Krishna
Krishnaya Vasudevaya
कृष्णाय वासुदेवाय हरये परमात्मने । प्रणतक्लेशनाशाय गोविन्दाय नमो नमः ॥
Kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya haraye paramātmane, praṇata-kleśa-nāśāya govindāya namo namaḥ
Simple reading: Krish-naa-ya vaa-su-de-vaa-ya ha-ra-ye pa-ra-maat-ma-ne, pra-na-ta kle-sha naa-shaa-ya go-vin-daa-ya na-mo na-mah
About this mantra
A salutation to Krishna from the Bhagavata Purana (10.73.16) — spoken by the kings he freed from Jarasandha's prison, and since then recited as the opening bow of a Bhagavata reading.
Meaning
To Krishna, to Vasudeva, to Hari, the supreme self; to Govinda, destroyer of the afflictions of those who bow — salutations again and again. The freed kings say it with their chains just off, and its promise sits in one compound: pranata-klesha-nashaya — destroyer of the sorrows of those who bow. Only the bowing is ours; the destroying is his.
When to recite it
Recited before a Bhagavata reading or katha, on Janmashtami, and at any moment of taking refuge from distress.
Word by word
- कृष्णाय वासुदेवायkṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya
- to Krishna, son of Vasudeva
- हरये परमात्मनेharaye paramātmane
- to Hari, the supreme self
- प्रणतक्लेशनाशायpraṇata-kleśa-nāśāya
- destroyer of the sorrows of those who bow
- गोविन्दाय नमो नमःgovindāya namo namaḥ
- to Govinda, salutations again and again
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavata Purāṇa 10.73.16 (the prayer of the kings freed from Jarāsandha); used as a maṅgalācaraṇa before Bhāgavata recitation