krishnakrishnashtakamvishnushankaracharya

ශ්රී කෘෂ්ණාෂ්ටකම් (භජේ ව්රජෛකමණ්ඩනම්)

श्री कृष्णाष्टकम् (भजे व्रजैकमण्डनम्) in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 8× repetitions·🕐 Early morning or evening; especially on Janmashtami and Wednesdays·📜 Attributed to Adi Shankaracharya (Stotra literature)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Attributed to Adi Shankaracharya (Stotra literature) · Adi Shankaracharya · c. 8th century CE

Lord Krishna, the eighth avatara of Vishnu, spent his childhood in Vraja (Vrindavan) enchanting all with his beauty, his flute and his playful pastimes — lifting Mount Govardhana, humbling Indra's pride, and stealing the hearts of the gopas and gopis. This Krishnashtakam, traditionally credited to Adi Shankaracharya, gathers those very pastimes into eight flowing verses. It is one of two famous ashtakas to Krishna ascribed to the acharya, the other beginning 'Vasudeva-sutam devam'.

✦ As told in scripture

The closing verse itself is the promised fruit (phala): tradition holds that whoever sincerely studies and recites these eight verses is granted unshakable devotion to Krishna life after life — a boon dearer to devotees than any worldly gain.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

භජේ ව්රජෛකමණ්ඩනං සමස්තපාපඛණ්ඩනං ස්වභක්තචිත්තරඤ්ජනං සදෛව නන්දනන්දනම් . සුපිච්ඡගුච්ඡමස්තකං සුනාදවේණුහස්තකං අනඞ්ගරඞ්ගසාගරං නමාමි කෘෂ්ණනාගරම් .. 1 ..

Bhaje vrajaikamandanam samastapapakhandanam Svabhaktachittaranjanam sadaiva nandanandanam | Supicchagucchamastakam sunadavenuhastakam Anangarangasagaram namami krishnanagaram || 1 ||

Meaning:व्रज के एकमात्र आभूषण, समस्त पापों के नाशक, अपने भक्तों के चित्त को आनन्दित करने वाले, सदा आनन्दमय नन्दनन्दन का मैं भजन करता हूँ; जिनके मस्तक पर सुन्दर मयूरपिच्छ का गुच्छ है और हाथ में मधुर ध्वनि वाली वेणु है — जो प्रेम-रस के सागर हैं — उन नागर (रसिक) कृष्ण को मैं नमस्कार करता हूँ।

Verse 2

මනෝජගර්වමෝචනං විශාලලෝලලෝචනං විධූතගෝපශෝචනං නමාමි පද්මලෝචනම් . කරාරවින්දභූධරං ස්මිතාවලෝකසුන්දරං මහේන්ද්රමානදාරණං නමාමි කෘෂ්ණවාරණම් .. 2 ..

Manojagarvamochanam vishalalolalochanam Vidhutagopashochanam namami padmalochanam | Kararavindabhudharam smitavalokasundaram Mahendramanadaranam namami krishnavaranam || 2 ||

Meaning:जो कामदेव के गर्व को चूर करते हैं, जिनके नेत्र विशाल एवं चंचल हैं, जो गोपों के शोक को दूर करते हैं — उन कमलनयन को मैं नमस्कार करता हूँ; जिन्होंने अपने करकमल पर पर्वत (गोवर्धन) धारण किया, जो मुस्कानभरी दृष्टि से सुन्दर हैं, जिन्होंने महेन्द्र (इन्द्र) के अभिमान का दमन किया — उन रक्षक कृष्ण को मैं नमस्कार करता हूँ।

Verse 3

කදම්බසූනකුණ්ඩලං සුචාරුගණ්ඩමණ්ඩලං ව්රජාඞ්ගනෛකවල්ලභං නමාමි කෘෂ්ණදුර්ලභම් . යශෝදයා සමෝදයා සගෝපයා සනන්දයා යුතං සුඛෛකදායකං නමාමි ගෝපනායකම් .. 3 ..

Kadambasunakundalam sucharugandamandalam Vrajanganaikavallabham namami krishnadurlabham | Yashodaya samodaya sagopaya sanandaya Yutam sukhaikadayakam namami gopanayakam || 3 ||

Meaning:कदम्ब के फूलों के कुण्डल वाले, अति सुन्दर कपोलमण्डल वाले, व्रजांगनाओं के एकमात्र प्रिय — उन दुर्लभ कृष्ण को मैं नमस्कार करता हूँ; यशोदा, गोपों एवं नन्द के साथ आनन्दमग्न, एकमात्र सुखदाता — उन गोपनायक को मैं नमस्कार करता हूँ।

Verse 4

සදෛව පාදපඞ්කජං මදීයමානසේ නිජං දධානමුක්තමාලකං නමාමි නන්දබාලකම් . සමස්තදෝෂශෝෂණං සමස්තලෝකපෝෂණං සමස්තගෝපමානසං නමාමි නන්දලාලසම් .. 4 ..

Sadaiva padapankajam madiyamanase nijam Dadhanamuktamalakam namami nandabalakam | Samastadoshashoshanam samastalokaposhanam Samastagopamanasam namami nandalalasam || 4 ||

Meaning:जिनके चरणकमल सदा मेरे मन में अपने रूप में निवास करें — खुली अलकावली धारण करने वाले उन नन्दबालक को मैं नमस्कार करता हूँ; समस्त दोषों को सुखाने वाले, समस्त लोकों का पोषण करने वाले, समस्त गोपों के मन में बसने वाले — उन नन्दलाल को मैं नमस्कार करता हूँ।

Verse 5

භුවෝ භරාවතාරකං භවාබ්ධිකර්ණධාරකං යශෝමතීකිශෝරකං නමාමි චිත්තචෝරකම් . දෘගන්තකාන්තභඞ්ගිනං සදා සදාලසඞ්ගිනං දිනේ දිනේ නවං නවං නමාමි නන්දසම්භවම් .. 5 ..

Bhuvo bharavatarakam bhavabdhikarnadharakam Yashomatikishorakam namami chittachorakam | Drigantakantabhanginam sada sadalasanginam Dine dine navam navam namami nandasambhavam || 5 ||

Meaning:पृथ्वी के भार को उतारने के लिए अवतरित, भवसागर के कर्णधार, यशोदा के किशोर — उन चित्तचोर को मैं नमस्कार करता हूँ; नेत्रों के मनोहर कटाक्षों वाले, सदा सत्संगी, प्रतिदिन नवीन-से-नवीन — उन नन्दनन्दन को मैं नमस्कार करता हूँ।

Verse 6

ගුණාකරං සුඛාකරං කෘපාකරං කෘපාපරං සුරද්විෂන්නිකන්දනං නමාමි ගෝපනන්දනම් . නවීනගෝපනාගරං නවීනකේලිලම්පටං නමාමි මේඝසුන්දරං තඩිත්ප්රභාලසත්පටම් .. 6 ..

Gunakaram sukhakaram kripakaram kripaparam Suradvishannikandanam namami gopanandanam | Navinagopanagaram navinakelilampatam Namami meghasundaram taditprabhalasatpatam || 6 ||

Meaning:गुणों के आकर, सुख के आकर, कृपा के आकर, परम कृपालु, देवशत्रुओं के नाशक — उन गोपनन्दन को मैं नमस्कार करता हूँ; नित्य नवीन गोप-नागर, नवीन क्रीडा में रत, मेघ के समान सुन्दर, बिजली-सी चमकती पीताम्बरधारी — उन्हें मैं नमस्कार करता हूँ।

Verse 7

සමස්තගෝපනන්දනං හෘදම්බුජෛකමෝදනං නමාමි කුඤ්ජමධ්යගං ප්රසන්නභානුශෝභනම් . නිකාමකාමදායකං දෘගන්තචාරුසායකං රසාලවේණුගායකං නමාමි කුඤ්ජනායකම් .. 7 ..

Samastagopanandanam hridambujaikamodanam Namami kunjamadhyagam prasannabhanushobhanam | Nikamakamadayakam drigantacharusayakam Rasalavenugayakam namami kunjanayakam || 7 ||

Meaning:समस्त गोपों के आनन्द, हृदयकमल के एकमात्र हर्ष — कुंज के मध्य विराजमान, प्रसन्न सूर्य-सी शोभा वाले उन्हें मैं नमस्कार करता हूँ; समस्त कामनाओं के दाता, कटाक्ष के सुन्दर बाण वाले, मधुर वेणु-गायक — उन कुंजनायक को मैं नमस्कार करता हूँ।

Verse 8

විදග්ධගෝපිකාමනෝමනෝජ්ඤතල්පශායිනං නමාමි කුඤ්ජකානනං ප්රවිෂ්ටරාසමණ්ඩනම් . යදා තදා යථා තථා තථෛව කෘෂ්ණසත්කථා මයා සදෛව ගීයතාං තථා කෘපා විධීයතාම් .. 8 ..

Vidagdhagopikamanomanojnatalpashayinam Namami kunjakananam pravishtarasamandanam | Yada tada yatha tatha tathaiva krishnasatkatha Maya sadaiva giyatam tatha kripa vidhiyatam || 8 ||

Meaning:चतुर गोपियों के मनोहर शय्या पर शयन करने वाले — रासमण्डल में प्रविष्ट कुंजवन के आभूषण को मैं नमस्कार करता हूँ; जब-तब, जैसे-वैसे, सदा मैं कृष्ण की सत्कथा गाता रहूँ — हे प्रभो, मुझ पर ऐसी ही कृपा कीजिए।

Verse 9

ප්රමාණිකාෂ්ටකද්වයං ජපත්යධීත්ය යඃ පුමාන් භවේත්ස නන්දනන්දනේ භවේ භවේ සුභක්තිමාන් ..

Pramanikashtakadvayam japatyadhitya yah puman Bhavetsa nandanandane bhave bhave subhaktiman ||

Meaning:जो मनुष्य इस प्रामाणिक अष्टक-युगल का अध्ययन कर जप करता है, वह जन्म-जन्मान्तर में नन्दनन्दन के प्रति उत्तम भक्ति से युक्त हो जाता है।

Word-by-Word Meaning

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භජේ🔊BhajeI worship / I adore

ව්රජෛකමණ්ඩනම්🔊Vraja-eka-mandanamThe sole ornament (mandana) of Vraja (Vrindavan)

සමස්තපාපඛණ්ඩනම්🔊Samasta-papa-khandanamThe destroyer of all sins

ස්වභක්තචිත්තරඤ්ජනම්🔊Svabhakta-chitta-ranjanamOne who delights the hearts of his own devotees

නන්දනන්දනම්🔊Nanda-nandanamThe (joy-giving) son of Nanda

සුපිච්ඡගුච්ඡමස්තකම්🔊Su-piccha-guccha-mastakamOne whose head bears a lovely cluster of peacock feathers

සුනාදවේණුහස්තකම්🔊Sunada-venu-hastakamOne holding in his hand the sweet-sounding flute

අනඞ්ගරඞ්ගසාගරම්🔊Ananga-ranga-sagaramAn ocean of the play (delight) of love / beauty

නමාමි කෘෂ්ණනාගරම්🔊Namami krishna-nagaramI bow to Krishna, the charming, gallant one

මනෝජගර්වමෝචනම්🔊Manoja-garva-mochanamOne who shatters the pride of Cupid (Manmatha)

විශාලලෝලලෝචනම්🔊Vishala-lola-lochanamOne with large, restlessly moving (lotus) eyes

පද්මලෝචනම්🔊Padma-lochanamThe lotus-eyed one

කදම්බසූනකුණ්ඩලම්🔊Kadamba-suna-kundalamOne wearing ear-ornaments of kadamba blossoms

ව්රජාඞ්ගනෛකවල්ලභම්🔊Vrajangana-eka-vallabhamThe one beloved of the women (gopis) of Vraja

නමාමි කෘෂ්ණදුර්ලභම්🔊Namami krishna-durlabhamI bow to Krishna, who is (otherwise) hard to attain

ගෝපනායකම්🔊Gopa-nayakamThe leader of the cowherds

නන්දබාලකම්🔊Nanda-balakamThe little child of Nanda

භුවෝ භරාවතාරකම්🔊Bhuvo bhara-avatarakamOne who descended to remove the burden of the Earth

භවාබ්ධිකර්ණධාරකම්🔊Bhava-abdhi-karnadharakamThe helmsman who steers (devotees) across the ocean of worldly existence

චිත්තචෝරකම්🔊Chitta-chorakamThe stealer of (devotees') hearts

මේඝසුන්දරම්🔊Megha-sundaramBeautiful as a (dark rain-) cloud

රසාලවේණුගායකම්🔊Rasala-venu-gayakamOne who sings sweetly upon the flute

කෘපා විධීයතාම්🔊Kripa vidhiyatamMay (your) grace be bestowed (upon me)

Benefits of Chanting श्री कृष्णाष्टकम् (भजे व्रजैकमण्डनम्)

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Kindles loving devotion (madhurya bhakti) toward Lord Krishna as the charmer of Vraja

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Beautifully describes Krishna's form, pastimes and grace, ideal for meditation and singing

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The closing verse promises steadfast devotion to Krishna in birth after birth to those who recite it

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Believed to destroy all sins, as declared in the very first verse ('samasta-papa-khandanam')

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Brings peace, joy and sweetness to the heart through its flowing, musical metre

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Attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, it carries the grace of the great acharya

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Excellent for daily recitation, Janmashtami and Krishna worship

How to Chant श्री कृष्णाष्टकम् (भजे व्रजैकमण्डनम्)

Repetitions8times

Best TimeEarly morning or evening; especially on Janmashtami and Wednesdays

Sit before an image of Lord Krishna, light a lamp and recite the eight verses melodiously, letting the internal rhyme carry the devotion. Visualise Krishna as each verse describes him — peacock-feathered, flute in hand, lifting Govardhana, dancing in the bower. It is especially sung on Krishna Janmashtami. Conclude with the final verse seeking devotion to Krishna in every birth.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete श्री कृष्णाष्टकम् (भजे व्रजैकमण्डनम्) 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.

It is an eight-verse Sanskrit hymn in praise of Lord Krishna, beginning 'Bhaje Vrajaika Mandanam samasta-papa-khandanam'. It is traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya and is distinct from the other well-known Krishnashtakam that begins 'Vasudeva-sutam devam'.

It is traditionally ascribed to Adi Shankaracharya (8th century CE). The hymn's flowing, internally-rhyming metre and rich descriptions of Krishna's Vraja-lila have made it a favourite for devotional singing.

Every verse is built on internal rhymes and ends with the word 'namami' — 'I bow' — addressing a different aspect of Krishna, such as Krishna-nagaram (the charming one), Krishna-varanam (the protector), gopa-nayakam (leader of cowherds) and chitta-chorakam (the stealer of hearts).

The concluding verse states that one who studies and recites this 'pair of authentic ashtakas' becomes endowed with pure devotion to the son of Nanda (Krishna) in birth after birth. It is also said to destroy all sins and fill the heart with Krishna's sweetness.