Sri Krishna Mangalam

Sree Krishna Mangalam
Translated by
P.R.Ramachander
(Mangala stotras are normally recited at the end of reciting several stotras or the end of singing several songs or at the end of an auspicious function. The devotee wishes auspiciousness to the Lord. Mangalam may also mean “good wishes”, or “wishes for a happy ending”.
This great Mangala stotra of Lord Krishna narrates the story of Lord Krishna in detail. Comments have been added by me at the end of each sloka, explaining the story alluded to.)

Mangalam Yadavendraya, mahaneeya gunabhdhaye,
Vasudeva thanujaya, vaasudevaya mangalam. 1

Mangalam to the chief of cowherds,
Who is the great sea of all that is good,
Mangalam to the Vaasudeva,
Who is the son of Vasudeva.

(Lord Krishna was born to King Vasudeva and Devaki in the prison.)

Kireeta kundala braja dala kairyanmukhasriye,
Sri Vathsa kaushtboth bhasi vakshase chasthu Mangalam. 2

Mangalam to Him whose chest shines
Because of Srivathsa and Kaushthubha ,
Mangalam to Him whose hair locks,
Get the shine from his crown and ear studs.

(Goddess Lakshmi resides on the mole in the chest of Lord Vishnu called Sri Vathsa. Lord Vishnu wears a chain in which the dollar is made of the precious stone Kausthubha, which came out of the ocean of milk.)


Neelambudha nikasaya vidhyuth sadrusa vasase,
Devaki vaasudevabhyam samsthudayasthu mangalam. 3

Mangalam to Him who was brought in the world ,
By Devaki and Vasudeva,
Mangalam to Him who is like the blue cloud,
And who lives in it like a streak of lightning.

(Krishna has been described as Neela Megha shyamala or one who is the colour of the blue cloud.)

Thaabhyam samprarthithayadha prakrutha bhaka roopine,
Yasodaya gruham pithra prapithayasthu mangalam. 4

Mangalam to Him who assumed the unusual form,
From being a new born babe,
Mangalam to Him who was taken by his father,
To the home of Yasodha.

(As soon as Lord Krishna was born to Devaki, he assumed the form of Lord Vishnu and told Devaki and Vasudeva to carry him to the other shore of the River Yamuna and leave him beside Yasodha.)

Poothana asupayapana pesalaya suraraye,
Sakatasura vidwamsi . padapadmaya Mangalam. 5

Mangalam to Him who is killer of enemies of Devas,
Who drank the milk of life of Poothana.
Mangalam to him who with his lotus like feet,
Kicked and killed the Sakatasura.

(King Kamsa, the wicked brother of Devaki sent an ogress called Poothana to feed poisonous milk to all babies so that Lord Krishna would be killed. Lord Krishna killed her by drinking all her blood. Kamsa then sent an asura called Saktasura who took the form of a cart and came near baby Krishna to kill him. Lord Krishna killed Sakatasura by one kick.)

Yasodha lokithe swasye viswaroopa pradarshine,
Maaya maanusha roopaya madhavayasthu mangalam. 6

Mangalam to Him who by opening his mouth,
Showed Yasodha his universal form,
Mangalam to that great God,
Who assumed a human form of illusion.

(Once Balarama, who was the elder brother of Lord Krishna told Yasodha that Krishna has eaten mud from the road. Lord Krishna denied this. When Yasodha asked him to open his mouth to check, whether he has eaten mud , she saw Lord Krishna take the universal form. Yasodha prayed him to take the form a child again.)

Thrunavarttha dhanoojasuharinee, shubhakarine,
Vathsasura prabhethre cha vathsa paalaya mangalam. 7

Mangalam to Him who killed a Rakshasa
Called Thrunavartha and brought good tidings,
Mangalam to Him who killed the Vathsasura,
And looked after his own calves.

(Thrunavartha was the son of Tharakasura. He entered the body of Lord Krishna when Yasodha was giving him milk. The baby’s weight went on increasing. Then he was put on the ground. Trunavartha took the form of cyclone and carried the baby away. The baby Krishna strangled Trunavartha and killed him. Vathsasura took the form of a cow and joined the cows looked after by Krishna. Krishna threw that asura on to a banyan tree and killed Him.)

Damodharaya veeraya yamalarjuna pathine,
Dhathra hruthaanaam vathsanaam roopa darthresthu mangalam. 8

Mangalam to the victorious one,
Who with a rope tied to his waist,
Broke the tree of Yamalarjuna,
Mangalam to Him who assumed,
The form of cows when they were,
Hidden by the God who creates.

(Baby Krishna was very mischievous and his mother Yasodha tied him with a rope on to a mortar. Krishna dragged that mortar in between two Arjuna trees and broke them and gave salvation to the two devas who had become the two trees as a result of a curse.)


Brhamasthuthaya krishnaya, kalleya phana nruthyathe,
Davagni rakshithasesha gogopalaya mangalam. 9

Mangalam to Him whom Brahma prayed,
And who danced on the hood of Kalinga,
Mangalam to Him who saved cows and cowherds,
From the raging forest fire.

(By mistake Lord Brahma wanted to test Lord Krishna, by making all the cows disappear. Krishna created another set of cows. Brahma realized his mistake and begged his pardon. Once a serpent called Kalinga started poisoning Yamuna River. Krishna danced on his hood and killed him. Another time when his friends and cows were surrounded by a forest fire, Lord Krishna asked the Gopas to shut their eyes. Then he completely swallowed the forest fire and saved them.)

Govardhanachaladharthre gopi kreedabhilakshine,
Anjalya hrutha vasthranam supreethayasthu mangalam. 10

Mangalam to Him who lifted the Govardhana mountain,
And who wished to play with the Gopis,
Mangalam to him who loved the Gopis,
Who with folded hands begged for their cloths.

(Once to save the people of Brindavana from torrential rain sent by Indra, Krishna lifted the Govardhana Mountain and made them move below it. In a prank once Lord Krishna stole all the cloths kept on the shore by Gopis and made them beg for their cloths.)

Sudarshanakhya gandharva shapa mokshana karine,
Sanga chooda siroharthre, vrushabhagnaya managalam. 11

Mangalam to him who removed the curse,
Of Sudarshana who was a gandharwa,
Mangalam to him who cut off the head of Sangachooda,
And who killed the Asura who came in the form of a bull.

(Sudarshana, a gandharwa was cursed by sage Angeeras to become a python. He tried to swallow, Nanda gopa. Lord Krishna stepped on him and he got back his original form. Sangachooda was a servant of Kubhera and tried to abduct the Gopis. Lord Krishna killed him. Lord Krishna also killed Denukasura who came and attacked him in the form of a bull.)

Kanthini sutha sandrushta divya roopaya sourine,
Trivakraya prarthithaya , sundarangaya mangalam. 12

Mangalam to Him , whose divine valorous form,
Made Akroora , the son of kanthini satisfied,
Mangalam to Him who was prayed by Trivakra,
And who got extremely pretty limbs.

(Akroora, the son of Kanthini, a saint was sent by Kamsa to invite Lord Krishna for a pooja in his house, so that he can kill him. Akroora was terribly upset. Lord Krishna gave him solace. Trivakra was a woman with three bends. Lord Krishna saw her in the town of Kamsa and made her pretty.)

Gandha malyam paratyaya , gajaraja vimadhine,
Chanura mushti prana harine chasthu mangalam. 13

Mangalam to Him who wore silk, garlands ,
And sandal paste and killed the king of elephants,
Mangalam to Him who stole the life of Chanura and Mushtika.

(On entering the city of Kamsa, Lord Krishna was welcomed by Kuvalyapeetha, a giant elephant. Without any effort he killed that elephant. Then he was attacked by two wrestlers called Channora and Mushtika. Lord Krishna and Balarama killed both of them.)

Kamsahanthre Jarasandha baa mardhana karine,
Madhurapura vaasaya mahadheeraya mangalam. 14

Mangalam to Him who killed Kamsa,
And who caused the killing of Jarasandha,
Mangalam to Him who lived in the city of Mathura,
And who was the bravest among the brave.

(Lord Krishna killed his uncle Kamsa and afterwards he lived in Mathura. He also got Jarasanda killed by Bheema.)

Muchukunda mahananda dhayine paramathmane,
Rukhmanee pariethre, cha sabalayasthu Mangalam. 15

Mangalam to him who granted ,
Great happiness to Muchukunda,
And who is the ultimate truth,
Mangalam to Him who married Rukhmani,
And who is always with the helpless.

(Muchukunda was a king who belonged to the Surya vamsa. He got a boon for sleeping without disturbance. Lord Krishna drove Kalayavana in to the cave where Muchukunda was sleeping. The asura was killed. Lord Krishna showed Muchukunda the way to salvation. Rukhmani who was the princess of Vidharbha loved Lord Krishna and sent him a letter. Lord Krishna abducted her on the day of her swayamvara, from her kingdom and married her.)

Dwarakapura vasaya haranoopura dharine,
Sathyabhama samedhaya narakagnaya mangalam. 16

Mangalam to Him, who lived in the city of Dwaraka,
And wore golden chains and anklets,
Mangalam to Him who along with Sathyabhama,
Killed the asura called Naraka.

(Lord Krishna created an island of Dwaraka and shifted there. He married Sathyabhama the daughter of Sathrajit. With her help he killed Narakasura)

Banasura karachethre, bhoothanatha sthuthaya cha,
Dharmahoothaya yagartham, sarmadhayasthu mangalam. 17

Mangalam to Him who cut off the hands of Banasura,
And who was praised by Lord Shiva,
Mangalam to Him who was invited by,
Dharmaputhra for participating in the yaga.

(Banasura was a rakshasa with thousand hands. Krishna cut off all his hands in a war and taught him humility. Dharmaputhra invited Lord Krishna to participate in the Rajasooya yaga.)

Karayithre Jarasandha vadam bheemena rajabhi,
Mukthai sthuthaya thathputhra rajyadhayasthu mangalam. 18

Mangalam to Him Who caused the killing ,
Of Jarasandha by the king Bheema,
Mangalam to Him who was praised by the released kings,
And the one who gave the kingdom to Jarasandha’s son.

(Lord Krishna got Jarasandha killed by Bheema. He then released all the kings who were kept as prisoners by Jarasandha. Later he gave the kingdom to Jarasandha’s son.)

Chaidhyathejopaharthre cha pandava priyakarine,
Kuchelaya maha bhagya dhayine, thesthu mangalam. 19

Mangalam to Him who stole the power of Shishupala,
And who did desirable acts to the Pandavas,
Mangalam to Him who was the cause,
Of the great luck to Kuchela.

(Lord Krishna killed Shisupala who was his aunt’s son. He helped Pandavas to win the war against Kouravas. He helped his poor friend Kuchela.)

Devyasthka samedhaya puthrapouthrayudhaya cha,
Shodasa sthree sahasraisthu samyudhayasthu mangalam. 20

Mangalam to Him who with his eight queens,
With his children and grandchildren,
And sixteen thousand wives lived and shined.

Ya sishta rakshanapara karunamburasi,
Dushtasuraam sanrupatheen vinigruha ya suran,
Kashtam dasam apanuthandarasa pruthivya,
Pushtim dadadthu sahari kuladaivatham na. 21

Let that Hari ,who looks after those,
Who seek his protection,
Who is a sea of mercy,
And who relieved the bad times of mother earth,
By killing bad asuras , kings, people,
Become the god of our clan and
Grant us exuberant times.

(Lord Krishna is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu who was born to relieve the huge weight of bad people being borne by mother earth.)