On Damodarastakam

[madanmohandas]

On the first verse of Damodarastakam.

Here I attempt Sanatan's annotation along with my verse renderings. I will no doubt need help with the tika.

I bow to the Eternal Joy divine,
The Almighty who in Gokul doth shine;
With glist'ning pendants hung upon each ear;
Who fled the grinding mortar in great fear
Of Yashoda who ran for him too fast;
The cowherdess in swiftness him surpassed
And seized upon him from behind at last. 1


Sanatan Goswami's annotation.

Bowing to him whose soft belly was bound,
Along with Sri Radha, I now expound
Eight verses in which he is glorified,
And show the way as a general guide.

Before elaborating on the particulars of the beauty, exploits, attributes and other details, as also the excellence of the Lord's manifestation in Gokula, the author, to invoke auspiciousness in his undertaking, opens the poem with a customary salutation, 'namaami' I bow. To whom does he bow? To Ishvara, the supreme ruler, who is omnipotent, who is the one universal Lord, and who is his own (the author's) Master. These imply ardent prayer to divinity with exclusive and pious devotion.
How then is he characterised? 'sat-chid-aananda-roopam' the form of eviternal consciousness and bliss, or the embodied condensed essence of these elements, such is the express meaning of the phrase.
The author now proceeds to elucidate the particular super-excellence of the exquisite beauty of his glistening ear pendants that are set in motion as he flees in terror from Yashoda, or that are often seen glistening with the restless motions of his childhood play, as 'twere the earrings themselves are always at play upon his cheeks. In this manner attention is drawn to the sweet beauty of his radiant face. Also, the surpassing fortune of the earrings is suggested in they are fortunate enough to always be kissing his lovely cheeks, or that the earrings derive their lustre from his cheeks, which further suggest the idea that his ornaments are beautified by his beauty. The cowherd damsels, in Book Ten express their wonder in,

"Your beauty makes the three worlds fortunate,
Cows, birds and deer, and trees horripilate."
(SB. X.XXIX.IL)

Also in Book Three Uddhava exclaims,

"He charmed himself by his embellishments,
Whose limbs ornamented his ornaments."
(SB.III.II.XII)

[madanmohandas]

Now the surpassing excellence of his associates is proclaimed with, ‘Who in Gokul doth shine’, which implies, with cowherds, cowherdesses, cows and calves, among whom he shines; which suggests a most suitable environment to exhibit his natural beauty and where he augments the natural beauty of his surroundings. Again we find in Book Ten,

“So now he sate upon the sandy ground,
Illustrious, while cowherd dames surround;
His exclusive beauty a radiance cast,
Of love’s charms, in the three worlds unsurpassed.
(SB. X.XXXII.XIV)

In the latter half of the verse the author proceeds to elucidate the passing wondrous childhood exploits, such as, how he flees in terror of his mother Yashoda; how he pierced and broke the pots; his guilty expression as he flies the mortar; how he was to be seen standing on the upturned mortar with the covert intention of pilfering the curds and cream; and how he sought to evade punishment. This incident is elaborated in Book Ten, Canto Nine in words like these,

Nor sooner had she spied him from a far,
Seated upon the overturned mortar,
And doling out to monkeys in the yard,
The tasty curds and cream, now off his guard;
But glancing here and there now and again,
With guilty looks, the jars of cream did drain.

But suddenly she crept up from behind
To seize him who is not easy to find,
E’en by great contemplatives in the mind;
But when his mother’s swift approach he spies,
He leaps in haste and from the mortar flies.
(SB. X.IX. VIII-IX)

Though he fled in haste, Yashoda could run with a swifter pace, despite her bulky thighs and heavy bosom. Reference to her as ‘the’ cowherdess suggests her dignity and high status in particular, and the great fortune of the cowherds in general.
‘Seized upon him from behind’, implies his affectionate condescension in allowing himself to be caught at last.
Again delving into the Bhagavat we have,

“And while she did in haste Krishna pursue,
Cascading blossoms her footsteps ensue;
Impeded by her bulky breasts and thighs,
She hastes behind; to catch the culprit tries,
And when she did the chance to sieze him find,
At length she caught hold of him from behind.


(SB.X.IX.X)

Here concludes Sanatan Goswami’s annotation on Damodarastakam, verse 1.

[satyabauli]

Thank you for these verse renderings. They really broaden the meaning and scene for me.

I've been trying to find the location of the Damodarastakam within the Padma Purana to no avail. Do you know where it is?

Thanks again. Radhe Radhe.

[madanmohandas]

Nov 15, 2020 21:59:23 GMT -6 satyabauli said:

Thank you for these verse renderings. They really broaden the meaning and scene for me.

I've been trying to find the location of the Damodarastakam within the Padma Purana to no avail. Do you know where it is?

Thanks again. Radhe Radhe.

As far as I know it is not to be found in the extant editions of the Padma.

[madanmohandas]

Text Two

Repeatedly he weeps and sobs and cries,
With lotus-hands he rubs his fearful eyes,
Moistened with apprehension and afright.
With panting breath, his jewel necklace bright,
Shakes on his conch-like neck, with creases three;
Bound only by the loving devotee. 2

The author now develops the sequence of events in the verse beginning with, ‘rudantam’, the weeping of tears. Again the Bhagavat supplies the illustration.

The guilty child with apprehensive fear,
Grew terrified as his mother drew near,
And smeared the collyrium round his eyes,
That blended with his tears and frequent cries.
The fond mother then seized him by the hand,
Then gan her child to mildly reprimand.
(SB. X.IX.XI)

Observing the stick in his mother’s hand he wept with augmented apprehension and dread, with a view to evade chastisement. Hence our text runs, “With lotus-hands he rubs his fearful eyes.” Such being the particular and unique excellence and inherent characteristic of his childhood play.
Or else, he sought to wipe away the tears engendered by fear, or essayed to interrupt the flow of tears; such are the implications. His fearful and tremulous eyes indicate his mental perturbation, or that he simply glanced about with fearful eyes, in any case, his display of childish apprehension suggests his attempt to evade punishment. Also, his repeated (muhurmuhuh) sobbing and weeping, with shortened breath caused him to pant and tremble, which sets in motion the ornament on his ‘greeva’ or neck, known as ‘graiveya’ or a necklace, as well as strands of pearls. His lovely neck has three creases or folds that resemble the spiral lines on a conch shell.
By the compound epithet, Damodara, his being bound, ‘dama’ by the belly, ‘udara’ is signified. Damodara- Bellybound. The Bhagavat continues the sequence,

But when she saw that he was terrified,
She threw away the stick, then did decide,
That to the grinding mortar she would bind
Her naughty child, and keep him thus confined.
(SB. X.IX.XIV)

The rope was fastened to the mortar and then tied around his belly. The incident suggests his affectionate and willing condescension and submission to his devotee; he being the object, and Yashoda the subject of maternal love, by the influence of which he submits and assents to be bound. Since the rope itself had not the strength nor the length wherewith to bind him. For, when she made the attempt and assayed to do so, the rope came up two finger phalanges too short, about two inches, and despite the subjoining of more rope the necessary length would fall short by the same measure. Returning to the narrative in the Bhagavat,

Now while to bind her son she did essay,
She found to her chagrin and sore dismay,
The rope was short two finger joints in length,
To which she added more to give it strength.
Yet still she tried another rope to add,
To the first one that she already had,
And yet another one to that was bound,
But still his abdomen would not go round.
(SB. X.IX.XV-XVII)

Another cause in regard to his being belly bound (and hence the epithet Damodara) was to display and exhibit his bondage to love, but not merely an extrinsic display, as the preceding analysis has amply shown. The narrative continues from the Bhagavat,

At length, when her exhaustion he perceived,
And flowers from her hair the ground received,
And perspiration trickling down her face,
Compassionate, he deigned to show his grace;
And let himself be to the mortar bound.
Thus Hari by this wondrous deed has owned,
Though he is always and forever free,
He is subjugate to his devotee.
Although he is the ruler who confers
Boons on the gods, his faithful ministers,
Yet only to the pure who love him so,
He condescends such favour to bestow,

Nor Brahma, nor Bhava, nor Goddess Shri,
Who always clings to him, such high degree
Of favour gained, or ever could achieve,
As did this pious cowherdess receive.

That mighty Lord, son of the cowherd dame,
The wise and self-aware cannot attain,
But to devotees easy of access,
Who such pure affection for him possess.
(SB.X.IX.XVIII-XXI)

Furthermore, Krishna is reported to have thought,

Narad is my favorite devotee,
Therefore I shall fulfil his prophesy.
(SB.X.X.XXV)

This indicates that the ensuing exploit of uprooting and felling the Yamala Arjuana trees was instigated by Narada, which also suggests Krishna’s complicity in love in relation to his devotee.

Thus concludes the analysis of Text Two

[Nitaidas]

Are you translating this yourself, Madanmohandasji, or using someone else's translation? If you are doing it yourself, what is your source for the text?

[madanmohandas]

Nov 16, 2020 21:56:13 GMT -6 Nitaidas said:

Are you translating this yourself, Madanmohandasji, or using someone else's translation? If you are doing it yourself, what is your source for the text?

Greetings Nitaiji, I am using an edition published by ISKCON, but because leaves have fallen out I do not know exactly who did it. It includes a transliteration of venerable Santatan's annotation, so I am trying to follow that, referring to the translation when I'm stuck, and making it up a bit when I'm not sure. I would not have the capacity to render the Sanskrit without a translation, if not English, at least Bengali. My grammar is particularly poor, but vocabulary is quite good. Call me a versifier rather than a translator if you like. If you see anything objectionable or downright wrong I would like you to inform me. Also when I attempt prose my intent is to imitate a kind of Ciceronian rhetoric, however poorly done, but it is fun.

PS. In his intro. the translator, whoever it was, said he takes full responsibility for any discrepancies. hahaha

[madanmohandas]

Text Three

Thus by such wondrous childhood deeds as this,
He plunges his lovers in pools of bliss;
And to the curious who wish to know,
His perfect submission to love does show.
Repeatedly and in a hundred ways,
I bow to him with love and sing his praise. 3

Sanatan's Dig-darshini annotation, (roughly rendered)

The author now elaborates on the particular excellence of his divine attributes. The conjunctive adverb, 'thus', with which the verse begins is in reference to the preceding verses. 'In this manner', revealing his perfect submission to the love of the devotee by condescending to be bound, occasions the appreciation and apprehension of his charming and extraordinary childhood exploits, as the text proclaims, "He plunges his lovers in pools of bliss." In the Bhagavat we have an illustration,

Anon, the cowherd damsels, on a day,
With curiosity to Krishna say,
'If you a measure dance upon your feet,
O Krishna, we will give you a sweet meat.'
Inducing him to dance with clapping hands,
Another, Krishna playfully commands,
'Bring here that jug, this footstool hither bring',
Which, when unable, up his arms would fling,
As if to show that he was strong enough,
Whereat the cowherd dames begin to laugh.
He frowned a moment, then again he smiled,
Like any ordinary mortal child.
And while they gather round him in a throng,
Krishna rejoiced his relatives with song.
(SB.X.XI.VII-VIII)

The word 'ghosam' in our text signifies his kinsfolk and associates, nay, all creatures who dwell in Vraja. All of whom are plunged in the deep pools of bliss, submerging and submerged in the various delight of his association, as expressed in the verse cited above, 'Krishna rejoiced his relatives with song'.

[madanmohandas]

Or else, ‘ghosah’ signifies the loud proclamation of great glory. Even as his companions, the cowherds and cowherd women, are immersed in pools of joy, he himself experiences high felicity when glorified by them.
Or else, In order to impress upon the curious who seek to know the awful aspect of his divine majesty, that he only submits to the pure affection of unalloyed devotion. There is a verse (unattributed)

Lo! I am not by mere wisdom subdued,
But only by those with pure love endued.

Again we find in the Bhagavat,

He thus revealed to the world his estate,
How he to his lover is subjugate.
(SB.X.XI.IX)

[madanmohandas]

Thus he has disclosed to those who are enamoured of the supreme dignity of his Godhead, that he condescends to submit only to the pure devotion of the soul; and to impress upon them the potent influence of his devoted adherents, which is not be observed in others who presume to comprehend his mystery by pursuit of pedantic scholasticism, to whom the great mystery and surpassing glory of the devotee remains elusive.
In the verse from the Bhagavat cited above, ‘He thus revealed…’ He exhibited to those who do apprehend his divinity his utter submission to love.
In the exuberating exhilaration of ardent love, the author is desirous of bowing down over and over again, ‘Repeatedly and in a hundred ways,’ to that ‘ Ishvara’ the independent supreme ruler who is thus characterised, not in a mood of awful reverence, but in profound affection and the ecstasy of love.

[madanmohandas]

Text Four

O God of boons! I do not seek from thee
Liberation e'en in the best degree;
Nor do I choose or any boon require;
This, my dear Lord, is my only desire;
That this thy form as the young cowherd boy,
May in my mind remain, what other joy
With this blessing could equal or exceed,
Certes I have for other boons no need. 4

Venerable Sanatan's annotation, loosely done.

Having thus adduced the superior excellence of the Lord in the foregoing verses, the author, in the ensuing two verse, obtends his solicitude in the formulation of suppliant prayer.

................ I seek not from thee,
Liberation e'en in the best degree....'

and to express his singular objective,

'Nor do I choose or any boon require.'

The epithet, Deva, or Deity/God, in 'O God of boons', suggests the uncommon radiance of his person; or it implies, 'O thou engrossed in sweet delightful exploits!'

Although you are competent to grant any and all benedictions, I am loath to seek salvation, which is the fourth human fulfilment, or even the extreme limits of salvation, which consists in the condensed essence of singular happiness. Nor even the reward of eternal residence in the divine Vaikuntha which is attained by the nine disciplines of devotion, beginning with aural reception. No, nor, ‘any other boon’, which suggests any cherished desire that may be entertained here in Vrindavan.

[madanmohandas]

The preposition, ‘iha’ or here, is also applicable to the second half of the stanza, ie., ‘here’ in Vrindavan. There is also a comparative sequence in the progression from indeterminate salvation, residence in Vaikuntha etc. leading to the hyparxis, which has been elaborated in the second part of (my) Brihad Bhagavatamrtam, where it is argued that superior to salvation is residence in Vaikuntha, superior to residence in Vaikuntha is the experience derived from the nine disciplines of devotion beginning with aural reception. Again we find in the Bhagavat,

Lord! Let us to perdition be consigned
For sins committed, yet with conscious mind,
If we like bees your lotus-feet attain,
We would in any place willing remain.
(SB.III.XV.IL)

Which confirms that the deep absorption in aural reception and other practises, surpass the excellence of the otherwise coveted residence in Vaikuntha; since such absorption occasions the experience of dwelling in Vaikuntha anywhere and everywhere, yea, even in deepest hell.
The Lord might say, ‘What benediction then would you have?’ To which the poet, ‘I would choose, dear Lord, for the perpetual manifestation of the vision in my mind, here in Vrindavan, and in the manner whilom described, of your form as the beautiful cowherd child. You are, albeit, the indwelling monitor in the hearts of all, but still, I choose the perception of this beautiful cowherd child.’ The Lord then, ‘But surely salvation and dwelling in my celestial abode are worthy boons.’ To which the poet, ‘What of that? What need is there of salvation or ‘any other boon? None I say, since all joy and fulfilment culminate in thee.’ Conversely, the poet continues, ‘In the privation of that true gain, even the possession of all other accomplished perfections were paltry and trivial ends and lamentable in the extreme.’ Such is the implication of the phrase, ‘Certes I have for other boons no need.’
‘Well, alright’, sayeth the Lord, ‘salvation you may reject, but would you not prefer to dwell in my celestial realm, behold my majestic four armed form, and in my society hold pleasant and familiar conversation with me?’ The poet insists, ‘What need have I for any other boon? Let me have the perpetual inward vision of this thy beautiful person and experience the limits of fond and loving affection.’
On the particular excellences of the inward perception of the divine form there is an elaborate discourse delivered by Pippalayana in the region of Tapaloka, which can be found in the second part of (my) Brhad Bhagavatamrtam.
Thus the prayer in seeking a benediction is dexterously blended with a glorification of the comparative superiority of the boon desired, in which manner the ensuing verses are also expressed.

Thus concludes the rudimentary rendering of venerable Sanatan’s annotation to Damodarastakam, text four.

[madanmohandas]

Text Five

This lotus-face of thine of beauty rare,
Is circled by curling locks of black hair;
With crimson pollen patches that confess,
Where thou art kissed by the fond cowherdess;
With roseate lips as Bimba berries soft,
She kisses thee both many times and oft.
May this vision within my mind remain,
I care not for great and abundant gain!

Dig-Darshini annotation

In the verse beginning with ‘This’ etc. the author resolves thus, ‘I am eagerly desirous to behold the exquisite attractiveness and endearing charm of ‘this’ your beautiful face.’
Sometimes, in the depths of meditation the sweet beauty and fine features of the Lord are quite inexpressible, wherefore the poet resorts to the device of metaphor.
‘Your face resembles a lovely blooming lotus flower, the perception whereof dissipates all sorts of afflictions; it affords the exhilarating rapture of joy to behold; may I experience this revelation in my mind over and again. How is the metaphor drawn out? His dark complexion is analogous to the blue lotus, attended by swarms of greedy bees which shadow forth the impression of his loose and tumbling curls, stained with crimson pollen, representing the lip balm transferred by the fond kisses of the cowherdess.
The ‘cowherdess’ here refers to Yashoda or to Radha, respective to their several moods.
May this vision appear in my mind 'many times and oft’.
Or else, ‘many times and oft’ denotes the exclusive great fortune of the cowherdess who is thus privileged to plant kisses on his face many times and oft. And further, ‘May I have the instantaneous revelation of this vision in my mind.’ Such is the idea.
Or else, ‘always remain’ carries over from the preceding verse to emphasise and add force to the expression.
Lips, or more properly, the lower lip, is represented on account of it’s hue and texture, to the likeness of Bimba berries.
Also, in the original, ‘an hundred thousand other benefits’, (rendered here as great abundant gain) does not necessarily denote a particular number, but includes all other possible attainments.

Thus concludes the annotation to text five.

[madanmohandas]

Text Six

Hail Deva! Bellybound! The one adored,
Almighty Vishnu! Universal Lord.
Be kind, O Master, and thy favour show,
For I am steeped in ocean-like sorrow,
Pour down, Master, thy gracious glance on me,
Although I am wretched and unworthy;
Accept me and reval to me the prize,
Not only in the mind, but to the eyes. 6

Dig-darshini annotation

Raised to the heights of rapturous glorification by the sudden onrush of loving ecstasy, the author, in the verse beginning with ‘Hail’, applies himself to the most efficacious discipline of loud glorification of the divine epithets, and in humble solicitude submits his petition for the attainment of divine grace.
The word ‘tubhyam’ or ‘unto thee’, is implied in the salutation ‘Hail’, but due to anxiety occasioned by the perturbation of divine frenzy, the author has omitted ‘unto thee’.
To paraphrase he says, ‘O Master! O my omnipotent God! Be graciously disposed to show thy grace.
I am immersed in the sea of sorrow and grief for want of thy vision. Or else, I am thrown into the irremeable affliction of metempsychosis, wherefore I have sunk to the extremity of wretchedness; or, I am helpless and deprived of all assistance, therefore I am rendered indigent and worthless, or I am on the verge of death, or indeed, my life is dead. Thus he deplores his utter ignorance and feels incapable of finding any solution.
Thereupon the author expresses his aspiration, look upon me with thy gracious glance; or favour me by showering a downpour of your ambrosial beauty, and by such merciful condescension, uplift me from that sea of sorrows afore mentioned.
Finally he divulges his heart’s desire, O let me see thee with mine eyes. Thus by degrees he raises his expectation and takes courage to solicit his most cherished desire, in due order from least to best, and not abruptly or discursively.
How direct and immediate vision surpasses the afore mentioned inward vision in the mind is elaborated by the attendants of the Almighty Lord in their discourse on the glory of direct vision, in the second part of (my) Brihad Bhagavatamrtam.
With the invocation, ‘O Deva!’ My God, endued with rare and supernal beauty which occasions my desire to see you.
O Bellybound Damodara! Since thou art submissive to the affection of thy votaries, it is quite befitting that thou showest thyself to me.
O Ananta! O Infinite being, who confers infinite blessings by the operation of thy gracious glance.
Prabho! Puissant Master, thine incomprehensible, uncircumscribed, wondrous and mighty power is quite capable, despite being beyond the range and scope of perception of revealing to the optic sense a vision of thy beauty.
Isha! Almighty ruler, being totally independent, you bestow your grace without respect of persons, disinterested, and therefore without motive.
Also, the address, O Vishnu! alludes to his omnipresence, implying, O thou who art ever wont to enter the groves and bowers, caves and grottoes of divine Vrindavan, since it requires no laborious task on thy part, thou mayest show thyself to me.
Or else it suggests, O infinite and indivisible being! O omnipresent Vishnu! O Damodara and so forth, by the exercise of thine abundant tender affection, thou hast the capacity to accomplish all things.
The ensuing statements may be read in the like manner.

Thus concludes the annotation to Damodarastakam 6

[madanmohandas]

Text Seven

Though Kuvera’s sons were to trees constrained,
Though bound, release and love from thee they gained;
That same gift, Lord, of love do not refuse,
I do not, Damodar, salvation choose. 7

Dig-darshini annotation

Thus in the ardour of profound sentiments of love and the eager anticipation of his cherished end, the author, in the sudden awakening of rapture, and apprehending the extreme rarity of his sought for boon, and perceiving the superiority of loving devotion as the supreme means, speaks the verse, ‘Though Kuvera’s sons….etc.’

Or else he considers, The sudden manifestation of the vision in my mind will be insufficient to satisfy me, since I shall be plunged into the extremity of misery when that vision is withdrawn. Therefore I ween that the only means to prolong your perpetual audience is pure and loving devotion. But how shall I, being as I am a mighty transgressor, attain it? As for that, since the Supreme Lord is possessed of inestimable powers and is the repository of glorious affectionate condescension, by the operation of which, that which is otherwise impossible of attainment may be accomplished with ease, he thus prays for the gift of loving devotion to the exclusion of indeterminate salvation in the verse, ‘Though Kuvera’s sons….etc’.