Krishna Gayatri Mantra – Om Devakinandanaya Vidmahe

Krishna Gayatri mantra in Sanskrit and English

ॐ देवकीनन्दनाय विद्महे वासुदेवाय धीमहि। तन्नः कृष्णः प्रचोदयात्॥

Om Devakinandanaya Vidmahe Vasudevaya Dhimahi, Tannah Krishnah Prachodayat.

"Om. May we know the son of Devaki; may we meditate on Vasudeva. May that Krishna inspire our understanding."

Word-by-word meaning

• Devakinandanaya vidmahe: Devaki-nandana is "the joy of Devaki", her son. Vidmahe is "may we know". The mantra opens with Krishna's birth: the child born at midnight to Devaki in Kamsa's prison at Mathura.
• Vasudevaya dhimahi: "may we meditate on Vasudeva". The name works on two levels. Literally it is "son of Vasudeva", his father. In the Vaishnava reading it is also Vasudeva, the one in whom all beings dwell and who dwells in all, which is the sense of the twelve-syllable Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.
• Tannah Krishnah prachodayat: "may that Krishna urge us on". This is the line every deity Gayatri ends with, asking the deity to set the intellect moving in the right direction.

The first line is personal and the second is cosmic: the baby of a particular mother and father, and the Lord who pervades everything. The mantra holds both together, which is the whole of Krishna bhakti in miniature.

Why a Gayatri for Krishna

The original Gayatri mantra is a Rigvedic verse to Savitr. Its 24-syllable metre and its "may we know… may we meditate… may he inspire" shape were later used for prayers to many deities, and several of these are already found in the Mahanarayana Upanishad. One of them is the Vishnu Gayatri, Narayanaya vidmahe Vasudevaya dhimahi, tanno Vishnuh prachodayat. The Krishna Gayatri keeps the same middle word, Vasudevaya, and replaces Narayana with Devakinandana, bringing the prayer down from the cosmic Vishnu to Krishna as he was born on earth.

In the Bhagavad Gita (10.35) Krishna says, "among metres I am the Gayatri" (gayatri chhandasam aham). Chanting his name in that metre is, for devotees, a fitting meeting of the two.

How and when to chant it

• Time: early morning after bathing is best; evening at the lighting of the lamp is the other traditional time.
• Days: there is no single fixed weekday. Many people chant it on Wednesdays, and Vaishnava households chant it on every Ekadashi, through the month of Kartik (Damodar month) and on Janmashtami, especially at midnight.
• Count: 108 times on a tulsi mala is the usual daily practice. 11 or 21 repetitions is a reasonable short practice.
• Setting: sit facing east or north before an image of Krishna or Bal Gopal. A tulsi leaf, a lamp of ghee and a little butter or misri are the customary offerings.
• Pronunciation: it is Tannah (तन्नः) before Krishnah, with the visarga, not "Tanno". Keep Devaki with a long final "i".

A note on other Krishna mantras

This Gayatri is open to anyone and needs no initiation. It should not be confused with the Gopala mantra and Kama Gayatri that Gaudiya Vaishnava gurus give at diksha. Those are received from a teacher and are not printed for general chanting. For a simple name mantra with no conditions at all, the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and Krishnaya Vasudevaya Haraye are the usual choices.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Krishna Gayatri mantra?

ॐ देवकीनन्दनाय विद्महे वासुदेवाय धीमहि। तन्नः कृष्णः प्रचोदयात्॥ (Om Devakinandanaya Vidmahe Vasudevaya Dhimahi, Tannah Krishnah Prachodayat).

What is the difference between the Krishna Gayatri and the Vishnu Gayatri?

Only the first and last names change. The Vishnu Gayatri begins with Narayana and ends with Vishnu; the Krishna Gayatri begins with Devakinandana and ends with Krishna. Both meditate on Vasudeva in the middle line.

Can women and people without initiation chant it?

Yes. It is a devotional mantra in common use and no tradition restricts it the way some diksha mantras are restricted.

Which mala should I use?

Tulsi is the mala of Vaishnava mantras and the natural choice. If you only have a sandalwood or crystal mala, it is fine to use that.

Is it good to chant during Janmashtami?

Janmashtami is the most fitting day, since the first line is about his birth. Many people chant 108 times around midnight, when the birth is celebrated.

Can children learn it?

It is short, regular and easy to memorise, so it is often taught to children along with Krishna's stories. Teach the meaning of Devaki and Vasudeva along with it.