Wednesday, September 5, 2007


Sri Gopaladevashtaka Eight Prayers Glorifying Sri Gopaladeva
by Visvanath Chakravarti Thakura

Text 1

May Srila Gopaladeva, whose heart is charming and gentle, for whom pure love is the only wealth, who wears garments and made by His devotees, who is splendidly handsome, and who wears many kinds of jewel ornaments, eternally appear in my heart.

Text 2

May Srila Gopaladeva, who virtues and handsomeness have no equal, who is the king of all sweetness, who is served by all bodily splendor, whose face is praised by millions of moons, whose smile defeats nectar, and whose eyebrows playfully dance, appear in my heart.

Text 3

May Srila Gopaladeva, who is the abode of all ever-fresh opulence and auspiciousness, whose left hand rests on His waist, who possesses handsomeness multiplied millions of times, who protects His devotees, and who expertly increases their love for Him, appear in my heart.

Text 4

May Srila Gopaladeva, whose sidelong glances gradually increase His devotees' love, whose knowing smile announces His nectar pastimes, who remembers the Kamadeva-yajna, and who is a lake where the swans of pure love play, appear in my heart.

Text 5

May Srila Gopaladeva, the three lines on whose charming waist, created from looseness and slight chubbiness, are like the mark of Kamadeva, appear in my heart.

Text 6

May Srila Gopaladeva, who showers transcendental bliss, who shares lunch with His friends, who gives them Govardhana Hill, the crest-jewel of mountains, and who shines with friendship for Sridama, appear in my heart.

Text 7

May Srila Gopaladeva, who with devotional potency placed loving devotional service in the pure heart of Madhavendra Puri, appear in my heart.

Text 8

Even today sweet loving service to Srila Gopaladeva may be seen at every moment. What saintly devotee can count the many offerings made to Him? May Srila Gopaladeva appear in my heart.

Text 9

May Srila Gopaladeva appear in the heart of the pure-hearted devotee who, living either at home or in the forest, remembers Him by chanting, either in the day or night, these eight verses glorifying the Deity of Govardhana Hill.

Sri Madana-Gopaladevashtaka Eight Prayers Glorifying Sri Madana-Gopaladeva

Text 1

O Madana Gopala, please place Your lotus feet, which are marked with a thunderbolt, lotus, conchshell, waterpot and fish, which eclipse all splendors, and which with soft soles have conquered Vrindavana Forest, in my heart. Please protect me, for I am now Your home.

Text 2

With every step splendid garlands of the cooling moonlight of Your toenail-moons and the words of Your talkative anklets bring happiness to the path of my ears, eyes, and breath. O Madana Gopala, please protect me, for I am now Your home.

Text 3

O Madana Gopala, as You plunge me in the sweetness of the glittering golden earrings at Your cheeks, in the tilt of Your jeweled crown, and in the handsomeness of Your expertly moving restless eyes, please protect me, for I am now Your home.

Text 4

You place a flute on the red of Your lips, which are worshiped by the splendor of Your smile and decorated with the effulgence of teeth that defeat the splendor of rubies. O Madana Gopala, whose pastimes cannot be understood by the people, please protect me, for I am now Your home.

Text 5

You are splendid with golden earrings, many necklaces and garlands, dancing anklets and bracelets, and many other jewel ornaments, which are themselves decorated by the splendor of Your form. O Madana Gopala, please protect me, for I am now Your home.

Text 6

O Madana Gopala, with Your merciful glances, which are arbors of millions of celestial desire-trees, with the new blossoms of the splendor of Your face, which eclipses millions of moons, and with the kandala flowers of Your hands, which have nails to attack millions of Kamadevas, please protect me, for I am now Your home.

Text 7

O Madana Gopala, who appeared in a humanlike form and was served by Siva and all the demigods, O merciful one, who showed the Earth eternal spiritual love, please protect me, for I am now Your home.

Text 8

On the Yamuna's shore is shady kadamba grove and a glorious jewel palace where You eternally play with Radha and Lalita. O Madana Gopala, please protect me, for I am now Your home.

Text 9

Into the nectar lake of love for Your lotus feet You quickly plunge a sincere devotee who reads these eight nectar verses glorifying You. O Madana Gopala, please protect me, for I am now Your home.

Sri Govindadevashtaka Eight Verses Glorifying Sri Govindadeva

Text 1

May Sri Govindadeva, who enchants the eyes of all living entities with the graceful tilt of the peacock feather in His golden crown shining with pearls and jewels, be my shelter.

Text 2

May Sri Govindadeva, who enchants the devotees' hearts with His cheeks kissed by the splendor of His smile and the dancing of His earrings, be my shelter.

Text 3

May Sri Govindadeva who, by glancing at His beloved to attain the nectar of Her sidelong glance, arouses the love of all the demigoddesses, be my shelter.

Text 4

May Sri Govindadeva, who maddens the pious gopis with the graceful movements of His eyebrows, which are sprinkled by the beauty of His moving locks of hair, splendid earrings, and His cheek placed on His left shoulder, be my shelter.

Text 5

From far away blocking their ears with the music of His flute and their noses with the sweet fragrance of His body, He enters the gopis hearts and pulls them to Him. May Sri Govindadeva be my shelter.

Text 6

With the weight of His youthful handsomeness and the flooding ocean of His spiritual love, He fills the devotees on earth with wonder. May Sri Govindadeva be my shelter.

Text 7

Chanting mantras, the great devotees learned in the scriptures worship Him as He sits on a spiritual lotus flower in a jewel palace beneath a grove of desire trees. May Sri Govindadeva be my shelter.

Text 8

Handsome as Kamadeva and dressed and ornamented as if for a coronation, He enchants the inhabitants of the three worlds with the splendor of His body. May Sri Govindadeva be my shelter.

Text 9

Sri Govindadeva plunges in the flowing river of His mercy one who reads aloud this Govindadevashtaka, his mind meditating on the Lord's lotus feet. May Sri Govindadadeva be my shelter.

Sri Gopinathadevashtaka Eight Prayers Glorifying Sri Gopinatha

Text 1

On His mouth is a smile. In that smile is nectar. In that nectar is a flute, and in that flute is a nectar ocean of music. Gopinatha plunges the gopis in the waves of that ocean. Broad-chested Gopinatha is the goal of our lives.

Text 2

With the movement of the peacock feather in His red crown splendid with pearls and peacock feathers, He robs the jewels of the activities of our hearts and eyes. Broad-chested Gopinatha is the goal of our lives.

Text 3

The splendor of His broad thighs embraces His yellow dhoti. Glistening bells decorate His hips. A gopi kisses His left shoulder. Broad-chested Gopinatha is the goal of our lives.

Text 4

He wears yellow garments. Necklaces of flowers, gold, jewels, pearls and gunja decorate His neck. Broad-chested Gopinatha is the goal of our lives.

Text 5

He wears a white crown, white ornaments, and two or three splendid white garlands. His fame and purity are splendid and white. At the auspicious morning and evening aratis He kisses our heart. Broad-chested Gopinatha is the goal of our lives.

Text 6

He is handsome. He is decorated with the four marks of srivatsa, sri, kaustubha, and hairs standing erect in ecstasy. The fortunate devotees gaze on Him with pure love. Broad-chested Gopinatha is the goal of our lives.

Text 7

Is He a dark tamala tree surrounded by a golden vine? Is He a dark cloud with blazing lightning at both His sides, or is He a dark moon in the midst of two radha-stars? Broad-chested Gopinatha is the goal of our lives. Note: One of the 27 celebrated stars is named radha.

Text 8

He is a personified Ganges of pure love. He shows mercy to the poor and the shelterless and nourishes them with the nectar remnants of His meals, which cannot be attained even by the demigods. Broad-chested Gopinatha is the goal of our lives.

Text 9

Gopinatha does not see millions of sins of one who, carefully nourishing love for His lotus feet, reads this Gopinathashtaka with a happy heart. Broad-chested Gopinatha is the goal of our lives.

Sri Gokulananda-Govindadevashtaka Eight Prayers Glorifying Sri Gokulananda-Govindadeva

Text 1

Flooding the world with of the nectar of Your handsomeness, a million times You drown the happinesses of material love and at every moment increase the devotees thirst to see You with their eyes. O Govinda, O Gokulananda, I bow down before You.

Text 2

Your handsomeness rebukes the blue lotus. The goddess of fortune performed severe austerities to attain a fragment of the good fortune of the gopis, who easily attained Your fragrance. O Govinda, O Gokulananda, I bow down before You.

Text 3

The tala-raga and other melodies sung by Your voice and flute shine in the ear. What is nectar in comparison? What is impersonal Brahman? What is the happiness of Vaikuntha? O Govinda, O Gokulananda, I bow down before You.

Text 4

Their breasts plunged into nectar by the touch of Your feet, the gopis attain a good fortune much greater than the goddess of fortune's. The sound of the dundubhi drums of Your fame conquers all. O Govinda, O Gokulananda, I bow down before You.

Text 5

Brahma, Siva, and the other demigods taste the remnants of Your meals. They do not find nectar in the remnants from any other lips. O Govinda, O Gokulananda, I bow down before You.

Text 6

Everyone proclaims that the all-attractive nectar of Your pastimes is sweeter than the impersonal Brahman. Vyasa's son Sukadeva Gosvami is a testament to this. O Govinda, O Gokulananda, I bow down before You.

Text 7

Your six wonderful opulences delight the hearts of the saintly devotees who meditate on them. O Lord, O ocean of nectar, O Govinda, O Gokulananda, I bow down before You millions of times.

Text 8

May he who regularly reads this Gokulananda-Govindadevastaka and yearns to attain pure love and service for Your feet find his desire to plunge his heart in the ocean of Your sweetness fulfilled.

Sri Svayam-Bhagavattashtaka Eight Prayers Glorifying the Master of Six Opulences

Text 1

May Nanda's son, who is full of six opulences, who from His very birth was supremely (1) opulent, who displayed supreme (2) strength by killing a multitude of demons, who became supremely (3) famous by protecting Arjuna, who manifested supreme (4) wealth at Dvaraka, the capitol of the Yadus, who spoke supreme transcendental (5) knowledge to Arjuna, and who exhibited supreme (6) renunciation in the Yadus' fratricidal war, be pleased with me.

Text 2

May Nanda's son, who is full of great opulences, who at the time of His birth had a four-armed form, who once ate clay, who revealed millions of universes within His mouth, who broke a yogurt pot, and who displayed numberless transcendental forms to Brahma, be pleased with me.

Text 3

He employed the strength of His two lips on Putana, the strength of His arms on Kesi and Nriga, the strength of His feet on Kaliya, the strength of His body on Kamsa and Trinavarta, and the strength of His weapons on Banasura and other demons. May Nanda's son, who possesses all strength, be pleased with me.

Text 4

He possesses all fame because He gives liberation to His enemies, because although He took birth in human society, He defeated Siva and the other demigods, because He is submissive to the humble devotees who offer obeisances to Him, because He gave a benediction to Draupadi in the assembly, and because He was lavishly worshiped in the Rajasuya sacrifice. May Nanda's son be pleased with me.

Text 5

He has numberless gopis in Vraja, numberless queens and sons in Dvaraka, parijata trees, the sudharma assembly house, and other opulences, Outside His door Brahma and the demigods offer prayers and bring gifts. May Nanda's son, who possesses all wealth, be pleased with me.

Text 6

He gave to a dear friend the jewel Bhagavad-gita, which has no equal in the world. With love He gave to Uddhava the ultimate truth of the Vedas. He gave to the saintly gopis, who thought Him more dear than life, the knowledge of the sweetest nectar. May Nanda's son, who possesses all knowledge, be pleased with me.

Text 7

He brought an offensive hunter to Vaikuntha in his own body. He abandoned His own proud relatives, even though the sruti declares that they were already liberated and had eternal spiritual bodies. May Nanda's son, who possesses all renunciation, be pleased with me.

Text 8

Although He is unborn, He takes birth. Although He is affectionate, He is aloof from everything. Although He enjoys pastimes, He is inactive. He is both all-pervading and limited. He possesses and does not possess ego and possessiveness. May Nanda's son, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is full of all opulences, be pleased with me.

Text 9

He who serves this Bhagavattashtaka, which is an excellent medicine to remove the hundred fevers of doubt, and becomes overwhelmed with happiness by tasting in his mind the sweetness of the Lord's opulences, enters the path that leads to the Lord's personal association.

Sri Jagan-mohanashtaka Eight Prayers Glorifying Sri Jagan-mohana

Text 1

On His crown of gunja and colorful flowers a peacock feather moves to and fro. He wears handsome gorocana tilaka. I bow down before Jagan-mohana, the Lord whom I worship.

Text 2

Gopis maddened by the movements of His eyebrows pierce His eyes with arrows of sidelong glances. The tip of His nose is decorated with a splendid jewel and a beautiful pearl. I bow down before Jagan-mohana, the Lord whom I worship.

Text 3

The splendor of His moving locks of curly hair kisses the charming smile on His cheeks. The tips of His swaying earrings touch His handsome shoulders. I bow down before Jagan-mohana, the Lord whom I worship.

Text 4

His neck tilted, He holds a glistening flute to His bent lips, which rebuke the splendor of the bimba fruit and bandhuka flower. I bow down before Jagan-mohana, the Lord whom I worship.

Text 5

Three lines clearly mark His splendid neck as He sings melodies delightful to the ear. His chest is decorated with a glittering Kaustubha jewel, and His shoulders are broad. I bow down before Jagan-mohana, the Lord whom I worship.

Text 6

Reaching to His knees, and decorated with glistening bracelets and armlets, His handsome, bending arms are like Kamadeva's great wooden bolts. He is decorated with garlands of priceless pearls, jewels and flowers. I bow down before Jagan- mohana, the Lord whom I worship.

Text 7

Marked with a charming line of hairs, His abdomen is like a banyan leaf that moves as He breathes. He is dressed in yellow garments, and His ankle-bells tinkle melodiously. I bow down before Jagan-mohana, the Lord whom I worship.

Text 8

Decorated with jewel anklets, one foot is placed behind the other. His complexion is dark. His form bends in three places. He enjoys pastimes with Sri Radha under a desire tree. I bow down before Jagan-mohana, the Lord whom I worship.

Text 9
May he who by reading these eight verses remembers Srimaan Jagan-mohana-deva attain pure love of God. May he become plunged into the nectar of direct service to the Lord's feet.

Anuraga-valli The Vine of Love

Text 1

Please give me millions of bodies and millions of mouths in each body. By Your mercy place millions of tongues in each mouth. O Lord, may Your millions of transcendental qualities dance on those tongues.

Text 2

What is the use of a soul that does not have millions of bodies? What is the use of a body that does not have millions of mouths? What is the use of a mouth that does not have millions of tongues? What is the use of a tongue that does not chant Your millions of names?

Text 3

O Lord, may I perpetually have hundreds of bodies, and may each body have thousands of mouths. May each mouth have millions of tongues, and may each tongue chant millions of Your Holy Names.

Text 4

O Madhava, whenever, wherever, or whoever chants Your names and pastimes, there may I with millions of ears eternally drink Your nectar.

Text 5

May I have millions of ears and millions upon millions of tongues. Then, O Lord, I will eternally and happily hear and chant Your pastimes

Text 6
May I have millions of ears, millions of eyes, millions of hearts and minds, and millions of tongues. Hearing about, seeing, and embracing the ocean of Your handsomeness, I will drink its sweetness.

Text 7

May I have millions of eyes, ears, noses, tongues and chests, so that I may continually taste the nectar of Your handsomeness, Your sweet sounds, sweet fragrance, and Your embrace.

Text 8

May I have millions of feet to go to Your side. May I have millions of hands to serve You. May I have millions of intelligences to teach that service. O Lord, please grant me these boons.

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