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कृष्णाष्टकम्
Krishna · ashtakam · 8 verses
Adi Shankaracharya
Adi Shankaracharya — Krishnashtakam (Bhaje Vraja Eka Mandanam)
The Krishnashtakam ('Bhaje Vraja Eka Mandanam') is an eight-verse devotional hymn to Krishna by Adi Shankaracharya. Unlike Shankara's non-dual philosophical works, this stotra overflows with vivid Vrindavana imagery — peacock-feathered crown, lotus eyes, kunja-groves, the gopis — revealing the depth of his personal bhakti alongside his Advaita philosophy. The phalashruti compares the fruit of reciting this hymn to the fortune of Sudama, the childhood friend of Krishna who received boundless grace.
भजे व्रजैकमण्डनं समस्तपापखण्डनं स्वभक्तचित्तरञ्जनं सदैव नन्दनन्दनम्।
सुपिच्छगुच्छमस्तकं सुनादवेणुहस्तकं अनङ्गरङ्गसागरं नमामि कृष्णनागरम्॥
bhaje vrajaika-maṇḍanaṃ samasta-pāpa-khaṇḍanaṃ sva-bhakta-citta-rañjanaṃ sadaiva nanda-nandanam।
su-piccha-guccha-mastakaṃ sunāda-veṇu-hastakaṃ anaṅga-raṅga-sāgaraṃ namāmi kṛṣṇa-nāgaram॥
I worship the sole adornment of Vraj, destroyer of all sins, delight of his devotees' hearts, ever the son of Nanda; with peacock feathers crowning his head, sweet-toned flute in his hand, ocean of love-sport — I bow to Krishna the gallant.
मनोजगर्वमोचनं विशालकेलिलोचनं विधूतगोपशोचनं नमामि पद्मलोचनम्।
करारविन्दभूधरं स्मितावलोकसुन्दरं महेन्द्रमानदारणं नमामि कृष्णवारणम्॥
mano-ja-garva-mocanaṃ viśāla-keli-locanaṃ vidhūta-gopa-śocanaṃ namāmi padma-locanam।
karāravinda-bhūdharaṃ smitāvaloka-sundaraṃ mahendra-māna-dāraṇaṃ namāmi kṛṣṇa-vāraṇam॥
He who shatters the pride of Kamadeva, his playful eyes wide; he who removes the cowherds' grief — I bow to the lotus-eyed One. Holder of the mountain on his lotus-hand, beautiful with smiling glance, breaker of Indra's pride — I bow to Krishna the elephant.
कदम्बसूनकुण्डलं सुचारुगण्डमण्डलं व्रजाङ्गनैकवल्लभं नमामि कृष्णदुर्लभम्।
यशोदया समोदया सगोपया सनन्दया युतं सुखैकदायकं नमामि गोपनायकम्॥
kadamba-sūna-kuṇḍalaṃ sucāru-gaṇḍa-maṇḍalaṃ vrajāṅganaika-vallabhaṃ namāmi kṛṣṇa-durlabham।
yaśodayā samodayā sa-gopayā sa-nandayā yutaṃ sukhaika-dāyakaṃ namāmi gopa-nāyakam॥
Earrings of kadamba flowers, beautiful round cheeks; sole beloved of the women of Vraj — I bow to Krishna, hard to attain. Joy of Yashoda, of the gopas, of Nanda; sole giver of bliss — I bow to the leader of the cowherds.
सदैव पादपङ्कजं मदीय मानसे निजं दधानमुत्तमालकं नमामि नन्दबालकम्।
समस्तदोषशोषणं समस्तलोकपोषणं समस्तगोपमानसं नमामि नन्दलालसम्॥
sadaiva pāda-paṅkajaṃ madīya mānase nijaṃ dadhānam-uttamālakaṃ namāmi nanda-bālakam।
samasta-doṣa-śoṣaṇaṃ samasta-loka-poṣaṇaṃ samasta-gopa-mānasaṃ namāmi nanda-lālasam॥
He whose lotus feet I ever bear in my mind; wearer of garland of tamāla — I bow to Nanda's child. Drier of all faults, nourisher of all the worlds, dear to all the gopas — I bow to the playful one of Nanda.
भुवो भरावतारकं भवाब्धिकर्णधारकं यशोमतीकिशोरकं नमामि चित्तचोरकम्।
दृगन्तकान्तभङ्गिनं सदा सदालसङ्गिनं दिने दिने नवं नवं नमामि नन्दसम्भवम्॥
bhuvo bhārāvatārakaṃ bhavābdhi-karṇadhārakaṃ yaśomatī-kiśorakaṃ namāmi citta-corakam।
dṛganta-kānta-bhaṅginaṃ sadā sad-ālas-aṅginaṃ dine dine navaṃ navaṃ namāmi nanda-sambhavam॥
Remover of earth's burden, helmsman across the ocean of samsara, the youthful son of Yashoda — I bow to the heart-stealer. With charming sidelong glances, ever in good company, fresh and new each day — I bow to Nanda's son.
गुणाकरं सुखाकरं कृपाकरं कृपापरं सुरद्विषन्निकन्दनं नमामि गोपनन्दनम्।
नवीनगोपनागरं नवीनकेलिलम्पटं नमामि मेघसुन्दरं तडित्प्रभालसत्पटम्॥
guṇākaraṃ sukhākaraṃ kṛpākaraṃ kṛpā-paraṃ sura-dviṣan-nikandanaṃ namāmi gopa-nandanam।
navīna-gopa-nāgaraṃ navīna-keli-lampaṭaṃ namāmi megha-sundaraṃ taḍit-prabhā-lasat-paṭam॥
Mine of virtues, mine of happiness, mine of grace, supreme in compassion, destroyer of foes of the gods — I bow to the gopa-prince. The fresh young cowherd-gallant, eager for new sports — I bow to him beautiful as a cloud, his garments flashing like lightning.
समस्तगोपनन्दनं हृदम्बुजैकमोदनं नमामि कुञ्जमध्यगं प्रसन्नभानुशोभनम्।
निकामकामदायकं दृगन्तचारुसायकं रसालवेणुगायकं नमामि कुञ्जनायकम्॥
samasta-gopa-nandanaṃ hṛd-ambujaika-modanaṃ namāmi kuñja-madhya-gaṃ prasanna-bhānu-śobhanam।
nikāma-kāma-dāyakaṃ dṛganta-cāru-sāyakaṃ rasāla-veṇu-gāyakaṃ namāmi kuñja-nāyakam॥
Joy of all the gopas, sole delight in the lotus of the heart — I bow to the dweller of the kunjas, splendid as the rising sun. Fulfiller of cherished desires, with charming arrows in his sidelong glances, sweet flute-singer — I bow to the lord of the kunjas.
विदग्धगोपिकामनोमनोज्ञतल्पशायिनं नमामि कुञ्जकानने प्रवृद्धवह्निपायिनम्।
किशोरकान्तिरञ्जितं दृगञ्जनं सुशोभितं गजेन्द्रमोक्षकारिणं नमामि श्रीविहारिणम्॥
vidagdha-gopikā-mano-manojña-talpa-śāyinaṃ namāmi kuñja-kānane pravṛddha-vahni-pāyinam।
kiśora-kānti-rañjitaṃ dṛg-añjanaṃ suśobhitaṃ gajendra-mokṣa-kāriṇaṃ namāmi śrī-vihāriṇam॥
Reposing on the mind-bed of the wise gopis — I bow to him who drank the forest fire in the kunja-grove. Brilliant with youthful charm, eyes beautified with collyrium, liberator of Gajendra — I bow to the Sri-companion.
यः कृष्णाष्टकमेतत्पठति श्रीकृष्णसन्निधावात्मन्।
तस्याशु जायते सर्वसुखं सुदामनो यथा॥
yaḥ kṛṣṇāṣṭakam-etat paṭhati śrī-kṛṣṇa-sannidhāv-ātman।
tasyāśu jāyate sarva-sukhaṃ sudāmano yathā॥
Whoever recites this Krishnashtakam in the presence of Sri Krishna quickly attains all happiness — as did Sudama.
Sources: Adi Shankaracharya — Krishnashtakam (Bhaje Vraja Eka Mandanam). Awaiting scholar verification.