Complete · ~5 min chant

Yamunashtakam

यमुनाष्टकम् १

Yamunāṣṭakam 1

Eight verses to the Yamuna (Yamunashtakam 1), each praying Kalinda's daughter may wash away mental impurity.

8 verses · About 5 min · Sacred Rivers

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Yamunashtakam is the first of two Yamuna hymns attributed to Sri Adi Shankaracharya. Each verse closes with the prayer that Kalinda's daughter may wash away the impurity of the mind (*dhunotu no manomalaṃ kalindanandinī sadā*).

More about this stotra

The hymn praises the river beloved of Murari, whose waters sport with Krishna and whose banks witnessed the rasalila. This is Yamunashtakam 1, opening with *murārikāya*. A second Yamunashtakam also exists in Shankara's works.

At a glance

Deity: Sacred Rivers
Verses: 8 verses
Chant time: About 5 minutes
Attribution: Traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya
Sanskrit source: sanskritdocuments.org · All sources

Verse overview

1
She who humbles the three worlds and removes their sorrow acts on the mind's banks where Krishna sported; when pride is shaken from the heart's groves, the…
2
Tinted by Krishna's limbs, her waters show that the Lord's presence colors every sacred stream; the nectar that removes sin works through love's contact,…
3
Waves that wash every creature's fault and nourish devotion's cuckoo-call point to consciousness refreshing all levels of life; those who dwell on her bank as…
4
Her beauty beyond words and breeze on the banks of divine play hint at reality exceeding speech; the current that purifies the earth invites the mind to let go…
5
Compared to the autumn moon's rays and skilled in worship through offering-water, she teaches that outer rite and inner luminosity meet in one stream; ritual…
6
She who shares Krishna's embrace in water-sport and once split the seven oceans shows Shakti as the power of the Lord in play and in cosmic deed; the mind's…
7
Clinging to Achyuta's limbs and served by Narada at every bath, she embodies love that will not release the Lord; such steadfast clinging of the heart to the…
8
Her groves sweet with jasmine dust and her power to carry bathers across samsara unite beauty and liberation; those who immerse in her waters cross the sea of…

All verses

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Common questions

When do people recite Yamunashtakam?: River hymns are recited on riverbanks, during river festivals, and when purification imagery is the day's focus. This edition presents 8 verses and takes about 5 minutes to chant.
What is the opening focus of Yamunashtakam?: She who humbles the three worlds and removes their sorrow acts on the mind's banks where Krishna sported; when pride is shaken from the heart's groves, the stain on consciousness yields to the current of devotion. Read verse 1 in Study mode for the full editorial note beside the Sanskrit.
Which hymns pair well with Yamunashtakam?: On this site, related reading includes Gangashtakam, and Narmadashtakam. Open those hubs for their own Sanskrit, English meaning, and study notes.