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Achyutashtakam

The Achyutashtakam - Adi Shankaracharya's eight-verse hymn to Lord Vishnu as Achyuta, the imperishable one (Krishna / Rama).

अच्युतं केशवं रामनारायणं
कृष्णदामोदरं वासुदेवं हरिम्।
श्रीधरं माधवं गोपिकावल्लभं
जानकीनायकं रामचन्द्रं भजे॥१॥

अच्युतं केशवं सत्यभामाधवं
माधवं श्रीधरं राधिकाराधितम्।
इन्दिरामन्दिरं चेतसा सुन्दरं
देवकीनन्दनं नन्दनं सन्दधे॥२॥

विष्णवे जिष्णवे शङ्खिने चक्रिणे
रुक्मिणीरागिणे जानकीजानये।
वल्लवीवल्लभायार्चितायात्मने
कंसविध्वंसिने वंशिने ते नमः॥३॥

कृष्ण गोविन्द हे राम नारायण
श्रीपते वासुदेवाजित श्रीनिधे।
अच्युतानन्त हे माधवाधोक्षज
द्वारकानायक द्रौपदीरक्षक॥४॥

राक्षसक्षोभितः सीतया शोभितो
दण्डकारण्यभूपुण्यताकारणः।
लक्ष्मणेनान्वितो वानरैः सेवितो
ऽगस्त्यसम्पूजितो राघवः पातु माम्॥५॥

धेनुकारिष्टकोऽनिष्टकृद्द्वेषिणां
केशिहा कंसहृद्वंशिकावादकः।
पूतनाकोपकः सूरजाखेलनो
बालगोपालकः पातु मां सर्वदा॥६॥

विद्युदुद्द्योतवान्प्रस्फुरद्वाससं
प्रावृडम्भोदवत्प्रोल्लसद्विग्रहम्।
वन्यया मालया शोभितोरःस्थलं
लोहिताङ्घ्रिद्वयं वारिजाक्षं भजे॥७॥

कुञ्चितैः कुन्तलैर्भ्राजमानाननं
रत्नमौलिं लसत्कुण्डलं गण्डयोः।
हारकेयूरकं कङ्कणप्रोज्ज्वलं
किङ्किणीमञ्जुलं श्यामलं तं भजे॥८॥

अच्युतस्याष्टकं यः पठेदिष्टदं
प्रेमतः प्रत्यहं पूरुषः सस्पृहम्।
वृत्ततः सुन्दरं कर्तृविश्वम्भरं
तस्य वश्यो हरिर्जायते सत्वरम्॥९॥

achyutam keshavam ramanarayanam
krishnadamodaram vasudevam harim।
shridharam madhavam gopikavallabham
janakinayakam ramachandram bhaje॥1॥

achyutam keshavam satyabhamadhavam
madhavam shridharam radhikaradhitam।
indiramandiram chetasa sundaram
devakinandanam nandanam sandadhe॥2॥

vishnave jishnave shankhine chakrine
rukminiragine janakijanaye।
vallavivallabhayarchitayatmane
kamsavidhvamsine vamshine te namah॥3॥

krishna govinda he rama narayana
shripate vasudevajita shrinidhe।
achyutananta he madhavadhokshaja
dvarakanayaka draupadirakshaka॥4॥

rakshasakshobhitah sitaya shobhito
dandakaranyabhupunyatakaranah।
lakshmanenanvito vanaraih sevito
'gastyasampujito raghavah patu mam॥5॥

dhenukarishtako'nishtakriddveshinam
keshiha kamsahridvamshikavadakah।
putanakopakah surajakhelano
balagopalakah patu mam sarvada॥6॥

vidyududdyotavanprasphuradvasasam
pravridambhodavatprollasadvigraham।
vanyaya malaya shobhitorahsthalam
lohitanghridvayam varijaksham bhaje॥7॥

kunchitaih kuntalairbhrajamanananam
ratnamaulim lasatkundalam gandayoh।
harakeyurakam kankanaprojjvalam
kinkinimanjulam shyamalam tam bhaje॥8॥

achyutasyashtakam yah pathedishtadam
prematah pratyaham purushah saspriham।
vrittatah sundaram kartrivishvambharam
tasya vashyo harirjayate satvaram॥9॥

Frequently asked questions about Achyutashtakam

What does Achyuta mean?

The one who never falls or fails - imperishable. Adi Shankaracharya's hymn strings the names together: Achyuta, Keshava, Rama, Narayana, Krishna, Damodara, Vasudeva, Hari, and treats them all as one Lord.

Why is it so easy to remember?

Because it is almost entirely names in a rolling metre, with very little sentence structure to hold. That makes it one of the best hymns to start with if you have never recited Sanskrit before.

When is it recited?

Thursdays and Ekadashis, at Janmashtami and Rama Navami, and daily as a short morning recitation. It is often sung rather than recited.

Is it about Krishna or Rama?

Both, deliberately. Shankara names Janaki's lord and Ramachandra in one line and Gopika's beloved in the next - the hymn's whole point is that the avatars are one being under different names.

What is offered with it?

Tulsi, yellow flowers, panchamrit and a ghee lamp, as for any Vishnu worship - the Vishnu puja vidhi sets out the order.

About the Achyutashtakam

The Achyutashtakam - Adi Shankaracharya's eight-verse hymn to Lord Vishnu as Achyuta, the imperishable one (Krishna / Rama).

Meaning

Each verse strings together the many names of the Lord - Achyuta, Keshava, Rama, Narayana, Krishna, Damodara - adoring his various forms and deeds.

Benefits

A simple, melodious hymn recited daily for devotion and the Lord's protection; said to bestow peace, joy and remembrance of God.

The Achyutashtakam above is given in both Devanagari (Sanskrit) and Roman transliteration so you can read it in whichever script you are comfortable with - switch between the two using the buttons above, share the link, or download a PDF.

A stotram is a longer Sanskrit hymn of praise, not a forty-verse chalisa and not the lamp-song of an aarti. Browse every stotra on the Stotram index. For japa of a short formula use a mantra. The steps of worship around the recitation are in Puja Vidhi.