The term Astakam is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Astak', meaning "Eight". In context of poetic compositions, 'Astakam' refers to a particular form of poetry. The form of a composition is an 'Astakam' where eight stanzas make the piece.

The conventions associated with the Astakam have evolved over its literary history of more than 2500 years. One of the most well-known and adored Astakam creator is the great Shri Adi Sankaracharya, who created an Astakam cycle witt a group of Astakams, arranged to address a particular deity, and designed to be read both as a collection of fully realized individual poems and as a single poetic work comprising all the individual Astakams

List of Songs on Lord Vishnu
1. Vishwanatha ashtakam
2. Bilwaashtakam
3. Linga ashtakam
4. Shiva Ashtakam
5. Chandrasekara Ashtakam.