Krishnashtakam

कृष्णाष्टकम्

Kṛṣṇāṣṭakam

All 8 verses

Verse 1

श्रियाश्लिष्टो विष्णुः स्थिरचरगुरुर्वेदविषयो धियां साक्षी शुद्धो हरिरसुरहन्ताऽब्जनयनः । गदी शङ्खी चक्री विमलवनमाली स्थिररुचिः शरण्यो लोकेशो मम भवतु कृष्णोऽक्षिविषयः ॥१॥

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श्रियाश्लिष्टो विष्णुः स्थिरचरगुरुर्वेदविषयो धियां साक्षी शुद्धो हरिरसुरहन्ताऽब्जनयनः । गदी शङ्खी चक्री विमलवनमाली स्थिररुचिः शरण्यो लोकेशो मम भवतु कृष्णोऽक्षिविषयः ॥१॥: May Krishna become the object of my sight: Vishnu embraced by Sri, teacher of the moving and unmoving, theme of the Veda, pure witness of the mind, Hari who slays asuras, lotus-eyed, bearing mace, conch, and discus, wearing a pure forest garland, of steady splendour, refuge and Lord of the worlds.

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.

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Verse 2

यतः सर्वं जातं वियदनिलमुख्यं जगदिदं स्थितौ निःशेषं योऽवति निजसुखांशेन मधुहा । लये सर्वं स्वस्मिन्हरति कलया यस्तु स विभुः शरण्यो लोकेशो मम भवतु कृष्णोऽक्षिविषयः ॥२॥

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यतः सर्वं जातं वियदनिलमुख्यं जगदिदं स्थितौ निःशेषं योऽवति निजसुखांशेन मधुहा । लये सर्वं स्वस्मिन्हरति कलया यस्तु स विभुः शरण्यो लोकेशो मम भवतु कृष्णोऽक्षिविषयः ॥२॥: May the all-pervading Lord become the object of my sight: from whom this world of space, wind, and the rest arises; who as Madhuha protects all in maintenance by a share of his own bliss; and who in dissolution draws everything into himself by his power.

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 returning to its source.

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Verse 3

असूनायम्यादौ यमनियममुख्यैः सुकरणै- र्निरुद्ध्येदं चित्तं हृदि विलयमानीय सकलम् । यमीड्यं पश्यन्ति प्रवरमतयो मायिनमसौ शरण्यो लोकेशो मम भवतु कृष्णोऽक्षिविषयः ॥३॥

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असूनायम्यादौ यमनियममुख्यैः सुकरणै- र्निरुद्ध्येदं चित्तं हृदि विलयमानीय सकलम् । यमीड्यं पश्यन्ति प्रवरमतयो मायिनमसौ शरण्यो लोकेशो मम भवतु कृष्णोऽक्षिविषयः ॥३॥: May that Lord of maya become the object of my sight: whom the foremost minds behold as worthy of praise after first restraining the vital breaths and, with good practices headed by yama and niyama, stilling this mind and dissolving all into the heart.

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 restraint serves inner seeing.

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Verse 4

पृथिव्यां तिष्ठन्यो यमयति महीं वेद न धरा यमित्यादौ वेदो वदति जगतामीशममलम् । नियन्तारं ध्येयं मुनिसुरनृणां मोक्षदमसौ शरण्यो लोकेशो मम भवतु कृष्णोऽक्षिविषयः ॥४॥

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पृथिव्यां तिष्ठन्यो यमयति महीं वेद न धरा यमित्यादौ वेदो वदति जगतामीशममलम् । नियन्तारं ध्येयं मुनिसुरनृणां मोक्षदमसौ शरण्यो लोकेशो मम भवतु कृष्णोऽक्षिविषयः ॥४॥: May that pure Lord of the worlds become the object of my sight: who, standing on the earth, rules the earth though the earth does not know him; whom the Veda declares from 'ya' onward as the stainless ruler, the one to be meditated on, and the giver of liberation to sages, gods, and humans.

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 governs without being an object among objects.

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Verse 5

महेन्द्रादिर्देवो जयति दितिजान्यस्य बलतो न कस्य स्वातन्त्र्यं क्वचिदपि कृतौ यत्कृतिमृते । बलारातेर्गर्वं परिहरति योऽसौ विजयिनः शरण्यो लोकेशो मम भवतु कृष्णोऽक्षिविषयः ॥५॥

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महेन्द्रादिर्देवो जयति दितिजान्यस्य बलतो न कस्य स्वातन्त्र्यं क्वचिदपि कृतौ यत्कृतिमृते । बलारातेर्गर्वं परिहरति योऽसौ विजयिनः शरण्यो लोकेशो मम भवतु कृष्णोऽक्षिविषयः ॥५॥: May that victorious Lord become the object of my sight: by whose strength Indra and the gods conquer the sons of Diti; without whose action none has independence anywhere in the created world; and who removes the pride of the foes of Bala.

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 depends.

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Verse 6

विना यस्य ध्यानं व्रजति पशुतां सूकरमुखां विना यस्य ज्ञानं जनिमृतिभयं याति जनता । विना यस्य स्मृत्या कृमिशतजनिं याति स विभुः शरण्यो लोकेशो मम भवतु कृष्णोऽक्षिविषयः ॥६॥

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विना यस्य ध्यानं व्रजति पशुतां सूकरमुखां विना यस्य ज्ञानं जनिमृतिभयं याति जनता । विना यस्य स्मृत्या कृमिशतजनिं याति स विभुः शरण्यो लोकेशो मम भवतु कृष्णोऽक्षिविषयः ॥६॥: May that all-pervading Lord become the object of my sight: without whose meditation beings go to animal states headed by the boar's face; without whose knowledge people meet the fear of birth and death; and without whose remembrance they go to births among worms by the hundred.

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 identity follows what the mind holds.

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Verse 7

नरातङ्कोट्टङ्कः शरणशरणो भ्रान्तिहरणो घनश्यामो वामो व्रजशिशुवयस्योऽर्जुनसखः । स्वयम्भूर्भूतानां जनक उचिताचारसुखदः शरण्यो लोकेशो मम भवतु कृष्णोऽक्षिविषयः ॥७॥

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नरातङ्कोट्टङ्कः शरणशरणो भ्रान्तिहरणो घनश्यामो वामो व्रजशिशुवयस्योऽर्जुनसखः । स्वयम्भूर्भूतानां जनक उचिताचारसुखदः शरण्यो लोकेशो मम भवतु कृष्णोऽक्षिविषयः ॥७॥: May Krishna become the object of my sight: the chisel that cuts human distress, refuge of those who take refuge, remover of delusion, cloud-dark and graceful, companion of Vraja's children and friend of Arjuna, self-born father of beings, giver of the joy of right conduct.

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 are how delusion is cut away.

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Verse 8

यदा धर्मग्लानिर्भवति जगतां क्षोभकरणी तदा लोकस्वामी प्रकटितवपुः सेतुधृदजः । सतां धाता स्वच्छो निगमगणगीतो व्रजपतिः शरण्यो लोकेशो मम भवतु कृष्णोऽक्षिविषयः ॥८॥

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यदा धर्मग्लानिर्भवति जगतां क्षोभकरणी तदा लोकस्वामी प्रकटितवपुः सेतुधृदजः । सतां धाता स्वच्छो निगमगणगीतो व्रजपतिः शरण्यो लोकेशो मम भवतु कृष्णोऽक्षिविषयः ॥८॥: May Krishna become the object of my sight: when decline of dharma agitates the worlds, the Lord of people appears in form as the unborn who upholds the bridge; pure support of the good, sung by the hosts of scripture, lord of Vraja, refuge and Lord of the worlds.

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 it began, asking that this refuge fill the eye of the heart.

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