Overview
Ashtakam (Sanskrit: अष्टकम्, aṣṭakam), also written as astakam, is a term derived from the Sanskrit word aṣṭā, meaning "eight". In the context of poetic compositions, it refers to a particular form of devotional poetry composed in eight stanzas.
The form is widely employed in Hindu devotional literature, where hymns of praise dedicated to deities, sacred figures, rivers or sacred sites are structured in this eight-verse pattern. The compact arrangement makes the ashtakam suitable for recitation, memorisation and liturgical use.
Numerous ashtakams are associated with traditions across the Hindu fold, addressed to deities such as Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Ganesha and others. They form part of a broader tradition of stotra literature in Sanskrit, in which praise, contemplation and prayer are conveyed through metrical verse.