Twenty Verses from Sri Govinda-damodara-stotram
BY: ANIRUDDHA DAS
Damodar tied to Mortar
Thanjavur, c. 1826
British Museum Collection
Oct 17, 2012 — GUATEMALA (SUN) — Compiled from three Sanskrit-English translations of Srila Bilvamangala Thakura's 'Sri Govinda-damodara-stotram'.
The famous sannyasi named Bilvamangala Thakura is also known as Lilasuka. Suka means "parrot". He intensely desired to enter into the eternal pastimes of the Lord, and he lived at Vrindavana for seven hundred years in the vicinity of Brahma-kunda, a still-existing bathing tank in Vrindavana, recently renovated by kind Vaisnavas. The name Lilasuka was given by his guru Somagiri on account of his merit in describing the loving lilas or sweet dealings of Lord Krishna with the cowherd boys and the young damsels of Vrajabhumi. Bilvamangala Thakura appeared in the eighth century Saka era in the province of Dravida and was the chief disciple of Visnusvami.
Sri Govinda-damodara-stotram
(1)
agre kurunam atha pandavanam
duhsasanenahrta-vastra-kesa
krsna tadakrosad ananya-natha
govinda damodara madhaveti
When Duhsasana seized Draupadi' hair and sari in the assembly of the Kurus and the Pandavas, she accepted Sri Krishna as her only shelter and loudly beseeched Him, "O Govinda! O Damodara! O Madhava!
(2)
sri krsna visno madhu-kaitabhare
bhaktanukampin bhagavan murare
trayasva mam kesava lokanatha
govinda damodara madhaveti
"O Krishna! O Vishnu, slayer of Madhu and Kaitabha! O You who are sympathetic to your devotees! O all opulent Lord, enemy of the demon Mura, please save me! O Kesava! O Lokanath! O Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!"
(3)
vikretukama kila gopa-kanya
murari-padarpita-citta-vrttih
dadhyadikam mohavasad avocad
govinda damodara madhaveti
The cowherd damsels of Vraja had offered the core of their heart at the lotus feet of Sri Krishna. For this reason, when they tried to sell their yoghurt, milk and other dairy products, they forgot to call out "Yoghurt, yoghurt", but in a state of madness cried out "Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!"
(4)
ulukhale sambhrta-tandulans ca
sanghattayantyo musalaih pramugdhah
gayanti gopyo janitanuraga
govinda damodara madhaveti
While threshing their stocks of rice with their mortars and pestles, their hearts saturated with anuraga for Sri Krisna, would sing "O Govinda!, O Damodara!, O Madhava!"
(5)
kacit karambhoj a-pute nisannam
krida-sukam kimsuka-rakta-tundam
adhyapayam asa saroruhaksi
govinda damodara madhaveti
One of the lotus–eyed girls taught her pet parrot, who was perched in hollow of her lotus-like hand and who had a beak as red as the blossoms of the kimsuka tree, to sing "Govinda!, Damodara!, Madhava!"
(6)
grhe grhe gopa-vadha-samuhah
prati-ksanam piñjara-sarikanam
skhalad-giram vacayitum pravrtto
govinda damodara madhaveti
Indeed, in each and every home in Vraja the gopas' wives were always absorbed in teaching their caged she-parrots to chant with faltering voice "Govinda!, Damodara!, Madhava!"
(7)
paryyankikabhajam alam kumaram
prasvapayantyo ‘khila-gopa-kanyah
jaguh prabandham svara-tala-bandham
govinda damodara madhaveti
In the demanding task of putting their children to sleep, the gopis would incessantly sing "Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!"
(8)
ramanujam vijsana-keli-lolam
gopi grhitva nava-nita-golam
abalakam balakam ajuhava
govinda damodara madhaveti
Taking a handful of fresh butter, the elder gopi Yasoda called out to her son Krishna, the younger brother of Rama, "O Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!", as her eyes danced playfully from one cowherd boy to another.
(9)
vicitra-varnabharanabhirame-
'bhidhehi vaktrambuja-rajahamse
sada madiye rasane ‘gra-range
govinda damodara madhaveti
O my tongue, O queen of swans whose form resembles a blossoming lotus, you always delight in decorating yourself with astonishing syllables. Therefore, with your delightful tip, always call out, "Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!"
(10)
ankadhirudham sisu-gopa-gudham
stanam dhayantam kamalaika-kantam
sambodhayam asa muda yasoda
govinda damodara madhaveti
While the one and only beloved of the goddess of fortune, now disguised as a cowherd boy, was sitting in mother Yasoda's lap and sucking her breast, Yasoda joyfully addressed Him, "O Govinda!, O Damodara!, O Madhava!"
(11)
kridantam antar-vrajam atmanam svam
samam vayasyaih pasu-pala-balaih
premna yasoda prajuhava krsnam
govinda damodara madhaveti
Mother Yasoda lovingly called out to her son Sri Krishna, who was playing somewhere in Vraja with the cowherd boys of His own age, "Govinda!, Damodara!, Madhava!"
(12)
yasodaya gadham ulukhalena
go-kantha-pasena nibadhyamanam
ruroda mandam navanita-bhoji
govinda damodara madhaveti
While tightly binding Sri Krishna, who had stolen fresh butter, to the grinding mortar with a rope used for tying cows, mother Yasoda wept gently, softly exclaiming, "Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!"
(13)
nijangane kankana-keli-lolam
gopi grhitva navanita-golam
amardayat pani-talena netre
govinda damodara madhaveti
With a palmful of butter, the gopi Yasoda approached Krishna, who was in the courtyard enthralled in playing with the jingling bracelets around His wrists. With her other hand mother Yasoda covered her eyes and called feelingly, "O my dear Govinda!, Damodara!, Madhava!"
(14)
grhe grhe gopa-vadhu-kadambah
sarve militva samavaya-yoge
punyani namāni pathanti nityam
govinda damodara madhaveti
Coming from each and every home in Vraja, a host of gopis would daily assemble to recite Sri Krishna's purifying names, such as "Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!"
(15)
mandara-mule vadanabhiramam
bimbadhare purita-venu-nadam
go-gopa-gopi-jana-madhya-samstham
govinda damodara madhaveti
Sri Krishna, whose face is very charming and who was standing at the foot of a large kadamba tree among the assembled cows, gopas and gopis of His own age, placed His flute on His crimson lips, which resemble bimba fruits. The sound that came out was, "Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!"
(16)
utthaya gopyo ‘para-ratra-bhoge
smrtva yasoda-suta-bala-kelim
gayanti proccair dadhi-manthayantyo
govinda damodara madhaveti
Upon waking, the gopis would churn yoghurt while remembering the delightful pastimes of mother Yasoda's son from the previous night. In doing so, they would loudly sing "O Govinda!, O Damodara!, O Madhava!"
(17)
jagdho ‘tha datto navanita-pindo
grhe yasoda vicikitsayanti
uvaca satyam vada he murare
govinda damodara msdhaveti
Once Krishna ate some butter and then gave it to the monkeys. Doubting that Sri Krishna was a thief, mother Yasoda inquired, "O Murari, O Govinda, O Damodara, O Madhava!, tell me the truth. Did you You steal butter?"
(18)
abhyarcya geham yuvatih pravrddha-
prema-pravāhā dadhi nirmamantha
gayanti gopyo ‘tha sakhi-sameta
govinda damodara madhaveti
After tending to her household chores, mother Yasoda, whose heart always overflows with intense love for Sri Krishna, began to churn yoghurt surrounded by her gopi friends. Together they sang, "O Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!"
(19)
kvacit prabhate dadhi-purna-patre
niksipya mantham yuvati mukundam
alokya ganam vividham karoti
govinda damodara madhaveti
Once at dawn, as Yasoda-devi was about to place the churning rod in a pot of yoghurt, he gazed upon her child, Mukunda. At once she became overwhelmed with motherly love and sang this wonderful song: "O my Govinda! O my Damodara! O my Madhava!"
(20)
kridaparam bhojana-majjanartham
hitaisini stri tanujam yasoda
ajuhavat prema-pari-plutaksi
govinda dāmodara mādhaveti
Desiring the welfare of her son, who was lost in playing, mother Yasoda's eyes welled with tears of love as she called out "O Govinda! O Damodara! O Madhava!, it's time to take bath and eat something"
