jgjhjjjjjhhgjhgjhghh;;;lk;kl;k;kl;l;l;kl;kl;k;k;k;k;

ghjgkjhjhgjhhjgggSri Sri Damodarastakam

Eight Prayers to Lord Damodara Whose Belly is Bound by a Rope
including the Sanskrit commentary of Srila Sanatana os!ami
entitled Dig"Darsini"#ika
$ppendices
$ppendi% $
&ref' #e%t () page *(+
Brhad Bhaga!atamrta *'*("*, Page -.
$ppendi% B
&ref' #e%t () page *,+
Brhad Bhaga!atamrta -'/0"10 Page -(
$ppendi% 2
&ref' #e%t 0) page */+
Brhad Bhaga!atamrta .'*31"*/- Page -3
$ppendi% D
&ref' #e%t /) page --+
4otes by Bhakti"Prajnana 5esa!a 6aharaja Page -1
$ppendi% E
Sri Sri Damodarastakam Page .*
&from songs of the 7aisna!a $caryas+
2ontents
#e%t *8namamis!aram sac"cid"ananda"rupam Page 0
#e%t -8rudantam muhur netra"yugmam mrjantam Page 1
#e%t .8itidrk"s!a"lilabhir ananda"kunde Page *-
#e%t (8!aram de!a9 moksam na moksa!adhim !a Page *(
#e%t ,8idam te mukhambhojam a!yakta"nilair Page *0
#e%t 08namo de!a9 damodarananta9 !isno9 Page *3
#e%t 38ku!eratmajau baddha"murtyai!a yad"!at Page *1
#e%t /8namas te stu damne sphurad dipti"dhamne Page -*
:ntroduction
By ;; Bhakti"Prajnana 5esa!a 6aharaja
<=ne or #>o #opics about Sri Sri Damodarastaka?
Sri Krsna-candra, Who is achintyananta-saktiman bhagavan - the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and potent source of inconceivably limitless energies - allowed
Mata asoda to bind !im with ropes to a wooden grinding mortar" #y this pastime, !e
fully tasted the essence of her visuddha-vatsalya-prema-rasa, the totally pure spiritual
mellows of her parental love" !e also thereby revealed to the world the highest
characteristics of !is $uality of bhaktadhinata, or willingness to sub%ect !imself to the
dominance of the devotee" &his supremely enchanting dama-bandhana-lila was
manifested on the day of Karttika-sukla pratipada - the day after the dark moon day in the
month of Karttika" &his is also the primary reason for the perfectly glorious month of
Karttika becoming famous by the name of 'amodara" (charyapada Sri Gopala #hatta
Gosvami, the author of the )aisnava smrti-sastra names Sri !ari-bhakti-vilasa, has
outlined the devotional activities to be carried out during the month of Karttika" !e
indicates that the rule to be followed every day is the worship of Sri Sri *adha-'amodara
and the recitation of the stotra named Sri 'amodarastaka, thus +!"b"v" ,-"./-.-01
23 learned )ipras4 5f one worships the deity of Sri *adhika during the month of
Karttika for the purpose of !er pleasure, then 'amodara !ari becomes very satisfied"
3ne who worships 6ord 'amodara by daily reciting the prayer known as 'amodarastaka,
which was spoken by the sage Satyavrata, verily attracts 'amodara !imself"7
&his stotra names Sri 'amodarastaka is found in the Padma-purana, being spoken by Sri
Satyavrata Muni during a conversation with Sri 8arada, Saunaka and other sages" Srila
Sanatana Gosvamipada states in his commentary on this prayer that it is nitya-siddha +an
eternally perfect prayer0 that it was manifested through Sri Satyavrata Muni, and that it is
actually capable of attracting Sri 'amodara-Krsna" !e has fully elaborated on this
prayer9s ability to attract 6ord 'amodara in his e:haustive purports, which are abounding
with his own personal realisations"
;or a long time, 5 have been contemplating a desire to publish this e:position of
'amodarastaka" <specially, since upon the observance of the 'amodara-vrata every year
during the month of Karttika, all of us get together and sing the kirtana of 'amodarastaka
with united voices, at such time, this prayer is manifest in all the devotees9 hearts, thereby
stimulating the arising of strong desires for e:planation of the verses" Many bhakta-
sadhakas have specifically re$uested me to translate this information for them" ;inally,
after so many days we have published the eight Sanskrit mula-slokas of 'amodarastaka
along with a Sanskrit anvaya +word for word synonyms0, and Srila Sanatana
Gosvamipada9s Sanskrit tika named 'ig-'arsini" ;or the benefit of readers who do not
know Sanskrit, we have also included #engali translations of the mula-slokas and Srila
Sanatana Gosvami9s commentary"
5n the present age many so-called intellectuals, who are provoked and irritated by
Kali-yuga9s degradation, cast an e:tremely contemptuous glance upon the usage of the
Sanskrit language" 5n spite of this, 5 have still published this book on 'amodarastaka out
of a desire for the benefit of people living in all lands" 5t is good if the literary scholars of
the #engali language would keep in mind that, above all else, our development of
#engali is wholly dependent on its derivation from the Sanskrit language" 5t is inevitable
that the advancement of #engali proceeds side-by-side with the advancement of Sanskrit
literatures" &hose who attempt to develop #engali by %umping over Sanskrit literatures
end up thoroughly steeped in gross error" We have taken note of the language produced
by scholars of this type - it is disorderly and hapha=ard in all ways" #engali is always
subordinate to and dependent on Sanskrit> namely, it is not that #engali is an independent
language and Sanskrit is completely different" &he fact is that #engali is paratantra
+totally dependent0 and Sanskrit is svatantra +totally independent0" Keeping this precept
in mind, we have placed this book before the assembly of learned sages"
&his astaka written by Srila )yasadeva is an ideal specimen amongst the world of
literature due to its philosophical conclusions, its e:pertise of composition, and its
astonishing e:cellence in revealing the essence of the 6ord9s lila" #y composing his tika
named 'ig-'arsini with such clear and elaborate details, ?agad-guru Srila Sanatana
Gosvamipada has fully e:plained the comparative differences of various mellows within
the kingdom of sadhana" #y that he has proven in all respects the superiority of the
vatsalya-rasa and madhura-rasa"
Sahajiyas @nfit to #aste Rasa"lila
*egarding the impropriety of discussing Sri Sri *adha-Krsna9s rasa-lila
indiscriminately here and there, in this way or that, as practiced by the prakrta-saha%iyas -
Gosvamipada has discreetly stated the following at the end of his eight purport1
2(nd finally, at the conclusion of the prayer, the author desires to describe the
supreme supere:cellence of the rasa-lila and other transcendental pastimes that 6ord Sri
Krsna performs with Sri *adhika, but since these are the topmost of confidential topics,
they are not mentioned directly" &he logic of madhurena-samapayet - 9all undertakings
should be completed sweetly9 - applies here" &herefore such confidential pastimes are
referred to by a mere hint only, as they are offered obeisances in the words namo nanta-
lilaya +my obeisances unto our limitless pastimes0"7
#ecause the saha%iyas are unfit to taste the rasa-lila, it is not possible to count
them amongst the e:alted worthy devotees" (ll we know is - bhakti is transcendental to
the three worlds" 5t cannot be brought into the realm of analysis or discussion that is
confirmed to the three worlds" &hey think that matter can somehow become cit
+spiritually conscious0, and that by the power of one9s sadhana it is possible to see
#hagavan with one9s physical eyes -this is the opinion of the prakrta-saha%iyas" &hey say
that %ust as bell-metal turns into gold when mercury is added to it, similarly the material
body +prakrta0 becomes transcendental +aprakrta0 by the power of performing bha%ana"
&hey say that at such a time, one obtains the darsana of #hagavan with one9s eyes" Srila
Sanatana Gosvami has thoroughly refuted these claims of the prakrta-saha%iyas in his
book named #rhad #hagavatamrta, as well as in his commentary of Sri 'amodarastaka
named 'ig-'arsini
6anasa"darsana = Pratyaksa"darsana
7ision of the Lord in the 6ind
!s
7ision of the Lord >ith the Eyes
5n regard to these topics, it is necessary to seriously study Sanatana Gosvami9s
commentaries to the fourth and si:th verses of 'amodarastaka" @pon reviewing his
discernment of these two verses, the prakrta-saha%iyas think that Gosvamipada is
primarily describing darsana with the eyes which is dependent on manasa-dhyana-
darsana +seeing !im within the mind9s meditation0" #ut the specific aim of the discussion
is this - +in #rhad #hagavatamrta0 Gosvamipada eventually does establish the superiority
of Gopa-Kumara9s darsana with the eyes, which is dependent on the darsana that arises
from meditation on brahma" 5n this, Gosvamipada does not verify Gopa-Kumara9s
darsana with the material eyes" 5t is described that only after Gopa-Kumara became
situated in the transcendental planets of the spiritual world +)aikuntha0, did he have the
6ord9s darsana with his eyes" &he material senses cannot have any position in the
transcendental realm of )aikuntha" &herefore the direct perception of pro:imity to the
6ord felt by the gopas and gopis is in all ways aprakrta +transcendental0 and atindriya
+beyond the range of the senses0" #eholding !im is not an affair that is directly
perceivable by the mundane senses of the prakrta-saha%iyas"
#he =bser!ance of 5arttika"!rata
Previously 5 have mentioned that Sri Sri 'amodarastaka is to be sung and studied
during the observance of @r%%a-vrata, also called Karttika-vrata or 'amodara-vrata"
&hose who desire to please 6ord 'amodara during the month of 'amodara must
certainly read this 'amodarastaka book every day in its entirety" &his is the specific
recommendation of Sri !ari-bhakti-vilasa" &he different ways of observing the
'amodara-vrata are indicated in the sastras" &he @r%%a-vrata comes in the middle of
Aatur-masya-vrata" &his period begins from either the ekadasi, the dvadasi or the
purnima +full moon0, and ends on the corresponding ekadasi, dvadasi or purnima" #ut
these dates should not be observed if they touch +overlap after sunrise0 in any way"
Sanatana Gosvami says - if the dates +tithi0 of a )aisnava-vrata do not touch each other,
then they are observed" &herefore on the days of the commencement and conclusion of
Aaturmasya-vrata and @r%%a-vrata, one should observe the tithis only if they do not
overlap each other" &he definitive opinion of !ari-bhakti-vilasa is that the tithis should
not touch after sunrise to begin the Aaturmasya-vrata and the @r%%a-vrata"
5 would like to $uote from a small article written by our Srila &hakura
#haktivinoda on the topic of Karttika-vrata" 5n this article, he has clearly ascertained the
days on which the conclusion of the vrata is observed" &he rule is - devotees who begin
their vrata on the ekadasi day also conclude it on the last ekadasi" Similarly, those who
begin on the dvadasi or the purnima also end on their corresponding days"
#haktivinoda9s article states1
&he observance of the Karttika-vrata is one of the most important things for the
)aisnavas"
5n accordance with these words, the vrata therefore begins on the wa:ing ekadasi
that comes the day after )i%aya-dasami in the month of (svina" (nd the vrata will be
concluded on @tthana-ekadasi" &hat vrata which is observed during the month between
these two dates is called niyama-seva" &he rules of niyama-seva are1 every day during
this month, one must rise upon the last hour of the night, purify oneself and perform the
mangala-arati of Sri Krsna" &hen, after bathing in the morning, one should worship 6ord
'amodara" (t night, one should light brilliant lamps filled with either ghee or sesame-
seed oil, and place them in these places - in the 6ord9s temple, around the base of tulasi
plants, and in the sky" 'uring the month of Karttika, one should eat only vegetarian
foodstuffs and #hagavan9s prasad remnants" 3ne should renounce e:cessive eating and
sleeping, plus avoid using oil, wine, and bell-metal utensils" (fter honouring prasad, one
should hear or recite scriptures headed by Srimad #hagavatam in the company of
)aisnavas" &here should be incessant harinama-kirtana and smarana" &hus passing the
entire month in observance of such regulations, on the final @tthana-ekadasi day one
should fast from everything including water and stay awake all night absorbed in Krsna-
katha" 3n the ne:t day, after first purifying oneself and engaging in hari-kirtana, one
should serve the 6ord9s prasad to one9s dearmost intimate )aisnava associates, and when
they are finished one may then honour prasad" &hat day, at the end of the night, the vrata
will be completed"
&he chief aim of observing this @r%%a-vrata is to please Sri *adha-'amodara"
Srimati *adharani is called @r%%esvari +the Bueen of the @r%%a-vrata0" 3nly because of
this, in order to establish the pleasure of Sri Sri *adha-'amodara, the sage Satyavrata
Muni uttered +in the eight verse of 'amodarastaka0 the words namo radhikayai tvadiya
priyayai - 2My obeisances unto *adhika, ou most beloved"7 #y this statement, he
indicated that the sole activity to be done during the observance of 'amodara-vrata is the
worship of Sri Sri *adha-'amodara"
(mong the -C branches of bhakti followed by our Gaudiya )aisnavas, we see that
the observance of @r%%a is listed" 5t is to be understood that one follows the Aatur-masya-
vrata completely only if one honours @r%%a during it" Some devotees are of the opinion -
2#ecause Aatur-masya-vrata is not listed among the -C branches of devotion, we will
only follow the +one-month long0 vow of @r%%a> we will not undergo the difficulty of
observing the entire four-month-long vow"7 5n this way, those persons who attempt
performing bha%ana, but who are unaware of the deep meaning of the sastras, thereby
remain in the indulgences of in discipline" Sriman Mahaprabhu !imself observed the
Aatur-masya-vrata while situated in many different places, and has thereby taught the
practice by !is own e:ample" We cannot consider such persons, who are unable to
follow the instructions that were enacted and preached by Mahaprabhu, to be part of the
lineage of pure )aisnavas"
(t this point, we would like to mention that the principle of atma-nivedana is
listed as one of the nine types of devotion +which are counted among the si: types of
surrender, saranagati0" 5s it understood, then, that by performing atma-nivedana +offering
one9s soul0, the other five types of surrender are therefore unnecessaryD &he ultimate
surrender among the si: processes of saranagati is atma-nivedana - by this being listed as
such, it is understood that engaging in the other forms of surrender are also recommended
for the sadhaka" &hus it is accepted that a single sadhana takes the form of several
different aspects"
'ue to the eternal nature of Sri Sri 'amodarastaka, it is necessary to study it
every day not only during the month of Karttika +or 'amodara0, but also during the entire
four-month period of Aatur-masya" (nd what9s more, it is actually fit to be studied every
day of every month, year after year" @pon the pure chanting of 'amodarastaka, 6ord
'amodara !imself becomes very pleased - for this ob%ective, 5 have especially compiled
this volume with great care and attention"
'uring the period when Gosvamipada was composing his tika, he $uoted some
conclusions already written in his own #rhad #hagavatamrta" We have added these
verses in the form of footnotes" &hey are printed with their mula-slokas along with
e:plicit #engali translations to facilitate the understanding of the readers"
5n conclusion, it is my earnest prayer before the suddha-vaisnavas1 that they study
this book during Aatur-masya or @r%%a-vrata and attain priti +the pleasure of the 6ord0 -
then only will 5 consider my labour fulfilled" &his book makes it possible for them to
easily gather so many truths> for that reason, 5 have made such a humble re$uest"
Sri Bhakti Prajnana 5esa!a
Sri Sri Damodarastakam
#e%t *
namamis!aram sac"cid"ananda"rupam
lasat"kundalam gokule bhrajamanam
yasoda"bhiyolukalad"dha!amanam
paramrstam atyam tato drutya gopya
5 offer my respectful obeisances unto that Supreme 6ord
Whose form is composed of eternity, knowledge and bliss
Whose earrings swing and play upon !is cheeks
Who is splendrously manifest in Gokula
Who is very fearful of mother asoda, and %umping down from the wooden grinding
mortar $uickly runs away
Who is chased by asoda running very $uickly after !im and is ultimately caught from
behind
Dig"Darsini"#ika
by Srila Sanatana os!ami
#owing before Sri 'amodara-isvara Who is accompanied by Sri *adha 5 now commence
my purport of 'amodarastaka entitled 'ig-'arsini"
5n the beginning of the mula-sloka, the very first intention is e:pressed by the
word namami - 25 bow down"7 3beisances are thus offered with love and devotion
before commencing the description of the 6ord9s specific characteristics of e:cellence
that are e:hibited by !is tattva, rupa, lila, guna and so forth" (lso mentioned is the
essence of !is own divine supremacy as the Supreme Personality of Godhead manifested
in Gokula, and also !is distinctive features as the origin of all" ;urthermore, the word
namami is indicative of an auspicious invocation +mangalartham0" (t the start of all
functions it is customary to offer respects to isvara which e:press an attitude of
devotional service unto the 6ord" ;or this reason, obeisances are offered first unto the
6ord in this verse"
+8ow the commentator, Sri Srila Sanatana Gosvami e:amines tattva-visesa or the
e:cellence of the 6ord9s truth10 3beisances unto whomD @nto 5svara, the supreme
controller" 8amely - !e who is +,0 sarva-saktimanta +endowed with all potencies0, +E0
%agat-ekanatha +the only 6ord of the universe0 and +F0 ni%a-prabhu +my own Master0" 5n
the first instance !e is addressed as such in order to obtain the power of sakti needed to
offer the prayer, in the second instance, !e is addressed as such to indicate that !e is the
one and only 6ord Who is praiseworthy> in the final instance, !e is addressed as such to
signify the specific nature of bhakti or devotion" !ow is !e manifestD (s sac-cid-
ananda-rupam or a form composed of compressed clouds of eternity, knowledge and
bliss" &his is the statement of !is supreme sovereignty in regards to !is tattva-visesa
attribute or e:cellence of truth"
+8ow rupa-visesa, the e:cellence of !is beauty is described10 !is distinct
e:cellence of beauty is illustrated as follows1 lasanti +the swinging of !is earrings0 was
manifested when !e ran away in fear of Sri asoda> or also, !is earrings sport upon !is
cheeks as a result of !is continuously playing in the transcendental pastimes of
childhood" &hus, !is divinely splendrous face is especially portrayed" 3r also, yet
another meaning of lasat-kundalam is - due to the maha-saubhagya or great fortune of
personally kissing !is divine cheeks, these earrings have attained a position of
supere:cellence above all !is other ornaments" (nd this supere:cellence also indicates
the fortune of the other ornaments adorning !is various limbs" ;urthermore, lasanti
indicates that these earrings are glistening because they are enriched with the splendrous
effulgence of the 6ord9s bodily comple:ion> therefore 5rsnaAs body is the ornament of
;is ornaments' &his is the meaning" Aonse$uently, it is stated by the gopis in the &enth
Aanto +#hag" ,G"E."CG01
23 Sri Krsna4 #y seeing our beauty, which attracts the three worlds, these cows,
birds, trees and deer are all e:periencing their hairs standing on end47 +2What is the
wonder, then, if we are also bewilderedD70
5n the &hird Aanto +#hag" F"E",E0, it is also stated by Sri @ddhava to )idura
regarding Sri Krsna9s beauty1
2Sri Krsna9s beauty is so enchanting that it even astonishes !imself1 that beauty
represents the supreme =enith of great opulence, so much so that !e is actually the
ornament of !is ornaments"7
8ow the parivara-visesa or attributes of !is family portray !is uni$ue e:cellence"
&he word gokule indicates that place where gopas, gopis, cows, calves and so forth
reside" &he word bhra%amanam indicates a particularly befitting place wherein !e can
manifest an e:cellence that surpasses that of previous lilas" Moreover, !e is splendrous
because only in Gokula does !e manifest !is svabhavika-sobha, or most natural
characteristics of brilliance" 5t is stated in the &enth Aanto +#hag" ,G"FE",C01
2+#hagavan Sri Krsna, Who sits upon the asana formed in the lotus-like hearts of
the siddha-yogis"""0 Manifesting a body that is the abode of all the splendour of the three
worlds, !e sat upon the asana presented by the gopis, was worshipped by them, and
thereby radiated even more splendour"7
!is e:cellence of lila-visesa, or attributes of !is pastimes, are stated in the last
two lines of the verse" &he word yasoda indicates yasodaya, or 2;rom !is mother
asoda7" #hiya indicates the fear of being punished for !is offense of breaking the
yoghurt pots, stealing fresh butter and so forth" @lukhalat denotes 2from the mortar7 - in
order to steal the fresh butter suspended from the rafters, !e took a large wooden
grinding mortar that was kept in the same storeroom, turned it on end, and climbed up on
it> but +spotting !is mother coming into the room with a stick in her hand0 !e
immediately gets down again" 'havamanam - !e speedily runs away" 5n this regard, if
one desires to know the particulars of this pastime, it can be found in the &enth Aanto
+#hag" ,G"."H-.0 thus1
2&hen Sri Krsna turned the grinding mortar on end, climbed up on it and began
distributing the fresh butter hanging from the rafters to the monkeys as freely as !e liked"
'ue to knowledge of !is own mischievous thievery, !is eyes fearfully darted this way
and that" Mother asoda saw !im doing this and slowly crept up from behind to catch
!im> but !e noticed !er coming with a stick in her hand, and !e $uickly got down from
the mortar and started running away, %ust like a person stricken with fear" <ven though
highly advanced yogis are enabled by the strength of their penances to merge their minds
with brahma, still they cannot get a glimpse of this scene - of asoda-devi chasing her
son Krsna from behind while attempting to catch !im"7
&hen, tato-drutya - she ran very swiftly" 'ue to the samasa con%unction, these two
words become one" Gopya - by Sri asoda, para amrstam - catching hold of !is back"
!ere the words atyanta tato drutya +running behind Krsna very swiftly0 imply the
saundarya-visesa +e:cellence of beauty0 of asoda9s full breasts, broad hips and so on, as
well as the particulars of her affection for her son" &he loving use of the word gopya
connotes the grand fortune that came upon the gopa caste +by Krsna preferring to appear
among them0" #y the word paramrstam +caught by !is back0, the uni$ue attribute of
supere:cellent affection that #hagavan Sri Krsna feels for asoda-mata +sneha-visesa0 is
intimated" 5n this regard also, one may search out the following verse from the &enth
Aanto +#hag" ,G".",G01
2While chasing after Krsna, the slim waisted asoda9s broad hips caused her pace
to slow down" ;rom running $uickly, the flowers had come loose from her hair and were
falling after her, but she still continued to pursue !im" 5n this fashion, after chasing and
chasing !im, she finally caught !im from behind"7
#hus ends Sanatana os!amiAs Dig"Darsini"#ika on the first sloka of Sri
Damodarastakam
#e%t -
rudantam muhur netra"yugmam mrjantam
karambhoja"yugmena satanka"netram
muhuh s!asa"kampa"tri"rekhanka"kantha"
sthita"grai!a damodaram bhakti"baddham
+(fraid of the stick in !is mother9s hand0
Who cries again and again and rubs !is eyes with both !is lotus-like hands
Whose eyes e:press e:treme fearfulness
Who sobs again and again with $uick breathing making the necklaces upon !is three-
lined neck $uiver
Whose belly is bound only by !is mother9s devotion" @nto this 'amodara 5 offer my
humble obeisances
Dig"Darsini"#ika
By Srila Sanatana os!ami
(fter this, Krsna9s lila-visesa +e:cellence of pastimes0 is mentioned, as confirmed in the
#hagavatam +,G".",,0 thus1
2+Mata asoda saw that0 &he mischievous child then cried and cried while
rubbing !is eyes with !is hands, thereby smearing the dark eye-lining cosmetics from
them" +Krsna saw the stick in her hands, and0 !is eyes became overwhelmed with fright"
5n this condition, asoda sei=ed !is hand and proceeded to chastise !im in order to instil
fear in !im"7
&he details of this pastime are now spoken of in the second verse beginning with
rudantam" Seeing the whipping stick in !is mother9s hand, and apprehending being
struck with it, !e behaved as if terrified so that she would see !is distress and think 2!e
is afraid of being punished7" !e hoped that by her seeing this attitude of !is, she would
not hit !im with the stick" &hinking in this way +that !e would be spared punishment0,
therefore karambho%a-yugmena netra-yugmam mr%antam - !e rubbed both eyes again and
again with both of !is lotus-like hands at the same time" &his is a natural characteristic
of balya-lila, and indeed the normal habit of small children"
3r else, karambho%a-yugmena netra-yugmam mr%antam may also indicate that by
the influence of !is fright, many tears were actually forming in !is eyes> therefore !e
rubbed them again and again in order to make the tears fall out" 3r furthermore, !e
rubbed !is eyes again and again in order to wipe away the tears that were falling again
and again> this is yet another meaning" 8ow satanka-netram - dreading !is mother9s
punishment, !is eyes e:pressed how much !e was terrified in !is mind" 3r else, it
refers to !is glancing this way and that in e:treme fear" 5n this regard also, !e tries to
avoid being punished> thus another confidential pastime is disclosed"
Moreover, muhuh svasena - due to !is crying and sobbing again and again,
kampat - trembling, tri-rekhanka - marked with three lines %ust like a conchshell, kanthe
stitham graivam - all !is neck ornaments like pearl necklaces and so forth - !e who
appears this way" 'amodaram - Whose belly is tied with a rope" !e is described thus in
the #hagavatam +,G".",C01
2?ust as an ordinary mother binds her naughty son, asoda Mata considered Sri
Krsna to be her own ordinary child and tied !im to the grinding mortar with a rope"7
5n stating that knots were tied on the rope both to !is belly and to the mortar, this
indicates the particulars of Sri Krsna9s e:cellence called bhakta-vasyata, or !is $uality of
coming under the control of !is devotees" #haktyaiva baddham - this refers to !e Who
responds only to bhakti in the following two ways1 from !is mother9s viewpoint, !e is
bound by the loving parental devotion she feels for her son> from !is viewpoint, !e is
bound by !is mother9s devotion in the form of bhakta-vasyata" #addham - !e willingly
accepted the binding, although no rope had the power to bind !im" &hus mother asoda
eventually collected all the ropes in her household, but upon tying them together the
length still came out two fingers too short to fit around !is waist" &his is described in the
following slokas from the #hagavatam +,G".",/-,I01
2While tying up the naughty child, the rope came out two fingers short, so asoda
Mata tied another length to it" &his rope also came out two fingers short, so she tied yet
another length to that one> but no matter how many ropes she added, it always ended up
too short" &hus she was unable to bind !im, even by combining all the ropes in the
house" +&hen her gopi friends began to smile and she herself also smiled and laughed in
astonishment0"7
3r furthermore, the reason for this characteristic of the rope around !is waist is1
bhaktyaiva baddham - !e can be bound only by devotion and nothing else" #y this !e
becomes controlled" Such is certainly the conclusion of the aforementioned description"
5n this connection, it is further stated in the #hagavatam +,G".",H-E,01
2While attempting to bind Krsna0 asoda became fatigued from tying so many
ropes together again and again, and she perspired as the flower garlands in her hair fell
loose" &hen the young child Sri Krsna saw her weariness and mercifully consented to
being tied up" 3 Mahara%a Pariksit4 (lthough !e controls the entire universe along with
its highly $ualified demigods, the supreme independent !ari thus displayed how !e
comes under the control of !is devotees" &herefore this gopi asoda Mata received such
a great benediction from !e Who awards liberation - a favour not granted to 6ord
#rahma, Mahesvara or even 6aksmi 'evi herself, who sports as half the body of all the
6ord9s incarnations" #hagavan Gopika-suta, the Supreme 6ord appearing as the son of a
cowherd woman, is thus readily available for !is devotees, yet remains far away from
those absorbed in the bodily concept of the eight fold yoga practices as well as those
focusing on visions of the Self through intellectual pursuits"7 +5n other words, the
tapasvis and the %nanis embark on a very difficult path of spiritual searching, but - being
completely unable to attain #hagavan - at best can end up realising only a minute fraction
of 6ord Krsna9s true glory7"
&hese verses from the #hagavatam indicate direct proof of all such conclusions"
<lsewhere in the #hagavatam it is stated +,G",G"E/01
2#ecause 'evarsi 8arada is My dear devotee, and because these two boys are the
sons of My devotee Kuvera, 5 will deliver them in order to fulfil the words previously
spoken by Mahatma 8arada"7
&he purport of these words spoken by Sri Krsna is that !e totally depends on the
devotion of Sri 8arada> +being pleased with 8arada9s bhakti0 Krsna therefore dragged the
grinding mortar and broke down the two trees in which the cursed brothers stood" &his is
why the 6ord performs these and indeed all other pastimes +because of the devotion of
!is devotees0"
#hus ends Sanatana os!amiAs Dig"Darsini"#ika on the second sloka of Sri
Damodarastakam
#e%t .
itidrk s!a"lilabhir ananda"kunde
s!a"ghosam nimajjantam akhyapayantam
tadiyesita"jnesu bhaktair jitat!am
punah prematas tam sata!rtti !ande
5n this way, to !e
Who perpetually drowns the residents of Gokula in pools of pure bliss
Who informs those devotees desirous of knowing !is supreme opulence and ma%esty that
!e is naturally con$uered only by !is loving devotees
5 again offer my obeisances with love unto that 6ord 'amodara hundreds and hundreds
of times
Dig"Darsini"#ika
By Srila Sanatana os!ami
8ow the e:cellences of !is guna-visesa +attributes of !is $ualities0 are e:pressed
in this verse beginning with the word iti" 5t depicts the reason for !is coming under the
sway of !is devotees" (nd furthermore, iti means 2by this 'amodara-lila7> it also
connotes idrsibhis ca - 2by all Sri Krsna9s supremely enchanting childhood pastimes like
the 'amodara-lila"7 &he word svasya indicates !is own uncommonly divine pastimes -
lilabhih - by all !is sportive pastimes +!e drowns all the living beings of Gokula in
ecstasy0" &his is confirmed by many statements of the #hagavatam such as the following
+,G",,"I-H01
295f you dance, then we will give you a sweet9 - by these words, or by clapping
their hands, the elder gopis sometimes induced Sri Krsna to dance" &hus #hagavan, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, danced %ust like an ordinary child" Sometimes they
made !im sing, and !e therefore sang %ust like a bewildered innocent boy" 5n this way,
!e came under the control of the cowherd women e:actly like a wooden puppet on
strings" Sometimes !is relatives would order !im to bring their shoes, chair or
measuring pot> but if !e was unable to lift the article called for, !e would grasp it firmly
and, %ust to please !is dear relatives, flap !is elbows again and again to demonstrate !is
childish strength"7
3n the basis of these conclusions of the #hagavatam, it is further stated - sva-
ghosam means all the living beings dwelling in Gokula - ananda-kunde nima%%antam - !e
immersed them in a deep pool brimming with li$uid bliss mellows +ananda-rasa-maya-
gabhira-%ala0" &herefore it is declared in the #hagavatam verse $uoted above1 svanam
pritim samudvahan - by these actions, !e stimulated the complete love of !is own
dearmost relatives +priti0" (nd furthermore, the word ghosah additionally means 2the
loud proclamation of !is glories"7 Similarly, the word sva also connotes either svasya or
svanam - that either !is own glory or the glory of the gopas and gopis is proclaimed by
these pastimes" 5n this mood !e personally drowned them all in pools of bliss +ananda-
kunde nima%%antam0 - and they e:perienced a very special e:cellence of supreme
happiness +parama-sukha0"
(nd furthermore, it is especially noted that - tadiyesita-%nesu - unto those who are
attached to knowledge of the 6ord9s ma%estic opulence +aisvarya0, and who worship !im
accordingly, !e declares bhaktair %itatvam - only in front of !is own pure devotees does
!e become totally submissive, being con$uered by their loving devotion> akhyapayantam
- !e has fully displayed this $uality for all to see" &he meaning is - 25 willingly become
submissive to the control of My servants who are attached to bhakti, but 5 will never
submit Myself to those fond of %nana"7 &his is confirmed in the #hagavatam +,G",,".0
thus1
2#hagavan Sri Krsna has proclaimed to the bhaktas of the universe who are fond
of aisvarya-%nana that !e is fully submissive only to !is own pure devotees"7
&he meaning of this #hagavatam verse is - the word tad-vidam indicates devotees
who are attached to bhagavad-aisvarya-%nana" 3r yet another meaning is - tadiyanam
suggests that !e displays this $uality +of submission to !is devotees0 only in front of
those who are already aware of the prabhava or power of !is most dear, favourite
devotees> !e does not e:hibit this feature to others" &he reason for such behaviour is -
those who are unaware of the special glories of the )aisnavas, and those who cultivate
kevala-%nana +impersonal knowledge0 are un$ualified to be presented with a display of
the supremely confidential truth regarding devotion and the glories of devotion" 5n this
mood, a further meaning of tad-vidam +from the #hagavatam verse ,G",,". $uoted
above0 is - this word reveals bhrtya-vasyata-vidam, or those who are unaware of Sri
Krsna9s $uality of submitting to !is devotees" 8ow +in 'amodarastakam0 the word
prematah denotes 2with an e:cellence of love and devotion7> satavrtti means hundreds
and hundreds of times> tam - unto that isvara - punah vande - 5 repeatedly offer my
respectful obeisances" &herefore the only thing worshipful for me is to offer my
obeisances unto the supere:cellence of the process of bhakti, which brings the Supreme
6ord under the control of !is devotees" Such a condition can never come about through
aisvarya-%nana, or knowledge of !is divine ma%esty" &his alone is the mood of the
devotee offering this specific prayer"
#hus ends Sanatana os!amiAs Dig"Darsini"#ika on the third sloka of Sri Sri
Damodarastakam
#e%t (
!aram de!a9 moksam na moksa!adhim !a
na canyam !rne Aham !aresad apiha
idam te !apur natha9 gopala"balam
sada me manasy a!irastam kim anyaih
!e 'eva4 3 6ord4
(lthough ou are capable of granting any boon 5 do not pray to ou for liberation, nor
for eternal life in )aikuntha, or for any other benediction
!e 8atha4 3 6ord4
May our form as a cowherd child forever remain manifest in my heart
3ther than this 5 have no need of anything
Dig"Darsini"#ika
By Srila Sanatana os!ami
5n this way, continuing the description of the 6ord9s particular e:cellences, the
prayer progresses with a re$uest that mentions one9s cherished desires" &his is presented
in two verses +C and /0, starting with the word varam" &he word deva means 23
supremely effulgent one47 3r it also implies 23 6ord engaged in supere:cellent sweet
sports47 &he word iha means 2here in )rndavana7 -varesad - from ou, Who can bestow
any benediction - varam na vrne - 5 do not seek any boon" Specifically, 5 do not pray for
moksa, the fourth purusartha or goal of human life +to achieve freedom from material
contact by merging into the brahman effulgence0> nor do 5 pray for moksaya-avadhim, the
highest supreme =enith of liberation in the form of eternally living in Sri )aikuntha-loka,
where the e:cellence of life is the nature of thickly condensed happiness> nor do 5 pray
for anyan ca - other things such as the nine methods of devotional service headed by
sravana +hearing, chanting, etc"0 - 5 do not desire the boons that may be obtained by any
of these processes" ;urthermore - even if ou want to give them to me, and additionally -
even if others consider such things to be very appealing - iha, here in )rndavana 5 do not
have the slightest desire for them" &his word iha can also be used in relation to the
statements of the rest of the verse" 5t is naturally understood that the three benedictions
referred to - moksa +liberation0, moksavadhi +the highest =enith of liberation0 and anya
+other things0 - all reflect an ascending level of superiority, each being greater than the
last" 5n this regard, the superiority of )aikuntha to impersonal liberation is clearly
described in my +Srila Sanatana Gosvami9s0 #rhad #hagavatamrta, @ttara Khanda ,",C-
,/ *please see Appendix A, page 23*" (nd the superiority of the nine process of devotion
+headed by sravana0 to )aikuntha-loka is described in the #hagavatam +F",/"C.0 thus1
2+&he four kumaras headed by Sanat, after cursing the disrespectful devotees
named ?aya and )i%aya, said to 6ord )isnu Who had %ust appeared10 3h 6ord, we pray
that you let us be born in any hellish condition of life, as long as our ears are always filled
with the chanting of our transcendental $ualities"7
#y these words, it becomes evident that the nine processes of devotion beginning
with sravana can be perfected even while living in hell - wherever one is, and in whatever
condition of life, one thereby e:periences the perfection of living in the eternal abode of
)aikuntha"
&his being the case, then what boon does one want from the 6ordD &he answer is
given in this fourth verse of 'amodarastakam1 he natha4 - iha idam te vapur gopala-
balam - 3 6ord4 &his form of ours as a cowherd child in )rndavana - sada me manasi
avirastam - may such a form ever be manifest in my mind" Since !e is antaryami,
situated as the indwelling Supersoul, !e may be seen manifesting the divine beauty of
!is every limb within one9s heart, %ust as clearly as one sees directly with the eyes"
Still - +even if Krsna were to personally address the devotee and offer10 23 he4
&he above-mentioned three kinds of boons beginning with moksa are not ordinary> they
are most desirous, and anyone would immediately accept them"""would you accept
themD7 &he answer is given herein - kim anyaih - 2What is the use of all these thingsD
&hey have no value to me"7 &his is the meaning" &he reason behind this attitude is - Sri
Krsna is composed of all the bliss in the universe, so if !e is attained then everything else
is automatically and perfectly attained" #ut if one cannot attain Krsna, then the
imperfection perceived in the absence of the desired goal especially creates a grand
distaste and lamentable misery at the mere thought of attaining something of lesser value"
&herefore it is said here that other boons are useless - kim anyaih - 2What good are
theyD7 &his is the mood"
3r else, the words kim anyaih show yet another meaning" +(gain the 6ord may
ask0 2<ven though you do not pray for the boons beginning with moksam, would you
care then for the boon of directly seeing and conversing with My supremely worshipable
four-armed form +of Sri 8arayana and other aisvarya-maya-murtis0D7 &he answer
remains the same - kim anyaih - 23ther boons are useless to me"7 &he intention behind
this is - 25f our divine form of a cowherd child +which is the crest-%ewel of all
splendours0 would always be manifest in my heart, then 5 would feel very, very pleased>
nothing short of that would satisfy me"7 &his is the mood"
;or further details regarding the glories of antar-darsana +seeing the 6ord within
the heart0, please see #rhad #hagavatamrta, @ttara-Khanda E"H--.- Jplease see
Appendix B, page 24.*. &herein the sage Sri Pippalayana on the planet &apoloka has
e:plained all these principles very elaborately" 8ow the 'amodarastaka prayer offered
by Satyavrata Muni similarly demonstrates that the longing for inner darsana is the best
goal of all - from this prayer all these things can be clearly understood"
#hus ends Sanatana os!amiAs Dig"Darsini"#ika on the fourth sloka of Sri Sri
Damodarastakam
#e%t ,
idam te mukhambhojam a!yakta"nilair
!rtam kuntalaih nigdha"raktais ca gopya
muhus cumbitam bimba"raktadharam me
manasy a!irastam alam laksa"labhaih
3 6ord4 our lotus like face is completely surrounded by very dark blue, glossy reddish-
tinted curling hair and is kissed again and again by mother asoda
our lotus face is endowed with lips red as bimba fruits - may it always remain visible in
my heart
&he attainment of millions of other boons is completely useless to me
Dig"Darsini"#ika
By Srila Sanatana os!ami
(nd furthermore, the longing to see our sri-mukha, our divine lotus face that is
parama-manohara +supremely enchanting0 is stated in this verse beginning with idam te"
Sometime while one is meditating deeply within and perceives such indescribable beauty
and splendour - that is what is revealed in this verse" !is face is praphulla-kamalakara -
it resembles a fully-blossomed lotus flower> nikhila-santapa-hari - !is face is the remover
of all kinds of distress> and paramananda-rasa-maya - and it is pervaded with the supreme
mellows of pure bliss" &hat lotus face - manasi muhur-avirastam - may it be revealed
again and again within my mind"
What does that lotus face look likeD 5t is surrounded +vrtam0 by curling hair
+kuntala0 that is very dark blue +avyakta-nila0, glossy +snigdha0 and tinged with red
+rakta0" &he word vrtam suggests that %ust as a lotus flower is surrounded with hovering
honeybees, similarly the 6ord9s lotus face is encircled with curly locks that bounce
around whenever !e moves" &he word gopya +2by the gopi70 indicates that !is face is
kissed again and again by either Sri asoda or by Sri *adha" &he word muhuh +again and
again0 is relative to this word gopya, and it reads properly e:actly where it is in the verse"
&his being the case, may that divine lotus face - muhus-cumbitam - kissed repeatedly by
the supremely fortunate gopi-mama manasi - in my mind - avirastam - may it manifest
even once" &his is the meaning"
3r else - the word sada +always0 found in the previous verse carries over to its
definitive conclusion in the present verse, thereby indicating 2may it always manifest7 -
this intention can also be accepted" ;inally, that lotus face is especially described thus -
bimba-vad-raktadharam - !e Whose lips are cherry red like the bimba fruit" +5f that form
is manifest within my mind, 5 will be fully satisfied0" &herefore it is said about laksa-
labhaih, the attainment of millions and millions of other types of benedictions - alam -
they are of no use to me whatsoever" &his is the meaning" &his is most definitely the
message that is conveyed by the fifth verse"
#hus ends Sanatana os!amiAs Dig"Darsini"#ika on the fifth sloka of Sri Sri
Damodarastakam
#e%t 0
namo de!a9 damodarananta9 !isno9
prasida prabho9 duhkha"jalabdhi"magnam
krpa"drsti"!rstyati"dinam batanu"
grhanesa9 mam ajnam edhy aksi"drsyah
3beisances to ou, 3 'eva4 3 'amodara4 3 (nanta4 3 )isnu4
3 Prabhu4 #e pleased with me" 5 am sinking deeply into the ocean of tribulations
Shower the rain of our merciful glance upon me who am so pitifully fallen
(las4 Kindly e:hibit our favour and deliver me 3 5sa4 5 am totally ignorant
Please become visible to my eyes
Dig"Darsini"#ika
By Srila Sanatana os!ami
8ow, by the potency of prayer, feelings of spontaneous love arise and one
especially craves to have the direct vision of the 6ord" 5n this regard, when referring to
topics about saksat-darsana or direct vision of the 6ord, only sri nama"sankirtana is the
parama sadhana or supreme method for this attainment" (fter fi:ing !is beauty in
the mind, one then offers sorrowful prayers by way of sri nama-kirtana, as in this verse
beginning with namo" 5n the te:t of a mula-sloka such as this si:th verse, usually the
word tubhyam +2unto ou70 would be found in order to complete the sense of the prayer>
but in this case, the e:citement of prema causes the reciter to neglect all feelings of awe
or reverence" &herefore, in the mood of being in the personal presence of the 6ord, the
word tubhyam is neglected"
!e prabho - means he madiya isvara, 3 my controller4 +3ffering ou my
obeisances, 5 beg0 prasida - this word indicates prasadam, or be pleased with me and
show our mercy" +&he reason for praying is0 5 am duhkha-%alabdhi-magnam - immersed
in the ocean of misery" Specifically, the word duhkha +pain, misery, distress0 indicates
either the agony of repeated birth and death in the samsarika material world, or else the
torment of not seeing ou +resulting in feelings of ocean-like infinite desolation0" ?alam -
+meaning net, illusion, deception0, and abdhih +ocean0 denotes the e:treme vastness - +#y
the force of my own karma0 5 am thus magnam +submerged0" +5 am tortured by all these
harsh afflictions0> therefore 5 am ati-dinam - very distressed"
3r else, another meaning of the word ati-dinam is - 5 am completely bereft of the
association of saintly persons, and conse$uently without their assistance 5 am e:tremely
fallen" 3r else, yet another meaning is - +due to not seeing ou0 5 am %ust like a living
dead man" 5n this regard, 5 am also a%nam - 5 am particularly ignorant about how to
resolve this problem" &hen krpaya drsti-vrstya - showing our own mercy, please shower
me with our nectar-laden glances - anugrhana - thereby uplifting me and once more
enthusing me with life" &his alone is the purport of the prayer" &hen aksi-drsyo-edhi -
please become visible before my eyes"
Prayers are usually made according to the se$uence in which this one is prayed> as
such it is not appropriate in this case to first mention the boon that is being re$uested, due
to its nature of being the topmost of rarely attained benedictions"
&he glory of attaining the direct vision of the 6ord +saksat-darsana0 within the
mind is e:plained very logically by the personal associates of the 6ord +sri bhagavat
parsada0 in the #rhad #hagavatamrta, @ttara Khanda F",I.-,HE Jplease see Appendix C,
page 27* from this passage one may gain specific knowledge of these topics"
+8ow the devotional kirtana of the 6ord9s names, used to address !im at the
beginning of the mula-sloka, will be e:plained10 5n this si:th verse the word deva
indicates he divya rupa - 3 6ord of divine beauty4 &his beauty is the cause for desiring
!is darsana" &he address of damodara intimates specifically that !e is glorified for !is
e:cellence of bhakta-vatsalya, or affection for !is devotees +up to the point of allowing
them to bind !im around the waist0" &herefore 5 will be $ualified only by bhakti to see
!im with my own eyes" !e Who has no end +Whose mercy has no limits0 is addressed as
ananta" &herefore !e will certainly shower !is glance of mercy and thus favour me" &he
address prabhu connotes he acintya-ananta-adbhuta-maha-sakti-yukta - 3 ou Who are
endowed with inconceivable, limitless, astonishingly grand potency4 &herefore ou Who
cannot be perceived by the senses can only become visible to my eyes by dint of this
same inconceivable sakti of ours" (ddressing !im as isa suggests - he parama-svatantra
- 3 ou Who are supremely independent4 5n showing our favour even to unfit souls,
ou are dependent on no one else" (nd moreover, the address visnu means he sarva-
vyapaka - 3 ou Who are all-pervading4 ;urthermore, it means - 3 ou Who are fond of
entering into )rndavana9s secluded caves and bower-cottages4 Praying like this indicates
that it is not difficult for !im to come before one9s eyes> !e does not have to labour hard
to come from a distance"
+Some additional interpretations of the above-mentioned forms of address are now
given10 3r else, he ananta means that !e is aparicchinna or continuously e:istent without
interval or separation" &he address of visnu means !e is sarva-vyapin or living
everywhere" &herefore, he damodara proclaims !im thus - under the sway of !is own
parama-vatsalya-visesa or supremely affectionate attribute, there is absolutely nothing
that !e cannot do" &he purport of the other words used for addressing !im may also be
understood in terms of these e:panded indications"
#hus ends Sanatana os!amiAs Dig"Darsini"#ika on the si%th sloka of Sri Sri
Damodarastakam
#e%t 3
ku!eratmajau baddha"murtyai!a yad"!at
t!aya mocitau bhakti"bhajau krtau ca
tatha prema"bhaktim s!akam me prayaccha
na mokse graho me Asti damodareha
3 'amodara4 (lthough ou were bound to the mortar with ropes tied by mother asoda
ou mercifully liberated the sons of Kuvera who were cursed by 8arada Muni to stand as
trees and ou gifted them with our own devotional service
&herefore please also bestow upon me our own prema-bhakti in the most profuse way
&his is my e:clusive longing - 5 have no desire to any other type of liberation
Dig"Darsini"#ika
By Srila Sanatana os!ami
5n this way, by the attributes of pure ecstatic love +prema-visesa0 one becomes infused
with supreme longing and prays for direct audience with the 6ord +saksat-darsana0" ;rom
the attributes of that prayerful longing arises ecstatic loving service +prema-bhakti0,
which demonstrates the supreme rarity of saksat-darsana" &his prema-bhakti is verily the
only means for attaining !is darsana> first establishing this as a fact, prayer is then
offered to !im" 3r else - if one does receive !is vision but once, the mind is unsatisfied,
and +due to not seeing !im the very ne:t second0 the agony of separation sets in"
!olding an apprehension like this, which perpetually brings the 6ord under one9s sway, is
a feature of prema-bhakti - which is the one and only means of maintaining such a
condition" &his being declared the case, then how could it possibly be accomplished by
such an utmost offender like meD &he answer to this concern is that Sri #hagavan9s
$uality of bhakta-vatsalya +affection for !is devotees0 makes the impossible $uite
possible" 5n order to resolve this for certain, the proposal of moksa is again re%ected here
in the seventh verse beginning with kuveratma%au, where the prayer is made purely for
attaining prema-bhakti"
&he words baddha-murtya indicate that !is sri vigraha +divine bodily form0 was
bound with ropes tied to the grinding mortar by Sri asoda> by that sri vigraha +!e
liberated the two sons of Kuvera0" &hus by !is dragging the mortar between +the two
trees known as yamalar%una0 #hagavan personally demonstrates the supreme fortune that
comes in the form of saksat-darsana +seeing !is form0, personally touching !is form, and
so forth, which are integral attributes of !is supremely beautiful pastimes" +<ven though
!e !imself was tied up, now it is described how he liberated 8alakuvara and Manigriva10
&he word mocitau denotes that they were liberated not %ust from the curse of Sri 8arada,
but from samsara +the material world0 as well> they were not awarded with kevalam or
impersonal liberation of merging into !is all-pervading effulgence, but it is definitely
stated that they were gifted with prema-bhakti" &hese two boys are described as bhakti-
bha%au - they took shelter of bhakti as the supreme goal" &hose who cannot give up the
shelter of devotion in any way, shape or form are called bhakti-bha%am" +Krsna
personally transformed them in this way0" &hus it is the intention of the author to
specifically declare that not only were they liberated, but that they were also awarded
with prema-bhakti" 5n this regard, the 6ord has declared to these two boys in the
#hagavatam +,G",G"CE01
2&he sprout of prema for Me, which was your most supremely cherished goal, has
now fully arisen in both of you" ;rom this ecstatic mood, you will never take birth in the
material world again"7
+Srila Sanatana Gosvami has elucidated upon this verse in his own commentary
on the #hagavatam0" &he purport is - &he word vam +2ou two70 indicates that 6ord
Krsna was addressing the two boys thusly1 2&he most desired thing you have prayed for
is parama-bhava and you both have fully developed this prema for Me" &herefore you
will never again e:perience bhava, the repeated birth and death in the material world, nor
will you feel the misery of samsara even while living here"7
&hen, he damodara4 tatha - %ust like that - svakam - the e:clusive shelter +asraya0
of our own lotus feet, or else - the e:clusive ob%ective +visaya0 of such a beautiful form
as ours> namely prema-bhakti - me - unto me - prayaccha - please bestow it unto me in
the most lavish way" +yaccha means 2please give7 and the prefi: pra indicates prakarsena
or 2with profusion or intensity70"
)erily, it is %ust like 6ord Sri Krsna is saying, 23 he4 Why are you so enthusiastic
for prema-bhaktiD ?ust accept liberation like the two sons of Kuvera, whereby the
miseries of birth and death in the material world are finished"7 &o that, the answer
remains the same - neti - no, thank you" 3ther than iha, this goal named prema-bhakti -
na mokse graho me asti damodara - 5 have no eagerness for any other type of liberation,
3 'amodara4 &he purport of this is1 one may think, 25f the samsara is destroyed by
engaging in prema-bhakti, let it be"7 3r, 25f prema-bhakti doesn9t destroy the samsara,
then let me not develop it"7 5 truly have no inclination for either mentality" &he
confidential mood is thus - if a cintamani lies in the palm of your hand, then all activities
you undertake will be perfect> therefore what is the value of grasping a tiny, insignificant
thing +like moksa0D
3r else, the phrase he damodara4 prema-bhaktim svakam me prayaccha means -
this #hagavan9s belly is bound with ropes, so from !im one prays for prema-bhakti in
order to perpetually bind !is belly> the eagerness for this reciprocation makes it actually
possible" (pprehending such, the prayer continues +na mokse grahah, etc"0, wherein the
alarmed devotee offers - 2'o 5 not have eagerness for ou to become liberated from the
ropesD7 &he purport is1 2es, 5 certainly care"7 &his is precisely the meaning" #ut all 5
want from ou +in our bound up form0 is that ou bestow my most cherished
benediction of prema bhakti"
3r else,, yet another meaning is - the word iha indicates 2please bestow prema-
bhakti here in )rndavana7 - this intention also follows" &o interpret further,, one prays
thus because Sri )rndavana is the e:clusive agent for the arising of prema-bhakti9s uni$ue
happiness, also, only in )rndavana Sri Krsna especially appears> also, the attributes of
!is saksat-darsana are found there in that form0 with !is belly bound0> and further, one
prays for perpetual residence in )rndavana because only there does Sri #hagavan desire
to especially manifest as the en%oyer of the forest - )rndavana-)ihari" (ll this is
additionally evidence" ;urther details of these topics could be ascertained as we have
been doing herein"
#hus ends Sanatana os!amiAs Dig"Darsini"#ika on the se!enth sloka of Sri Sri
Damodarastakam
#e%t /
namas te Astu damne sphurad dipti"dhamne
t!adiyodarayatha !is!asya dhamne
namo radhikayai t!adiya priyayai
namo Ananta"lilaya de!aya tubhyam
3 6ord 'amodara4 5 offer my obeisances unto the e:alted rope binding our waist which
is the source of splendrously brilliant effulgence
5 offer my obeisances unto our belly which is the support of the entire universe
5 offer my obeisances unto *adhika, our dearmost beloved
(nd 5 offer my obeisances unto our wondrous, uncommon pastimes
Dig"Darsini"#ika
By Srila Sanatana os!ami
8ow at the conclusion of the prayer, in order to summarise the presentation of
topics that are being prayed for, and also to arouse the attributes of bhakti, obeisances are
given separately unto #hagavan9s uni$ue binding,, bodily limbs, associates, and so on in
the verse beginning with namas te 9stu" 5t is stated te damne namo 9stu - 5 bow to the
maha-pasa, the magnificent rope that binds our belly" What is this grand rope likeD 5t is
sphurantya dipte dhama - the source or shelter of a splendrous effulgence" 5n this regard,
it is suggested by the author that such a maha-pasa is the very abode of the +endlessly
radiant0 concentrated brahma-te%a, or all-pervading brahman effulgence"
(fter that, tvadiyaya udaraya namo 9stu - 5 bow to our belly" &he reason for this
is because while bound with ropes, ou especially manifest the beauty and other $ualities
of our belly as well as the glorious characteristics of vatsalya-lila and other pastimes"
What is that belly likeD 5t is stated visvasya dhama - that belly is the support for all the
universes in creation, including all the stationary and moving beings contained therein"
;rom the lotus navel on !is abdomen has sprouted a gigantic lotus flower that sustains
the fourteen worlds" (dditionally, +during !is childhood pastimes in )rndavana0 !e
bodily displayed the visva-rupa or universal form to !is mother on two occasions" &his
is another indication" &herefore, in such a pastime of binding !im by the waist, mother
asoda bound up the whole universe, indeed, she brought the entire creation under her
control" &his is the proclamation"
5t is never possible to factually bind the +all-pervading, limitlessly potent0 6ord,
Who is 5sa +the supreme controller0, but !e willingly accepts binding as an attribute of
!is supere:cellent affection for !is devotees +bhakta-vatsalya-visesa0" (nd by that
acceptance of binding we are informed that such pastimes are imperceptible to all the
logic and reasoning available within all the material universes" &his is an intimation of
!is aisvarya-visesa or attributes of ma%esty"
&he reason for offering obeisances first unto the rope +dama0 and then unto the
6ord9s belly +udara0 is - because the rope is situated upon !is belly" 3r furthermore, to
indicate the ascending superiority in the significance of different things, +respects are first
offered to the rope, then to !is belly0"
8ow, namo radhikayai - obeisances are offered unto !is beloved, #hagavati Sri
*adhika" &his is done in order to show that the mercy of !is beloved enables one to fully
attain the desire ob%ective - including ob%ectives that are even beyond the range of desire"
#y offering obeisances unto Sri *adhika, it is implied that obeisances are also being
offered unto all the gopis" 3r else, since Sri *adhika is the foremost of them all,
obeisances are offered only unto !er"
&he word radhika is used here to denote the attributes and e:cellence of one who
is always engaged in Sri #hagavan9s aradhana or worship +arranging only for !is
pleasure0> this is the purpose of using !er specific name 2*adhika7 in this te:t"
&herefore - tvadiya-priyayaih - obeisances unto our beloved" 3r else, this name
2*adhika7 indicates rudhi +in grammatical terms, it is capable of conveying a meaning
not supported by derivation0" &herefore, regardless of !er aradhana or worship of ou,
She is still our eternally dearmost beloved +nitya-priya0" 5n this connection also, the
word tvadiya indicates that not only is She dear to ourself, but to all our other devotees
as well> what more, then, could be said about how dear She is to ouD (dditionally, this
statement implies that ou are also !er nitya-priya +eternally dear beloved0" #y such the
e:cellence of Sri *adhika9s love for Sri Krsna +prema-visesa0 is suggested" &his the
words priyayaih namah in this verse can either mean - my obeisances unto ou,
*adhika9s beloved> or, my obeisances unto *adhika, our beloved" Whoever is beloved
to ou, such a person is certainly worshipable for the entire universe" &herefore, since
*adhika is our own dearmost beloved, namo 9stu - 5 bow before !er"
(nd finally at the conclusion of the prayer, the author desires to describe the
supreme supere:cellence of the rasa-lila and other transcendental pastimes that 6ord Sri
Krsna performs with Sri *adhika, but since these are the topmost of confidential
topics) they are not mentioned directly' &he logic of madhurena samapayet - 2all
undertakings should be completed sweetly7 - applies here" &herefore such confidential
pastimes are referred to only by a mere dint as they are offered obeisances with the words
namo 9nanta-lilaya +obeisances unto our limitless pastimes0 Jplease see Appendix D,
page 29
&he word devaya indicates that obeisances are offered unto #hagavan Who is
lokottara - supernatural, divine, transcendental" With this it is intimated that by
'amodara Krsna9s divinely supernatural $uality, then all the lilas performed by !im are
also similarly transcendental" 3r else, it could also be interpreted to mean - my
obeisances unto ou Who are continuously engaged in pastimes along with Sri *adhika"
&herefore, ananta-lilaya tubhyam namah - 5 offer my respectful obeisances unto ou Who
are thus performing limitless pastimes" #y the words ananta-lila, it is suggested to
include all the pastimes associated with the realm of Gokula )rndavana" 5 offer my
obeisances unto all those lilas, such a mood is most certainly e:pressed in this verse"
#hus ends Sanatana os!amiAs Dig"Darsini"#ika on the eight sloka of Sri Sri
Damodarastakam
$ppendices
!erses from Sri Brhad Bhaga!atamrta Buoted by the author Sri Srila Sanatana
os!amipada in his Dig"Darsini commentary on Sri Damodarastakam &as
elucidated by Sri Bhakti"Prajnana 5esa!a 6aharaja+
$ppendi% $
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Brhad Bhaga!atamrta *'*("*,8
&hose who worship #hagavan Sri Krsna without any motive for personal gain
+the niskama-bhaktas0, go directly to the abode of )aikuntha" &hat abode is composed of
condensed bliss, it is pervaded with transcendental consciousness, and it is rarely attained
even by the liberated souls" +&hat is, those who become mukta, liberated by dint of their
cultivation of brahma-%nana +impersonal knowledge0, can never attain that )aikuntha-
dhama0" +,C0
&hose niskama-bhaktas who live in )aikuntha perpetually en%oy the happiness of
directly serving the lotus feet of Sri Krsna" &hey sport along with !im in numerous
pastimes and thereby become immersed in the ocean of bliss" Aompared to the pure
happiness felt in performing this seva, such devotees consider amrta +the nectar of
impersonal liberation0 to be totally insignificant"
$ppendi% B
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Brhad Bhaga!atamrta -'/0"10 Page -(
+<ditor9s note1 &he devotee named Gopa Kumara was wandering throughout the universe,
from one planetary system up to the ne:t, in search of the flute-playing 6ord" #y the
power of a mantra given by his guru, he now found himself on the planet called &apo-
loka" Surrounded by austere and peaceful urdhva-reta yogindras and naistika-
brahmacaris, his thirst for meeting the 6ord face to face grew more and more urgent"
;inally, he became very restless for running away to meet 6ord ?agannatha in 8ilacala>
conse$uently the great sage Pippalayana could read his heart and addressed him as
follows,, outlining the meditative philosophy of the %nani-bhaktas thus10
Sri Pippalayana, the son *sabhadeva, said1 Why do you want to leave this &apo-
loka, the e:alted abode of great sages, to go elsewhereD (nd why do you wander about,
aspiring for the vision of paramesvara Sri Krsna, Who is not perceivable by any of the
senses including the eyesD +H-0
;irst concentrate your mind on deep meditation within, and in such a condition
you will naturally see the 6ord" Svayam #hagavan perpetually lives everywhere, both
within and without, and thus !e is %ust as perceptible as any other plainly visible thing"
+HI0
&he 6ord )asudeva, Who is known as Paramatma +the Supreme Soul0, remains
within the heart as the monitor of the soul, and !is very form is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha -
composed of eternity, knowledge and bliss" &hus !e is manifest only unto a heart that is
continuously being purified by the mode of visuddha-sattva +pure goodness0> !e is not
perceivable by other senses" +5n other words, because !is form is composed of sac-cid-
ananda, and due to !is power of self-manifestation and eternal consistency, !e cannot be
grasped by the e:ternal senses0"+HH0
+&he attainment of bhagavad-darsana in the heart is called dhyana, and if one
obtains this, then is that not vision by the eyesD Specifically, is there any need to leave
this &apo-loka and go elsewhere to have !is vision with the eyesD 5n response to this
argument, the answer is given10 When one beholds Sri ;ari directly >ith the eyes)
that !ision is also perfectly accomplished by the mind' #his is because >hen one
sees Bhaga!an) then no other thoughts can arise >ithin the mind' +&hat is, upon
beholding the darsana of Sri #hagavan-murti within the deeply absorbed meditative
mind, that is verily perceived as a vision of the eyes0" +H.0
+5f someone says that all this is acceptable, but still there is more pleasure in
beholding !im directly with the eyes, then the response is given10 @pon the arising of
pleasure >ithin the mind) then &>hy just the eyesC+ all the senses naturally become
pleased' +'ue to the mind9s centralised functioning, the pleasure of all the senses is
included in the mind9s pleasure0" #he functions of all the senses including the tongue)
eyes) ears and so forth are accomplished through the sole means of the mind' +that
is, the senses cannot independently grasp their ob%ects such as taste, form and sound
without the mind accepting them with its perception"0 +.G0
Without the function of the mind) the functions of all the senses are
ineffecti!e' :f the senses grasp their respecti!e objects) and if the mind has not
accepted such stimuli) then the objects are still not percei!ed by the soul' #his is
because in the absence of the mindAs functions) the ji!atma cannot percei!e those
sense objects' +&herefore #hagavan is manifest within a purified mind9s function -
visuddha-chitta-vrtti-visesa - that is actual darsana" &he vision that is directly perceived
by the eyes is not darsana, because !e is imperceptible by the functions of the senses"0
+.,0
+(t this, another $uestion may be raised - we have heard that Sri 'hruva, Prahlada
and other devotees have seen the 6ord with their own eyes> how was thatD 5n answer to
this, it is stated10 When the Lord sometimes appears before the eyes of ;is de!otee)
due to ;is attribute of bhakta"!atsalya &e%traordinary affection for ;is de!otees+)
then that !ision is actually obser!ed through the mindAs eyes' +&he word kadacit
+sometimes0 herein indicates that !is appearance is not fi:ed according to some strictly-
calculable rule0" #his darsana takes place by the faculty of jnana"drsti " the eyes of
kno>ledge >ithin the functioning of the mind " and not by the physical eyesight'
+&his is because the e:ternal senses are fully under the sway of temporary things, being
completely incapable of grasping ob%ects whose nature is supremely limitless
transcendence" &hen we note the reason for the celebration of the above-mentioned
vision by the eyes10 @pon recei!ing the darsana of the Lord >ithin oneAs mind
&purified to a state of suddha"satt!a+) then the de!otee only thinks proudly that this
is a !ision seen >ith the eyes' +(lthough in actuality, it has not been perceived with the
physical eyes0" +.E0
+(dditionally it is said0 Bhaga!an occasionally becomes !isible to the e%ternal
eyes of a de!otee out of ;is potency of mercy +for what cannot be accomplished by !is
all pervading energiesD0> e!en upon this form of darsana) the bliss created thereof is
manifest only in the heart +since the heart or mind is the seat for the arising of ananda0"
+.F0
$nd furthermore " if one obtains the darsana of Bhaga!an and after>ards
;e disappears) then the bliss generated in the heart by ;is !ision sports about
>ithin the heart) resulting in the e%perience of many kinds of successi!e !isions and
re"!isions' #herefore bhaga!ad"darsana &the !ision of the Lord+ is resol!ed only in
the mind' $nd the mind is the single most great receptacle capable of realising the
bliss of ;is !ision' &&herefore there is no need of endeavouring to see !im with one9s
eyes0"+.C0
+Someone may say - the mind, %ust like all the other e:ternal senses, is also
limited to perceiving only temporary material things> therefore it is similarly incapable of
e:periencing the darsana of the supreme transcendental bhagavan-murti" &he response to
this is given10 E!en though the mind is limited to matter) by the mercy of the Lord
&prasada+ the mind can become pure enough to e%perience the increase of bliss
associated >ith ;is direct !ision) and such a transformed mind gradually e%pands in
its capacity to behold ;im' =ther than the mind) the other senses cannot be
ele!ated and illumined in this >ay because they are all e%ternal' +&hat is, because the
purified mind is so subtle, it is actually capable of perceiving the form of spirit" &his
principle is well-known - that upon obtaining the form of something seen in the mind9s
eye, one e:periences the arising of knowledge of that thing" 8one of the other senses
have this property> this is because they are e:ternal, very dull and bound by strict material
limitations0" +./0
+3ne may say - it is accepted that darsana in the mind is superior to seeing with
the eyes, but it is only possible to en%oy the bliss of conversing with Sri #hagavan +about
the re$uesting and granting of boons0 during the time of seeing !im with one9s eyes"
&his $uestion is resolved thus10 When the transparent mind becomes absorbed in
uninterrupted meditation and Sri Bhaga!an becomes !isible in the heart) then that
!ision is just like the direct sight of the eyes' $t that time) Prabhu &the Lord of all
potencies+ is !ery pleased and sho>s ;is special mercy in besto>ing the reBuested
boons &of ;is jnani"bhaktas+D #he chief >itness >ho bears testimony to this process
is Lord Brahma) >ho >as born from the lotus' &10+
+(t the dawn of creation, 6ord #rahma, the first created being who was born from
the lotus sprouting from #hagavan9s navel, became immersed in meditation on the 6ord
for the purpose of begetting progeny in the empty universe> when he attained samadhi,
#hagavan bestowed !is darsana" Seeing the vision of the 6ord within the rapture of his
samadhi, #rahma respectfully bowed down, and #hagavan personally took him by the
hand and said, 25 am very pleased with your penance> now you may re$uest a boon"7
(fter praying for a boon, #rahma directly obtained from the 6ord the catur-sloki
bhagavat - the four seed verses of Srimad #hagavatam" &he pastime illustrates how in
the state of samadhi one perceives bhagavad-darsana and has an e:perience that is
complete with the supremely merciful blessings of seeing the 6ord, obtaining boons,
conversing with !im, being touched by !im, and so forth" ;or more elaborate
information in this regard, one may study the Srimad #hagavatam, Second Aanto, 8inth
Ahapter, and also the &hird Aanto, <ight Ahapter0"
JK<ditor9s 8ote1 &his entire philosophical presentation of antar-darsana being superior to
direct vision of the 6ord with the physical eyes is true only for the %nani-bhaktas - the
austere, meditative devotees who prefer sitting in seclusion while deeply focusing on the
Supersoul, the 6ord in the heart" 6ater we will find that Srila Sanatana Gosvami $uotes
further passages from his #rhad #hagavatamrta in his commentary on the si:th verse of
'amodarastaka, and these verses will ultimately prove that the best type of the 6ord9s
darsana is that which is perceived directly with the senses, as in the case of !is suddha-
bhaktas or pure devoteesL"
$ppendi% 2
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Brhad Bhaga!atamrta .'*31"*/-
KPreviously we have seen the $uotes from Srila Sanatana Gosvami9s Sri #rhad
#hagavatamrta, @ttara Khanda, Ahapter &wo" &herein, the sage and resident of &apo-
loka, Sri Pippalayana, established the significance of darsana of the 6ord within one9s
mind being superlative to darsana with one9s eyes" Aontrary to this position, now in the
following group of verses $uoted from Sri #rhad #hagavatamrta, @ttara Khanda, Ahapter
&hree, the Srimad #hagavata-parsadas +personal associates of 6ord 8arayana0, who are
residents of the transcendental realm of )aikuntha, will establish the superiority +and
supreme effectiveness0 of direct darsana with the eyes as compared to seeing the 6ord
during the samadhi or dhyana within the mind" &hey e:pound their view by using
scriptural citations and logical arguments found in the following four verses10
#he direct !ision of the Lord >ith oneAs !ery eyes is the highest grace
attained by the successi!e >a!es of ;is merciful benedictions' +Since Kardama Muni,
'hruva and other devotees received the darsana of #hagavan and thereby attained !is
great mercy, these stories illustrate the supreme glories of seeing !im the eyes"0 Erom
this type of direct !ision comes e%tremely profound bliss that surpasses all &other
forms of darsana such as in meditation+' #his !ision of Sri 5rsna in person through
the eyes is the final re>ard of practicing the nine"fold process of de!otion headed by
sra!ana' &*31+
#he direct !ision of the Lord is the topmost fruit of all sadhana practice'
@pon attaining this) the nescience of maya >ithin the soul is destroyed do>n to the
root) >hile simultaneously the illumination of prema increases more and more' &*/F+
+8ow by citing ancient e:amples from the scriptures, proof is offered regarding
the supreme delightfulness of beholding the 6ord with one9s eyes10 Sri Prahlada
6aharaja) the son of 5ayadhu &;iranyakasipuAs >ife+) as >ell as other great
de!otees) although constantly seeing the Lord >ithin their o>n hearts) still &due to
its supremely delightful nature+ they al>ays longed for the !ision of the all"po>erful
Prabhu >ith their eyes " this is a fact' #he proof of this is that one day Prahlada
6aharaja >as sitting on the shore of the sea and obtained the direct !ision of Sri
Bhaga!an; thereafter the bha!a of his ecstatic lo!e especially increased' +5n this
regard, one may refer to the book named !ari-bhakti-sudhodaya0" +,H,0
+Someone may say, on the basis of verses such as the te va amusya verse of
Srimad #hagavatam +F",/"CC0 that when the four Kumaras headed by Sanaka were
directly beholding Sri #hagavan, they turned their eyes upward to see !is smiling lotus
face> and then they cast their eyes downward to see the splendour of !is toenails" (t this,
since the eyes and all the other senses are bound by limitations and are incapable of
grasping the beauty and splendour of all !is limbs at the same time, therefore the four
Kumaras closed their eyes and meditated upon !is entire body from head to toe" &his
e:ample portrays how the sages prefer the process of dhyana +meditation within the
heart0 over that of direct vision with the physical eyes" &herefore is dhyana superior to
direct visionD 5n answer to this, the krsnaya verse +,HE0 is given now in order to establish
the relative greatness of the different forms of bhagavan-murti-darsana> in ascertaining
this, all arguments opposing the supremacy of direct vision of !im with the eyes are
settled conclusively"0
Sometimes it happens that >hen someone attains the direct darsana of Sri
5rsna) their eyes close as the other senses become inert' When this occurs) it is not
because they are meditating on ;im >ithin' Rather) it is an e%pression of ecstatic
symptoms as the de!otee becomes o!er>helmed >ith bliss; this is a specific
transformation of lo!e &prema"!ikara+ that is similar to the eight satt!ika"bha!a
symptoms headed by shi!ering &kampa+'
+!ere it is also worth considering - it was described that 6ord #rahma e:ecuted
severe penances, and only while deeply absorbed in meditative samadhi did he attain
bhagavad-darsana and was touched by the 6ord, engaged in a conversation with !im, and
thereby received great mercy from 6ord Krsna personally" &he purport is that by the
process of dhyana or samadhi some devotees receive the favour of the 6ord +as indicated
previously in #"#" E".E by the word kadacit0" 5n this matter, there is never any fi:ed rule
governing the 6ord9s appearance" !e has been perceived only by 6ord #rahma and other
bhagava-bhaktas of his calibre" #ut the conclusive truth is - compared to seeing the 6ord
within the mind during meditation, the most profound bliss is definitely attained by
beholding !im personally with the eyes or the other senses0"
$ppendi% D
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Eootnote by #ridandi S>ami Bhakti"Prajnana 5esa!a 6aharaja
&he statement namo 9nanta-lilaya is usually understood to mean 2obeisances unto
ananta-lila-bhagavan Sri Krsna7, or !e Whose pastimes are limitless" #ut Srila Sanatana
Gosvami looks toward the esoteric intention of Satyavrata Muni and also according to his
own mood of realisation has revealed a very confidential purport" &hus - 23beisances
unto sri rasa-lila"7 &he word ananta indicates 2that which has no end7> namely perpetual,
ine:haustible, countless, and so forth" 5n the e:pression lilaya, the word lila is of the
fourth case ending in the singular number +in con%unction with the word namah0" &he
derivation of lila is - li M la N lila" &he meaning of the word li is 2to embrace7, and the
meaning of la is 2to accept7" &herefore, the word lila is indicative of that sportive
pastime in which 6ord Krsna accepts the embraces of the gopis> thus it is understood to
mean in this conte:t that obeisances are being offered unto the rasa-lila and other
associated pastimes" ;or this reason it is stated ananta-lilaya" (nd as Srila Sanatana
Gosvami has written in his tika - 2"""it is suggested to include all the pastimes associated
with the realm of Gokula )rndavana" 5 offer my obeisances unto all those lilas> such a
mood is most certainly e:pressed in this way"7 #y writing this, he has himself fulfilled
the $uotation of madhurena samapayet - 2all undertakings should be completed sweetly"7
et another topic is necessarily indicated at this point" Srila Gosvamipada has
revealed that the final sloka of 'amodarastaka shows Sri Krsna9s pastimes headed by the
rasa-lila to be the topmost of all" !e states 2"""since these are the topmost of confidential
topics, they are not mentioned directly """ &herefore such confidential pastimes are
referred to by a mere hint only, as they are offered obeisances in the words namo 9nanta-
lilaya"7 &he meaning of this is - because the rasa-lila is the most highly confidential
pastime of the 6ord, therefore Satyavrata Muni has mentioned it only with the briefest
clue or tiniest glimpse" #y so doing, he has made it known that is always inappropriate to
casually hear and chant about the rasa-lila here and there, whenever and wherever" 8ot
only that, but if an un$ualified person deceives himself with an attempt to banish lust, but
then contemplates, performs or imitates the rasa-lila, then such a person certainly
becomes degraded due to the offense of minimising the glories of the factually
transcendental rasa-lila" <ventually he will fall down to become a lusty debauchee and
attached householder %ust like the prakrta-saha%iyas who prematurely dabble in the
highest truth"
5n regard to ascertaining who is $ualified to hear and chant about the 6ord9s rasa-
lila, it is especially noteworthy to e:amine the statements of Srimad #hagavatam
presented at the conclusion of the rasa-lila description +,G"FF"FG0" &hus1
23ne who is not a great controller should never imitate the behaviour of ruling
personalities, even mentally" 5f out of foolishness an ordinary person does imitate such
behaviour, he will simply destroy himself, %ust as a person who is not *udra would
destroy himself if he tried to drink an ocean of poison"7
&he purport of this is - one who is not an isvara truly $ualified by being endowed
with divine potency should never even mentally contemplate, perform or imitate the
6ord9s rasa-lila" 3nly 6ord Siva himself is able to drink an entire ocean of poison" 5f an
un$ualified person who is arudra +not Siva0 falsely considers himself to be greatly
$ualified and tries to drink poison in the form of hearing and chanting about the rasa-lila,
then he would certainly die - that is, he would become tightly bound within the death-like
condition of samsara or gross material e:istence"
6ord Sri Krsna9s rasa-lila pastimes are the crest-%ewel of all !is pastimes, and the
benefits of cultivating such pastimes are the crest %ewel of all benefits" &herefore those
who are $ualified to relish these topics will be the crest %ewels among all devotees" &he
6ord9s rasa-lila should never be studied in any way by those who are sei=ed by the
disease of the heart, who are lusty for personal gratification, or otherwise unfit" 5n
matters of ordinary education, if one wants to dispel one9s ignorance it is necessary to
gradually master the highest knowledge of the university> but a beginning student or
someone of little knowledge is never admitted prematurely into the highest class"
Similarly, it is never appropriate to give instructions about the most elevated topic - the
rasa-lila - to persons of little knowledge who are simply attached to the e:ternal bodily
senses"
$ppendi% E
Sri Sri Damodarastakam
from songs of the 7aisna!a $caryas
+8ote1 #elow is the translation found in the first 5SKA38 songbook, published in ,.IC"
5t had some slight inaccuracies in the interpretation, and conse$uently the translation was
technically overhauled and revised for the ,.I. blue edition of Songs of the )aisnava
(caryas" !erein we have included the original version for nostalgia9s sake> it is very
sweet and this is the way we heard it every night during the month of Karttika by
)isnu%ana Swami0"
namamis!aram sac"cid"ananda"rupam
lasat"kundalam gokule bhrajamanam
yasoda"bhiyolukalad"dha!amanam
paramrstam atyam tato drutya gopya
,0 &o the supreme controller, who possesses and eternal form of blissful knowledge,
whose glistening earrings swing to and fro, who manifest !imself in Gokula, who stole
the butter that the gopis kept hanging from the rafters of their storerooms and who then
$uickly %umped up and ran in retreat in fear of Mother asoda but was ultimately caught -
to that Supreme 6ord, Sri 'amodara, 5 offer my humble obeisances"
rudantam muhur netra"yugmam mrjantam
karambhoja"yugmena satanka"netram
muhuh s!asa"kampa"tri"rekhanka"kantha"
sthita"grai!a damodaram bhakti"baddham
E0 @pon seeing !is mother9s whipping stick, !e cried and rubbed !is eyes again and
again with !is two lotus hands" !is eyes were fearful and !is breathing $uick, and as
Mother asoda bound !is belly with ropes, !e shivered in fright and !is pearl necklace
shook" &o this Supreme 6ord, Sri 'amodara, 5 offer my humble obeisances"
itidrk s!a"lilabhir ananda"kunde
s!a"ghosam nimajjantam akhyapayantam
tadiyesita"jnesu bhaktair jitat!am
punah prematas tam sata!rtti !ande
F0 &hose supere:cellent pastimes of 6ord Krsna9s babyhood drowned the inhabitants
of Gokula in pools of ecstasy" &o the devotees who are attracted only to !is ma%estic
aspect of 8arayana in )aikuntha, the 6ord herein reveals1 25 am con$uered and
overwhelmed by pure loving devotion"7 &o the Supreme 6ord, 'amodara, my obeisances
hundreds and hundreds of times"
!aram de!a9 moksam na moksa!adhim !a
na canyam !rne Aham !aresad apiha
idam te !apur natha9 gopala"balam
sada me manasy a!irastam kim anyaih
C0 3 6ord, although ou are able to give all kinds of benedictions, 5 do not pray to ou
for liberation, nor eternal life in )aikuntha, nor any other boon" My only prayer is that
our childhood pastimes may constantly appear in my mind" 3 6ord, 5 do not even want
to know your feature of Paramatma" 5 simply wish that our childhood pastimes may
ever be enacted in my heart"
idam te mukhambhojam a!yakta"nilair
!rtam kuntalaih nigdha"raktais ca gopya
muhus cumbitam bimba"raktadharam me
manasy a!irastam alam laksa"labhaih
/0 3 6ord, the cheeks of our blackish lotus face, which is encircled by locks of curling
hair, have become reddened like bimba fruits due to Mother asoda9s kisses" What more
can 5 describe than thisD Millions of opulences are of no use to me, but may this vision
constantly remain in my mind"
namo de!a9 damodarananta9 !isno9
prasida prabho9 duhkha"jalabdhi"magnam
krpa"drsti"!rstyati"dinam batanu"
grhanesa9 mam ajnam edhy aksi"drsyah
-0 3 unlimited )isnu4 3 master4 3 6ord4 #e pleased upon me4 5 am drowning in an
ocean of sorrow and am almost like a dead man" Please shower the rain of mercy on me>
uplift me and protect me with our nectarean vision"
ku!eratmajau baddha"murtyai!a yad"!at
t!aya mocitau bhakti"bhajau krtau ca
tatha prema"bhaktim s!akam me prayaccha
na mokse graho me Asti damodareha
I0 3 6ord 'amodara, in our form as a baby Mother asoda bound ou to a
grinding stone with a rope for tying cows" ou then freed the sons of Kuvera, Manigriva
and 8alakuvara, who were cursed to stand as trees and ou gave them the chance to
become our devotees" Please bless me in this same way" 5 have no desire for liberation
into our effulgence"
namas te Astu damne sphurad dipti"dhamne
t!adiyodarayatha !is!asya dhamne
namo radhikayai t!adiya priyayai
namo Ananta"lilaya de!aya tubhyam
H0 3 6ord, the entire universe was created by 6ord #rahma, who was born from
our abdomen, which was bound by a rope by Mother asoda" &o this rope 5 offer my
humble obeisances" 5 offer my obeisances to our most beloved Srimati *adharani and
to our unlimited pastimes"