# Śrī Dāmodarāṣṭaka (found in the Padma Purāṇa of Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa, spoken by Satyavrata Muni in a conversation with Nārada Muni and Śaunaka Ṛṣi) "In the month of Kārttika one should worship Lord Dāmodara and daily recite the prayer known as Dāmodarāṣṭaka, which has been spoken by the sage Satyavrata and which attracts Lord Dāmodara." (Śrī Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 2.16.198) ### Text One > namāmīśvaraṁ sac-cid-ānanda-rūpaṁ > lasat-kuṇḍalaṁ gokule bhrājamānam > yaśodā-bhiyolūkhalād dhāvamānaṁ > parāmṛṣṭam atyantato drutya gopyā **Synonyms** *namāmi* — I bow down; *īśvaram* — to the supreme controller; *sat-cit-ānanda-rūpam* — whose form is composed of eternity, knowledge, and bliss; *lasat-kuṇḍalam* — whose earrings play and swing; *gokule bhrājamānam* — who is splendrously manifest in Gokula; *yaśodā-bhiyā* — in fear of Mother Yaśodā; *ulūkalāt-dhāvamānam* — who gets down from the wooden rice-grinding mortar and runs away; *para-āmṛṣṭam* — catching Him by the back; *atyam* — very much; *tatam drutya* — chasing after Him quickly; *gopyā* — by the gopī (Śrī Yaśodā). **Translation** To the Supreme Lord, whose form embodies eternity, knowledge, and bliss, whose earrings swing to and fro, who shines beautifully in Gokula, who [due to the offense of breaking the pot of yogurt that His mother was churning into butter and then stealing the butter that was kept hanging from a swing] quickly ran from the grinding mortar in fear of Mother Yaśodā, and who was finally caught from behind by her, who ran faster than He—to that Supreme Lord, Śrī Dāmodara, I offer my humble obeisances. ### Text Two > rudantaṁ muhur netra-yugmaṁ mṛjantam > karāmbhoja-yugmena sātaṅka-netram > muhuḥ śvāsa-kampa-trirekhāṅka-kaṇṭha- > sthita-graiva-dāmodaraṁ bhakti-baddham **Synonyms** *rudantam* — crying; *muhuḥ* — again and again; *netra-yugmam* — His two eyes; *mṛjantam* — rubbing; *kara-ambhoja-yugmena* — with His two lotus-like hands; *sa-ātaṅka-netram* — with very fearful eyes; *muhuḥ* — again and again; *śvāsa* — quick breathing and sighing; *kampa* — trembling; *tri-rekha-aṅka-kaṇṭha* — neck marked with three lines (just like a conchshell); *sthita* — situated; *graiva* — pearl necklaces and other neck-ornaments; *dāma-udaram* — unto Him with a rope around His belly; *bhakti-baddham* — who is bound by devotion. **Translation** [Seeing His mother’s stick, ] He cried and rubbed His eyes again and again with His two lotus hands. His eyes were fearful, and His quick breathing shook the strand of pearls on His neck, which bore three lines like a conchshell. To that Supreme Lord, Śrī Dāmodara, whose belly is bound with the ropes of His mother’s pure love, I offer my humble obeisances. ### Text Three > itīdṛk sva-līlābhir ānanda-kuṇḍe > sva-ghoṣaṁ nimajjantam ākhyāpayantam > tadīyeṣita-jñeṣu bhaktair jitatvaṁ > punaḥ prematas taṁ śatāvṛtti vande **Synonyms** *iti īdṛk* — displaying in this way (childhood pastimes such as the Dāmodara-līlā and so forth); *sva-līlābhiḥ* — by His own pastimes; *ānanda-kuṇḍe* — in a pool of bliss; *sva-ghoṣam* — His own family and the other residents of Gokula; *nimajjantam* — immersing; *ākhyāpayantam* — makes known; *tadīya-īśita-jñeṣu* — to those desirous of knowing His majesty (aiśvarya); *bhaktaiḥ jitatvam* — His quality of being conquered by His loving devotees (who are devoid of aiśvarya-jñāna); *punaḥ* — again; *premataḥ* — with love and devotion; *tam* — unto that Lord Dāmodara; *śata-āvṛtti* — hundreds and hundreds of times; *vande* — I praise. **Translation** With these superexcellent childhood pastimes Lord Kṛṣṇa drowned the residents of Gokula in pools of ecstasy. In this way He declared to those absorbed in knowledge of His majesty and opulence: “I am conquered only by My pure loving devotees.” With great love I again offer my obeisances to Lord Dāmodara hundreds and hundreds of times. ### Text Four > varaṁ deva mokṣaṁ na mokṣāvadhiṁ vā > na cānyaṁ vṛṇe 'haṁ vareṣād apīha > idaṁ te vapur nātha gopāla-bālaṁ > sadā me manasy āvirāstāṁ kim anyaiḥ **Synonyms** *varam* — boons; *deva* — O Lord!; *mokṣam* — liberation; *na* — not; *mokṣā-avadhim* — the highest pinnacle of liberation (the realm of Śrī Vaikuṇṭha-loka); *vā* — or; *na* — not; *ca-anyam* — or anything else; *vṛṇe aham* — I pray for; *vara-īśāt* — from You Who can bestow any boon; *api* — also; *iha* — here in Vṛndāvana; *idam* — this; *te* — Your; *vapuḥ* — divine bodily form; *nātha* — O Lord!; *gopāla-bālam* — a young cowherd boy; *sadā* — always; *me manasi* — in my heart; *āvirāstām* — may it be manifest; *kim anyaiḥ* — what is the use of other things (mokṣā, and so forth.) **Translation** O Lord, though You can award all kinds of benedictions, I pray to You neither for the boon of impersonal liberation, nor for the highest liberation of eternal life in Vaikuṇṭha, nor for any other such boon. O Lord, I simply wish that this form of Yours as Bāla Gopāla in Vṛndāvana may ever be manifest in my heart, for what use do I have for any other boon besides this? ### Text Five > idaṁ te mukhāmbhojam atyanta-nīlair > vṛtaṁ kuntalaiḥ snigdha-raktaiś ca gopyā > muhuś cumbitaṁ bimba-raktādharaṁ me > manasy āvirāstām alaṁ lakṣa-lābhaiḥ **Synonyms** *idam* — this; *te* — Your; *mukha-ambhojam* — lotus-like face; *atyanta-nīlaiḥ* — by very dark blue; *vṛtam* — surrounded; *kuntalaiḥ* — by curling locks of hair; *snigdha* — soft and glossy; *raktaiḥ* — by reddish-tinted; *ca* — also; *gopyā* — by the gopī (Śrī Yaśodā); *muhuḥ* — again and again; *cumbitam* — kissed; *bimba-rakta-adharam* — with lips red as the bimba fruit; *me* — my; *manasi* — in the heart; *āvirāstām* — may it be manifest; *alam* — useless (there is no need for me); *lakṣa-lābhaiḥ* — by millions of attainments of other boons. **Translation** O Lord, again and again mother Yaśodā kisses Your lotus face, which is framed by locks of soft black hair tinged with red and beautified by Your lips colored red like the bimba fruit. May this vision of Your lotus face ever be manifest in my heart. Thousands and thousands of other benedictions are of no use to me. ### Text Six > namo deva dāmodarānanta viṣṇo > prasīda prabho duḥkha-jālābdhi-magnam > kṛpā-dṛṣṭi-vṛṣṭyāti-dīnaṁ batānu > gṛhāṇeṣa mām ajñam edhy akṣi-dṛśyaḥ **Synonyms** *namaḥ* — I bow down; *deva* — O divine Lord!; *dāmodara* — O Lord whose belly is bound with a rope!; *ananta* — O limitless Lord!; *viṣṇo* — O all-pervading Lord!; *prasīda* — be pleased; *prabho* — O my Master!; *duḥkha-jāla* — a network of material miseries; *abdhi-magnam* — immersed in the ocean; *kṛpā-dṛṣṭi-vṛṣṭyā* — by the rain of merciful glances; *āti-dīnam* — very fallen; *bata* — alas!; *anugṛhāṇa* — please accept; *īśa* — O supremely independent Lord!; *mām* — me; *ajñam* — ignorant; *edhi* — please come; *akṣi-dṛśyaḥ* — perceptible to my eyes. **Translation** O Supreme Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. O Dāmodara! O Ananta! O Viṣṇu! O master! O Lord, be pleased upon me. Shower me with Your merciful glances and deliver this poor ignorant fool immersed in an ocean of worldly sorrows, and become visible to my eyes. ### Text Seven > kuverātmajau baddha-mūrtyaiva yadvat > tvayā mocitau bhakti-bhājau kṛtau ca > tathā prema-bhaktiṁ svakāṁ me prayaccha > na mokṣe graho me 'sti dāmodareha **Synonyms** *kuvera-ātmajau* — the two sons of Kuvera (named Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva); *baddha-mūrtyā-eva* — by He whose divine form was bound with ropes to the grinding mortar; *yat-vat* — since they were like that (cursed by Nārada to take birth as twin arjuna trees); *tvayā* — by You; *mocitau* — they who were liberated; *bhakti-bhājau* — the recipients of devotional service; *kṛtau* — You made them; *ca* — also; *tathā* — then; *prema-bhaktim* — loving devotion; *svakām* — Your own; *me* — unto me; *prayaccha* — please give; *na mokṣe* — not for liberation; *grahaḥ* — enthusiasm; *me* — my; *asti* — is; *dāmodara* — O Lord Dāmodara!; *iha* — this. **Translation** O Lord Dāmodara, as a baby tied to a grinding mortar, You delivered Kuvera’s two sons from the curse of Nārada and made them into great devotees. In the same way, please give me pure loving devotion for You. I long for this alone and have no desire for any kind of liberation. ### Text Eight > namas te 'stu dāmne sphurad-dīpti-dhāmne > tvadīyodarāyātha viśvasya dhāmne > namo rādhikāyai tvadīya-priyāyai > namo 'nanta-līlāya devāya tubhyam **Synonyms** *namaḥ* — obeisances; *te* — to You; *astu* — may there be; *dāmne* — unto the rope around Your waist; *sphurat* — splendrous; *dīpti-dhāmne* — unto the effulgent abode; *tvadīya-udarāya* — unto Your belly; *atha* — thus; *viśvasya* — of the entire universe; *dhāmne* — unto the shelter; *namaḥ* — obeisances; *rādhikāyai* — unto Rādhikā; *tvadīya priyāyai* — unto Your Beloved; *namaḥ* — obeisances; *ananta-līlāya* — unto Your limitless sportive pastimes; *devāya* — unto Your transcendental nature; *tubhyam* — unto You. **Translation** O Lord Dāmodara, obeisances unto the brilliantly effulgent rope binding Your belly! Obeisances unto Your belly, the abode of the entire universe! Obeisances unto Your dearmost beloved, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī! And obeisances unto You, O Lord, who display unlimited pastimes!