sree krishnaashtottarashatanaamastottram... from Naradapancharatram.

श्रीकृष्णाष्टोत्तरशतनामस्तोत्रम्

श्रीकृष्णः कमलानाथो वासुदेवः सनातनः वसुदेवात्मजः पुण्यो लीलामानुषविग्रहः॥१

श्रीवत्सकौस्तुभधरो यशोदावत्सलो हरिः चर्तुर्भुजात्तचक्रासिगदाशङ्ख़ाद्युदायुधः॥२

देवकीनन्दनः श्रीशो नन्दगोपप्रियात्मजः यमुनावेगसंहारी बलभद्रप्रियानुजः॥३

पूतनाजीवितहरः शकटासुरभञ्जनः नन्दव्रजजनानन्दी सच्चिदानन्दविग्रहः॥४

नवनीतविलिप्ताङ्गो नवनीतनटोऽनघः नवनीतनवाहारो मुचुकुन्दप्रसादकः॥५

षोडशस्त्रीसहस्रेशः त्रिभंगी मधुराकृतिः शुकवागमृताब्दीन्दुः गोविन्दो योगिनां पतिः॥६

वत्सवाटचरोऽनन्तो धेनुकासुरमर्द्दनः तृणीकृततृणावर्त्तो यमळार्ज्जुनभञ्जनः॥७

उत्तालतालभेत्ता च तमालश्यामळाकृतिः गोपगोपीश्वरो योगी कोटिसूर्यसमप्रभः॥८

इळापतिः परंज्योतिः यादवेन्द्रो यदूद्वहः वनमाली पीतवासाः परिजातापहरकः॥९

गोवर्द्धनाचलोद्धर्त्ता गोपालः सर्वपालकः अजो निरञ्जनः कामजनकः कञ्जलोचनः॥१०

मधुहा मधुरानाथो द्वारकानायको बली बृन्दावनान्तसञ्चारी तुळसीदामभूषणः॥११

स्यमन्तकमणेर्हर्त्ता नरनारायणात्मकः कुब्जाकृष्णांबरधरो मायी परमपूरुषः॥१२

मुष्टिकासुरचाणूरमल्लयुद्धविशारदः संसारवैरी कंसारिः मुरारिर्न्नरकान्तकः॥१३

अनादिब्रह्मचारी च कृष्णाव्यसन कर्शकः शिशुपालशिरच्छेत्ता दुर्योधनकुलान्तकः॥१४

विदुराक्रूरवरदो विश्वरूपप्रदर्शकः सत्यवाक् सत्यसंकल्पः सत्यभामारतो जयी॥१५

सुभद्रापूर्वजो जिष्णुः भीष्ममुक्तिप्रदायकः जगद्गुरुर्ज्जगन्नाथो वेणुनादविशारदः॥१६

वृषभासुरविध्वंसी बाणासुरकरान्तकः युधिष्ठिरप्रतिष्ठाता बर्हिबर्हावतंसकः॥१७

पार्त्थसारथिरव्यक्तो गीतामृतमहोदथिः काळीयफणमाणिक्यरञ्जितश्रीपदांभुजः॥१८

दामोदरो यज्ञभोक्ता दानवेन्द्रविनाशकः नारायणः परब्रह्म पन्नगाशनवाहनः॥१९

जलक्रीडासमासक्तगोपीवस्त्रापहारकः पुण्यश्लोकस्तीर्त्थपादो वेदवेद्यो दयानिधिः॥२०

सर्वतीर्त्थात्मकस्सर्वग्रहरूपी परात्परः एवं श्रीकृष्णदेवस्य नाम्नामष्टोत्तरं शतं॥२१

कृष्णनामामृतं नाम परमानन्दकारकं अत्युपद्रवदोषघ्नं परमायुष्यवर्द्धनं॥२२

दानं श्रुतं तपस्तीर्थम् यत्कृतम् त्विह जन्मनि पठतां शृण्वतां चैव कोटिकोटिगुणं भवेत्॥२३

॥इति श्रीनारदपञ्चरात्रे ज्ञानामृतसारे चतुर्त्थे रात्रे उमामहेश्वरसंवादे श्रीकृष्णाष्टोत्तरशतनामस्तोत्रम् समाप्तं॥

śrīkṛṣṇāṣṭottaraśatanāmastotram

śrīkṛṣṇaḥ kamalānātho vāsudevaḥ sanātanaḥ vasudevātmajaḥ puṇyo līlāmānuṣavigrahaḥ||1

śrīvatsakaustubhdharo yaśodāvatsalo hariḥ carturbhujāttacakrāsigadāśaṅādyudāyudhaḥ||2

devakīnandanaḥ śrīśo nandagopapriyātmajaḥ yamunāvegasaṁhārī balabhadrapriyānujaḥ||3

pūtanājīvitaharaḥ śakaṭāsurabhañjanaḥ nandavrajajanānandī saccidānandavigrahaḥ||4

navītaviliptāṅgo navanītanaṭo'naghaḥ navanītanavāhāro mucukundaprasādakaḥ||5

ṣoḍaśastrīsahasresaḥ tribhaṁgī madhurākṛtiḥ śukavāgamṛtābdīnduḥ govindo yogināṁ patiḥ||6

vatsavāṭacaro'nando dhenukāsuramarddanaḥ tṛṇīkṛtatṛṇāvartto yamaḻārjjunabhañjanaḥ||7

uttālatālabhettā ca tamālaśyāmaḻākṛtiḥ gopagopīśvaro yogī koṭisūryasamaprabhaḥ||8

iḻāpatiḥ paraṁjyotiḥ yādavendro yadūdvahaḥ vanamālī pītavāsāḥ parijātāpaharakaḥ||9

govarddhanācaloddharttā gopālaḥ sarvapālakaḥ ajo nirañjanaḥ kāmajanakaḥ kañjalocanaḥ||10

madhuhā madhurānātho dvārakānāyako balī bṛndāvanāntasañcārī tuḻasīdāmabhūṣaṇaḥ||11

syamantakamaṇerharttā naranārāyaṇātmakaḥ kubjākṛṣṇāṁbaradharo māyī paramapūruṣaḥ||12

muṣṭikāsuracaṇūramallayuddhaviśāradaḥ saṁsāravairī kaṁsāriḥ murārirnnarakāntakaḥ||13

anādibrahmacārī ca kṛṣṇāvyasana karśakaḥ śiśupālaśiraccettā duryodhanakulāntakaḥ||14

vidurākrūravarado viśvarūpapradarśakaḥ satyavāk satyasaṁkalpaḥ satyabhāmārato jayī||15

subhadrāpūrvajo jiṣṇuḥ bhīṣmamuktipradāyakaḥ jagadgururjjagannātho veṇunādaviśāradaḥ||16

vṛṣabhāsuravidhvaṁsī bāṇāsurakarāntakaḥ yudhiṣṭhirapratiṣṭhātā barhibarhāvataṁsakaḥ||17

pārtthasārathiravyakto gītāmṛtamahodathiḥ kāḻīyaphaṇamāṇikyarañjitaśrīpadāṁbhujaḥ||18

dāmodaro yajñabhoktā dānavendravināśakaḥ nārāyaṇaḥ parabrahma pannagāśanavāhanaḥ||19

jalakrīḍāsamāsaktagopīvastrāpahārakaḥ puṇyaślokastīrtthapādo vedavedyo dayānidhiḥ||20

sarvatīrtthātmakassarvagraharūpī parātparaḥ evaṁ śrīkṛṣṇadevasya nāmnāmaṣṭottaraṁ śataṁ||21

kṛṣṇanāmāmṛtaṁ nāma paramānandakārakaṁ atyupadravadoṣaghnaṁ paramāyuṣyavarddhanaṁ||22

dānaṁ śrutaṁ tapastīrtham yatkṛtam tviha janmani paṭhatāṁ śṛṇvatāṁ caiva koṭikoṭiguṇaṁ bhavet||23

||iti śrīnāradapañcarātre jñānāmṛtasāre caturtthe rātre umāmaheśvarasaṁvāde śrīkṛṣṇāṣṭottaraśatanāmastotram samāptaṁ||

Meanings of Krishna ashtottaram  

Sree Krishna…. He is having that name because he is black in colour. His nature is to attract everything to him.. a veritable blackhole..


KamalaanaathaH.. The lord of Kamala, the Mahalakshmi.


VasudevaH… the son of Vasudeva. 

Sanatana… the eternal, without any beginning. 

Vasudevaatmaja.. the one born out of the Vasudeva..the king ( or the Gods?)


PunyaH.. the most scared, the one who is born in response to the prayer of ever so many virtuous being..


LeelaamanushavigrahaH.. He is the being with no for but by way of sport of maya he has taken the form of a human being.


Sreevasta kaustubhadharaH….. He wears the mark Sreevatsam as on his bosom as birthmark (some allude this as the footmark of Bhrigu) and the gem Kastubha adorns the garland of precious stones worn by him.

Yasodhaa vatsalaH. He is the darling of Matha Yasodha.


HariH..He is Hari.. remover of Sins, he the the Divine Lion..


Chathurbhujaattachkraasi Gadhaa sankhaadyutaayudhaH..He is holding aloft four insignia or weapon. The Discus (Sudarsana, the wheel of a chariot..Nandaka the sword . the gadha or mace Kaumodhakee, Panchajanya the Conch,


DevakeenandanaH… the beloved son of Devaki


ShreeshaH The lord of Devi Lakshmi, the Lord all the wealth of the Universe


NandagopapriyaatmajaH… The dearest son of Nandagopa


Yamuna vegasamharee… He stopped the torrential flow of River Yamuna while he had to cross over from Mathura to Gokula.. Later while playing and while dancing on the hoods of the serpent Kaliya, Yamuna watched calmly.


BalabhadrapriyaanujaH.. The younger brother close to the heart of Balarama


PoothanaajeevithaharaH The child who suckled the poisoned breast of demoness Poothana and delivered her of her life..


ShakataasurabhanjanaH… The one who shattered with a little movement of his tiny legs, a huge wooden cart, which in fact was the demon Shakata who had come to Gokulam to crush and kill the child Krishna


Nandavrajajannaandee.. One who gave immense happiness to all the living beings in the household conglomerate of Nandagopa..


Satchit ananda VigrahaH… One who is the embodiment of Sat, Chit and aananda


NavameethaviliptaangaH ..One whose body is completely smeared with butter


NavaneethanataH.. One who played a lot of pranks and enacted a lot of dramas for butter


AnaghaH One without any sins


NavaneethanavaahaaraH.. One who is pleased to have fresh butter as food


MuchukundprasadhakaH ..One who blessed the ancient sagely king Muchukunda (cf. the Kaalayavana episode)


ShodashastreesahasreshaH ..The lord and master for sixteen thousand noble ladies


ThribhangeemadurakrutiH.. One who kindly straightened the thrice crooked body hunchback girl( who was carrying cosmetics for Kamsa and gave those to Krishna) and restored her to her sweet beautiful form.


Shukavag .. Having soft and beautiful tone of a Parrot… or the one who has given words to Shuka the son of Vyasa


Amrutaabheendu.. The moon raising out of the sea of Amrutha or nectar ( the moon, according to the puranas emerged from the Ocean of Milk, which was churned by Gods and Asuras)
Govinda.. The protector of Cows.. the master of Go.. the word, the earth, the Vedas..


Yoginaam PathiH.. The foremost amongs the yogins .. Gita.. Yatra yogeswara KrishnaH, Samattwam yoga uchyate, yogaH karmasu kausalam etc..


VatsavaatacharaH.. The boy who roams around the mangers where the young calves are arranged.


AnanthaH.. The being without end.. The serpent Aadhisesha


Dhenukaasura Mardhana: The annihilator of the demon 

Dhenuka…sent by Kamsa to kill the infant Krishna … the demon took the form of a ferocious cow and attacked the Lord but was killed by the latter.


Thrineekritha thrinavartho… One who blew away the demon Tthirnavartha like a piece of grass. Thrinavartha was another demon sent to attack the child Krishna.. the demon landed upon Gokulam in the shape of a cyclone and tried to fly away with the child but was nullified by Krishna and the demon got killed in the process.


Yamalaarjuna bhanjanaH.. One who uprooted the twin Arjuna Trees. The two son’s of Kubera, Nalakubara and Manigreeva, stood as arjuna trees in the backyard of Nanda..due to a curse from Narada.. When Krishna whose tummy was tied to a mortar by His mother Yasodha ran around with the mortar in tandem and when he pulled the ropes sticking the big mortar between the trees, the trees got broken and uprooted and the two boys got released from their curse and regained their original life.


Uttaalataalabhetta.. The one who uprooted the huge taala tree.. another demonic manifestation.. can also allude to the action of Rama in uprooting the seven trees with one stroke of arrow to prove his prowess before Sugreema.


Tamaalashyamalaakrithi.. Having the solid dark shape and structure of a Tamala Tree.. (Rosewood..?)
GopagopesswaraH… the lord of the cowherds, both male and female..


Yogi.. The practitioner of Yoga .. He is the Lord of Yoga itself.. and He runs the universe Himself being the Parabrahmam, aiding himself with the yogamaya created by himself.


KotisuuryasaamaprabhaH.. Having powerful aura or luster of millions of Suns.. the Sun is the apparent source of all energy, but the lord is Himself the energy and the source of such energy.. Na tatra sooryo bhathi……


IlaapathiH.. The lord of Ila… Ila’s history in puranas is very interesting.. She is once transformed from female to male.. Lingapuranam, Skandam etc have described the story… Ila can also mean Ida… one of the two naadis.. Ida and pingala which constitute sushunmna..in the yogic science.


ParamjyothiH… The ultimate light and the source of it


Yaadavendra.. The foremost leader of the Yadu or Yadava clan


YadoodvahaH .. One who is the protector of the Yadu clan..( And the Yadu clan had gained sin through a curse of Yayati.. but the birth of Krishna in that clan sanctified it.


Vanamaalee.. One who wears galands made of wild flowers


PeethavaasaaH.. One who wears bright yellow clothes


Paarijaathaapaharaka.. One who stealthily brought the celestial Parijatha tree from heaven to earth.


govarddhanaachalorddharthaa: the one who lifted the mountain Govardhana.. under the advice of Krishna, the gopas paid respects to the mountain Govardhana instead of Indra. The enraged Indra retaliated by sending huge torrential rains to render the gopas helpless. Krishna lifted the Govardhana mountain like an umbrella and protected the gopas for a long time sheltering them under the upturned mountain.


gopalaH… the protector of cows, cowherd


sarvapalakaH.. Protector of all


ajaH.. One without any birth


niranjanaH.. spotless, pure


kaamajanakaH.. the father of Kamadeva.. Kamadeva, the God of love is the son of Vishnu and Lakshmi. Again, Pradhyumna, the son of Rugmani and Krishan is the incarnation of Kamadeva.


KanjalochanaH.. Lotus eyed

madhuhaa..   the killer of the demon Madhu

mathuraanaathaH ..   The master of the city Mathura

dwaarakaanaayakaH ..   The leader of the city Dwaraka

Balee..      Immensely powerful

Brindaavanaanthasanchaaree..    One who happily roams around and inside the Brindavan

ThulaseedhaamabhhushanaH..    One who has adorned with a nice garland of Tulasi leaves

Syamanthakamanerhartra.. who was alleged to be the thief of the famous gem Syamanthaka.. The gem belonged to Satrajit and when Prasena, the brother of Satrajit had gone to forest for a hunt and was killed and robbed, Krishna was accused of the robbery.  Later on the Gem was recovered from Jambavan who had got it from a lion which had killed Prasena.  Krishna’s  name was cleared and in this process, he was married to Satyabhama, the daughter of Satrajit, and Jambavati, the daughter of Jambavan.

NaranarayanaatmakaH..  the embodiment of Nara and 

Narayana..   the lord embodied himself as Nara and Narayana to fight certain demons and these two were manifest as Arjuna and Krishna in the Mahabharata time.

kubjaakrishnaambharadharaH   one who wore the dress given by a hunchback lady.. during his visit to Mathura as summoned by his uncle Kamsa

Maayee ..  Adept is deception, the master of Maya

ParmapoorushaH… the supereme among men, living beings, the exalted Brahman

MustikaasurachaanooramallayuddhavisharadhaH… the expert wrestler who fought with the demons Mushtika and Chaanoora and defeated them.

Samsaaravairee..  the one who is the arch enemy to the woes of existence of the living beings .

KamsaariH   .. the enemy of Kamsa… his own uncle

Murari     … The enemy and vanquisher of the demon Mura

NarakaanthakaH… the one who became the killer of Narakaasura.. Naraka is a demon born of Vishnu and Bhoomi..(Krishna and Satyabhama).. However on account of the demon’s  misdeeds, he had to be annihilated and that too by his own father.  We celebrate deepavali on this incident.

anaadi..the being whose origin can never be known

brahmachari..  the celebate or one who is the perfect brahmachari… in human form he performed so many leelas, but the basic divine material in him was pure brahmam.. The brahmacharyam was proved during the incidence of rejuvenation of Pareekshit, Abhimanyu’s Child, who had been affected by the destructive Brahmasira arrow  applied by Aswathama against all the Pandavas.

KrishnaavyasanakarshakaH..  One who dispelled the sorrows of Draupadi, the Krishna… Take the case of Akshaya patram incident, The disrobing in the court of Duryodhana, The protection of Pareekshit etc..

Sisupaalashirachchetta..  The beheader of Shishupala..  Jaya and Vijaya, the Lords gatekeepers were cursed to be born  thriceas enemies of the Lord and attain moksham after getting killed at the hands of the Lord.  Their first birth, Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu was handled by the Lords incarnation as Varaha and Narasimha.  Their second birth as Ravana and Kumbhakarna  was dealt with the Lord’s Incarnation of Rama.  During Krishnaavataram, they were born as Shishupaala and Dantavaktra.  Shishupala, though a cousin of Krishna was an enemy, and always spread scandals about Krishna.. Shishupala created problem at the marriage ceremony of Rugmani  with Krishna.. During thee Rajasooya yajna conducted by yudhistira, all the elders were unanimous that Krishna should be given the primal respects and oblations.  But Shisupaala opposed it and talked very nasty things about the Lord. Krishna, after being patient for long enough had to behead Shishupala with his discus, to save the situation

DuryodhanakulaanthakaH.. the terminator of the clan of Duryodhana… ultimately, it was the presence and actions of Krishna which caused the destruction of Kauravas and won the mahabharatha was for the Pandavas

ViduraakrooravaradhaH… the Lord who honoured Vidura and Akroora with boons… When Krishna was visiting Hastinapuram as the envoy of the Pandavas, the ruling house was not very friendly with the Lord. The lord chose to spend his night at the house of Vidura, the great scholar, devotee and the half-brother of Pandu and Dhritarashtra.. The ardent devotee that was vidura, could not observe the proprieties of hospitality and it is said that he fed the Lord with the peelings of banana while throwing away the kernals.. But Krishna was captivated by the devotion and was an eternal beneficiary for Vidura. Akrua was a relative, and he was commissioned by Kamsa to bring Krishna and Balarama from Brindaban to Madura (of course with cruel intentions).. Akrura, the staunch devotee,  enjoyed the hospitality of the Lord and was also accorded with Divya Vaikunta Darshanam.. before the two brothers came to Mathura and confronted Kamsa.

Vishwaroopa pradarshakaH.. The Lord who exhibited his Cosmic form… In fact he did it twice.  Once to convince Arjuna in the battlefield and once in the court of Duryodhana, when the evil king tried to arrest and capture him through force.

Satyavaak.. One who always makes only true words…  To see it from another angle, only what he talks is truth.    Cf. satya-vratam satya-param tri-satyam, satyasya yonim nihitam ca satye satyasya satyam rta-satya-netram, satyatmakam tvam saranam prapannahSrimad Bhagavatam 10.2.

SatyasankalpaH:   Whose thought process is truth and nothing but truth.

SatyabhaamarataH:  One who is greatly affectionate to Satyabhaama

Jayee:   One who is ever victorious.

SubhadraapoorvajaH.. the one born elder to Subhadra

Jishnu:  One who is always bent on success, one who is always successful in all that he engages himself in

Bheeshmamuktipradaayaka:  The one who granted Moksha to Bheeshapitaamaha..  Even though bound by duty to fight against the Lord, Bheeshma was dearer to Him, maybe ever greater that the Pandavas and Arjuna. There was in fact a tussle between the Lord and the Warrior.. While the Lord said he would never take any arms in the Mahabharatha battle, Bheeshma challenged that he would make Krishna wield a weopon.  Ultimately, the circumstances contrived in such a way that the Lord charged towards Bheeshma with a chariot wheel in hand to protect Arjuna.. Here Krishna wanted to make the promise of Bheeshma true even by negating his own promise.  Bheeshma chanted the hundred names of the Lord in His presences, and he could not help calling the lord  Rathangapaani.. one who is having a chariot-wheel in his hands.

Jagadguru:  The preceptor of the World.. The aacharya who gave us Gita. We call three persons Jagatguru.. Krishna, Shankara and Lord Dakshinamoorthy himself.

JagannathaH  ;  The master of the world… He shines for in that form in Puri.. Natha hare jagannatha hare.

VenunaathavisaarathaH. . Adept in playing the flute…   The cows and calves, the gopis and gops, the trees and tendrils, the birds and animals, the animate and the inanimate things, all were captivated by the music played by Krishna.

Vrishabhaasura vidhwamsee..  one who destroyed the demon Vrishabha in the shape of a bull.. this happened during the childhood pranks of Krishna

Baanaasura KaraanthakaH..  The one who cut off the arms of Banaasura..  Bana, an asura and a devotee of Shiva, had a beautiful daughter Usha..A romance developed between Usha and Aniruddha the grandson of Krishna, and Aniruddha was abducted.  A fierce battle followed and Bana was defeated and all of his 999 pairs of arms were chopped off.. however, Usha and Aniruddha were united.

YudhisTirapratishTaathaa:  One who regained Suzerainty to  Yudhistira, the elder  pandava in Mahabharatha war.

Barhibarhaavatamsaka:   One who adorns himself with the beautiful feathers of a peacock.

PaarthasaarathiH..    the charioteer to Arjuna

AvyakthaH..   One who cannot be understood clearly

GeethamruthamahodhadhiH..  the ocean of nectar that is fill with the ambroscia of Geetha… apart from Him, from whence can the Geetha come?

KaaleeyaphanamaanikyaranchitashreepadaambuajaH.. One whose lotus feet are brightened by the luster emanating from the manikya gems adorning the myriad heads of the venomous snake Kaliya.  Kaliya occupied the Kalindi and was poisoning the environments and causing hazards to the life and welfare of the occupants of Brindaban. One day the dark lad Krishna jumped into the place where the furious snake was spewing his venom and started dancing over the snake’s many hoods.. The snake could not do any harm to the child but was nearing his death unable to bear the footfalls of the child. Ultimately, the kind Lord pardoned the snake and sent him to an island Ramanaka.

DamodharaH.. One with a rope around his belly… The naughty boy proved impossible for Yasodha and she simply tied across his belly to a mortar with a long rope.  The boy ran around and hit two trees and broke them and gave moksham to two sons of kubera..  Strange, the immeasurable, uncontrollable parabrahmam was tied by that mother with the rope of love..

Yajnabhoktaa..  the one who partakes in the offerings made in yajnaas.   In fact the Rishipatnees gave the food meant for yajna to the black child and his naughty colleagues.

Daanavendravinasaka.. Annihilator of the leader of demons..  Kamsa?

Naarayana  .. The dweller of water.. the one who floats over water.. and this word is beyond meanings.

Parabrahma..  The ultimate Soul

PannagaashanavaahanaH.. He has Garuda the Vainateya who feasts on snakes, as his mount

JalakreedaasamaasakthagopeevastraapahaarakaH..  The one who snatched away stealthily the clothes of the Gopis who had all come to a bathing ghat in Yamuna for a watery sport.

PunyashlokaH..  the praiseworthy one.. the praise of whom brings punyam to us

Teerthapaado.. who is  having water at his feet..  from his lotus feet flows the river gangaa bhaageerathy.

VedhavedhyaH.. The one who is understood only through Vedaas

DayaanidhiH  ..  The treasure of compassion for the devotees.

SarvateerthaatmakaH..  The inherent divinity found in all holy waters and holy places

Sarvagraharoopee:  Who manifests himself in the shape of all planets and celestial bodies

Paraatpara..  Supreme of all that is supreme.

Thus is the 108 names of Lord Krishna

It is called Krishnanaamaamrutham.  It is the source of supreme ecstasy.   It prevents all evils and attacks. It helps in increasing one’s longevity.  Whatever is given, heard, done in pilgrimage, or done in this life in these names, for who read, who hear them, the results will be  Million-fold.

This is from Jnaanaamritasaaram of  Narada Pancharathra..Discourse between Uma and Maheswara.. On the fourth night