Krishna
Krishnaya Vasudevaya
कृष्णाय वासुदेवाय हरये परमात्मने । प्रणतक्लेशनाशाय गोविन्दाय नमो नमः ॥
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
Kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya haraye paramātmane, praṇata-kleśa-nāśāya govindāya namo namaḥ
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.
Learn it by heart
Say the first line until it comes without reading, then add the next line and say both, until the whole mantra comes on its own.
Line 1 of 2
कृष्णाय वासुदेवाय हरये परमात्मने ।
Kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya haraye paramātmane, praṇata-kleśa-nāśāya govindāya namo namaḥ
0not said yet
Aim for eleven before the next line. Move on when the line comes without reading.
Progress stays on this device.
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