Janmashtami mantra: Krishna mantras for the midnight puja
Janmashtami mantras for Krishna's birthday, from Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya to the Hare Krishna maha mantra, with meaning and a simple midnight puja.
The most widely chanted Janmashtami mantra is Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, the twelve-syllable mantra of Krishna, along with the Hare Krishna maha mantra and the Krishna Gayatri. They are chanted through the day of the fast and most of all at midnight, the hour Krishna was born. In 2027, Krishna Janmashtami falls on Wednesday 25 August.
Dates are for New Delhi; tithi timings shift slightly by city. Some calendars list two days, one for Smarta and one for Vaishnava households; follow your own tradition.
Why midnight
Janmashtami falls on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the waning moon in Bhadrapada. The Bhagavata Purana tells how Krishna was born at midnight in a prison cell in Mathura, to Devaki and Vasudeva, while the cruel king Kamsa waited to kill the child. That same night Vasudeva carried the baby across the flooded Yamuna to Gokul, where Yashoda and Nanda raised him.
So the heart of Janmashtami is the midnight puja, at Nishita Kaal. Many families fast through the day, sing bhajans in the evening, and welcome the baby Krishna at midnight with a bath, new clothes and a cradle.
Janmashtami mantras
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
"I bow to the Lord Vasudeva, who lives in all beings and things." The twelve-syllable mantra of Vishnu and Krishna, and the one most often chanted on a mala on Janmashtami. It is traditionally chanted for clear decisions and letting go. Listen on Mahakatha.
Hare Krishna maha mantra
हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे। हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे॥ Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare
A call to the divine through three names: Hare, Krishna and Rama. Known as the maha mantra, it is sung in kirtan and chanted on a mala, and is traditionally chanted for spiritual joy and devotion. Listen on Mahakatha.
Krishna Gayatri
ॐ देवकी नन्दनाय विद्महे वसुदेवाय धीमहि तन्नो कृष्ण प्रचोदयात् Om Devaki Nandanaya Vidmahe, Vasudevaya Dhimahi, Tanno Krishna Prachodayat
"We know the son of Devaki, we meditate on the son of Vasudeva: may Krishna light up our minds." Fitting for his birthday, since it names his mother and father. Traditionally chanted for renewal and joy. Listen on Mahakatha.
Krishnaya Vasudevaya
कृष्णाय वासुदेवाय हरये परमात्मने। प्रणतः क्लेशनशाय गोविन्दाय नमो नमः॥ Krishnaya Vasudevaya Haraye Paramatmane, Pranatah Kleshanashaya Govindaya Namo Namah
"To Krishna, son of Vasudeva, to Hari, the supreme Self, to Govinda who ends the suffering of those who bow to him: I bow again and again." A prayer of surrender, traditionally chanted for feeling safe and protected. Listen on Mahakatha.
Krishna beej mantra
ॐ क्लीं कृष्णाय नमः Om Kleem Krishnaya Namah
"I bow to Lord Krishna," with the seed sound Kleem. Short and steady for japa. Listen on Mahakatha. New to seed sounds? See bija mantras.
Madhurashtakam (first verse)
अधरं मधुरं वदनं मधुरं नयनं मधुरं हसितं मधुरं हृदयं मधुरं गमनं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् Adharam Madhuram Vadanam Madhuram, Nayanam Madhuram Hasitam Madhuram, Hridayam Madhuram Gamanam Madhuram, Madhuradhipaterakhilam Madhuram
"Your lips are sweet, your face is sweet, your eyes are sweet, your smile is sweet, your heart is sweet, your walk is sweet: everything about you is sweet, Lord of sweetness." A hymn of pure affection by Vallabhacharya, lovely to sing to the baby Krishna. Listen on Mahakatha.
Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत। अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम्॥ Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya Glanirbhavati Bharata, Abhyutthanamadharmasya Tadatmanam Srijamyaham
"Whenever goodness declines and wrong rises, O Arjuna, I come forth." Krishna's promise in the Bhagavad Gita (4.7), and the reason his birth is celebrated. Traditionally chanted for strength and courage in hard times. Listen on Mahakatha.
A simple midnight puja at home
- During the day: keep the fast your family follows, whether full, with fruit and milk, or simply without grains. If fasting does not suit your health, keep a lighter one.
- In the evening: decorate a small cradle (jhula) and set out Laddoo Gopal or a picture of baby Krishna. Sing bhajans, or chant Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya on a mala, 108 times.
- Just before midnight: bathe the murti in panchamrit (milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar), then in clean water, chanting the Krishna Gayatri.
- At midnight: dress him in new clothes, place him in the cradle and rock it gently. Offer makhan-mishri, tulsi leaves and sweets, and sing the aarti.
- After the puja: share the prasad. Many families break the fast now; others wait for the next morning. Follow your custom.
If you are new to keeping count, see how to use a japa mala.
Listen on the day
Mahakatha Radio plays Krishna mantras and bhajans like these, day and night, free and without ads, with 28 Krishna recordings in rotation. On Janmashtami, tune in while you prepare the cradle, or see what else plays on bhakti radio.
Questions people ask
Which mantra should be chanted on Janmashtami?
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya is the classic choice, chanted 108 times on a mala. The Hare Krishna maha mantra and the Krishna Gayatri are equally loved, especially at the midnight puja.
What is Krishna's maha mantra?
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare. It is called the maha mantra, the "great mantra", and can be sung or chanted by anyone.
Which shlokas are recited on Krishna Janmashtami?
Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya from the Bhagavad Gita, Krishnaya Vasudevaya, and the Madhurashtakam are three of the most loved. All three are on this page with their meaning.
How do I offer a stuti to Kanha?
Sing to him as you would to a child you love. The Madhurashtakam, which calls everything about Krishna sweet, is a perfect stuti for the baby Krishna; the Govinda Damodara bhajan is another gentle choice.
What is Kanha ji's aarti?
The most widely sung is "Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki", sung after the midnight puja while waving a lamp before the cradle. Many families also sing their own regional aarti.
What are Shri Krishna's prayer mantras?
Krishnaya Vasudevaya is a prayer of surrender, and ॐ श्री कृष्ण शरणम् मम: (Om Shri Krishna Sharanam Mamah), "Krishna is my refuge", is a short prayer you can repeat through the day.