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🕉 Krishnashtakam

📜 Krishnashtakam

Stotra

LanguageSanskrit

Verses8 + 1 phalashruti

Recitation timeabout 2–3 minutes

Special daysJanmashtami, Ekadashi

Refrain«Krishnam vande jagadgurum»

The Krishnashtakam («Vasudeva Sutam Devam») is a meditation on Shri Krishna's form in eight simple Anushtup verses — each ending with «Krishnam vande jagadgurum» (I bow to Krishna, the teacher of the world). Being short and simple, even children learn it easily.

📖 Full text — with meaning

Tap «Roman (English) script» to see the original Devanagari text.

वसुदेवसुतं देवं कंसचाणूरमर्दनम्। देवकीपरमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम्॥१॥

Vasudevasutam Devam Kansachanuramardanam | Devakiparamanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum ||1 ||

I bow to Krishna, the teacher of the world — son of Vasudeva, the divine one, crusher of Kamsa and Chanura, the supreme joy of Devaki.

अतसीपुष्पसङ्काशं हारनूपुरशोभितम्। रत्नकङ्कणकेयूरं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम्॥२॥

Atasipushpasankasham Haranupurashobhitam | Ratnakankanakeyuram Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum ||2 ||

I bow to Krishna, the teacher of the world — of the (blue) hue of the flax flower, adorned with necklace and anklets, wearing jewelled bangles and armlets.

कुटिलालकसंयुक्तं पूर्णचन्द्रनिभाननम्। विलसत्कुण्डलधरं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम्॥३॥

Kutilalakasanyuktam Purnachandranibhananam | Vilasatkundaladharam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum ||3 ||

I bow to Krishna, the teacher of the world — with curly locks, a face like the full moon, wearing shining earrings.

मन्दारगन्धसंयुक्तं चारुहासं चतुर्भुजम्। बर्हिपिञ्छावचूडाङ्गं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम्॥४॥

Mandaragandhasanyuktam Charuhasam Chaturbhujam | Barhipinchhavachudangam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum ||4 ||

I bow to Krishna, the teacher of the world — fragrant with mandara flowers, with a lovely smile, four-armed, wearing a crown of peacock feathers.

उत्फुल्लपद्मपत्राक्षं नीलजीमूतसन्निभम्। यादवानां शिरोरत्नं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम्॥५॥

Utphullapadmapatraksham Nilajimutasannibham | Yadavanam Shiroratnam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum ||5 ||

I bow to Krishna, the teacher of the world — with eyes like the petals of a blooming lotus, the hue of a dark-blue cloud, the crest-jewel of the Yadavas.

रुक्मिणीकेलिसंयुक्तं पीताम्बरसुशोभितम्। अवाप्ततुलसीगन्धं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम्॥६॥

Rukminikelisanyuktam Pitambarasushobhitam | Avaptatulasigandham Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum ||6 ||

I bow to Krishna, the teacher of the world — sporting with Rukmini, adorned with yellow garments, fragrant with tulsi.

गोपिकानां कुचद्वन्द्वकुङ्कुमाङ्कितवक्षसम्। श्रीनिकेतं महेष्वासं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम्॥७॥

Gopikanam Kuchadvandvakunkumankitavakshasam | Shriniketam Maheshvasam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum ||7 ||

I bow to Krishna, the teacher of the world — whose chest bears the kumkum marks of the gopis' embrace, the abode of Lakshmi, the great archer.

श्रीवत्साङ्कं महोरस्कं वनमालाविराजितम्। शङ्खचक्रधरं देवं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम्॥८॥

Shrivatsankam Mahoraskam Vanamalavirajitam | Shankhachakradharam Devam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum ||8 ||

I bow to Krishna, the teacher of the world — bearing the Shrivatsa mark, broad-chested, adorned with the forest garland, holding the conch and discus, the divine one.

कृष्णाष्टकमिदं पुण्यं प्रातरुत्थाय यः पठेत्। कोटिजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति॥९॥

Krishnashtakamidam Punyam Pratarutthaya Yah Pathet | Kotijanmakritam Papam Smaranena Vinashyati ||9 ||

Whoever rises in the morning and recites this holy Krishnashtakam — the sins of crores of births are destroyed merely by remembering (Krishna).

📿 Japa counter (mala of 108)

Tap the button for each repetition; every 108 counts as one mala (your phone vibrates). The count is saved on this device/browser.

📅 Next auspicious days (from our panchang)

29 Oct (Thursday)
5 Nov (Thursday) — Ekadashi
12 Nov (Thursday)
19 Nov (Thursday)
20 Nov (Friday) — Ekadashi
26 Nov (Thursday)

Dates are for Delhi sunrise; see today's panchang for your city.

🪔 How to chant / recite

Time: On rising in the morning — as the phalashruti says.
Method: Offer tulsi before Laddu Gopal or a picture of Krishna.
Count: Once daily.

🛕 Puja vidhi (step by step)

🧺 Items needed

Picture of Bhagwan Vishnu / Shri Krishna / Satyanarayan
Yellow flowers and yellow cloth
Tulsi leaves (essential)
Sandalwood, akshata
Panchamrit, conch
Ghee lamp, incense
Banana, panjiri or yellow sweets as bhog

🪷 Procedure

Bathe and wear clean clothes; clean the puja place and spread a fresh cloth on the altar (chowki).
Do achamana (sip water three times) and purify hands and mouth; sit on an asana and calm the mind.
Light a lamp of ghee or sesame oil — by tradition the lamp is kept to the deity's right.
Take water, akshata (unbroken rice) and a flower in the right hand and make the sankalpa — your name, gotra, place, date and the purpose of the puja, spoken or in the mind; then let the water fall to the ground.
First remember Shri Ganesha (Om Gam Ganapataye Namah).
Bathe the Lord with water from a conch (or sprinkle), offer yellow cloth, sandalwood and yellow flowers.
Always place a tulsi leaf on the bhog — by tradition Vishnu does not accept bhog without tulsi.
Chant «Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya» or recite Vishnu Sahasranama / Satyanarayan Katha.
Sing «Om Jai Jagdish Hare».
Finally perform aarti, offer pushpanjali (flowers) and do parikrama (or turn around in your place).
Ask forgiveness for any mistakes in the puja, distribute the prasad and take it yourself.

⚠️ Rules & precautions

On Ekadashi grains (especially rice) are given up; tulsi is not plucked on Ekadashi — pluck a day earlier.
Thursday, Ekadashi and Purnima are special for Vishnu.
Sesame is offered instead of rice (akshata) in some traditions — a regional difference.

🌟 Benefits (as per tradition)

Phalashruti: by remembering Krishna, the sins of crores of births are destroyed (as per belief).
Peace of mind and devotion to Krishna.

These are traditional beliefs described in scriptures; results are understood to depend on faith, discipline and one's own actions.

❓ Frequently asked questions

Who wrote the Krishnashtakam?

The author is not known for certain; in tradition some attribute it to Shankaracharya.

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Note: recite with devotion and correct pronunciation; for special anushthans take guidance from a learned acharya.

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