Santana Gopala Stotram: Krishna Prayer for the Blessing of Children
Santana Gopala Stotram - Sanskrit Text
This stotra contains 101 verses appealing to Lord Krishna (Santana Gopala) for the blessing of progeny. The opening invocations and concluding phala-shruti (fruit of recitation) are reproduced below; devotees recite the complete hundred-verse hymn during formal worship.
श्रीशं कमलपत्राक्षं देवकीनन्दनं हरिम् ।
सुतसम्प्राप्तये कृष्णं नमामि मधुसूदनम् ॥1॥
नमाम्यहं वासुदेवं सुतसम्प्राप्तये हरिम् ।
यशोदांकगतं बालं गोपालं नन्दनन्दनम् ॥2॥
अस्माकं पुत्रलाभाय गोविन्दं मुनिवन्दितम् ।
नमाम्यहं वासुदेवं देवकीनन्दनं सदा ॥3॥
गोपालं डिम्भकं वन्दे कमलापतिमच्युतम् ।
पुत्रसम्प्राप्तये कृष्णं नमामि यदुपुंगवम् ॥4॥
पुत्रकामेष्टिफलदं कंजाक्षं कमलापतिम् ।
देवकीनन्दनं वन्दे सुतसम्प्राप्तये मम ॥5॥
पद्मापते पद्मनेत्र पद्मनाभ जनार्दन ।
देहि मे तनयं श्रीश वासुदेव जगत्पते ॥6॥
श्रीपते देवदेवेश दीनार्तिहरणाच्युत ।
गोविन्द मे सुतं देहि नमामि त्वां जनार्दन ॥8॥
देवकीसुत गोविन्द वासुदेव जगत्पते ।
देहि मे तनयं कृष्ण त्वामहं शरणं गतः ॥11॥
अन्यथा शरणं नास्ति त्वमेव शरणं मम ।
सुतं देहि श्रियं देहि श्रियं पुत्रं प्रदेहि मे ॥23॥
वन्दे सन्तानगोपालं माधवं भक्तकामदम् ।
अस्माकं पुत्रसम्प्राप्त्यै सदा गोविन्दच्युतम् ॥31॥
… (verses continue, each a fervent prayer for a virtuous, long-lived son - Devi-Mahatmya style refrains "देहि मे तनयं कृष्ण त्वामहं शरणं गतः") …
स्तन्यं पिबन्तं जननीमुखाम्बुजं विलोक्य मन्दस्मितमुज्ज्वलांगम् ।
स्पृशन्तमन्यस्तनमंगुलीभिर्वन्दे यशोदांकगतं मुकुन्दम् ॥51॥
विद्यावन्तं बुद्धिमन्तं श्रीमन्तं तनयं सदा ।
देहि मे तनयं कृष्ण देवकीनन्दन प्रभो ॥73॥
नीतिमान् धनवान् पुत्रो विद्यावांश्च प्रजायते ।
भगवंस्त्वत्कृपायाश्च वासुदेवेन्द्रपूजित ॥99॥
यः पठेत् पुत्रशतकं सोऽपि सत्पुत्रवान् भवेत् ।
श्रीवासुदेवकथितं स्तोत्ररत्नं सुखाय च ॥100॥
जपकाले पठेन्नित्यं पुत्रलाभं धनं श्रियम् ।
ऐश्वर्यं राजसम्मानं सद्यो याति न संशयः ॥101॥
॥ इति सन्तानगोपालस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ॥
Transliteration (Roman/IAST)
śrīśaṃ kamala-patrākṣaṃ devakī-nandanaṃ harim |
suta-samprāptaye kṛṣṇaṃ namāmi madhusūdanam ||1||
namāmyahaṃ vāsudevaṃ suta-samprāptaye harim |
yaśodāṅka-gataṃ bālaṃ gopālaṃ nanda-nandanam ||2||
anyathā śaraṇaṃ nāsti tvameva śaraṇaṃ mama |
sutaṃ dehi śriyaṃ dehi śriyaṃ putraṃ pradehi me ||23||
yaḥ paṭhet putra-śatakaṃ so'pi sat-putravān bhavet |
śrī-vāsudeva-kathitaṃ stotra-ratnaṃ sukhāya ca ||100||
Meaning
The hymn is a sustained, single-pointed prayer to Lord Krishna for the gift of a child. The opening verse bows to the lotus-eyed son of Devaki, Madhusudana, "so that I may obtain a son." Across the hundred verses the devotee addresses Krishna by his many names - Gopala, Govinda, Vasudeva, Rama, Mukunda - and repeats the refrain, "Give me a son, O Krishna; I have taken refuge in you alone." Verse 23 captures its spirit: "There is no other refuge; you alone are my shelter - grant me a son, grant me prosperity." The closing phala-shruti promises that one who recites these hundred verses will be blessed with a worthy, intelligent, prosperous child, and with wealth, fortune and honour.
About this Stotra
The Santana Gopala Stotram is among the most widely recited prayers in the Hindu tradition for the boon of progeny (santana). "Santana" means offspring and "Gopala" is the child-form of Krishna; together the title invokes Krishna as the giver of children. Traditionally counted as one hundred verses (with a concluding benedictory verse), it belongs to the body of Vaishnava devotional literature and is chanted especially by couples seeking children. The hymn's structure is deliberately repetitive - a litany of Krishna's epithets paired with the single plea "dehi me tanayam" (grant me a son) - a form of intense, prayerful japa.
Significance & Spiritual Benefits
The stotra is valued as a santana-prapti remedy: a disciplined, faith-filled means of seeking the blessing of children. Its repetitive refrain trains the mind in one-pointed surrender (sharanagati), turning the longing of the heart into steady devotion. Beyond progeny, the closing verses extend the promised fruits to wealth (dhana), prosperity (shri), affluence (aishvarya) and social honour. For many families it is also chanted for the wellbeing and longevity of children already born.
Astrological Relevance
In Vedic astrology, matters of children are read from the 5th house (santana bhava), its lord, and the natural significator (karaka) Jupiter (Guru). Afflictions to the 5th house, a weak or combust Jupiter, or the influence of malefics such as Saturn, Rahu and Ketu on the 5th house are classically linked to delays in conceiving. As a devotional remedy, the Santana Gopala Stotram is recommended alongside the strengthening of Jupiter - Jupiter being the karaka of children and a deeply Vaishnava graha associated with Vishnu and Krishna. Recitation is often combined with Thursday (Guru-vara) worship of Vishnu/Krishna to support the 5th-house significations.
How to Chant (Vidhi)
Bathe and sit before an image of Bala Krishna or Lakshmi-Narayana. Light a lamp and offer tulsi leaves, flowers and butter or makhana, foods dear to the child Krishna. Begin with a sankalpa (statement of intent) and recite the stotra with concentration, ideally the full hundred verses. Couples often recite it together. A regular practice - daily, or for a fixed period such as 40 days (mandala) - is considered especially efficacious. Conclude by bowing in surrender and offering the merit of the recitation.
Best Day & Time
Thursday, the day of Jupiter (karaka of progeny), and Ashtami/Janmashtami connected with Krishna are considered most auspicious. The Brahma-muhurta of early morning, or the evening lamp-lighting hour, are ideal. Krishna Janmashtami and Gokulashtami are particularly powerful occasions for this prayer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who should recite the Santana Gopala Stotram?
It is traditionally recited by couples seeking the blessing of children, and by family members praying for their wellbeing. Anyone may chant it as a devotional offering to Bala Krishna.
How many verses are there?
The stotra is traditionally counted as one hundred verses, followed by a concluding phala-shruti verse describing the fruits of recitation. Many devotees recite the complete hundred during formal worship.
Is there a recommended duration of practice?
A common practice is daily recitation over a mandala of forty days, undertaken with faith, regularity and purity. The hymn itself emphasises sincere surrender (sharanagati) rather than mechanical counting.
Krishna as Santana Gopala: the prayer that opens the door of new life
The Santana Gopala Stotram is one of the most tender expressions in the entire canon of Vaishnava prayer, addressing Krishna not in his cosmic or heroic form but as Santana Gopala - the cowherd who blesses the blessing of children. The longing for progeny is among the oldest and most heartfelt of human prayers, and this stotra meets that longing with a devotion that is at once deeply personal and cosmically grounded: it understands the gift of a child not merely as a family event but as the continuation of dharmic lineage and the fulfillment of ancestral aspirations. Devotees who recite it carry the prayer with them into one of the most vulnerable and hopeful dimensions of human life.
In the Jyotish tradition, the desire for children is associated primarily with the fifth house and its lord, and with Jupiter (Guru), the planet of progeny, wisdom, and divine grace. When the fifth house or Jupiter is weak or afflicted in a birth chart, devotees are traditionally advised to strengthen these indicators through specific sadhana, and the Santana Gopala Stotram is among the most widely recommended of these remedial practices. It is most often recited on Thursdays, the day sacred to Jupiter, and on Rohini nakshatra days, which are associated with Krishna himself. The practice is undertaken with faith, patience, and the surrender that characterises all genuine bhakti - an offering of longing placed entirely in the Lord's hands.