Ashtakam: An Ancient Indian Poetry Form That Captivates You With Rhyme And Rhythm

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अच्युतं केशवं रामनारायणं
कृष्णदामोदरं वासुदेवं हरिम् ।
श्रीधरं माधवं गोपिकावल्लभं
जानकीनायकं रामचंद्रं भजे ॥
Acyutam Keshavam Raama-Naaraayannam
Krssnna-Daamodaram Vaasudevam Harim |
Shrii-Dharam Maadhavam Gopikaa-Vallabham
Jaanakii-Naayakam Raamacamdram Bhaje

This is the famous Achyutashtakam which is composed by Adi Shankaracharya whose poetic composition is a perfect example of a song set to Ashtaka form and style. This sloka, like any Ashtakam, has a rhythm and rhyme, if sung in a musical tone, appeals to even the hardest of hearts. Achyuta is none other than Lord Sri Krishna.

What Is An Ashtakam?

Now coming to Ashtakam, it is a poetry form in Sanskrit which consists of eight stanzas or verses, arranged in sets of quartets that rhyme with each other. To put it simply, it was an widely accepted poetic genre that was all devotional in nature during the grand old times of Vedic Indian literature. Of all vedas, Rigveda is divided into 8 ashtakas and 10 mandalas.
Ashta in Sanskrit means eight and Ashtakam, is a poetry with eight stanzas. The stanzas here are four lined each, rhyming quartets which total up to 32 lines. All stanzas strictly are in perfect rhyme and resonance with each other.
The Ashtakams sound rhythmic when read and feel rhythmic when you see that the ending letters are also similar. This rhyme sequence is the genius behind the Ashtaka pattern. The Ashtakam has hard rhyme or identical rhyme and soft rhyme or similar rhyme. Externally rhyming at the end of the lines and internally rhyming within the lines, the Ashtakam proves that the Sanskrit language exhibits a rich tradition when it comes to sustaining rhyming structures.
You can observe that these sets of rhymes predominate the entire composition, be it small or lengthy. The Ashtakam has a history and tradition dating back to more than 2500 years. A very famous poet of Ancient India was the Haloed saint Adi Shankaracharya who wrote one ashtakam on each deity. They not only appeal to the philosophically inclined but also to the literary enthusiasts amongst us. He wrote more than 35 Ashtakams all in all.
You might have heard of Lingashtakam, and Mahalakshmi Ashtakam or at least using them in your daily prayers. They are the primary examples for Ashtaka style of Poetry. One point of warning is that it is good to read Lakshmi stotrams and Ashtakams in case you do not have Guru to teach you the other more specific Astakams addressed to specific deities.

Differences Between Ashtakams, Sooktams, Stotras, Mantras And Stutis

Ashtakams and sooktams are not to be confused with one another, because Sooktams and Ashtakams are totally different from each other. Purusha and stree sooktams are vedic hymns that extol the divine attributes of God. Stotras are yet another form of poetry which are categorized into ashtothara, trishati, sahasranama groups. Vishnu Sahasranama contain 1008 names of Lord Vishnu perfectly spread over 108 couplets.
Mantra is yet another category that differs in its structure. It removes the maya from your soul and can be from vedas, puranas, tantras or it can be simply the name of a god.. A Stotra is a group of Shlokas and a Stuti is a song of Praise.