krishnagovindavishnushankaracharya

ගෝවින්දාෂ්ටකම් (සත්යං ජ්ඤානමනන්තම්)

गोविन्दाष्टकम् (सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तम्) in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 8× repetitions·🕐 Early morning (Brahma Muhurta) 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

Govinda is one of the most beloved names of Krishna, meaning the protector of cows, the Earth and the Vedas. Adi Shankaracharya, the great Advaita master, composed this Govindashtakam to reveal Krishna as both the formless Brahman of the Upanishads — Truth, Knowledge, Infinity — and the enchanting cowherd child of Vraja who ate butter, lifted Govardhana and danced on the serpent Kaliya. The hymn's eight verses are a rare and beautiful union of jnana and bhakti, and it remains distinct from the other Govindashtakam (beginning 'Chidanandakaram').

✦ As told in scripture

The final verse is itself the declared fruit: tradition holds that one who recites this Govindashtakam with the mind surrendered to Govinda is cleansed of all sins as if bathed in a nectar-ocean, and comes to realise the ever-blissful Govinda seated within the heart.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

සත්යං ජ්ඤානමනන්තං නිත්යමනාකාශං පරමාකාශං ගෝෂ්ඨප්රාඞ්ගණරිඞ්ඛණලෝලමනායාසං පරමායාසම් . මායාකල්පිතනානාකාරමනාකාරං භුවනාකාරං ක්ෂ්මායානාථමනාථං ප්රණමත ගෝවින්දං පරමානන්දම් .. 1 ..

Satyam jnanamanantam nityamanakasham paramakasham Goshthaprangana-rinkhana-lolamanayasam paramayasam | Maya-kalpita-nanakaramanakaram bhuvanakaram Kshmayanathamanatham pranamata govindam paramanandam || 1 ||

Meaning:गोविन्द को, परमानन्द को प्रणाम करो — जो सत्य, ज्ञान, अनन्त एवं नित्य हैं; जो आकाश से अबद्ध होकर भी परम आकाश हैं; जो अनायास ही गोष्ठ के आँगन में रेंगने में आनन्दित होते हैं, फिर भी परम साधना के लक्ष्य हैं; जो मायारचित अनेक रूपों में प्रकट होते हुए भी स्वयं निराकार हैं, जिनका स्वरूप ही समस्त भुवन है; जो पृथ्वी के नाथ हैं किन्तु जिनका कोई नाथ नहीं।

Verse 2

මෘත්ස්නාමත්සීහේති යශෝදාතාඩනශෛශවසන්ත්රාසං ව්යාදිතවක්ත්රාලෝකිතලෝකාලෝකචතුර්දශලෝකාලිම් . ලෝකත්රයපුරමූලස්තම්භං ලෝකාලෝකමනාලෝකං ලෝකේශං පරමේශං ප්රණමත ගෝවින්දං පරමානන්දම් .. 2 ..

Mritsnamatsiheti yashodatadana-shaishavasantrasam Vyadita-vaktraalokita-lokaaloka-chaturdashalokalim | Lokatraya-pura-mulastambham lokalokamanalokam Lokesham paramesham pranamata govindam paramanandam || 2 ||

Meaning:गोविन्द को, परमानन्द को प्रणाम करो — जो 'तूने मिट्टी खाई है' इस यशोदा के उलाहने पर बालक रूप में भयभीत हुए, और जिनके खुले मुख में यशोदा ने चौदहों लोक देखे; जो तीनों लोकों के नगरों के मूल स्तम्भ हैं; जो दृश्य होकर भी अदृश्य हैं, लोकेश एवं परमेश हैं।

Verse 3

ත්රෛවිෂ්ටපරිපුවීරඝ්නං ක්ෂිතිභාරඝ්නං භවරෝගඝ්නං කෛවල්යං නවනීතාහාරමනාහාරං භුවනාහාරම් . වෛමල්යස්ඵුටචේතෝවෘත්තිවිශේෂාභාසමනාභාසං ශෛවං කේවලශාන්තං ප්රණමත ගෝවින්දං පරමානන්දම් .. 3 ..

Traivishtaparipuviraghnam kshitibharaghnam bhavarogaghnam Kaivalyam navanitaharamanaharam bhuvanaharam | Vaimalya-sphuta-cheto-vritti-visheshabhasamanabhasam Shaivam kevalashantam pranamata govindam paramanandam || 3 ||

Meaning:गोविन्द को, परमानन्द को प्रणाम करो — जो देवशत्रु वीरों के संहारक, पृथ्वी के भार एवं भवरोग के नाशक हैं; जो कैवल्यस्वरूप हैं, नवनीत का आहार करते हुए भी अनाहार हैं, क्योंकि वे ही भुवनों के आधार (आहार) हैं; जो निर्मल चित्तवृत्ति के रूप में प्रकट होते हुए भी स्वयं अनाभास हैं, शिव (मंगलमय), केवल एवं शान्त हैं।

Verse 4

ගෝපාලං භූලීලාවිග්රහගෝපාලං කුලගෝපාලං ගෝපීඛේලනගෝවර්ධනධෘතිලීලාලාලිතගෝපාලම් . ගෝභිර්නිගදිතගෝවින්දස්ඵුටනාමානං බහුනාමානං ගෝපීගෝචරදූරං ප්රණමත ගෝවින්දං පරමානන්දම් .. 4 ..

Gopalam bhulilavigrahagopalam kulagopalam Gopikhelana-govardhanadhritilila-lalitagopalam | Gobhirnigaditagovindasphutanaamanam bahunaamanam Gopigocharaduram pranamata govindam paramanandam || 4 ||

Meaning:गोविन्द को, परमानन्द को प्रणाम करो — जो गोपाल हैं, भूलोक की लीला हेतु गोप-रूप धारी, कुल के गोपाल; जिन्होंने गोपियों के साथ खेल में गोवर्धन धारण की लीला से गोपालों को आनन्दित किया; जिनके स्पष्ट नाम 'गोविन्द' को गौएँ भी रँभा कर पुकारती हैं, जो बहुनाम हैं, फिर भी गोपियों की दृष्टि से भी परे हैं।

Verse 5

ගෝපීමණ්ඩලගෝෂ්ඨීභේදං භේදාවස්ථමභේදාභං ශශ්වද්ගෝඛුරනිර්ධූතෝද්ගතධූලීධූසරසෞභාග්යම් . ශ්රද්ධාභක්තිගෘහීතානන්දමචින්ත්යං චින්තිතසද්භාවං චින්තාමණිමහිමානං ප්රණමත ගෝවින්දං පරමානන්දම් .. 5 ..

Gopimandalagoshthibhedam bhedavasthamabhedabham Shashvadgokhuranirdhutodgatadhulidhusarasaubhagyam | Shraddhabhaktigrihitanandamachintyam chintitasadbhavam Chintamanimahimanam pranamata govindam paramanandam || 5 ||

Meaning:गोविन्द को, परमानन्द को प्रणाम करो — जो गोपीमण्डलों में भिन्न-भिन्न दिखकर भी अभिन्न हैं; जिनका सौभाग्य गौओं के खुरों से सदा उड़ती धूलि से धूसरित है; जिनका आनन्द श्रद्धा एवं भक्ति से ही ग्रहण होता है, जो अचिन्त्य होकर भी सत्पुरुषों द्वारा चिन्तित सद्भाव हैं, चिन्तामणि के समान महिमावान् हैं।

Verse 6

ස්නානව්යාකුලයෝෂිද්වස්ත්රමුපාදායාගමුපාරූඪං ව්යාදිත්සන්තීරථ දිග්වස්ත්රා දාතුමුපාකර්ෂන්තං තාඃ . නිර්ධූතද්වයශෝකවිමෝහං බුද්ධං බුද්ධේරන්තඃස්ථං සත්තාමාත්රශරීරං ප්රණමත ගෝවින්දං පරමානන්දම් .. 6 ..

Snanavyakulayoshidvastramupadayagamuparudham Vyaditsantiratha digvastra datumupakarshantam tah | Nirdhutadvayashokavimoham buddham buddherantahstham Sattamatrashariram pranamata govindam paramanandam || 6 ||

Meaning:गोविन्द को, परमानन्द को प्रणाम करो — जो स्नान में व्यस्त गोपियों के वस्त्र लेकर (कदम्ब वृक्ष पर) चढ़ गए, और जब वे दिग्वस्त्रा (नग्न) होकर आईं तो वस्त्र देने के लिए उन्हें समीप बुलाया; जो शोक एवं मोह के द्वन्द्व से रहित बुद्धस्वरूप हैं, बुद्धि के भीतर स्थित हैं, जिनका शरीर केवल सत्तामात्र है।

Verse 7

කාන්තං කාරණකාරණමාදිමනාදිං කාලමනාභාසං කාලින්දීගතකාලියශිරසි මුහුර්නෘත්යන්තං නෘත්යන්තම් . කාලං කාලකලාතීතං කලිතාශේෂං කලිදෝෂඝ්නං කාලත්රයගතිහේතුං ප්රණමත ගෝවින්දං පරමානන්දම් .. 7 ..

Kantam karanakaranamadimanadim kalamanabhasam Kalindigatakaliyashirasi muhurnrityantam nrityantam | Kalam kalakalatitam kalitaasesham kalidoshaghnam Kalatrayagatihetum pranamata govindam paramanandam || 7 ||

Meaning:गोविन्द को, परमानन्द को प्रणाम करो — जो कान्त (प्रिय), कारणों के कारण, अनादि के भी आदि, स्वयं काल होकर भी अनाभास हैं; जो कालिन्दी (यमुना) में कालिय के सिर पर बार-बार नृत्य करते हैं; जो कालकलाओं से अतीत काल हैं, समस्त को व्याप्त करने वाले, कलियुग के दोषों के नाशक, तीनों कालों की गति के हेतु हैं।

Verse 8

වෘන්දාවනභුවි වෘන්දාරකගණවෘන්දාරාධිතවන්ද්යායං කුන්දාභාමලමන්දස්මේරසුධානන්දං සුහෘදානන්දම් . වන්ද්යාශේෂමහාමුනිමානසවන්ද්යානන්දපදද්වන්ද්වං වන්ද්යාශේෂගුණාබ්ධිං ප්රණමත ගෝවින්දං පරමානන්දම් .. 8 ..

Vrindavanabhuvi vrindarakaganavrindaradhitavandyayam Kundabhaamalamandasmera-sudhanandam suhridanandam | Vandyaasheshamahamunimanasavandyanandapadadvandvam Vandyaasheshagunabdhim pranamata govindam paramanandam || 8 ||

Meaning:गोविन्द को, परमानन्द को प्रणाम करो — जो वृन्दावन की भूमि में देवगणों के समूहों द्वारा आराधित एवं वन्दनीय हैं; जिनका मन्द एवं कुन्द-पुष्प सा निर्मल सुधामय स्मित आनन्ददायी है, जो सुहृदों के आनन्द हैं; जिनके आनन्दमय चरणयुगल समस्त महामुनियों के मन में वन्दनीय हैं, जो समस्त वन्दनीय गुणों के सागर हैं।

Verse 9

ගෝවින්දාෂ්ටකමේතදධීතේ ගෝවින්දාර්පිතචේතා යෝ ගෝවින්දාච්යුත මාධව විෂ්ණෝ ගෝකුලනායක කෘෂ්ණේති . ගෝවින්දාඞ්ඝ්රිසරෝජධ්යානසුධාජලධෞතසමස්තාඝෝ ගෝවින්දං පරමානන්දාමෘතමන්තඃස්ථං ස තමභ්යේති ..

Govindashtakametadadhite govindarpitacheta yo Govindachyuta madhava vishno gokulanayaka krishneti | Govindanghrisarojadhyanasudhajaladhautasamastagho Govindam paramanandamritamantahstham sa tamabhyeti ||

Meaning:जो भक्त गोविन्द में चित्त अर्पित कर इस गोविन्दाष्टक का पाठ करता है, 'गोविन्द! अच्युत! माधव! विष्णो! गोकुलनायक! कृष्ण!' पुकारते हुए — गोविन्द के चरणकमलों के ध्यानरूपी सुधासागर में जिसके समस्त पाप धुल जाते हैं — वह अन्तःस्थित उस परमानन्दामृतस्वरूप गोविन्द को प्राप्त कर लेता है।

Word-by-Word Meaning

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සත්යම්🔊SatyamTruth / the truly existent (Reality)

ජ්ඤානම්🔊JnanamPure consciousness / knowledge

අනන්තම්🔊AnantamInfinite, endless

නිත්යම්🔊NityamEternal

පරමාකාශම්🔊ParamakashamThe supreme space (the transcendent expanse of consciousness)

ගෝෂ්ඨප්රාඞ්ගණරිඞ්ඛණලෝලම්🔊Goshtha-prangana-rinkhana-lolamDelighting to crawl in the courtyard of the cowherd settlement

මායාකල්පිතනානාකාරම්🔊Maya-kalpita-nanakaramAppearing in countless forms fashioned by maya (illusion)

අනාකාරම්🔊AnakaramYet himself formless

භුවනාකාරම්🔊BhuvanakaramWhose form is the worlds (the universe itself)

ප්රණමත ගෝවින්දම්🔊Pranamata govindamBow down to Govinda!

පරමානන්දම්🔊ParamanandamThe supreme bliss

මෘත්ස්නා මත්සි ඉති🔊Mritsna matsi iti'You have eaten earth (mud)!' — (Yashoda's accusation)

යශෝදාතාඩනශෛශවසන්ත්රාසම්🔊Yashoda-tadana-shaishava-santrasamWho as a child showed fear at Yashoda's chiding (mock-punishment)

ක්ෂිතිභාරඝ්නම්🔊KshitibharaghnamDestroyer of the burden of the Earth

භවරෝගඝ්නම්🔊BhavarogaghnamDestroyer of the disease of worldly existence (samsara)

නවනීතාහාරම්🔊NavanitaharamWhose food is fresh butter (navanita)

ගෝවර්ධනධෘතිලීලා🔊Govardhana-dhriti-lilaThe playful lifting and holding up of Mount Govardhana

ගෝපීගෝචරදූරම්🔊Gopi-gochara-duramBeyond the reach even of the gopis' perception (i.e. transcendent)

කාලියශිරසි නෘත්යන්තම්🔊Kaliya-shirasi nrityantamDancing upon the hood(s) of the serpent Kaliya

කලිදෝෂඝ්නම්🔊KalidoshaghnamThe destroyer of the faults/evils of the Kali age

වෘන්දාවනභුවි🔊VrindavanabhuviIn the land of Vrindavan

අශේෂගුණාබ්ධිම්🔊Ashesha-gunabdhimThe ocean of infinite (auspicious) qualities

ගෝවින්දාර්පිතචේතාඃ🔊Govindarpita-chetahWith the mind offered up to Govinda

සමස්තාඝඃ🔊SamastaghahAll sins (washed away)

Benefits of Chanting गोविन्दाष्टकम् (सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तम्)

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Unites Vedantic contemplation of the Absolute with loving devotion to Krishna's pastimes

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Each verse ends with 'pranamata govindam paramanandam', drawing the mind to supreme bliss

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The closing verse promises that the reciter, his sins washed away, attains the inner Govinda

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Cultivates both jnana (wisdom) and bhakti (devotion) together

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Composed by Adi Shankaracharya, it carries the grace of the great non-dual master

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Brings deep peace and one-pointedness when recited contemplatively

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Excellent for daily recitation, Janmashtami and Krishna worship

How to Chant गोविन्दाष्टकम् (सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तम्)

Repetitions8times

Best TimeEarly morning (Brahma Muhurta) or evening; especially on Janmashtami and Wednesdays

Sit calmly before an image of Lord Krishna / Govinda, light a lamp and recite the eight verses slowly, holding both meanings in mind — Govinda as the formless Truth and as the child of Vraja. Let the refrain 'pranamata govindam paramanandam' settle the mind in devotion. Conclude with the ninth (phala) verse, calling on the names 'Govinda, Achyuta, Madhava, Vishnu, Krishna'. Especially recited on Janmashtami.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete गोविन्दाष्टकम् (सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तम्) 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 to Lord Krishna (Govinda) by Adi Shankaracharya, beginning 'Satyam jnanam anantam nityam'. It is distinctive for weaving Vedantic descriptions of the formless Absolute together with Krishna's childhood pastimes, each verse ending 'pranamata govindam paramanandam'.

It is traditionally ascribed to Adi Shankaracharya (8th century CE), the great Advaita Vedanta master, who composed many hymns blending philosophical depth with devotion. Note that another, different hymn beginning 'Chidanandakaram' is also called Govindashtakam.

The refrain 'pranamata govindam paramanandam' that ends every verse means 'Bow down to Govinda, who is the supreme bliss (paramananda).'

The concluding verse states that the devotee who recites it with mind fixed on Govinda — calling 'Govinda, Achyuta, Madhava, Vishnu, Krishna' — has all sins washed away in the nectar of meditation on Govinda's feet, and attains the supremely blissful Govinda who dwells within.