radhakrishnayugalaashtakam

යුගලාෂ්ටකම්

Yugalashtakam in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 8× repetitions·🕐 Early morning or evening; especially on Radhashtami, Janmashtami, Ekadashi and during the month of Kartik·📜 Gaudiya Vaishnava devotional literature (traditionally attributed to Srila Jiva Goswami)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Gaudiya Vaishnava devotional literature (traditionally attributed to Srila Jiva Goswami) · Srila Jiva Goswami · c. 16th century CE

The Yugalashtakam arose from the Gaudiya Vaishnava theology of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the Six Goswamis of Vrindavan, for whom the highest truth is not Krishna alone but Radha and Krishna together as one Divine Couple (Yugala). In eight crystalline couplets the hymn declares that Radha is made of love for Krishna and Krishna of love for Radha, that each is the other's treasure, life-breath, heart and home — and that, accordingly, the devotee takes the Divine Couple alone as refuge in life and in death. It became a treasured daily prayer expressing exclusive devotion to Sri Sri Radha-Krishna of Vrindavan.

✦ As told in scripture

Devotees of Braj hold that one who takes the Yugala (Divine Couple) as the sole refuge — as this prayer vows — is never abandoned by Them; countless aspirants have testified that singing 'radha-krishnau gatir mama' with feeling melts the heart and binds it forever to the loving service of Radha and Krishna.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

කෘෂ්ණප්රේමමයී රාධා රාධාප්රේමමයෝ හරිඃ . ජීවනේ නිධනේ නිත්යං රාධාකෘෂ්ණෞ ගතිර්මම .. 1..

kṛṣṇa-prema-mayī rādhā rādhā-prema-mayo hariḥ | jīvane nidhane nityaṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇau gatir mama || 1||

Meaning:Radha is made wholly of love for Krishna, and Hari (Krishna) is made wholly of love for Radha. In life and in death, eternally, Radha and Krishna are my only refuge.

Verse 2

කෘෂ්ණස්ය ද්රවිණං රාධා රාධායා ද්රවිණං හරිඃ . ජීවනේ නිධනේ නිත්යං රාධාකෘෂ්ණෞ ගතිර්මම .. 2..

kṛṣṇasya draviṇaṁ rādhā rādhāyā draviṇaṁ hariḥ | jīvane nidhane nityaṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇau gatir mama || 2||

Meaning:Radha is Krishna's treasure, and Hari is Radha's treasure. In life and in death, eternally, Radha and Krishna are my only refuge.

Verse 3

කෘෂ්ණප්රාණමයී රාධා රාධාප්රාණමයෝ හරිඃ . ජීවනේ නිධනේ නිත්යං රාධාකෘෂ්ණෞ ගතිර්මම .. 3..

kṛṣṇa-prāṇa-mayī rādhā rādhā-prāṇa-mayo hariḥ | jīvane nidhane nityaṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇau gatir mama || 3||

Meaning:Radha is the very life-breath of Krishna, and Hari is the very life-breath of Radha. In life and in death, eternally, Radha and Krishna are my only refuge.

Verse 4

කෘෂ්ණද්රවමයී රාධා රාධාද්රවමයෝ හරිඃ . ජීවනේ නිධනේ නිත්යං රාධාකෘෂ්ණෞ ගතිර්මම .. 4..

kṛṣṇa-drava-mayī rādhā rādhā-drava-mayo hariḥ | jīvane nidhane nityaṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇau gatir mama || 4||

Meaning:Radha is wholly melted (in love) with Krishna, and Hari is wholly melted with Radha. In life and in death, eternally, Radha and Krishna are my only refuge.

Verse 5

කෘෂ්ණගේහේ ස්ථිතා රාධා රාධාගේහේ ස්ථිතෝ හරිඃ . ජීවනේ නිධනේ නිත්යං රාධාකෘෂ්ණෞ ගතිර්මම .. 5..

kṛṣṇa-gehe sthitā rādhā rādhā-gehe sthito hariḥ | jīvane nidhane nityaṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇau gatir mama || 5||

Meaning:Radha dwells in Krishna's home, and Hari dwells in Radha's home. In life and in death, eternally, Radha and Krishna are my only refuge.

Verse 6

කෘෂ්ණචිත්තස්ථිතා රාධා රාධාචිත්තස්ථිතෝ හරිඃ . ජීවනේ නිධනේ නිත්යං රාධාකෘෂ්ණෞ ගතිර්මම .. 6..

kṛṣṇa-citta-sthitā rādhā rādhā-citta-sthito hariḥ | jīvane nidhane nityaṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇau gatir mama || 6||

Meaning:Radha is fixed within Krishna's heart, and Hari is fixed within Radha's heart. In life and in death, eternally, Radha and Krishna are my only refuge.

Verse 7

නීලාම්බරධරා රාධා පීතාම්බරධරෝ හරිඃ . ජීවනේ නිධනේ නිත්යං රාධාකෘෂ්ණෞ ගතිර්මම .. 7..

nīlāmbara-dharā rādhā pītāmbara-dharo hariḥ | jīvane nidhane nityaṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇau gatir mama || 7||

Meaning:Radha wears blue garments and Hari wears yellow garments. In life and in death, eternally, Radha and Krishna are my only refuge.

Verse 8

වෘන්දාවනේශ්වරී රාධා කෘෂ්ණෝ වෘන්දාවනේශ්වරඃ . ජීවනේ නිධනේ නිත්යං රාධාකෘෂ්ණෞ ගතිර්මම .. 8..

vṛndāvaneśvarī rādhā kṛṣṇo vṛndāvaneśvaraḥ | jīvane nidhane nityaṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇau gatir mama || 8||

Meaning:Radha is the Queen of Vrindavan and Krishna is the Lord of Vrindavan. In life and in death, eternally, Radha and Krishna are my only refuge.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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කෘෂ්ණප්රේමමයී🔊kṛṣṇa-prema-mayīShe (Radha) who is wholly made of love for Krishna

රාධා🔊rādhāShri Radha, the supreme beloved of Krishna

රාධාප්රේමමයඃ🔊rādhā-prema-mayoHe who is wholly made of love for Radha

හරිඃ🔊hariḥHari, Lord Krishna

ජීවනේ🔊jīvaneIn life

නිධනේ🔊nidhaneIn death

නිත්යං🔊nityaṁAlways, eternally

රාධාකෘෂ්ණෞ🔊rādhā-kṛṣṇauRadha and Krishna (the Divine Couple)

ගතිර්මම🔊gatir mamaare my (only) goal, shelter and refuge — the refrain of every verse

ද්රවිණං🔊draviṇaṁTreasure, wealth

ප්රාණමයී🔊prāṇa-mayīMade of the very life-breath (prana)

ද්රවමයී🔊drava-mayīWholly melted (in love), liquefied with feeling

ගේහේ ස්ථිතා🔊gehe sthitāDwells in the home (of the other)

චිත්තස්ථිතා🔊citta-sthitāResides within the heart/mind

නීලාම්බරධරා🔊nīlāmbara-dharāShe who wears blue garments

පීතාම්බරධරඃ🔊pītāmbara-dharoHe who wears yellow garments

වෘන්දාවනේශ්වරී🔊vṛndāvaneśvarīThe Queen-Goddess of Vrindavan

වෘන්දාවනේශ්වරඃ🔊vṛndāvaneśvaraḥThe Lord-Master of Vrindavan

Benefits of Chanting Yugalashtakam

✦

Establishes Sri Radha and Sri Krishna together as the single object of exclusive worship and refuge (gati)

✦

Cultivates yugala-bhakti — loving devotion to the Divine Couple rather than to either alone

✦

Each verse is a complete meditation on the inseparable oneness of Radha and Krishna in love

✦

The repeated refrain 'radha-krishnau gatir mama' trains the heart in total surrender for life and death alike

✦

Short, rhythmic and easy to memorise, making it ideal for daily japa and kirtan

✦

Cherished in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition and sung in Vrindavan, Barsana and Braj temples

✦

Brings sweetness, peace and one-pointed remembrance of the Yugala Sarkar (Divine Couple)

How to Chant Yugalashtakam

Repetitions8times

Best TimeEarly morning or evening; especially on Radhashtami, Janmashtami, Ekadashi and during the month of Kartik

Sit before an image of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna and recite the eight verses slowly, reflecting on each way in which Radha and Krishna belong wholly to one another. Let the refrain 'jivane nidhane nityam radha-krishnau gatir mama' deepen into heartfelt surrender. It may be sung melodiously in kirtan; the simple metre makes it perfect for daily practice and for memorisation.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Yugalashtakam written in the Sinhala 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 Yugalashtakam ('eight verses to the Divine Couple') is a Sanskrit hymn of eight couplets praising Sri Radha and Sri Krishna as one inseparable unity (Yugala). Each verse shows how Radha and Krishna are made of one another and ends with the refrain 'jivane nidhane nityam radha-krishnau gatir mama' — 'in life and death, Radha-Krishna are forever my only refuge.'

It is traditionally attributed to Srila Jiva Goswami, one of the Six Goswamis of Vrindavan and a foremost theologian of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. (A few sources connect it with other Vaishnava acharyas, but it is most widely known as Jiva Goswami's prayer.)

'Jivane nidhane nityam radha-krishnau gatir mama' means 'In life and in death, eternally, Radha and Krishna are my only goal, shelter and refuge.' It is a vow of complete and exclusive surrender to the Divine Couple.

It is sung daily by devotees of Radha-Krishna and with special devotion on Radhashtami, Janmashtami, Ekadashi and throughout the month of Kartik, both as solitary recitation and in group kirtan.