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Govindashtakam

The Govindashtakam - Adi Shankaracharya's eight-verse hymn extolling Lord Govinda (Krishna) as the supreme absolute.

सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तं नित्यमनाकाशं परमाकाशम्।
गोष्ठप्राङ्गणरिङ्खणलोलमनायासं परमायासम्।
मायाकल्पितनानाकारमनाकारं भुवनाकारम्।
क्ष्मानाथमनाथं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम्॥१॥

मृत्स्नामत्सीहेति यशोदाताडनशैशवसन्त्रासम्।
व्यादितवक्त्रालोकितलोकालोकचतुर्दशलोकालिम्।
लोकत्रयपुरमूलस्तम्भं लोकालोकमनालोकम्।
लोकेशं परमेशं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम्॥२॥

त्रैविष्टपरिपुवीरघ्नं क्षितिभारघ्नं भवरोगघ्नम्।
कैवल्यं नवनीताहारमनाहारं भुवनाहारम्।
वैमल्यस्फुटचेतोवृत्तिविशेषाभासमनाभासम्।
शैवं केवलशान्तं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम्॥३॥

गोपालं प्रभुलीलाविग्रहगोपालं कुलगोपालम्।
गोपीखेलनगोवर्धनधृतिलीलालालितगोपालम्।
गोभिर्निगदितगोविन्दस्फुटनामानं बहुनामानम्।
गोपीगोचरपथिकं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम्॥४॥

गोपीमण्डलगोष्ठिभेदं भेदावस्थमभेदाभम्।
शश्वद्गोखुरनिर्घूतोद्धतधूलीधूसरसौभाग्यम्।
श्रद्धाभक्तिगृहीतानन्दमचिन्त्यं चिन्तितसद्भावम्।
चिन्तामणिमहिमानं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम्॥५॥

स्नानव्याकुलयोषिद्वस्त्रमुपादायागमुपारूढम्।
व्यादित्सन्तीरथ दिग्वस्त्रा ह्युपदातुमुपाकर्षन्तम्।
निर्धूतद्वयशोकविमोहं बुद्धं बुद्धेरन्तःस्थम्।
सत्तामात्रशरीरं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम्॥६॥

कान्तं कारणकारणमादिमनादिं कालमनाभासम्।
कालिन्दीगतकालियशिरसि मुहुर्नृत्यन्तं नृत्यन्तम्।
कालं कालकलातीतं कलिताशेषं कलिदोषघ्नम्।
कालत्रयगतिहेतुं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम्॥७॥

वृन्दावनभुवि वृन्दारकगणवृन्दाराध्यं वन्देऽहम्।
कुन्दाभामलमन्दस्मेरसुधानन्दं सुहृदानन्दम्।
वन्द्याशेषमहामुनिमानसवन्द्यानन्दपदद्वन्द्वम्।
वन्द्याशेषगुणाब्धिं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम्॥८॥

गोविन्दाष्टकमेतदधीते गोविन्दार्पितचेता यो।
गोविन्दाच्युत माधव विष्णो गोकुलनायक कृष्णेति।
गोविन्दाङ्घ्रिसरोजध्यानसुधाजलधौतसमस्ताघो।
गोविन्दं परमानन्दामृतमन्तःस्थं स तमभ्येति॥

satyam jnanamanantam nityamanakasham paramakasham।
goshthapranganarinkhanalolamanayasam paramayasam।
mayakalpitananakaramanakaram bhuvanakaram।
kshmanathamanatham pranamata govindam paramanandam॥1॥

mritsnamatsiheti yashodatadanashaishavasantrasam।
vyaditavaktralokitalokalokachaturdashalokalim।
lokatrayapuramulastambham lokalokamanalokam।
lokesham paramesham pranamata govindam paramanandam॥2॥

traivishtaparipuviraghnam kshitibharaghnam bhavarogaghnam।
kaivalyam navanitaharamanaharam bhuvanaharam।
vaimalyasphutachetovrittivisheshabhasamanabhasam।
shaivam kevalashantam pranamata govindam paramanandam॥3॥

gopalam prabhulilavigrahagopalam kulagopalam।
gopikhelanagovardhanadhritililalalitagopalam।
gobhirnigaditagovindasphutanamanam bahunamanam।
gopigocharapathikam pranamata govindam paramanandam॥4॥

gopimandalagoshthibhedam bhedavasthamabhedabham।
shashvadgokhuranirghutoddhatadhulidhusarasaubhagyam।
shraddhabhaktigrihitanandamachintyam chintitasadbhavam।
chintamanimahimanam pranamata govindam paramanandam॥5॥

snanavyakulayoshidvastramupadayagamuparudham।
vyaditsantiratha digvastra hyupadatumupakarshantam।
nirdhutadvayashokavimoham buddham buddherantahstham।
sattamatrashariram pranamata govindam paramanandam॥6॥

kantam karanakaranamadimanadim kalamanabhasam।
kalindigatakaliyashirasi muhurnrityantam nrityantam।
kalam kalakalatitam kalitashesham kalidoshaghnam।
kalatrayagatihetum pranamata govindam paramanandam॥7॥

vrindavanabhuvi vrindarakaganavrindaradhyam vande'ham।
kundabhamalamandasmerasudhanandam suhridanandam।
vandyasheshamahamunimanasavandyanandapadadvandvam।
vandyasheshagunabdhim pranamata govindam paramanandam॥8॥

govindashtakametadadhite govindarpitacheta yo।
govindachyuta madhava vishno gokulanayaka krishneti।
govindanghrisarojadhyanasudhajaladhautasamastagho।
govindam paramanandamritamantahstham sa tamabhyeti॥

Frequently asked questions about Govindashtakam

What is the Govindashtakam?

Adi Shankaracharya's eight verses to Govinda - and unusually for a Krishna hymn, they praise him as the absolute: truth, knowledge, endless, eternal, beyond space, while at the same time crawling in the cowherds' courtyard.

Why does it hold both together?

Because that is Shankara's argument in verse. The infinite Brahman and the child of Gokula are one, and the hymn puts the two descriptions in adjacent lines so the reciter cannot separate them.

When is it recited?

Thursdays and Ekadashis, at Janmashtami, and by those who keep a daily Krishna recitation. Eight verses make it a short practice.

How does it compare with the Madhurashtakam?

The Madhurashtakam is pure sweetness with no philosophy; this hymn is philosophy carried inside sweetness. Many keep both, one for the heart and one for the head.

Is it difficult?

Moderately - the compounds are longer than in most eight-verse hymns. Take one verse at a time from the Roman text; it is well worth the effort for what the verses are doing.

About the Govindashtakam

The Govindashtakam - Adi Shankaracharya's eight-verse hymn extolling Lord Govinda (Krishna) as the supreme absolute.

Meaning

Shankara praises Govinda as Truth, knowledge and infinity, the lifter of Govardhan, the cowherd of Vrindavana and the all-pervading Brahman beyond all forms.

Benefits

Recited for devotion and self-knowledge; whoever sings these eight verses with devotion is said to attain Vishnu's supreme abode.

The Govindashtakam 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.