Damodarastakam (दामोदर अष्टकम) lyrics and translation in Hindi & English..

Lord Krishna declares Kartik Maas to be his favorite month in the Padma Purana's Uttara Khanda. It is also believed to represent Shri Radha Rani, who is most dear to Lord Krishna. I recently came across the 'Damodarastakam,' a wonderful, amazing prayer that Krsna followers all over the world read, recite, and sing every autumn during the holy month of Kartik (also known as the month of Damodara or Damodar Maas).

In Sanskrit, Damodara literally means 'Rope tied around the belly' where 'Dam' refers to a rope or cord and 'udara' refers to the stomach.

This eight-verse prayer is from Padma Purana of Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa. It was originally spoken by Satyavrata Muni in a conversation with Narada Muni and Saunaka Rishi. Each verse of Sri Damodarastakam, marks the profound blossoming of Sri Satyavrata Muni's love for Sri Krsna.

Sri Damodarastakam describes Krishna's early childhood pastime of running from HIS mother Yashoda, when she tried to chastise HIM for stealing butter. Each verse of this beautiful song describes various qualities of the supreme personality of God, who, in this pastime, appears as a child and allows himself to be captured by the love of his devotees.

This amazing prayer is composed in Bhujaìga prayäta meter, which means a snake-like course. It's a meter to write poems in Sanskrit and has 12 syllables in each quatrain.

According to folklore, Adi Shankara reached his mother's deathbed before she died. He composed 'Shiva Bhujanga Prayata Stotra' so that her mother gets moksha. As soon as it was completed, the servants of Lord Shiv came to take Shankara's mother to heaven.

The servants were wearing the tiger skin with belts of snakes, because of which Shankara's mother got terrified. After that, Adi Shankara politely requested Shiv ganas(servants of Lord Shiva) to go back. He then recited this prayer for Lord Vishnu in the Bhujanga prayata meter. Because of this, the servants of Lord Vishnu, who had polished God-like looks came to accompany Shankara's mother to heaven.

ALSO READ: Mokshada Ekadashi..

One of my friends Aastha Chaudhary sent me the Damodarastakam and suggested offering a ghee ka diya to Shri Krsna. For the last few days, I started listening to Sri Damodarastakam while offering the lamp and before going to bed. Don't know why, tears start rolling down my eyes as soon as I finish the 7th verse, in which Satyavrata Muni says, 'Krsna, don't cheat me by giving moksha'.  That's my deepest desire to practice bhakti-yoga and keep serving him till infinity, instead of attaining moksha.

If possible, please sing, read or recite Damodarastakam during Kartik. Here are the lyrics and translation of Damodarastakam, which I had downloaded from some website.

श्री दामोदराष्टकम्( Sri Damodarastakam) Lyrics in Hindi

नमामीश्वरं सच्-चिद्-आनन्द-रूपं, लसत्-कुण्डलं गोकुले भ्राजमनम्

यशोदा-भियोलूखलाद् धावमानं, परामृष्टम् अत्यन्ततो द्रुत्य गोप्या ॥ १॥

रुदन्तं मुहुर् नेत्र-युग्मं मृजन्तम्, कराम्भोज-युग्मेन सातङ्क-नेत्रम्

मुहुः श्वास-कम्प-त्रिरेखाङ्क-कण्ठ, स्थित-ग्रैवं दामोदरं भक्ति-बद्धम् ॥ २॥

इतीदृक् स्व-लीलाभिर् आनन्द-कुण्डे, स्व-घोषं निमज्जन्तम् आख्यापयन्तम्

तदीयेषित-ज्ञेषु भक्तैर् जितत्वं, पुनः प्रेमतस् तं शतावृत्ति वन्दे ॥ ३॥

वरं देव मोक्षं न मोक्षावधिं वा, न चन्यं वृणे ‘हं वरेषाद् अपीह

इदं ते वपुर् नाथ गोपाल-बालं, सदा मे मनस्य् आविरास्तां किम् अन्यैः ॥ ४॥

इदं ते मुखाम्भोजम् अत्यन्त-नीलैर्, वृतं कुन्तलैः स्निग्ध-रक्तैश् च गोप्या

मुहुश् चुम्बितं बिम्ब-रक्ताधरं मे, मनस्य् आविरास्ताम् अलं लक्ष-लाभैः ॥ ५॥

नमो देव दामोदरानन्त विष्णो, प्रसीद प्रभो दुःख-जालाब्धि-मग्नम्

कृपा-दृष्टि-वृष्ट्याति-दीनं बतानु, गृहाणेष माम् अज्ञम् एध्य् अक्षि-दृश्यः ॥ ६॥

कुवेरात्मजौ बद्ध-मूर्त्यैव यद्वत्, त्वया मोचितौ भक्ति-भाजौ कृतौ च

तथा प्रेम-भक्तिं स्वकां मे प्रयच्छ, न मोक्षे ग्रहो मे ‘स्ति दामोदरेह ॥ ७॥

नमस् ते ‘स्तु दाम्ने स्फुरद्-दीप्ति-धाम्ने, त्वदीयोदरायाथ विश्वस्य धाम्ने

नमो राधिकायै त्वदीय-प्रियायै, नमो ‘नन्त-लीलाय देवाय तुभ्यम् ॥ ८॥

श्री दामोदराष्टकम्( Sri Damodarastakam) Lyrics Translation in Hindi

वह  भगवान जिनका रूप सत, चित और आनंद से परिपूर्ण है, जिनके मकरो के आकार के कुंडल इधर उधर हिल रहे है, जो गोकुल नामक अपने धाम में नित्य शोभायमान है, जो (दूध और दही से भरी मटकी फोड़ देने के बाद) मैय्या यशोदा की डर से ओखल से कूदकर अत्यंत तेजीसे दौड़ रहे है और जिन्हें यशोदा मैय्या ने उनसे भी तेज दौड़कर पीछे से पकड़ लिया है ऐसे श्री भगवान को मै नमन करता हू  ।।1।।

अपने माता के हाथ में छड़ी देखकर) वो रो रहे है और अपने कमल जैसे कोमल हाथो से दोनों नेत्रों को मसल रहे है, उनकी आँखे भय से भरी हुयी है और उनके गले का मोतियो का हार, जो शंख के भाति त्रिरेखा से युक्त है, रोते हुए जल्दी जल्दी श्वास लेने के कारण इधर उधर हिल-डुल रहा है , ऐसे उन श्री भगवान् को जो रस्सी से नहीं बल्कि अपने माता के प्रेम से बंधे हुए है मै  नमन करता हु ।। 2 ।।

ऐसी बाल्यकाल की लीलाओ के कारण वे गोकुल के रहिवासीओ को आध्यात्मिक प्रेम के आनंद कुंड में डुबो रहे है, और जो अपने ऐश्वर्य सम्पूर्ण और ज्ञानी भक्तो को ये बतला रहे है की "मै अपने ऐश्वर्य हिन और प्रेमी भक्तो द्वारा जीत लिया गया हु", ऐसे उन दामोदर भगवान को मै शत शत नमन करता हु ।।3।।

हे भगवन, आप सभी प्रकार के वर देने में सक्षम होने पर भी मै आप से ना ही मोक्ष की कामना करता हु, ना ही मोक्षका सर्वोत्तम स्वरुप श्री वैकुंठ की इच्छा रखता हु, और ना ही नौ प्रकार की भक्ति से प्राप्त किये जाने वाले कोई भी वरदान की कामना करता हु । मै तो आपसे बस यही प्रार्थना करता हु की आपका ये बालस्वरूप मेरे हृदय में सर्वदा स्थित रहे, इससे अन्य और कोई वस्तु का मुझे क्या लाभ?।।4।।

हे प्रभु, आपका श्याम रंग का मुखकमल जो कुछ घुंघराले लाल बालो से आच्छादित है, मैय्या यशोदा द्वारा बार बार चुम्बन किया जा रहा है, और आपके ओठ बिम्बफल जैसे लाल है, आपका ये अत्यंत सुन्दर कमलरुपी मुख मेरे हृदय में विराजीत रहे । (इससे अन्य) सहस्त्रो वरदानो का मुझे कोई उपयोग नहीं है ।।5।।

हे प्रभु, मेरा आपको नमन है । हे दामोदर, हे अनंत, हे विष्णु, आप मुझपर प्रसन्न होवे (क्यूंकि) मै संसाररूपी दुःख के समुन्दर में डूबा जा रहा हु । मुझ दिन हिन पर आप अपनी अमृतमय कृपा की वृष्टि कीजिये और कृपया मुझे दर्शन दीजिये ।।6।।

हे दामोदर (जिनके पेट से रस्सी बंधी हुयी है वो), आपने माता यशोदा द्वारा ओखल में बंधे होने के बाद भी  कुबेर के पुत्रो (मणिग्रिव तथा नलकुबेर) जो नारदजी के श्राप के कारण वृक्ष के रूप में मूर्ति की तरह स्थित थे, उनका उद्धार किया और उनको भक्ति का वरदान दिया, आप उसी प्रकार से मुझे भी प्रेमभक्ति प्रदान कीजिये, यही मेरा एकमात्र आग्रह है, किसी और प्रकार की कोई भी मोक्ष के लिए मेरी कोई कामना नहीं है ।।7।।

हे दामोदर, आपके उदर से बंधी हुयी महान रज्जू (रस्सी) को प्रणाम है, और आपके उदर, जो निखिल ब्रह्म तेज का आश्रय है, और जो सम्पूर्ण ब्रह्माण्ड का धाम है, को भी प्रणाम है । श्रीमती राधिका जो आपको अत्यंत प्रिय है उन्हें भी प्रणाम है, और हे अनंत लीलाऐ करने वाले भगवन, आपको प्रणाम है ।।8।।

श्री दामोदराष्टकम्( Sri Damodarastakam) Lyrics Translation in English

To the Supreme Lord, whose form is the embodiment of eternal existence, knowledge, and bliss, whose shark-shaped earrings are swinging to and from, who is beautifully shining in the divine realm of Gokula, who I (due to the offence of breaking the pot of yoghurt that His mother was churning into butter and then stealing the butter that was kept hanging from a swing) is quickly running from the wooden grinding mortar in fear of mother Yasoda, but who has been caught from behind by her who ran after Him with greater speed--to that Supreme Lord, Sri Damodara, I offer my humble obeisances. ॥1॥

Seeing the whipping stick in His mother's hand) He is crying and rubbing His eyes again and again with His two lotus hands. His eyes are filled with fear, and the necklace of pearls around His neck, which is marked with three lines like a conch shell, is shaking because of His quick breathing due to crying. To this Supreme Lord, Sri Damodara, whose belly is bound not with ropes but with His mother's pure love, I offer my humble obeisances. ॥2॥

By such childhood pastimes as this, He is drowning the inhabitants of Gokula in pools of ecstasy and is revealing to those devotees who are absorbed in knowledge of His supreme majesty and opulence that He is only conquered by devotees whose pure love is imbued with intimacy and is free from all conceptions of awe and reverence. With great love, I again offer my obeisances to Lord Damodara hundreds and hundreds of times. ॥3॥

O Lord, although You are able to give all kinds of benedictions, I do not pray to You for the boon of impersonal liberation, nor the highest liberation of eternal life in Vaikuntha, nor any other boon (which may be obtained by executing the nine processes of bhakti). O Lord, I simply wish that this form of Yours as Bala Gopala in Vrndavana may ever be manifest in my heart, for what is the use to me of any other boon besides this? ॥4॥

O Lord, Your lotus face, which is encircled by locks of soft black hair tinged with red, is kissed again and again by Mother Yasoda, and Your lips are reddish like the bimba fruit. May this beautiful vision of Your lotus face be ever manifest in my heart. Thousands and thousands of other benedictions are of no use to me. ॥5॥

O Supreme Godhead, I offer my obeisances unto You. O Damodara! O Ananta! O Vishnu! O master! O my Lord, be pleased upon me. By showering Your glance of mercy upon me, deliver this poor ignorant fool who is immersed in an ocean of worldly sorrows, and become visible to my eyes. ॥6॥

O Lord Damodara, just as the two sons of Kuvera--Manigriva and Nalakuvara--were delivered from the curse of Narada and made into great devotees by You in Your form as a baby tied with rope to a wooden grinding mortar, in the same way, please give to me Your own prema-bhakti. I only long for this and have no desire for any kind of liberation. ॥7॥

O Lord Damodara, I first of all offer my obeisances to the brilliantly effulgent rope which binds Your belly. I then offer my obeisances to Your belly, which is the abode of the entire universe. I humbly bow down to Your most beloved Srimati Radharani, and I offer all obeisances to You, the Supreme Lord, who displays unlimited pastimes. ॥8॥

Hari Bol...
-K Himaanshu Shuklaa..

अध्यात्म से जुड़ी बातें पढ़ने के लिए यहाँ क्लिक करे