaḥ)the father
उचिताचारसुखदः (ucitācārasukhadaḥ)who gives joy to those whose conduct is right
शरण्यः (śaraṇyaḥ)the refuge

anvaya शरणशरणः भ्रान्तिहरणः घनश्यामः कामः व्रजशिशुवयस्यः अर्जुनसखः स्वयम्भूः भूतानाम् जनकः उचिताचारसुखदः नरातंकोत्तंकः शरण्यः

chandas Śikhariṇī, 17 syllables in each of 4 pādas

नरातंकोत्तंकः who roots out the fears that afflict people — Narātaṅka is the fear or the pain that people suffer. Uttaṅka is a rare word, and published translations of this hymn read the compound as the uprooting of that pain, which is the sense given here.

व्रजशिशुवयस्यः playmate of the children of Vraja — Vayasya is someone of the same age, a companion in play. After six verses on the maker of the world, this is the first mention of the cowherd boy.

घनश्यामः dark as a rain cloud — Ghana is a heavy cloud. The colour is his own, and the name Krishna means dark.

note The verse turns from God as the cause of the world to Krishna in Vraja, playmate and friend. Some editions read घनश्यामो वामो, dark and lovely, where this text reads घनश्यामः कामो. The fourth pāda is the shortened refrain.

यदा धर्मग्लानिर्भवति जगतां क्षोभकरणी तदा लोकस्वामी प्रकटितवपुः सेतुधृगजः ।
सतां धाता स्वच्छो निगमगणगीतो व्रजपतिः । शरण्यो ।।8।।

इति हरिरखिलात्माराधितः शंकरेण श्रुतिविशदगुणोऽसौ मातृमोक्षार्थमाद्यः ।
यतिवरनिकटे श्रीयुक्त आविर्बभूव स्वगुणवृत उदारः शंखचक्राब्जहस्तः ।।9।।

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