# Śrī Daśāvatāra-stotra Pralaya Payodhi Jale (from Gītā-govinda) by Jayadeva Gosvāmī ### Text One > pralaya-payodhi-jale dhṛtavān asi vedaṁ > vihita-vahitra-caritram akhedam > keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare **Synonyms** *pralaya-payodhi-jale* — in the turbulent waters of devastation; *dhṛtavān* — holding; *asi* — You are; *vedam* — the Vedas; *vihita* — done; *vahitra-caritram* — acting as a boat; *akhedam* — easily; *keśava* — O Keśava, of fine hair!; *dhṛta-mīna-śarīra* — You who have accepted the form of a giant fish; *jaya* — all glories to You!; *jagat-īśa* — O Lord of the universe!; *hare* — O Lord Hari! **Translation** O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of a fish! All glories to You! You easily acted as a boat in the form of a giant fish to give protection to the Vedas, which had sunk in the turbulent sea of devastation. ### Text Two > kṣitir iha vipulatare tiṣṭhati tava pṛṣṭhe > dharaṇi-dharaṇa-kiṇa-cakra-gariṣṭhe > keśava dhṛta-kūrma-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare **Synonyms** *kṣitiḥ* — the great Mandara Mountain; *iha* — here; *vipulatare* — gigantic; *tiṣṭhati* — rests; *tava pṛṣṭhe* — upon Your back; *dharaṇi-dharaṇa* — holding up the world; *kiṇa-cakra* — a large circular scar; *gariṣṭhe* — the heaviest; *keśava* — O Lord Keśava, of fine hair!; *dhṛta-kūrma-śarīra* — who have accepted the form of a tortoise; jaya jagadīśa hare... **Translation** O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of a tortoise! All glories to You! The great Mount Mandara rests upon Your gigantic back, which acts as a pivot for churning the ocean of milk and which has thus been marked with a large circular scarlike depression. In this way Your back has become most glorious. ### Text Three > vasati daśana-śikhare dharaṇī tava lagnā > śaśini kalaṅka-kaleva nimagnā > keśava dhṛta-śūkara-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare **Synonyms** *vasati* — sits; *daśana-śikhare* — upon the tip of Your tusk; *dharaṇī* — the earth; *tava* — Your; *lagnā* — sits fixed; *śaśini* — of the moon; *kalaṅka-kala* — a faint spot; *iva* — just like; *nimagnā* — which had become immersed (in the Garbhodaka Ocean); *keśava* — O Lord Keśava, of fine hair!; *dhṛta-śūkara-rūpa* — who have accepted the form of a boar; jaya jagadīśa hare... **Translation** O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of a boar! All glories to You! The earth, which had sunk to the bottom of the Garbha Ocean, sits fixed upon the tip of Your tusk like a spot upon the moon. ### Text Four > tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śṛṅgaṁ > dalita-hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛṅgam > keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare **Synonyms** *tava* — Your; *kara-kamala-vare* — upon the beautiful lotus hands; *nakham* — the nails; *adbhuta-śṛṅgam* — wonderfully sharp tips; *dalita* — ripped apart; *hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu* — the body of the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu; *bhṛṅgam* — the wasp; *keśava* — O Lord Keśava, of fine hair!; *dhṛta-narahari-rūpa* — who have accepted the form of half-man, half-lion (nara — man, hari — lion); jaya jagadīśa hare... **Translation** O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of a half-man, half-lion! All glories to You! With the wonderfully sharp nails on Your beautiful lotus hands You have ripped apart the wasplike body of Hiraṇyakaśipu. ### Text Five > chalayasi vikramaṇe balim adbhuta-vāmana > pada-nakha-nīra-janita-jana-pāvana > keśava dhṛta-vāmana-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare **Synonyms** *chalayasi* — You deceive; *vikramaṇe* — by Your massive steps; *balim* — King Bali; *adbhuta-vāmana* — O wonderful dwarf!; *pada-nakha* — from the nails of Your lotus feet; *nīra-janita* — by the (Ganges) water that has emanated; *jana-pāvana* — You deliver all living beings within this world; *keśava* — O Lord Keśava, of fine hair!; *dhṛta-vāmana-rūpa* — who have accepted the form of a dwarf brāhmaṇa; jaya jagadīśa hare... **Translation** O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of a wonderful dwarf brāhmaṇa! All glories to You! With Your massive steps You deceive King Bali, and with the Ganges water emanating from the nails of Your lotus feet You deliver all living beings in this world. ### Text Six > kṣatriya-rudhira-maye jagad-apagata-pāpam > snapayasi payasi śamita-bhava-tāpam > keśava dhṛta-bhṛgupati-rūpa jaya jagadiśa hare **Synonyms** *kṣatriya-rudhira-maye* — in the rivers of blood from the bodies of the demoniac kṣatriyas that You have slain; *jagat* — the earth; *apagata-pāpam* — the sins are taken away; *snapayasi* — You cause to bathe; *payasi* — in the water; *śamita* — people are relieved; *bhava-tāpam* — from the blazing fire of material existence; *keśava* — O Lord Keśava, of fine hair!; *dhṛta-bhṛgupati-rūpa* — who have accepted the form of Paraśurāma, protector of the sages (bhṛgu — of the sages, pati — the protector); jaya jagadīśa hare... **Translation** O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of Bhṛgupati [Paraśurāma]! All glories to You! You bathe the earth in the rivers of blood from the bodies of the demonic kṣatriyas You have slain. In this way you wash away the sins of the world and give relief to those who suffer in material existence ### Text Seven > vitarasi dikṣu raṇe dik-pati-kamanīyaṁ > daśa-mukha-mauli-balim ramaṇīyam > keśava dhṛta-rāma-śarīra jaya jagadiśa hare **Synonyms** *vitarasi* — You distribute; *dikṣu* — in all directions; *raṇe* — in the battle (of Laṅkā); *dik-pati* — to the presiding deities of the ten directions; *kamanīyam* — which was desired by all of them; *daśa-mukha* — of the ten-headed demon Rāvaṇa; *mauli-balim* — an offering of the heads; *ramaṇīyam* — delightful; *keśava* — O Lord Keśava, of fine hair!; *dhṛta-rāma-śarīra* — who have accepted the form of Rāmacandra; jaya jagadīśa hare... **Translation** O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of Rāmacandra! All glories to You! In the battle of Laṅkā You destroy the ten-headed demon Rāvaṇa and distribute his heads as a delightful offering to the presiding deities of the ten directions—a feat long desired by them all, whom that monster had much harassed. ### Text Eight > vahasi vapuṣi viśade vasanaṁ jaladābhaṁ > hala-hati-bhīti-milita-yamunābham > keśava dhṛta-haladhara-rūpa jaya jagadiśa hare **Synonyms** *vahasi* — You wear; *vapuṣi viśade* — on Your brilliant white body; *vasanam* — garments; *jalada-ābham* — the color of a fresh blue rain cloud; *hala-hati* — due to the striking of Your plowshare; *bhīti* — who feels great fear; *milita* — happened; *yamunā-bham* — the personified river Yamunā appeared; *keśava* — O Lord Keśava, of fine hair!; *dhṛta-haladhara-rūpa* — who have accepted the form of Lord Balarāma, the wielder of the plow (hala — plow, dhara — the holder); jaya jagadīśa hare... **Translation** O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of plow-wielding Balarāma! All glories to You! On Your brilliant white body You wear garments colored like a fresh rain cloud and the river Yamunā, whom You frighten with the blows of Your plow. ### Text Nine > nindāsī yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātaṁ > sadaya-hṛdaya darśita-paśu-ghātam > keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare **Synonyms** *nindasi* — You decry; *yajña-vidheḥ* — performed by the rules of Vedic sacrifice; *ahaha* — oh!; *śruti-jātam* — according to the scriptures; *sadaya-hṛdaya* — of compassionate heart; *darśita* — shown; *paśu-ghātam* — the slaughtering of poor animals; *keśava* — O Lord Keśava, of fine hair!; *dhṛta-buddha-śarīra* — who have accepted the form of Lord Buddha; jaya jagadīśa hare... **Translation** O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of Buddha! All glories to You! Your heart filled with compassion, you decry animal slaughter performed according to the scriptural rules of Vedic sacrifice. ### Text Ten > mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālaṁ > dhūmaketum iva kim api karālam > keśava dhṛta-kalki-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare **Synonyms** *mleccha-nivaha* — the multitude of wicked barbarian men (at the end of the Kali-yuga); *nidhane* — for annihilating; *kalayasi* — You carry; *karavālam* — a sword; *dhūmaketum iva* — appearing like a comet; *kim api* — indescribably; *karālam* — terrifying; *keśava* — O Lord Keśava, of fine hair!; *dhṛta-kalki-śarīra* — who have accepted the form of Lord Kalki; jaya jagadīśa hare... **Translation** O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of Kalki! All glories to You! Like a comet bearing an indescribably terrifying sword, You annihilate the wicked barbarian kings at the end of Kali-yuga. ### Text Eleven > śrī-jayedeva-kaver idam uditam udāraṁ > śṛṇu sukha-daṁ śubha-daṁ bhava-sāram > keśava dhṛta-daśa-vidha-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare **Synonyms** *śrī-jayadeva-kaveḥ* — of the poet Jayadeva; *idam* — this hymn; *uditam* — which has arisen; *udāram* — which is most exalted; *śṛṇu* — please hear; *sukha-dam* — a bestower of happiness; *śubha-dam* — a bestower of auspiciousness; *bhava-sāram* — and is the best thing in this dark world; *keśava* — O Lord Keśava, of fine hair!; *dhṛta* — who have accepted; *daśa-vidha-rūpa* — these ten different forms of incarnation; jaya jagadīśa hare... **Translation** O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari, who have assumed these ten different incarnations! All glories to You! O readers, please hear this most excellent hymn by poet Jayadeva, for it bestows happiness and good fortune and is the best thing in this dark world. ### Text Twelve > vedān uddharate jaganti vahate bhū-golam udbibhrate > daityaṁ dārayate baliṁ chalayate kṣatra-kṣayaṁ kurvate > paulastyaṁ jayate halaṁ kalayate kāruṇyam ātanvate > mlecchān mūrchayate daśakṛti-kṛte kṛṣṇāya tubhyaṁ namaḥ **Synonyms** *vedān uddharate* — rescuing the Vedas; *jaganti vahate* — bearing the Mandara Mountain on Your back; *bhū-golam udbibhrate* — lifting the earth; *daityam dārayate* — tearing apart the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu; *balim chalayate* — tricking the demon king Bali; *kṣatra-kṣayam kurvate* — slaying all of the wicked kṣatriyas; *paulastyam jayate* — conquering the son of Pulastya [the rākṣasa king Rāvaṇa]; *halam kalayate* — carrying a plow; *kāruṇyam ātanvate* — showing compassion; *mlecchān mūrchayate* — killing the degraded low-class men; *daśa-ākṛti kṛte* — O You who appears in the forms of these ten incarnations!; *kṛṣṇāya* — O Lord Kṛṣṇa!; *tubhyam namaḥ* — I offer my obeisances unto You. **Translation** O Lord Kṛṣṇa, I offer my obeisances unto You, who incarnate in these ten forms. In the form of Matsya You rescue the Vedas, as Kūrma You bear Mount Mandara on Your back, as Varāha You lift the earth on Your tusk, as Narasiṁha You tear open the chest of the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, as Vāmana You trick King Bali, as Paraśurāma You slay all the wicked kṣatriyas, as Rāmacandra you defeat Rāvaṇa, the son of Pulastya, as Balarāma You carry a plow, as Lord Buddha You show compassion toward all, and as Kalki You kill the mlecchas.