Krishnashtakam · कृष्णाष्टकम्

Eight verses to Krishna, beginning "Vasudeva sutam devam", each ending "Krishnam vande jagadgurum".

  1. वसुदेवसुतं देवं कंसचाणूरमर्दनम् । देवकीपरमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥

    vasudevasutaṃ devaṃ kaṃsacāṇūramardanam । devakīparamānandaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum ॥

    वसुदेव के पुत्र, कंस और चाणूर का मर्दन करने वाले देव, देवकी के परम आनंद: जगद्गुरु कृष्ण को मैं प्रणाम करता हूँ।

    The son of Vasudeva, the god who destroyed Kamsa and Chanura, the supreme joy of Devaki: I bow to Krishna, the guru of the world.

  2. अतसीपुष्पसङ्काशं हारनूपुरशोभितम् । रत्नकङ्कणकेयूरं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥

    atasīpuṣpasaṅkāśaṃ hāranūpuraśobhitam । ratnakaṅkaṇakeyūraṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum ॥

    अलसी के फूल जैसे श्याम, हार और नूपुर से शोभित, रत्नों के कंगन और बाजूबंद पहने: जगद्गुरु कृष्ण को मैं प्रणाम करता हूँ।

    Dark as the atasi flower, adorned with necklace and anklets, with jewelled bracelets and armlets: I bow to Krishna, the guru of the world.

  3. कुटिलालकसंयुक्तं पूर्णचन्द्रनिभाननम् । विलसत्कुन्डलधरं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥

    kuṭilālakasaṃyuktaṃ pūrṇacandranibhānanam । vilasatkunḍaladharaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum ॥

    घुँघराले बालों वाले, पूर्ण चंद्रमा जैसे मुख वाले, चमकते कुंडल धारण करने वाले: जगद्गुरु कृष्ण को मैं प्रणाम करता हूँ।

    With curling locks, a face like the full moon, and gleaming earrings: I bow to Krishna, the guru of the world.

  4. मन्दारगन्धसंयुक्तं चारुहासं चतुर्भुजम् । बर्हिपिञ्छावचूडाङ्गं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥

    mandāragandhasaṃyuktaṃ cāruhāsaṃ caturbhujam । barhipiñchāvacūḍāṅgaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum ॥

    मंदार के फूलों की सुगंध से युक्त, मधुर मुस्कान वाले, चार भुजाओं वाले, मुकुट में मोरपंख लगाए: जगद्गुरु कृष्ण को मैं प्रणाम करता हूँ।

    Fragrant with mandara flowers, sweetly smiling, four-armed, with a peacock feather in his crest: I bow to Krishna, the guru of the world.

  5. उत्फुल्लपद्मपत्राक्षं नीलजीमूतसन्निभम् । यादवानां शिरोरत्नं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥

    utphullapadmapatrākṣaṃ nīlajīmūtasannibham । yādavānāṃ śiroratnaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum ॥

    खिले कमल की पंखुड़ियों जैसे नेत्रों वाले, नीले बादल के समान, यादवों के शिरोमणि: जगद्गुरु कृष्ण को मैं प्रणाम करता हूँ।

    With eyes like the petals of a full-blown lotus, dark as a blue rain cloud, the crest-jewel of the Yadavas: I bow to Krishna, the guru of the world.

  6. रुक्मिणीकेलिसंयुक्तं पीताम्बरसुशोभितम् । अवाप्ततुलसीगन्धं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥

    rukmiṇīkelisaṃyuktaṃ pītāmbarasuśobhitam । avāptatulasīgandhaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum ॥

    रुक्मिणी के साथ क्रीड़ा करने वाले, पीतांबर से सुशोभित, तुलसी की सुगंध वाले: जगद्गुरु कृष्ण को मैं प्रणाम करता हूँ।

    Delighting in play with Rukmini, beautiful in yellow silk, fragrant with tulsi: I bow to Krishna, the guru of the world.

  7. गोपिकानां कुचद्वन्द्वकुङ्कुमाङ्कितवक्षसम् । श्रीनिकेतं महेष्वासं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥

    gopikānāṃ kucadvandvakuṅkumāṅkitavakṣasam । śrīniketaṃ maheṣvāsaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum ॥

    जिनका वक्ष गोपियों के आलिंगन के कुमकुम से अंकित है, लक्ष्मी के निवास, महान धनुर्धर: जगद्गुरु कृष्ण को मैं प्रणाम करता हूँ।

    Whose chest bears the kumkum marks of the gopis' embrace, the abode of Lakshmi, the great archer: I bow to Krishna, the guru of the world.

  8. श्रीवत्साङ्कं महोरस्कं वनमालाविराजितम् । शङ्खचक्रधरं देवं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥

    śrīvatsāṅkaṃ mahoraskaṃ vanamālāvirājitam । śaṅkhacakradharaṃ devaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum ॥

    श्रीवत्स चिह्न वाले, विशाल वक्ष वाले, वनमाला से शोभित, शंख और चक्र धारण करने वाले देव: जगद्गुरु कृष्ण को मैं प्रणाम करता हूँ।

    Marked with the Shrivatsa, broad-chested, shining with a garland of forest flowers, the god who holds the conch and discus: I bow to Krishna, the guru of the world.

  9. कृष्णाष्टकमिदं पुण्यं प्रातरुत्थाय यः पठेत् । कोटिजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति ॥

    kṛṣṇāṣṭakamidaṃ puṇyaṃ prātarutthāya yaḥ paṭhet । koṭijanmakṛtaṃ pāpaṃ smaraṇena vinaśyati ॥

    जो प्रातः उठकर इस पवित्र कृष्णाष्टक का पाठ करता है, उसके करोड़ों जन्मों के पाप इसके स्मरण से ही नष्ट हो जाते हैं।

    Whoever rises at dawn and recites this holy Krishnashtakam, the sins of a crore of births are destroyed just by remembering it.

About this text

This Krishnashtakam describes Krishna's form and story verse by verse, each ending with the refrain "I bow to Krishna, the guru of the world": the son of Vasudeva and the joy of Devaki, who killed Kamsa and the wrestler Chanura; dark as the atasi flower and a rain cloud, with curling locks, a face like the full moon, a peacock feather in his hair, yellow silk, a garland of forest flowers and the fragrance of tulsi; Rukmini's beloved, and the bearer of conch and discus. A ninth verse says that reciting it on waking destroys the sins of a crore of births. Its first verse is widely recited on its own.

How it is recited

It is recited in the morning, in Krishna worship, and especially on Janmashtami. Customs vary.

When it is recited

More for Krishna

More Ashtakams

Sources & checks

Editions compared
  • Krishnashtakam, vedadhara.com (2026), collated 2026-10-13, sha256 68ad669c3553
  • Krishnashtakam, vedadhara.com (2026), collated 2026-10-13, sha256 c9698eecf78b
  • Krishnashtakam, bhaktibharat.com (2026), collated 2026-10-13, sha256 aa5c18474579
  • Krishnashtakam, nirmalamsamskritam.com (2026), collated 2026-10-13, sha256 7c3346af9540
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