Stotras - vedic sanskrit prayers to the Lord

This Śrī Yugalāṣṭakam is a popular Vedic hymn with a beautiful composition of 8 verses glorifying the divine couple Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa-Prema-Mayī -- Śrī Yugalāṣṭakam
Eight Verses Glorifying the Divine
Couple Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa

 

॥ श्री युगलाष्टकम् ॥
Śrī Yugalāṣṭakam
by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī

कृष्ण प्रेममयी राधा राधा प्रेममयो हरिः
जीवने निधने नित्यं राधाकृष्णौ गतिर्मम ॥ १॥

kṛṣṇa-prema-mayī rādhā
rādhā prema-mayo hariḥ |
jīvane nidhane nityaṁ
rādhā-kṛṣṇau gatir mama || 1||

kṛṣṇa-prema-mayī--made of pure love for Kṛṣṇa; rādhā--Rādhā; rādhā-prema-mayaḥ--made of pure love for Rādhā; hariḥ--Hari; jīvane nidhane--in life or in death; nityam--perpetually; rādhā-kṛṣṇau--the pair; gatiḥ mama--my shelter.

Rādhā is made of pure love for Kṛṣṇa and Hari is made of pure love for Rādhā – In life or in death, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are my eternal shelter.

कृष्णस्य द्रविणं राधा राधाया द्रविणं हरिः
जीवने निधने नित्यं राधाकृष्णौ गतिर्मम ॥ २॥

kṛṣṇasya draviṇaṁ rādhā
rādhāyā draviṇaṁ hariḥ |
jīvane nidhane nityaṁ
rādhā-kṛṣṇau gatir-mama || 2||

kṛṣṇasya draviṇaṁ--the treasure of Kṛṣṇa; rādhā--Rādhā; rādhāyā draviṇaṁ--the treasure of Rādhā; hariḥ--Hari; jīvane nidhane--in life or in death; nityam--perpetually; rādhā-kṛṣṇau--the pair; gatiḥ mama--my shelter.

Rādha is the treasure of Kṛṣṇa and Hari is the treasure of Rādhā – In life or in death, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are my eternal shelter.

कृष्ण प्राणमयी राधा राधा प्राणमयो हरिः
जीवने निधने नित्यं राधाकृष्णौ गतिर् मम ॥ ३॥

kṛṣṇa-prāṇa-mayī rādhā
rādhā-prāṇa-mayo hariḥ |
jīvane nidhane nityaṁ
rādhā-kṛṣṇau gatir mama || 3||

kṛṣṇa-prāṇa-mayī--pervades the life-force of Kṛṣṇa; rādhā--Rādhā; rādhā-prāṇa-mayaḥ--pervades the life-force of Rādhā; hariḥ--Hari; jīvane nidhane--in life or in death; nityam--perpetually; rādhā-kṛṣṇau--the pair; gatiḥ mama—my shelter.

Rādhā is the very life-force of Kṛṣṇa and Hari is the life-force of Rādhā – In life or in death, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are my eternal shelter.

कृष्ण द्रवमयी राधा राधा द्रवमयो हरिः
जीवने निधने नित्यं राधाकृष्णौ गतिर् मम ॥ ४॥

kṛṣṇa-drava-mayī rādhā
rādhā-drava-mayo hariḥ |
jīvane nidhane nityaṁ
rādhā-kṛṣṇau gatir mama || 4||

kṛṣṇa-drava-mayī--totally permeated with Kṛṣṇa; rādhā--Rādhā; rādhā-drava-mayaḥ--totally permeated with Rādhā; hariḥ--Hari; jīvane nidhane--in life or in death; nityam--perpetually; rādhā-kṛṣṇau--the pair; gatiḥ mama—my shelter.

Rādhā is imbued with the nectar of Kṛṣṇa, and Hari is imbued with the nectar of Rādhā. – In life or in death, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are my eternal shelter.

कृष्ण गेहेस्थिता राधा राधा गेहेस्थितो हरिः
जीवने निधने नित्यं राधाकृष्णौ गतिर् मम ॥ ५॥

kṛṣṇa-gehe-sthitā rādhā
rādhā-gehe-sthito hariḥ |
jīvane nidhane nityaṁ
rādhā-kṛṣṇau gatir mama || 5||

kṛṣṇa-gehe sthitā--situated in the body of Kṛṣṇa; rādhā--Rādhā; rādhā-gehe sthitaḥ--situated in the body of Rādhā; hariḥ--Hari; jīvane nidhane--in life or in death; nityam--perpetually; rādhā-kṛṣṇau--the pair; gatiḥ mama—my shelter.

Rādhā resides within Kṛṣṇa’s form, and Hari resides within the form of Rādhā. – In life or in death, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are my eternal shelter.

कृष्ण चित्तस्थिता राधा राधाचित्तस्थितो हरिः
जीवने निधने नित्यं राधाकृष्णौ गतिर् मम ॥ ६॥

kṛṣṇa-citta-sthitā rādhā
rādhā-citta-sthito hariḥ |
jīvane nidhane nityaṁ
rādhā-kṛṣṇau gatir mama || 6||

kṛṣṇa-citta-sthitā--fixed in the heart (mind) of Kṛṣṇa; rādhā--Rādhā; rādhā-citta-sthitaḥ--fixed in the heart (mind) of Rādhā; hariḥ--Hari; jīvane nidhane--in life or in death; nityam--perpetually; rādhā-kṛṣṇau--the pair; gatiḥ mama—my shelter.

Rādhā is fixed in the heart of Kṛṣṇa and Hari is fixed in the heart of Rādhā – In life or in death, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are my eternal shelter.

नीलाम्बरधरा राधा पीताम्बरधरो हरिः
जीवने निधने नित्यं राधाकृष्णौ गतिर् मम ॥ ७॥

nīlāmbara-dharā rādhā
pītāmbara-dharo hariḥ |
jīvane nidhane nityaṁ
rādhā-kṛṣṇau gatir mama || 7||

nīla-ambara-dharā--wears cloth of blue color; rādhā--Rādhā; pīta-ambara-dharaḥ--wears cloth of yellow; hariḥ--Hari; jīvane nidhane--in life or in death; nityam--perpetually; rādhā-kṛṣṇau--the pair; gatiḥ mama—my shelter.

Rādhā is dressed in blue to match Kṛṣṇa’s complexion, and Hari is dressed in yellow to match Rādhā’s complexion. – In life or in death, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are my eternal shelter.

वृन्दावनेश्वरी राधा कृष्णो वृन्दावनेश्वरः
जीवने निधने नित्यं राधाकृष्णौ गतिर् मम ॥ ८॥

vṛndāvaneśvarī rādhā
kṛṣṇo vṛndāvaneśvaraḥ |
jīvane nidhane nityaṁ
rādhā-kṛṣṇau gatir mama || 8||

vṛndāvana-īśvarī--the Queen of Vṛndāvana; rādhā--Rādhā; kṛṣṇaḥ--Kṛṣṇa; vṛndāvana-īśvaraḥ--the Master of Vṛndāvana; jīvane nidhane--in life or in death; nityam--perpetually; rādhā-kṛṣṇau--the pair; gatiḥ mama—my shelter.

Rādhā is the Divine Queen of Vṛndāvana and Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord and Master of Vṛndāvana – In life or in death, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are my eternal shelter.

 

REMARKS

This Stotra contains 8 beautiful verses glorifying the divine couple Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Each verse describes the divine qualities and loving relationship between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, stating that they are eternally situated in pure love and devotion for one another.

The final line of each verse declares that Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa together provide shelter and refuge for the speaker (the one who recites this verse) in this life and the next.

The author and part of the song lyric is disputed. Many sources identify this song as “Kṛṣṇāṣṭakam” by Śrī Vallabhācārya, while other sources identify this song as “Yugalāṣṭakam” by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī.

The third line in each verse differs between the variations. Other sources say “jīvane nidhane”, which translates to “in life and in death.” Although there are slight variations in these two versions, the meaning of the main text remains the same.

 

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