Agre Kurunam Atha

Before the assembled Kurus and Pandavas, when Duhsasana caught her hair and clothing, Krsna (Draupadi), having no other Lord, cried out, ' Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

O Lord Krsna, Visnu, enemy of the Madhu and Kaitabha demons; O Supreme Personality of Godhead, enemy of Mura, merciful upon the devotees; O Kesava, Lord of the worlds, Govinda, Damodara, Madhava, please deliver me.

Though desiring to sell milk, dahi, butter, etc., the mind of a young gopi was so absorbed in the lotus feet of Krsna that instead of calling out 'Milk for sale,' she bewilderedly said, 'Govinda!', Damodara!', and 'Madhava!'

Their grinding-mortars full of grains, the gopis minds are overcome as they thresh with their pestles, singing 'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

A lotus-eyed girl instructed the red-beaked pet parrot that was seated in the cup of her lotus hand; she said, 'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava . . .'

In each and every house, a bevy of gopa-women is engaged in making the caged parrots constantly utter with broken words, 'Govinda,' 'Damodara,' and Madhava.'

With the little boy lying in the swing, all of the gopis used to expertly sing compositions set to musical notes and rhythm; they went, 'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava,' while putting Him to rest.

The younger brother of Balarama, playing mischieviously, was dodging about her with restless eyes. Taking a ball of fresh butter to lure Him over, that gopi called Him: 'O Govinda, Damodara, Madhava . . .'

O my tongue, since my mouth has become like a lotus by dint of the presence there of these eloquent, ornamental, delightful syllables, you are like the swan that plays there. As your foremost pleasure, always articulate the names, 'Govinda,' 'Damodara,' and 'Madhava.'

The one and only Lord of Laksmi, in the form of a little cowherd baby, sat on Mother Yasoda lap drinking her breast-milk. Merged in bliss, she addressed Him as 'Govinda,' 'Damodara,' and 'Madhava.'

In Vraja-dhama, Krsna was playing with His playmates, the boys of His age who protected the animals. With great love, Mother Yasoda called out to her own son, 'O Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

Being firmly tied to the grinding mortar with a cow's rope by Mother Yasoda, the plunderer of butter softly whimpered. 'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava.'

In His own courtyard, Krsna was carelessly playing with a bracelet. A gopi took a ball of butter to Him, and shutting His eyes with her palm, she distracted Him, 'O Govinda, Damodara, Madhava . . .(Guess what I have for you!)'

In house after house, groups of gopis gather on various occasions, and together they always chant the transcendental names of Krsna--'Govinda, Damodara, and Madhava.'

His face is pleasing, and the flute pursed at His lips is filled with divine sound. Amidst the cows, gopas, and gopis, He stands at the base of a coral tree. Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!

Rising early during the brahma-muhurta, and remembering the childish activities of the son of Yasodadevi, the gopis loudly sing while churning butter--'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

Having churned and then set aside a fresh lump of butter in the house, Mother Yasoda was now suspicious--it had been eaten. She said, 'Murari! Govinda, Damodara, Madhava, now tell me the truth!'

Having finished the worship at home, a young gopi, like a strong current of love for Krsna, churns butter, and then joins all the gopis and their friends and they sing, 'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

One time, early in the morning, just as a girl had put aside her churn in a pot full of butter--she saw Mukunda. She then began to sing songs in various ways, about Govinda, Damodara, and Madhava.

Without having bathed or eaten, Krsna was absorbed in play. Overwhelmed with affection, mother Yasoda, who thought only of her son's welfare, called out, 'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava! (Come, take your bath and eat something.)'

Devarsi Narada and other munis are always surrendered to Lord Visnu, who happily rests upon His couch. They always chant the names of 'Govinda,' 'Damodara,' and 'Madhava,' and thus they attain spiritual forms similar to His.

Rising at dawn, having performed their rituals and chanted Vedic hymns, the best of the learned brahmanas always loudly chant, 'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

In Vrndavana, seeing Sri Radhika overwhelmed with separation from Govinda, groups of gopas and gopis sang, with tears in their lotus eyes, 'Govinda! Damodara! O Madhava!'

The cows having already gone out to graze early in the morning, mother Yasoda gently roused her sleeping son with the palm of her hand, softly saying, 'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava.'

With long, matted hair the color of coral, and bodies purified by eating only leaves, water, and air, the sages sit beneath the trees and chant, 'Govinda,' 'Damodara,' and 'Madhava.'

* After speaking these words, the ladies of Vraja, who were so attached to Krsna, felt extremely agitated by their imminent separation from Him. They forgot all worldly shame and loudly cried out, 'O Govinda! O Damodara! O Madhava!''

Sometimes a gopi is engaged in teaching a parrot within a jeweled cage to recite names like: 'Ananda-kanda' (source of bliss), 'Vraja-candra', 'Krsna,' 'Govinda,' 'Damodara,' and 'Madhava.'

The lotus-eyed Lord was tying the sikha of a cowherd boy to the tail of a calf when His mother caught Him, lifted up His chin, and said, 'Govinda! Damodara! Madhava!'

In the early morning a group of His favorite cowherd boys arrived, stick-canes in hand, to take care of the cows. They addressed the unlimited, primeval Personality of Godhead, 'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

When Lord Murari jumped from the Kadamba branch into the water to chastise the Kaliya serpent, all the gopis and cowherd boys went there and cried out, 'Oh! Govinda! Damodara! Madhava!'

After Lord Mukunda had met with Akrura and entered Mathura to attend the ceremony of breaking the bow of Kamsa, all the citizens then shouted, 'Jaya Govinda! Jaya Damodara! Jaya Madhava!'

When both sons of Vasudeva had actually been taken out of Vrndavana by the messenger of Kamsa, Yasoda sobbed within the house, crying, 'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

Hearing how the son of Yasoda, who was but a child, was wrapped within the coils of the Kaliya serpent at the pond, the cowherd boys cried 'Govinda! Damodara! Madhava!' and scurried down the path.

Seeing the Lord of the Yadus proceeding towards Mathura upon Akrura's chariot, the cowherd boys, upon realization of their impending separation, said, 'O Govinda! Damodara, Madhava! (Where are you going? Are You actually leaving us now?)

At the edge of a lotus forest, a gopi lay down upon the bed of flowers, bereft of Krsna. Tears flowed from her lotus eyes as she wept, 'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava.'

Being severely restricted by her mother and father, a lamenting gopi entered her house, thinking, 'Now that I have arrived home, save me, O Lord of the universe! O Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

Thinking that Krsna was in the forest, a gopi fled into the forest in the middle of night. But seeing that Krsna wasn't actually there, she became very fearful, and cried, 'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

Even the ordinary mortals comfortably seated at home who chant the names of Visnu, 'Govinda, Damodara,' and 'Madhava,' certainly attain (at least) the liberation of having a form similar to that of the Lord.

Seeing Srimati Radharani crying from the pangs of separation from Govinda, the blooming lotus eyes of Radha's girlfriend also filled with tears, and she too cried, 'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava.'

O my tongue, you are fond of sweet things and are of discriminating taste; I tell you the highest truth, which is also the most beneficial. Please just recite these sweet syllables: 'Govinda,' 'Damodara,' and 'Madhava.'

The knowers of the Vedas say that this is the cure-all of the worst diseases of mankind, and that this is the seed of the destruction of the threefold miseries of material existence--'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

Upon Ramacandra's going into the forest due to his father's order, along with Laksmana and Sita, His mother cried, 'O Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

Left there alone, Sita was carried out of the forest by the ten-headed Ravana. At that time, accepting no other Lord, Sita cried, 'O Govinda! Damodara! Madhava!'

Separated from Rama, the daughter of King Janaka was completely anxious, and with the form of Rama within her heart, she cried, 'O Raghunatha! Protect me! O Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

'O Lord Visnu, be gracious! Lord of the Raghu clan, cause of the happiness and distress of gods and demons alike, O Govinda, Damoadara, Madhava!' Thus Sita cried as She was being carried over the middle of the ocean.

Caught by his foot and pulled into the water, Gajendra, his friends all harassed and frightened away, then called out incessantly, 'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

Along with his priest Sankhayuta, King Hamsadhvaja saw his son Sudhanva falling into a vat, but the boy was chanting the transcendental names of Hari, Govinda, Damodara, and Madhava.

Accepting Durvasa Muni's request (that she feed his many disciples though she hadn't the means) Draupadi mentally called out to the Lord from within her heart, the Lord of forest dwellers. She said, 'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

He is always meditated upon by the yogis as being inscrutable. He is the remover of all anxieties, and is the desire-tree of all that is desired. His bluish complexion is as attractive as Kasturika. Govinda! Damodara! Madhava!

I am fallen into the deep, dark well of material life, which is full of illusion and blind ignorance, and I am tormented by sensual existence. O my Lord, Visnu, Govinda, Damodara, Madhava, please grant me Your supporting hand to uplift me.

O my tongue, I ask only this, that upon my meeting the bearer of the scepter of chastisement (Yamaraja), you will utter this sweet phrase with great devotion: 'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

O my tongue, O knower of rasa, for release from the hellish bondage of material existence, just worship the charming and easily obtained mantra that is chanted by Vedavyasa and other sages: 'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

You should always and everywhere loudly chant, 'Gopala, Vamsidhara, O ocean of beauty, Lord of the worlds, Narayana, O friend of the poor, Govinda, Damodara,' and 'Madhava.'

O my tongue, always worship these beautiful, enchanting names of Krsna, 'Govinda, Damodara,' and 'Madhava,' which destroy all the obstacles of the devotees.

'O Govinda, Govinda, Hari, Murari! O Govinda, Govinda, Mukunda, Krsna! O Govinda, Govinda! O holder of the chariot wheel! O Govinda! O Damodara! O Madhava!'

Indeed, this is the essence found upon ceasing the affairs of mundane happiness. And this too is to be sung after the cessation of all sufferings. This alone is to be chanted at the time of death of one's material body--'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

Somehow or other accepting the unavoidable command of Duhsasana, Draupadi, like a frightened doe, entered the assembly of princes and within her mind cried out to the Lord, 'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

O tongue, drink only these nectarean names, 'Sri Krsna, dearmost of Sri Radha, Lord of Gokula, Gopala, Lord of Govardhana, Visnu, Govinda, Damodara,' and 'Madhava.'

'Srinatha, Lord of the universe, form of the universe, beautiful son of Devaki, O enemy of the demons, Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!' O my tongue, just drink this nectar.

'Lord of the gopis, enemy of Kamsa, Mukunda, husband of Laksmidevi, Kesava, son of Vasudeva, Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!' O my tongue, just drink this nectar.

'O You who give bliss to the gopis! Lord of Vraja, You who have entered the forest for herding the cows, O Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!' O my tongue, just drink this nectar.

'O Lord of my life! Upholder of the universe, foe of Kaitabha, Vaikuntha, Narayana, holder of the Sudarsana-cakra! Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!' O my tongue, just drink this nectar.

'O Lord Hari, enemy of Mura, Madhusudana, Sri Rama, dearmost of Sita, enemy of Ravana, Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!' O tongue, now just drink this nectar.

'O best of the Yadus, O bearer of Govardhana hill, O lotus-eyed expert in giving happiness to the cows, the gopas, and the gopis, Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!' O tongue, please just drink this nectar.

'O uplifter of the earth's burdens in the guise of a cowherd boy, O Lord of sportive pastimes in which Ananta-sesa has become Your brother! O Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!' O my tongue, just drink this nectar.

'O enemy of Baki, Bakasura, Aghasura, and Dhenuka, O Lord who expertly smashed Kesi and Trnavarta!' O tongue, just drink this nectar--'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

'O Ramacandra, O life and soul of the beautiful daughter of Janaka Maharaja, enemy of the night-roving demons, O elder brother of Bharata!' O my tongue, just drink this nectar--'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

'O Lord Narayana, Ananta, Hari, Nrsimhadeva, remover of the afflictions of Prahlada, O merciful Lord! Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!' O my tongue, simply drink this nectar.

O Lord who assumed the man-like form of Rama, who by dint of Your prowess, turned all other kings into Your servants! 'O Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!' O tongue, just drink this nectar.

'Sri Krsna! Govinda! Hari! Murari! O Lord, Narayana, Vasudeva!' O tongue, please drink only this nectar--'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!'

Even though anyone is able to chant, still no one does. Alas! How determined people are for their own undoing! O tongue, just drink the nectar of these names--'Govinda, Damodara, Madhava!