Sri Damodarastakam

Śrī Dāmodarāṣṭakam
namāmīśvaraṁ saccidānanda-rūpaṁ
lasat-kuṇḍalaṁ gokule bhrāja-mānam
yaśodā-bhiyolūkhalād-dhāvamānaṁ
parāmṛṣṭam atyaṁ tato drutya gopyā
I offer obeisances unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the possessor of all potencies, whose beautiful form is the entirety of concentrated existence, knowledge and bliss. On His cheeks, makara-shaped earrings are swinging playfully. His infinite brilliance shines forth from His most splendid residence, the transcendental abode, Śrī Gokula. He was afraid of Mother Yaśodā (because He smashed the earthen pot of yoghurt). When He saw her coming He leapt down from the grinding mortar and ran away. Nevertheless, Mother Yaśodā ultimately caught hold of Him from behind, for she ran more swiftly than He did. (1)
rudantaṁ muhur netra-yugmaṁ mṛjantaṁ
karāmbhoja-yugmena sātaṅka-netram
muhuḥ svāsa-kampa-tri-rekhāṅka-kaṇṭha-
sthita-graiva-dāmodaraṁ bhakti-baddham
[Seeing the stick in His mother’s hand and fearful of being beaten] He is weeping incessantly and rubbing His eyes again and again with His two lotus-like hands. His eyes are extremely restless and filled with fear. He takes heavy breaths again and again that cause the pearls and other ornaments around His neck, which is marked by three gracefully curving lines, to tremble. O Dāmodara, You have been bound by Your mother’s vātsalya-bhakti. [I offer my obeisances unto that Dāmodara.] (2)
itīdṛk sva-līlābhir-ānanda-kuṇḍe
sva-ghoṣaṁ nimajjantam-ākhyāpayantam
tadīyeśita-jñeṣu bhaktair-jitat-tvaṁ
punaḥ prema-tas-taṁ śatāvṛtti vande
By His childhood pastimes such as this dāma-bandhana-līlā, He perpetually drowns all the residents of Gokula – His gopas, gopīs, cows, calves and so forth, who are all manifested by His pastime potency – in pools of bliss. He thus informs those who have knowledge of His absolute divinity that only the pure and simple love of these devotees can conquer Him. Again, hundreds of times, I offer loving obeisance unto Śrī Dāmodara Kṛṣṇa. (3)
varaṁ deva mokṣaṁ na mokṣāvadhiṁ vā
na cānyaṁ vṛṇe ’haṁ vareśād apīha
idaṁ te vapur nātha gopāla-bālaṁ
sadā me manasy āvirāstāṁ kim anyaiḥ
O supremely effulgent and playful divinity, I do not ask You for freedom
from mortal suffering (the fourth of human goals), nor do I ask for the ultimate limit of freedom (residence in Vaikuṇṭha, the abode of extraordinary, concentrated happiness). Nor do I seek any other benediction from You (even attaining bhakti characterized by śravaṇa, kīrtana, etc.) even though, as the supreme benefactor, You can easily grant all benedictions. O Lord of my life, may Your beautiful form as
Bāla-gopāla (a little cowherd boy) in Vraja always remain visible within my heart. I have no use for any benediction other than this. (4)
idaṁ te mukhāmbhojam avyakta nīlair
vṛtaṁ kuntalaiḥ snigdha raktaiś ca gopyā
muhuś cumbitaṁ bimba-raktādharaṁ me
manasy āvirāstām alaṁ lakṣa-lābhaiḥ
O Deva, Your lotus-like face, encircled by soft, blackish-blue curly locks of hair that have a reddish glow, is repeatedly kissed by the gopī Śrī Yaśodā. May Your supremely charming lotus face, with lips like red bimba-fruit, always remain manifest in my heart. I do not care about millions of other attainments. (5)
namo deva dāmodarānanta viṣṇo
prasīda prabho duḥkha-jālābdhi-magnam
kṛpā-dṛṣṭi-vṛṣṭyāti-dīnaṁ batānu
gṛhāṇeśa mām ajñam edhy akṣi-dṛśyaḥ
O Deva, O You who have a divine form, I offer my respectful obeisances to You. O You who are bhakta-vatsala, affectionate to Your devotees! Śrī Dāmodara, O Ananta, Lord of inconceivably magnificent potencies! O all-pervasive Viṣṇu, O Prabhu, my Master, be pleased with me. I am drowning in an ocean of incessant worldly miseries. Alas, I am extremely miserable and I do not know what to do. O Īśa, supremely independent controller, please deliver me by the nectarean shower of Your merciful glance and enliven me by becoming directly visible to my eyes. (6)
kuverātmajau baddha-mūrtyaiva yadvat
tvayā mocitau bhakti-bhājau kṛtau ca
tathā prema-bhaktiṁ svakāṁ me prayaccha
na mokṣe graho me ’sti dāmodareha
O Dāmodara, even though You were bound with a rope to the grinding mortar by Your mother, You set the two sons of Kuvera, Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva, free (from Śrī Nārada’s curse that they live as twin arjuna trees), and enabled them to become recipients of the highest possible attainment – bhakti. In the same way, please profusely bestow upon me prema-bhakti for You. I long for this alone; I do not want any other kind of liberation. (7)
namas te ’stu dāmne sphurad dīpti-dhāmne
tvadīyodarāyātha viśvasya dhāmne
namo rādhikāyai tvadīya-priyāyai
namo ’nanta­-līlāya devāya tubhyam
O Dāmodara, I offer my respectful obeisances to the celebrated rope binding Your belly, for it is an abode of brilliant effulgence. I offer my respectful obeisances to Your belly, which supports the entire universe of moving and non-moving entities. I offer my respectful obeisances again and again to Śrīmatī Rādhikā, Your most beloved, and I offer my respectful obeisances to You, my divine Lord who performs unlimited transcendental pastimes. (8)