krishnachaitanya-mahaprabhuharinamasankirtana

Sri Shikshashtakam

Sri Shikshashtakam in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 8× repetitions·🕐 Daily, especially in the early morning; and before or during harinama sankirtana·📜 Chaitanya Charitamrita (Antya-lila 20), by Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

The Sri Shikshashtakam ('eight verses of instruction') is the only written composition left by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, preserved in Krishnadasa Kaviraja's Chaitanya Charitamrita. In eight luminous verses it glorifies the chanting of Krishna's holy names (sankirtana), teaches the humble mood in which the name should be chanted, prays for causeless devotion birth after birth, and rises to the height of loving separation from Govinda. It is the very heart of Gaudiya Vaishnava teaching on the path of harinama and pure love of God.

Origin & Story

Chaitanya Charitamrita (Antya-lila 20), by Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami · Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu · 16th century CE

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, revered by Gaudiya Vaishnavas as the combined form of Radha and Krishna, left almost nothing in writing — except these eight verses, the Shikshashtakam. Composed in Sanskrit and treasured in Krishnadasa Kaviraja's Chaitanya Charitamrita, they move from the triumphant glorification of the holy name, through the humble mood required to chant it and the prayer for causeless devotion, to the soaring anguish of separation from Govinda. Together they form Sri Chaitanya's complete and final teaching on the path of harinama-sankirtana and the attainment of pure love of God.

✦ As told in scripture

It is said that in His final years at Jagannatha Puri, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu became wholly absorbed in the ecstatic moods of these verses — especially the separation of the seventh and eighth — weeping rivers of tears and experiencing the love of Sri Radha for Krishna, showing that the Shikshashtakam is not mere poetry but a doorway into the highest divine love.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam | ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam || 1||

Meaning:Glory to the Sri Krishna sankirtana, which cleanses the mirror of the heart, extinguishes the great forest-fire of material existence, spreads the cooling moonbeams of the lotus of good fortune, is the life of transcendental knowledge personified, increases the ocean of bliss, lets one taste full nectar at every step, and bathes and purifies the whole self.

Verse 2

nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ | etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ || 2||

Meaning:O Lord, in Your holy name You have invested all Your potencies, and there are no hard rules of time for remembering it. Such is Your mercy, O Lord — yet such is my misfortune that I have no taste at all for that name.

Verse 3

tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā | amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ || 3||

Meaning:One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than a blade of grass, being more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all desire for honour, and ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.

Verse 4

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye | mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi || 4||

Meaning:O Lord of the universe, I do not desire wealth, nor followers, nor a beautiful wife, nor fine poetry. Let me only have unmotivated devotion unto You, birth after birth.

Verse 5

ayi nanda-tanuja kiṅkaraṁ patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau | kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya || 5||

Meaning:O son of Nanda (Krishna), I am Your eternal servant, yet I have fallen into the terrible ocean of birth and death. Please, out of Your mercy, count me as a particle of dust at Your lotus feet.

Verse 6

nayanaṁ galad-aśru-dhārayā vadanaṁ gadgada-ruddhayā girā | pulakair nicitaṁ vapuḥ kadā tava nāma-grahaṇe bhaviṣyati || 6||

Meaning:O Lord, when will my eyes be adorned with streams of flowing tears, my voice falter and choke, and the hairs of my body stand erect in ecstasy as I chant Your holy name?

Verse 7

yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam | śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me || 7||

Meaning:O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, a single moment seems like a great age; tears flow from my eyes like torrents of rain, and the whole world seems empty to me.

Verse 8

āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām adarśanān marma-hatāṁ karotu vā | yathā tathā vā vidadhātu lampaṭo mat-prāṇa-nāthas tu sa eva nāparaḥ || 8||

Meaning:Let Krishna tightly embrace this maidservant fallen at His feet, or trample me, or break my heart by never being seen — He may do whatever He likes, for He is forever the only Lord of my life, none other.

Word-by-Word Meaning

Click any word to hear its pronunciation

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ🔊cleansing of the mirror of the heart/consciousness

bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ🔊extinguishing the great forest-fire of material existence

śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam🔊the congregational chanting of Sri Krishna's holy names

vijayate🔊all glories to / supremely triumphant is

nāmnām🔊of the (holy) names

nija-sarva-śaktiḥ🔊all of His own potencies

smaraṇe na kālaḥ🔊no (fixed) time/rule for remembering them

na anurāgaḥ🔊I have no attachment/taste (for the name) — the speaker's lament

tṛṇād api sunīcena🔊being humbler than a blade of grass

taror api sahiṣṇunā🔊being more tolerant than a tree

amāninā mānadena🔊without desire for honour, offering all respect to others

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ🔊one should always chant the holy name of Hari

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ🔊neither wealth nor followers

bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi🔊unmotivated (causeless) devotion unto You

ayi nanda-tanuja🔊O son of Nanda (Krishna)

pāda-paṅkaja-sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ🔊like a particle of dust at Your lotus feet

galad-aśru-dhārayā🔊with streams of tears flowing (from the eyes)

nāma-grahaṇe🔊while taking/chanting Your name

yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa🔊a single moment becomes like an entire age

govinda-viraheṇa me🔊in my separation from Govinda

mat-prāṇa-nāthaḥ🔊the Lord of my life

sa eva nāparaḥ🔊He alone and none other

Benefits of Chanting Sri Shikshashtakam

✦

Reveals the supreme glory and purifying power of chanting Krishna's holy names (sankirtana)

✦

Teaches the essential humility (trinad api sunichena) in which the holy name should be chanted

✦

Inspires the prayer for causeless, selfless devotion (ahaituki bhakti) birth after birth

✦

Cleanses the heart, extinguishes material suffering and floods the soul with bliss

✦

Cultivates the deepest mood of loving separation (viraha) and longing for Govinda

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Considered the crest-jewel of Gaudiya Vaishnava teaching, summarising the entire path of bhakti in eight verses

✦

Regular recitation deepens taste for the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and pure love of God

How to Chant Sri Shikshashtakam

Repetitions8times

Best TimeDaily, especially in the early morning; and before or during harinama sankirtana

Recite the eight verses slowly and attentively, reflecting on each instruction — the glory of the name, the humble mood, the prayer for pure devotion, and the longing of separation. Many devotees chant the Shikshashtakam before performing japa or kirtan of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, taking these verses as Sri Chaitanya's own guidance for chanting. It can be sung or spoken; sincere, prayerful attention matters far more than speed or count.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Sri Shikshashtakam written in the English script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

The Shikshashtakam is a set of eight Sanskrit verses (shiksha = instruction, ashtakam = eight) composed by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. They are the only verses He personally wrote, and they distil His teaching on chanting the holy name and developing pure love for Krishna.

It was composed by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534), the founder of the Gaudiya Vaishnava movement. The eight verses are preserved by Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami in the Chaitanya Charitamrita (Antya-lila, chapter 20), along with their explanation.

It gives the famous instruction that one should chant the holy name in a humble state of mind — thinking oneself lower than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree, free of the desire for honour and ready to honour others. In that mood one can chant Hari's name constantly.

The Shikshashtakam glorifies and explains the practice of chanting Krishna's holy names, of which the Hare Krishna maha-mantra is the foremost. Devotees often recite the Shikshashtakam as Sri Chaitanya's direct guidance on the right attitude and goal of chanting the maha-mantra.