Home › Mantras › Yamunashtakam

Mantra · Vallabhacharya's nine verses to Yamuna, first of his Sixteen Works

Yamunashtakam

नमामि यमुनामहं सकलसिद्धिहेतुं मुदा मुरारिपदपङ्कजस्फुरदमन्दरेणूत्कटाम् । तटस्थनवकाननप्रकटमोदपुष्पाम्बुना सुरासुरसुपूजितस्मरपितुः श्रियं बिभ्रतीम् ॥

Also known as Namami Yamunam Aham

In Devanagari, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English — with the meaning of every word, and the one syllable most people pronounce wrongly.

A reading of your birth chartBook →

What the Yamunashtakam is

The Yamunashtakam of Shri Vallabhacharya (1479-1531), which opens namami yamunam aham, 'I bow to Yamuna', is the first of the Shodasha Granthas, the Sixteen Works in which the founder of the Pushtimarg set out the teaching of his path of grace. It addresses the river Yamuna as a goddess: daughter of the Sun, sister of Yama, and Kalindi, a beloved of Krishna. Eight verses in the long prithvi metre praise her, and a ninth, signed 'so says Vallabha', states the fruit of reading them. The verses move from the river to the goddess. Verse 2 follows her fall from the peak of Mount Kalinda, verse 3 turns her waves into arms and her pearl-like sand into bracelets, and verse 4 recalls Dhruva and Parashara, whose wishes she granted at Mathura. Verses 5 to 8 then measure her against Ganga and Lakshmi and ask for a body made new in her presence. Purushottamji, Hari Raiji and Goswami Dvarakesha are among its commentators.

A thanksgiving at Thakurani Ghat, Gokul

Pushtimarg tradition ties the hymn to Vallabhacharya's first arrival in Braj. According to tradition, the young teacher, travelling through India, came to the Yamuna just outside Gokul and stopped near the riverbank site remembered as Govind Ghat. There, the Braj account relates, Yamuna appeared to him in the form of a girl and showed him the spot beside it, saying that this was Thakurani Ghat, the bathing place of the queen. Vallabhacharya is said to have composed the Yamunashtakam on that ghat, and the tradition reads the hymn as his thanks to her: she was the go-between who led him to his first meeting with Krishna. Accounts differ on where that meeting happened. One places it at Thakurani Ghat itself, at midnight on Shravan shukla ekadashi, the eleventh lunar day of that month's bright half, when Krishna gave him the means to free souls in the age of Kali; another sets it at neighbouring Govind Ghat, where Krishna is said to have touched his face with the end of his yellow cloth. The Shah edition of the Shodasha Granthas dates the hymn to about 1492 CE (Vikrama Samvat 1549). Thakurani Ghat still has a baithak, a seat of Vallabhacharya, and a shrine to Yamuna and Shrinathji, and Vaishnavas of the Vallabha line visit it as the place where the hymn was first spoken.

The mantra, in six scripts

DevanagariSanskrit & Hindiनमामि यमुनामहं सकलसिद्धिहेतुं मुदा मुरारिपदपङ्कजस्फुरदमन्दरेणूत्कटाम् । तटस्थनवकाननप्रकटमोदपुष्पाम्बुना सुरासुरसुपूजितस्मरपितुः श्रियं बिभ्रतीम् ॥

Tamilநமாமி யமுநாமஹம் ஸகலஸித்திஹேதும் முதா முராரிபதபங்கஜஸ்புரதமந்தரேணூத்கடாம் । தடஸ்தநவகாநநப்ரகடமோதபுஷ்பாம்புநா ஸுராஸுரஸுபூஜிதஸ்மரபிதுஃ ஶ்ரியம் பிப்ரதீம் ॥

Teluguనమామి యమునామహం సకలసిద్ధిహేతుం ముదా మురారిపదపఙ్కజస్ఫురదమన్దరేణూత్కటామ్ । తటస్థనవకాననప్రకటమోదపుష్పామ్బునా సురాసురసుపూజితస్మరపితుః శ్రియం బిభ్రతీమ్ ॥

Kannadaನಮಾಮಿ ಯಮುನಾಮಹಂ ಸಕಲಸಿದ್ಧಿಹೇತುಂ ಮುದಾ ಮುರಾರಿಪದಪಙ್ಕಜಸ್ಫುರದಮನ್ದರೇಣೂತ್ಕಟಾಮ್ । ತಟಸ್ಥನವಕಾನನಪ್ರಕಟಮೋದಪುಷ್ಪಾಮ್ಬುನಾ ಸುರಾಸುರಸುಪೂಜಿತಸ್ಮರಪಿತುಃ ಶ್ರಿಯಂ ಬಿಭ್ರತೀಮ್ ॥

Malayalamനമാമി യമുനാമഹം സകലസിദ്ധിഹേതും മുദാ മുരാരിപദപങ്കജസ്ഫുരദമന്ദരേണൂത്കടാമ് । തടസ്ഥനവകാനനപ്രകടമോദപുഷ്പാമ്ബുനാ സുരാസുരസുപൂജിതസ്മരപിതുഃ ശ്രിയം ബിഭ്രതീമ് ॥

EnglishRoman transliterationnamāmi yamunāmahaṃ sakalasiddhihetuṃ mudā murāripadapaṅkajasphuradamandareṇūtkaṭām | taṭasthanavakānanaprakaṭamodapuṣpāmbunā surāsurasupūjitasmarapituḥ śriyaṃ bibhratīm ||

“With joy I bow to Yamuna, the cause of every spiritual attainment, rich with the shining dust of the lotus feet of Murari (Krishna). Her water, fragrant with flowers from the fresh groves on her banks, carries the beauty of Krishna, the father of Kama, who is worshipped by gods and demons alike.”

नमामि: namāmi — I bow to
यमुनामहं: yamunāmahaṃ — Yamuna, I
सकलसिद्धिहेतुं: sakalasiddhihetuṃ — cause of every attainment
मुदा: mudā — with joy
मुरारिपदपङ्कजस्फुरदमन्दरेणूत्कटाम्: murāripadapaṅkajasphuradamandareṇūtkaṭām — rich with the shining dust of Murari's lotus feet
तटस्थनवकाननप्रकटमोदपुष्पाम्बुना: taṭasthanavakānanaprakaṭamodapuṣpāmbunā — with water fragrant from flowers of fresh groves on her banks
सुरासुरसुपूजितस्मरपितुः: surāsurasupūjitasmarapituḥ — of Kama's father (Krishna), worshipped by gods and demons
श्रियं: śriyaṃ — the beauty
बिभ्रतीम्: bibhratīm — carrying

Yamunashtakam lyrics in full

Eight verses of praise and the ninth, signed by Vallabha, as printed at the head of the Shodasha Granthas.

All 9 verses, in Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English, each with its meaning. Choose a script:

Download the Yamunashtakam PDFAll 9 verses with their meanings, in Sanskrit. Free to print and keep.

Download PDF

Verse 1

नमामि यमुनामहं सकलसिद्धिहेतुं मुदा मुरारिपदपङ्कजस्फुरदमन्दरेणूत्कटाम् ।
तटस्थनवकाननप्रकटमोदपुष्पाम्बुना सुरासुरसुपूजितस्मरपितुः श्रियं बिभ्रतीम् ॥

With joy I bow to Yamuna, the cause of every spiritual attainment, rich with the shining dust of the lotus feet of Murari (Krishna). Her water, fragrant with flowers from the fresh groves on her banks, carries the beauty of Krishna, the father of Kama, who is worshipped by gods and demons alike.

Verse 2

कलिन्दगिरिमस्तके पतदमन्दपूरोज्ज्वला विलासगमनोल्लसत्प्रकटगण्डशैलोन्नता ।
सघोषगतिदन्तुरा समधिरूढदोलोत्तमा मुकुन्दरतिवर्धिनी जयति पद्मबन्धोः सुता ॥

Bright with the great floods that fall on the summit of Mount Kalinda, raised high over the great boulders she plays across, uneven in her roaring course as if seated on a fine swing, the daughter of the Sun, who increases love for Mukunda, is victorious.

Verse 3

भुवं भुवनपावनीमधिगतामनेकस्वनैः प्रियाभिरिव सेवितां शुकमयूरहंसादिभिः ।
तरङ्गभुजकङ्कणप्रकटमुक्तिकावालुका-नितम्बतटसुन्दरीं नमत कृष्णतुर्यप्रियाम् ॥

Bow to her who came down to earth to purify the worlds, attended by parrots, peacocks, swans and other birds with their many calls, as if by dear companions. Her waves are arms, the sand shining like pearls is their bracelets, and her banks are her lovely hips: bow to her, the fourth beloved of Krishna.

Verse 4

अनन्तगुणभूषिते शिवविरञ्चिदेवस्तुते घनाघननिभे सदा ध्रुवपराशराभीष्टदे ।
विशुद्धमथुरातटे सकलगोपगोपीवृते कृपाजलधिसंश्रिते मम मनः सुखं भावय ॥

O you who are adorned with endless virtues, praised by Shiva, Brahma and the gods, dark as a rain cloud, who granted the wishes of Dhruva and Parashara, with holy Mathura on your bank, surrounded by all the cowherds and gopis, resting in Krishna, the ocean of mercy: always bring happiness to my mind.

Verse 5

यया चरणपद्मजा मुररिपोः प्रियं भावुका समागमनतोऽभवत् सकलसिद्धिदा सेवताम् ।
तया सदृशतामियात्कमलजा सपत्नीव य-द्धरिप्रियकलिन्दया मनसि मे सदा स्थीयताम् ॥

Through meeting her, the Ganga, born from the lotus feet of Krishna, became dear to him and came to grant every attainment to those who serve her. Only Lakshmi could be her equal, as a co-wife; may she, Kalindi, beloved of Hari, always stay in my mind.

Verse 6

नमोऽस्तु यमुने सदा तव चरित्रमत्यद्भुतं न जातु यमयातना भवति ते पयः पानतः ।
यमोऽपि भगिनीसुतान्कथमु हन्ति दुष्टानपि प्रियो भवति सेवनात्तव हरेर्यथा गोपिकाः ॥

O Yamuna, salutations to you always; your story is most wonderful. The verse says that one who drinks your water never suffers the torments of Yama, for how would Yama strike his own sister's children, even wicked ones? By serving you one becomes dear to Hari, as the gopis are.

Verse 7

ममास्तु तव सन्निधौ तनुनवत्वमेतावता न दुर्लभतमा रतिर्मुररिपौ मुकुन्दप्रिये ।
अतोऽस्तु तव लालना सुरधुनी परं सङ्गमा-त्तवैव भुवि कीर्तिता न तु कदापि पुष्टिस्थितैः ॥

O beloved of Mukunda, may my body be made new in your presence; with that, love for Krishna is no longer hard to gain. So let me cherish you. The Ganga is praised on earth only because of her meeting with you, yet those on the path of grace (Pushti) never praise her by herself.

Verse 8

स्तुतिं तव करोति कः कमलजासपत्नि प्रिये हरेर्यदनुसेवया भवति सौख्यमामोक्षतः ।
इयं तव कथाधिका सकलगोपिकासङ्गम-स्मरश्रमजलाणुभिः सकलगात्रजैः सङ्गमः ॥

O co-wife of Lakshmi, beloved one, who can praise you? Serving Lakshmi together with Hari brings happiness only as far as liberation. Your glory is greater: you are united with the drops of loving toil that came from every limb of Krishna in his meeting with all the gopis.

Phala Shruti 1

तवाष्टकमिदं मुदा पठति सूरसूते सदा समस्तदुरितक्षयो भवति वै मुकुन्दे रतिः ।
तया सकलसिद्धयो मुररिपुश्च सन्तुष्यति स्वभावविजयो भवेद्वदति वल्लभः श्रीहरेः ॥

O daughter of the Sun, the verse says that whoever reads this ashtakam of yours with joy every day has all faults destroyed and gains love for Mukunda; through that come all attainments, Krishna is pleased, and one's own nature is conquered. So says Vallabha, dear to Shri Hari.

The syllable people get wrong

In verse 3, kṛṣṇaturyapriyām (कृष्णतुर्यप्रियाम्) contains turya, 'fourth', which has two syllables: say TUR-ya, not tu-REE-ya. Adding the long i turns it into the separate word turīya and puts an extra syllable into the prithvi line.

When the Yamunashtakam is chanted

Weekday. Thursday

Festival. Yamuna Chhath (Yamuna Jayanti), Chaitra Shukla Shashthi

Questions

No. The name is shared by two different hymns. The one attributed to Adi Shankaracharya begins murari kaya kalima and ends every verse with the plea dhunotu me manomalam kalinda nandini sada, asking Kalindi to wash away the impurity of the mind. Vallabhacharya's hymn begins namami yamunam aham sakala siddhi hetum, has no refrain, and closes with a ninth verse signed by Vallabha. In the Pushtimarg, 'Yamunashtakam' means Vallabhacharya's text.

The phrase is krishna turya priyam, 'fourth beloved of Krishna'. Pushtimarg translations render it as his fourth wife, in line with the story that she did penance to win him and was married to him at Dwarka as Kalindi, one of his eight chief queens. Some explanations also read 'fourth' symbolically, as a love that stands beyond the three gunas of nature. Verse 8 builds on the same idea when it addresses her as the co-wife of Lakshmi.

Verse 6 says that one who drinks Yamuna's water never suffers the torments of Yama, and gives the reason as a question: how would Yama strike his own sister's children, even wicked ones? Yamuna and Yama are both children of the Sun, so the verse treats those who take her water as her family. It then adds that serving her makes one dear to Hari, as the gopis are.

Verses 5, 7 and 8 argue that Yamuna gives what the other two cannot. Verse 5 says Ganga, born from Krishna's feet, became dear to him only by joining Yamuna, and verse 7 adds that those on the path of grace never praise Ganga apart from her. Verse 8 says serving Lakshmi with Hari brings happiness only as far as liberation. Pushtimarg teaching calls Ganga the goddess of action and Yamuna the goddess of loving devotion, which is why she is the patron of the path.

Not sure a mantra is enough?

Have your chart read before you decide

Chanting is yours to do, and free. But which deity your situation calls for — and whether a mantra alone is the right response — depends on your chart. Sometimes it is; sometimes it is not.

Brahmashree Shivaaya

Chief Operating Officer & Head of Astrological & Spiritual Solutions

Over 30 years in the Guru–Sishya Parampara, from the age of five
He reads every chart himself — 60 minutes, one to one, never delegated
Charts are read only between sunrise and sunset, following tradition

Book a consultation Ask Nirnaya — free

+91 96295 55442 WhatsApp us support@astrobhava.com Closed now · Mon–Sat, 9:30–18:00 IST (0:00–8:30 EDT your time) — WhatsApp and email are answered the next working morning

Continue