Krishnashtakam (Bhaje Vrajaika Mandanam)
भजे व्रजैकमण्डनं
What is the Krishnashtakam that starts with Bhaje Vrajaika Mandanam?
Krishnashtakam It is an eight-verse Sanskrit hymn to Krishna, commonly attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, that praises him as the beloved child and youth of Vraja. It closes with a short phala shruti verse and is a separate composition from the other well-known Krishnashtakam that opens Vasudeva Sutam Devam.
The Krishnashtakam that begins Bhaje Vrajaika Mandanam is a short, rhythmic set of eight Sanskrit verses in praise of Krishna as he is remembered in Vraja: flute in hand, peacock feathers in his hair, adored by the cowherds around him. It is commonly attributed to Adi Shankaracharya and is chanted on its own, separate from the other popular Krishnashtakam that opens Vasudeva Sutam Devam. Below is the full Sanskrit text with a plain-letter transliteration, a verse-by-verse meaning, and simple guidance for chanting it at home.
Krishnashtakam Lyrics: Bhaje Vrajaika Mandanam in Sanskrit and English
Each verse is given in Devanagari and in plain roman letters, split at the natural half-line pause so it reads well aloud. A short meaning sits under every verse; open it if you want the sense before you read the words themselves.
Bhaje vrajaika mandanam samasta papa khandanam
Svabhakta chitta ranjanam sadaiva nanda nandanam
भजे व्रजैकमण्डनं समस्तपापखण्डनं
स्वभक्तचित्तरञ्जनं सदैव नन्दनन्दनम्
Meaning
I bow to the one who alone adorns Vraja and breaks every sin to pieces, who fills his devotees' hearts with joy, the son Nanda loves without end.
Manoja garva mochanam vishala lola lochanam
Vidhuta gopa shochanam namami padma lochanam
मनोजगर्वमोचनं विशाललोललोचनं
विधूतगोपशोचनं नमामि पद्मलोचनम्
Meaning
I bow to the lotus-eyed Krishna, whose wide restless glance humbled Kama's pride and wiped away the sorrow of every cowherd he passed.
Kadamba suna kundalam sucharu ganda mandalam
Vrajangana eka vallabham namami krishna durlabham
कदम्बसूनकुण्डलं सुचारुगण्डमण्डलं
व्रजाङ्गनैकवल्लभं नमामि कृष्णदुर्लभम्
Meaning
I bow to the Krishna so rarely won, kadamba blossoms swinging from his ears, his cheeks softly curved, the one every woman of Vraja holds dearest.
Sadaiva pada pankajam madiya manase nijam
Dadhana mukta malakam namami nanda balakam
सदैव पादपङ्कजं मदीय मानसे निजं
दधानमुक्तमालकं नमामि नन्दबालकम्
Meaning
I bow to Nanda's little boy, pearls strung through his loose curls, whose lotus feet I keep fixed in my own heart, morning and night.
Bhuvo bharavatarakam bhavabdhi karna dharakam
Yashomati kishorakam namami chitta chorakam
भुवो भरावतारकं भवाब्धिकर्णधारकं
यशोमतीकिशोरकं नमामि चित्तचोरकम्
Meaning
I bow to the thief of hearts, Yashoda's growing son, who came down to lift the weight off the earth and to ferry weary souls across the sea of worldly life.
Gunakaram sukhakaram kripakaram kripaparam
Suradvishan nikandanam namami gopa nandanam
गुणाकरं सुखाकरं कृपाकरं कृपापरं
सुरद्विषन्निकन्दनं नमामि गोपनन्दनम्
Meaning
I bow to the joy of the cowherds, a spring of virtue, happiness and mercy, forever kind, who breaks the arrogance of the gods' enemies.
Samasta gopa nandanam hrid ambuja eka modanam
Namami kunja madhyagam prasanna bhanu shobhanam
समस्तगोपनन्दनं हृदम्बुजैकमोदनं
नमामि कुञ्जमध्यगं प्रसन्नभानुशोभनम्
Meaning
I bow to him who is the one delight in every cowherd's heart, standing among the groves, his form glowing soft as a gentle morning sun.
Vidagdha gopika mano manojna talpa shayinam
Namami kunja kanane pravriddha vahni payinam
विदग्धगोपिकामनोमनोज्ञतल्पशायिनं
नमामि कुञ्जकानने प्रवृद्धवह्निपायिनम्
Meaning
I bow to him who rests in the forest bowers on the heart's own bed the clever gopis offer in devotion, and who once drank down a raging wildfire in the groves to keep his friends safe.
Phala Shruti
Yada tada yatha tatha tathaiva krishna sat katha
Maya sadaiva giyatam tatha kripa vidhiyatam
यदा तदा यथा तथा तथैव कृष्णसत्कथा
मया सदैव गीयतां तथा कृपा विधीयताम्
Meaning
Whenever and however the chance comes, let me go on singing this true story of Krishna, and let his grace fall on me in just the same measure.
What the Krishnashtakam Is Saying
Read together, the eight verses of this Krishnashtakam move through a series of close-up images rather than telling one continuous story. Each couplet ends with a bow, namami, aimed at a different picture of Krishna: the boy with peacock-feather curls and a flute, the youth whose glance undoes Kama’s pride, the child cradled in Yashoda’s arms, the friend who lifts a weight off the earth and off the heart.
The rhythm is part of the point. Short, matched half-lines give the hymn a drum-beat cadence that suits chanting more than close study, and Vraja itself, its groves, its cowherd families, its riverside light, sits behind almost every line. The closing phala shruti verse turns the whole hymn into a simple request: not for anything specific, but for the chance to keep singing about Krishna in whatever way one can, again and again.
How to Chant Krishnashtakam
- – Sit facing a picture or murti of Krishna, or simply close your eyes and picture Vraja.
- – Light a lamp or incense if you can, though the words matter more than the setting.
- – Recite the eight verses slowly, letting the repeated namami land as a small pause each time.
- – Say the closing phala shruti verse last, as a request that the practice itself continue.
- – If the Sanskrit sounds unfamiliar, read the transliteration first and let the meaning follow once the sounds feel natural.
- – Repeat daily if you like; even a single reading a day builds familiarity with the rhythm within a few weeks.
Benefits of Chanting Krishnashtakam
Devotees who chant the Krishnashtakam regularly describe it less as a request for something specific and more as a way of steadying the mind on Krishna’s form and stories.
- : A short, repeatable structure that is easy to memorize even without formal Sanskrit training.
- : Each verse fixes attention on a different image of Krishna, gradually building a fuller picture of him in the mind.
- : Commonly chanted for peace of mind and a sense of Krishna's closeness through daily life.
- : Works well as a bridge into longer Krishna literature such as the Bhagavata Purana, since the verses echo its stories in miniature.
- : Suited to both group recitation, such as on Janmashtami, and quiet solo repetition.
Where the Krishnashtakam Comes From
This Krishnashtakam is commonly ascribed to Adi Shankaracharya, the 8th-century philosopher and poet credited with a large body of Sanskrit devotional verse alongside his philosophical works. As with much stotra literature carried forward through oral recitation and hand-copied manuscripts for centuries, the attribution rests on long tradition rather than a signed, datable original, so it is fair to treat it as a well-established ascription rather than a settled historical fact.
It also helps to be clear about one thing: several different Sanskrit hymns share the title Krishnashtakam, because the phrase simply means eight verses to Krishna. The one on this page opens with Bhaje Vrajaika Mandanam and follows its own eight-verse structure plus a closing phala shruti. It is a separate composition from the other well-known Krishnashtakam that opens Vasudeva Sutam Devam, Kamsa Chanura Mardanam. The two are chanted independently of each other and are not verses of the same hymn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same Krishnashtakam as Vasudeva Sutam Devam?
No. Vasudeva Sutam Devam, Kamsa Chanura Mardanam is a different, equally well-known eight-verse hymn to Krishna. This page carries the separate Krishnashtakam that opens Bhaje Vrajaika Mandanam, commonly ascribed to Adi Shankaracharya, with its own eight verses and closing phala shruti.
Who wrote the Krishnashtakam Bhaje Vrajaika Mandanam?
It is traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya. As with much devotional literature passed down for centuries, firm documentary proof of authorship is thin, so the attribution is best understood as long-standing tradition rather than a settled historical fact.
What does Bhaje Vrajaika Mandanam mean?
It translates roughly as I worship the one who alone adorns Vraja, the opening line of the first verse, addressed to Krishna as the pride and ornament of his childhood home.
How many verses does the Krishnashtakam have?
Eight main verses, plus a short ninth verse, the phala shruti, that asks for the grace to keep singing Krishna's story.
When should I chant the Krishnashtakam?
It is most commonly chanted on Krishna Janmashtami, but it also works well as part of a regular morning or evening puja, or simply whenever you want a short, focused hymn to Krishna.
Can I chant it without knowing Sanskrit?
Yes. The roman transliteration on this page uses plain letters with no diacritic marks, so you can read it phonetically. Reading the meaning alongside it first often makes the Sanskrit easier to hold onto.
Does chanting the Krishnashtakam require any particular ritual?
No special ritual is required. A clean, quiet space and a settled mind are enough; a lamp, incense, or an image of Krishna can help but are not necessary.
What is a phala shruti verse?
It is a closing verse, common in Sanskrit stotras, that states the benefit or intention of reciting the hymn. Here it asks simply for the chance to keep singing about Krishna and to receive his grace in turn.
॥ श्रीकृष्णार्पणमस्तु ॥