Damodarashtakam

Damodarashtakam: Mantra with Meaning

Damodarashtakam, or Damodara Ashtakam, is a hymn that describes the glorious leelas of Lord Krishna during His childhood age. This stotra is taken from Padma Purana. It was spoken by Satyavrata Muni to Narada Muni and Saunaka Rishi.

Lord Krishna has said in Bhagavad Gita that among all the months, Kartik is His favorite. This month is special because it represents Srimati Radharani, the beloved of Lord Krishna. Srimati Radharani is also known as Kartika Devi. So, in this special month, the devotees of Krishna remember the mischievous childhood pastimes of Lord Krishna. They also worship Srimati Radharani because worshipping Her with sincere devotion equally pleases Lord Krishna. Worshipping only Krishna without including His beloved Radhika is considered incomplete worship, so both (although they are One and same) should be worshipped together.

Damodarashtakam is about Krishna being tied by the rope of love by Mother Yashoda. Recitation of this hymn during the auspicious month of Kartik (or any other times) deepens the devotion and love for Lord Krishna.

Composed By: Sage Satyavrata

Lord Krishna and Mother Yashoda

Play the music, and sing the stotra along with it

॥ दामोदराष्टकम् ॥

नमामीश्वरं सच्चिदानंदरूपं लसत्कुण्डलं गोकुले भ्राजमानम् ।
यशोदाभियोलूखलाद्धावमानं परामृष्टमत्यं ततो द्रुत्य गोप्या ॥१॥

I offer my profound salutations to that Supreme Lord Who is the personification of ultimate bliss, Who has shiny earrings on His cheeks, Who lives in Gokula, and Who is resplendent,
And Who ran away from the mortar in the fear of Mother Yashoda (for the act of stealing butter that Gopis kept secretly), but was eventually caught. To that Lord, my humble obeisance.

रुदन्तं मुहुर्नेत्रयुग्मं मृजन्तं कराम्भोज-युग्मेन सातङ्क-नेत्रम् ।
मुहुःश्वास-कम्प-त्रिरेखाङ्क-कण्ठ स्थित-ग्रैवं दामोदरं भक्ति-बद्धम् ॥२॥

Having been caught, He was weeping again and again and rubbing His frightened eyes with His lotus hands.
He was breathing heavily shaking His neck which was marked with three lines (like a conch), along with the ornaments on His neck. To Him (Damodara) Who was tied in the belly by the rope of intense love, my profound salutations.

इतीदृक् स्वलीलाभिरानंद कुण्डे स्वघोषं निमज्जन्तं आख्यापयन्तम् ।
तदीयेशितज्ञेषु भक्तिर्जितत्वं पुनः प्रेमतस्तं शतावृत्ति वन्दे ॥३॥

By such pastimes, He flooded the inhabitants of Gokula in the lake of ecstasy.
To those who were aware of His glories, He revealed that He can be conquered only by pure and loving devotion. To that Supreme Lord, I offer my salutations hundreds and hundreds of times.

वरं देव ! मोक्षं न मोक्षावधिं वा न चान्यं वृणेऽहं वरेशादपीह ।
इदं ते वपुर्नाथ गोपालबालं सदा मे मनस्याविरास्तां किमन्यैः ॥४॥

O Lord, although You are capable of granting any boon, I don't cherish liberation, nor life in Vaikuntha, nor any other boons.
I only pray You to be ever present in my mind as a Bala-Gopala in Vrindavana. Of what avail are other boons to me?

इदं ते मुखाम्भोजमत्यन्त-नीलैः वृतं कुन्तलैः स्निग्ध-रक्तैश्च गोप्या ।
मुहुश्चुम्बितं बिम्ब-रक्ता-धरं मे मनस्याविरास्तामलं लक्षलाभैः ॥५॥

O Lord! Your dark-complexioned lotus face, which is encircled by the locks of curly hair, has become reddish by the kisses of Mother Yashoda.
May this visage, kissed again and again by Mother Yashoda causing Your cheeks to be red like bimba fruit, be always manifested in my mind. Then to what avail will millions of other boons be?

नमो देव दामोदरानन्त विष्णो प्रसीद प्रभो दुःख-जालाब्धि-मग्नम् ।
कृपा-दृष्टि-वृष्ट्याऽति-दीनं बतानुगृहाणेष मामज्ञमेध्यक्षिदृश्यः ॥६॥

I bow down to You O divine One! O Damodara, O the infinite Vishnu, please be gracious to me who is drowning in the ocean of sorrow.
Please shower Your merciful glance upon me who is extremely miserable and ignorant, and appear before me in Your divine form.

कुबेरात्मजौ बद्ध-मूर्त्यैव यद्वत्त्वया मोचितौ भक्ति-भाजौ कृतौ च ।
तथा प्रेम-भक्तिं स्वकां मे प्रयच्छ न मोक्षेऽऽग्रहो मेऽस्ति दामोदरेह ॥७॥

Being tied to the mortar, You freed the sons of Kubera from their curse (given by Narada Muni) and gave them chance to become Your devotees.
In the same way, O Damodara, please bestow upon me the desire of intense devotion. I have no any desire for liberation.

नमस्तेऽस्तु दाम्ने स्फुरद्-दीप्ति-धाम्ने त्वदीयोदरायाथ विश्वस्य धाम्ने ।
नमो राधिकायै त्वदीय-प्रियायै नमोऽनन्त-लीलाय देवाय तुभ्यम् ॥८॥

I offer my humble reverence to the great rope that tied Your abdomen (by Mother Yashoda) from where Lord Brahma (the creator of the entire Universe) was born.
My profound obeisance to Your beloved Radhika, and to You Who is the transcendental master of infinite leelas and of these divine and eternal pastimes.

इति श्रीसत्यव्रतकृतदामोदरस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ॥

Hence ends Damodarashtakam composed by Shree Satyavrata.

---

---

NOTE:
You may find that some texts do not match the words from the song. Know that, the texts written here is the correct and complete one. For easy reading, dash sign (-) is placed in the middle of texts, leaving space as it is. If you want the original format, just remove dash sign from all the verses.