Srimad Bhagavatam · Canto One, Chapter Eight Lyrics — The Prayers of Queen Kunti
Songs of Determination
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam · Canto One, Chapter Eight
By Queen Kunti · from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam
Read Srimad Bhagavatam · Canto One, Chapter Eight from Krishna Meditations, with Sanskrit transliteration and an English rendition by Kalakantha das.
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Original lyrics · Sanskrit transliteration
1.8.18) namasye puruṣaṁ tvādyam īśvaraṁ prakṛteḥ param alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām antar bahir avasthitam
1.8.19) māyā-javanikācchannam ajñādhokṣajam avyayam na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā nāṭyadharo yathā
1.8.20) tathā paramahaṁsānāṁ munīnām amalātmanām bhakti-yoga-vidhānārthaṁ kathaṁ paśyema hi striyaḥ
1.8.21) kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya devakī-nandanāya ca nanda-gopa-kumārāya govindāya namo namaḥ
1.8.22) namaḥ paṅkaja-nābhāya namaḥ paṅkaja-māline namaḥ paṅkaja-netrāya namas te paṅkajāṅghraye
1.8.25) vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat tatra tatra jagad-guro bhavato darśanaṁ yat syād apunar bhava-darśanam
1.8.26) janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir edhamāna-madaḥ pumān naivārhaty abhidhātuṁ vai tvām akiñcana-gocaram
1.8.27) namo ’kiñcana-vittāya nivṛtta-guṇa-vṛttaye ātmārāmāya śāntāya kaivalya-pataye namaḥ
1.8.36) śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanty abhīkṣṇaśaḥ smaranti nandanti tavehitaṁ janāḥ ta eva paśyanty acireṇa tāvakaṁ bhava-pravāhoparamaṁ padāmbujam
English rendition
1) Oh best among all persons, Krishna, my respects to You. The modes of nature never govern anything You do. Lord Krishna, You reside within, without and in between each atom in creation, and yet You are never seen.
2) As one cannot distinguish expert actors in a play, mistaking them for characters they skillfully portray, a fool observes You, Krishna, but can never truly see, for You have cast a curtain over Your divinity.
3) My Lord, You come to propagate the yoga of devotion to all the learned sages who have understood the notion that soul is not the body, which the common folk don’t see. So how then can we simple women know You perfectly?
4) I therefore simply bow to you, the most beloved son of Vasudev and Devaki, so dear to everyone. As Nanda’s lovely cowherd son, Govinda, You arouse enjoyment in our senses and contentment in the cows.
5) The lotus-like depression on Your abdomen adorns the lovely lotus garland, Krishna, draped about Your form. Your cooling lotus glances make the imagery complete, including all the lotus marks embellishing Your feet.
6) So many times You rescued us from imminent disaster. I therefore ask of You, my Lord, O Universal Master, may all of these disasters come again, for when they do, You also come before us, and our birth and death are through.
7) You don’t come for materialists who endlessly aspire to build a family name or to fulfill some deep desire for opulence, attractiveness or high-level degrees. But one without such passions, Lord, attracts You easily.
8) For You belong to those who are materially low and You remain above these worldly things that come and go. Lord Krishna, no one interrupts Your deep tranquility, including those who seek to merge with Your identity.
9) Yet one who always hears and chants Your pastimes and Your name, or simply feels enjoyment hearing others do the same, will surely gain the audience of Your soft lotus feet, and stop the rounds of birth and death that otherwise repeat.