कृष्णाश्रयस्तोत्रम्
Kṛṣṇāśraya-stotram
A hymn professing shelter in Śrī Kṛṣṇa
By Śrīmad Vallabhācārya
सर्वमार्गेषु नष्टेषु कलौ च खल धर्मिणि ।
पाष्ण्डप्रचुरेलोके कृष्ण एव गतिर्मम ॥१॥
sarva-mārgeṣu naṣṭeṣu kalau ca khala-dharmiṇi |
pāṣaṇḍa-pracure loke kṛṣṇa eva gatir mama ||1||
When all paths are debauched in [the Age of] Kali, [which is] wicked in nature [alt., characterized by debased dharma], in the midst of a world filled with pāṣaṇdas, Kṛṣṇa is my only shelter.
Commentary
Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī cites the following definition of a pāṣaṇḍi [i.e., pāṣaṇḍa] from Padma Purāṇa (6.235.8) in Bhakti Sandarbha (222):
uddiśya devatā eva juhoti ca dadāti ca |
sa pāṣaṇḍīti vijñeyaḥ svatantro vāpi karmasu ||
“One who performs sacrifices or gives in charity only for the sake of the devatās [i.e., without due regard for or the intent to please Bhagavān] or who is in independent in action [i.e., performs action considering oneself independently capable of doing so and entitled to the fruit thereof independent of Bhagavān] is to be known as a pāṣaṇḍi [i.e., ‘heretic,’ one who is fallen from the Vaiṣṇava path].”
म्लेच्छाक्रान्तेषुदेशेषु पापैकनिलयेषुचः।|
सत्पीडा व्यग्रलोकेषु कृष्ण एव गतिर्मम ॥॥
mlecchākrānteṣu deśeṣu pāpaika-nilayeṣu ca |
sat-pīḍā-vyagra-lokeṣu kṛṣṇa eva gatir mama ||2||
In lands assailed by mlecchas, in dwelling places solely of sin, and in the midst of people intent upon harming the virtuous [alt., in the midst of people agitated by harm of the virtuous, or, in the mist of people bewildered by real suffering], Kṛṣṇa is my only shelter.
Commentary
A mleccha is defined in the Baudhāyana-smṛti as follows:
go-māṁsā-khādako yas tu viruddhaṁ bahu bhāṣate |
sarvācāra-vihīnaś ca mleccha ity abhidhīyate ||
“One who eats cow meat, speaks perversely and excessively, and is devoid of all proper conduct is called a mleccha.”
गंगादितीर्थ वर्येषु दुष्टैरेवा वृतेस्विह ।
तिरोहिताधिदेवेषु कृष्ण एव गतिर्मम ॥३॥
gaṅgādi-tīrtha-varyeṣu duṣṭair evāvṛteṣv iha |
tirohitādhidaiveṣu kṛṣṇa eva gatir mama ||3||
In the midst of exalted tīrthas such as the Gaṅgā now verily surrounded [alt., filled, or, concealed] by the wicked and deprived of their presiding devatās, Kṛṣṇa is my only shelter.
अहंकार विमुढेषु सत्सु पापानुवर्तिषु ।
लाभपूजार्थयत्नेषु कृष्ण एव गतिर्मम ॥४॥
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍheṣu satsu pāpānuvartiṣu |
lābha-pūjārtha-yatneṣu kṛṣṇa eva gatir mama ||4||
In the midst of the pious bewildered by egotism, engaging in sin, and endeavoring for the sake of gain and [receiving] worship [from others], Kṛṣṇa is my only shelter.
अपरिज्ञाननष्टेषु मन्त्रेष्वव्रतयोगिषु ।
तिरूहितार्थदेवेषु कृष्ण एव गतिर्मम ॥५॥
aparijñāna-naṣṭeṣu mantreṣv avrata-yogiṣu |
tirohitārtha-deveṣu kṛṣṇa eva gatir mama ||5||
In the midst of mantras lost because of incomplete knowledge, not resolutely meditated upon by yogīs, and deprived of [their] objects [alt., meanings] and devas, Kṛṣṇa is my only shelter.
नानावाद विनष्टेषु सर्वकर्मव्रतादिषु ।
पाषण्डेकप्रयत्नेषु कृष्ण एव गतिर्मम ॥६॥
nānā-vāda-vinaṣṭeṣu sarva-karma-vratādiṣu |
pāṣaṇḍaika-prayatneṣu kṛṣṇa eva gatir mama ||6||
In the midst of acts of virtue (karmas), rites (vratas), and so forth all ruined by various disputes—in the midst of pāṣaṇda endeavours alone, Kṛṣṇa is my only shelter.
अजामिलादिदोषाणां नाशकोऽनुभवे स्थितः ।
ज्ञापिताखिल माहात्म्यः कृष्ण एव गतिर्मम ॥७॥
ajāmilādi-doṣāṇāṁ nāśako’nubhave sthitaḥ |
jñāpitākhila-māhātmyaḥ kṛṣṇa eva gatir mama ||7||
The destroyer of the faults of Ajāmila and so forth, he who is present in [alt., ascertained by] personal experience [despite all the degradation in the environment], he who is made known by all his greatness—Kṛṣṇa—is my only shelter.
प्राकृताः सकल देवा गणितानन्दकं बृहत ।
पूर्णानन्दो हरिस्तस्मातकृष्ण एव गतिर्मम ॥८॥
prākṛtāḥ sakalā devā gaṇitānandakaṁ bṛhat |
pūrṇānando haris tasmāt kṛṣṇa eva gatir mama ||8||
All the devas are material [and thus cannot bestow any true, eternal and preeminent bliss]. The Great [i.e., Brahman] is [only] reckoned to be a cause of bliss [yet is not actually the greatest source of bliss]. Hari [alone] is complete bliss [i.e., He alone both experiences the most fulfilling eternal bliss and causes others to experience that]. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is my only shelter.
विवेक धैर्य भक्त्यादि रहितस्य विशेषतः ।
पापासक्तस्य दीनस्य कृष्ण एव गतिर्मम ॥९॥
viveka-dhairya-bhaktyādi-rahitasya viśeṣataḥ |
pāpāsaktasya dīnasya kṛṣṇa eva gatir mama ||9||
For I who am severely devoid of discernment, perseverance, bhakti, and so forth, attached to sin, and distressed, Kṛṣṇa is my only shelter.
सर्व सामर्थ्यसहितः सर्वत्रैवाखिलार्हकृत ।
शरणस्थसमुद्धारं कृष्णं विज्ञापयाम्यहम ॥१०॥
sarva-sāmarthya-sahitaḥ sarvatraivākhilārtha-kṛt |
śaraṇastha-samuddhāraṁ kṛṣṇaṁ vijñāpayāmy aham ||10||
[In this way] I entreat Kṛṣṇa, he who is possessed of all capability, who fulfills all objectives in all circumstances, and who fully delivers those situated in his shelter.
कृष्णाश्रयमिदं स्तोत्रं यः पठेत कृष्ण्सन्निधौ ।
तस्याश्रयो भवेत कृष्ण इति श्री वल्लभोब्रवीत ॥११॥
kṛṣṇāśrayam idaṁ stotraṁ yaḥ paṭhet kṛṣṇa-sannidhau |
tasyāśrayo bhavet kṛṣṇa iti śrī-vallabho’bravīt ||11||
May one who shall recite this Kṛṣṇāśraya-stotra [i.e., hymn professing shelter in Kṛṣṇa] in Kṛṣṇa’s presence [i.e., before his deity form] become one [situated] in his shelter, O Kṛṣṇa! So Śrī Vallabha said.
Meter
Anuṣṭup
Source
Puṣṭi-mārgīya-stotra-ratnākāra-mālā edited by Śrī Hari-śaṅkara Śāstrī.