Damodarastakam Lyrics — Eight Prayers to Lord Damodara
Songs of Celebration
Śrī Dāmōdarāṣṭakaṁ
By Śrī Satyavrata Muni
Read Damodarastakam from Krishna Meditations, with Sanskrit transliteration and an English rendition by Kalakantha das.
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Original lyrics · Sanskrit transliteration
1) namāmīśvaraṁ sac-cid-ānanda-rūpaṁ lasat-kuṇḍalaṁ gokule bhrājamanam yaśodā-bhiyolūkhalād dhāvamānaṁ parāmṛṣṭam atyantato drutya gopyā
2) rudantaṁ muhur netra-yugmaṁ mṛjantam karāmbhoja-yugmena sātaṅka-netram muhuḥ śvāsa-kampa-trirekhāṅka-kaṇṭha- sthita-graiva-dāmodaraṁ bhakti-baddham
3) itīdṛk sva-līlābhir ānanda-kuṇḍe sva-ghoṣaṁ nimajjantam ākhyāpayantam tadīyeṣita-jñeṣu bhaktair jitatvaṁ punaḥ prematas taṁ śatāvṛtti vande
4) varaṁ deva mokṣaṁ na mokṣāvadhiṁ vā na canyaṁ vṛṇe ‘haṁ vareṣād apīha idaṁ te vapur nātha gopāla-bālaṁ sadā me manasy āvirāstāṁ kim anyaiḥ
5) idaṁ te mukhāmbhojam atyanta-nīlair vṛtaṁ kuntalaiḥ snigdha-raktaiś ca gopyā muhuś cumbitaṁ bimba-raktādharaṁ me manasy āvirāstām alaṁ lakṣa-lābhaiḥ
6) namo deva dāmodarānanta viṣṇo prasīda prabho duḥkha-jālābdhi-magnam kṛpā-dṛṣṭi-vṛṣṭyāti-dīnaṁ batānu gṛhāṇeṣa mām ajñam edhy akṣi-dṛśyaḥ
7) kuverātmajau baddha-mūrtyaiva yadvat tvayā mocitau bhakti-bhājau kṛtau ca tathā prema-bhaktiṁ svakāṁ me prayaccha na mokṣe graho me ‘sti dāmodareha
8) namas te ‘stu dāmne sphurad-dīpti-dhāmne tvadīyodarāyātha viśvasya dhāmne namo rādhikāyai tvadīya-priyāyai namo ‘nanta-līlāya devāya tubhyam
English rendition
1) After You steal butter, Your earrings dance and shine as You flee Your mother in Gokula pastimes. Though You are all blissful, all knowing, ever-new, greatest of controllers, Your mother controls You.
2) She shows You the stick and she binds You by the waist. You shudder and sob and Your necklace of pearls shakes. As You rub Your frightened eyes, tears roll down Your face. Ropes of her love bind You in Your mother’s embrace.
3) Relishing Your childhood activities like this, You plunge Your devotees in oceans of deep bliss. Though many revere You, by love You are subdued. Again and again, Lord, I bow down before You.
4) Although You give freedom, I don’t ask to be free, nor do I want anything You could offer me. I only request that Your sweet childhood pastimes ever be enacted in my heart and my mind.
5) Curly hair encircles Your face of blackish-blue. Kisses make Your cheeks look like red bimba fruit. May this sublime vision be all that I can see. Any other treasure has no value to me.
6) Dāmodar! O Vishnu! O Lord beyond compare, be pleased with a soul sunk in oceans of despair. Uplift and protect me with glances from Your eyes. Shower Your compassion like rainfall from the skies.
7) Two sons of Kuvera were cursed to stand as trees. You gave them the chance to become Your devotees. My Lord, will You offer that same blessing to me? I don’t want to merge with Your identity.
8) Although in Your belly the universe is found, Your mother’s effulgent rope has Your belly bound. I bow to that rope and to Rādhā, Your most dear, and those sublime pastimes in which You appear.