Complete · ~5 min chant
Krishnashtakam
कृष्णाष्टकम्
Kṛṣṇāṣṭakam
Eight verses praying that Krishna, refuge of the worlds, become the object of the devotee's sight.
8 verses · About 5 min · Shri Vishnu
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Krishnashtakam in the Sringeri Sharada Peetham recension opens with *śriyāśliṣṭo viṣṇuḥ* and closes each verse with *śaraṇyo lokeśo mama bhavatu kṛṣṇo'kṣiviṣayaḥ*: may Krishna, the world's refuge and Lord, become the object of my sight.
More about this stotra
The hymn moves from Vishnu's cosmic form and creative power through contemplative discipline, Vedic lordship, and divine grace, ending with the Lord's appearance when dharma declines. It is traditionally attributed to Sri Adi Shankaracharya.
At a glance
- Deity
- Shri Vishnu
- Verses
- 8 verses
- Chant time
- About 5 minutes
- Attribution
- Traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya
- Sanskrit source
- sringeri.net · All sources
Verse overview
- 1
The prayer is not for a distant vision but for Krishna to fill awareness itself. Form with conch and discus is how the formless Absolute becomes near enough to…
- 2
Creation, preservation, and dissolution are one Lord's play. Sustaining the world by a share of his own bliss points to existence itself as borrowed joy…
- 3
Discipline of breath and mind is not an end in itself; it clears the heart so the same Krishna prayed for in devotion can be known as the ruler of maya. Outer…
- 4
The Lord is nearer than the ground underfoot yet unknown to that ground. Vedic praise of the ruler who grants moksha turns devotion toward the Self that…
- 5
Victory and agency in the world are borrowed. Humbling the pride of force points the seeker past self-will to the one power on which every freedom silently…
- 6
Meditation, knowledge, and remembrance are three doors to the same Lord. Neglect of them is pictured as descent through lower births, a stern image of how…
- 7
The cosmic Lord appears as the dark friend of Vraja and Arjuna so fear can meet a face. Refuge and right conduct are not separate from that friendship; they…
- 8
The closing verse joins Gita teaching with Vraja devotion: when order fails, the same Lord who is pure and scripturally praised takes form. The hymn ends where…
All verses
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Common questions
- When do people recite Krishnashtakam?
- Many households recite Vishnu stotras in the morning or on ekadashi and other Vaishnava observances. This edition presents 8 verses and takes about 5 minutes to chant.
- What is the opening focus of Krishnashtakam?
- The prayer is not for a distant vision but for Krishna to fill awareness itself. Form with conch and discus is how the formless Absolute becomes near enough to love without ceasing to be the Veda's pure witness. Read verse 1 in Study mode for the full editorial note beside the Sanskrit.
- Which hymns pair well with Krishnashtakam?
- On this site, related reading includes Achyutashtakam, and Govindashtakam. Open those hubs for their own Sanskrit, English meaning, and study notes.