Krishna Ashtakam English Transliteration

The stanzas in an "ashtakam" are a rhyming quartet with four lines, i.e. end lines rhyme as a-a-a-a. Thus, in an ashtakam generally thirty-two lines are maintained. All these stanzas follow a strict rhyme scheme. The proper rhyme scheme for an astakam is: a-a-a-a/b-b-b-b….. (/ represents a new stanza). The rhyme designs are both ear-rhymes and eye-rhymes. Ear-rhyme where the end letters rhyme in sound and audibility, and eye-rhyme where the end letters appear similar. This rhyme sequence sets the usual structure of the astakam. astakam rhyme consists of identical ("hard-rhyme") or similar ("soft-rhyme") sounds placed at predictable locations, normally the ends of lines for external rhyme or within lines for internal rhyme.

Sanskrit language exhibits high richness in sustaining rhyming structures. Thus Sanskrit ashtakams are capable of carrying a limited set of rhymes all over a lengthy composition.

Several times in an ashtakam, the quatrains (sets of four lines) conclude abruptly or in other cases, with a couplet (a pair of lines). In the body quatrains the poet establishes a theme and then may resolve it in the final lines, called the couplet, or may leave them unsolved. Sometime the end couplet may contain self-identification of the poet. The structure is also bound by rules of meter for enhanced suitability for recital and classical singing. However, there are several ashtakams that do not conform to the regular structure.

1. English Transliteration

2. vasudEva sutaM dEvaM kaMsa
chaaNoora mardanam |
dEvakee paramaanandaM kRuShNaM
vandE jagadgurum ||

3. atasee puShpa sankaaSaM haara
noopura SObhitam |
ratna kankaNa kEyooraM kRuShNaM
vandE jagadgurum ||

4. kuTilaalaka saMyuktaM
poorNachaMdra nibhaananam
vilasat kuMDaladharaM kRuShNaM
vandE jagadguram ||

5. maMdaara gaMdha saMyuktaM
chaaruhaasaM chaturbhujam |
barhi piMCaava chooDaangaM
kRuShNaM vandE jagadgurum

6. utphulla padmapatraakShaM neela
jeemoota sannibham |
yaadavaanaaM SirOratnaM kRuShNaM
vandE jagadgurum ||

7. rukmiNee kELi saMyuktaM
peetaaMbara suSObhitam |
avaapta tulasee gaMdhaM kRuShNaM
vandE jagadgurum ||

8. gOpikaanaaM kuchadvaMda
kuMkumaankita vakShasam |
SreenikEtaM mahEShvaasaM kRuShNaM
vandE jagadgurum ||

9. SreevatsaankaM mahOraskaM
vanamaalaa viraajitam |