Gandharva Samprarthanastakam
O Goddess, kindly show me the two of you playing here in a bower of Vrindavana, moving with the graceful sportiveness of a magnificent, joyfully maddened elephant; show me the pair of your lotus faces, bestow your mercy upon me, and be pleased.
O Goddess! Falling flat to the ground in full prostration, overwhelmed with longing, I beg you today with a voice choked by the weight of humble entreaty: O Gandharvika, show mercy to this foolish person and count him among your own attendants.
O Shyama, when shall I serve you, whose body is held in the left arm of Shyama — whose beauty, finer than the loveliness of the husband of the goddess of fortune, bewilders every person in the world — you whose wealth of beauty is rare even in the goddess of fortune?
O Goddess, when, having covered you with a cloak the color of a rain-cloud and removed the anklets from your feet, shall I lead you, full of joy, at night on abhisara to the bower made resplendent by the son of the King of Vraja?
When will this person get to massage the lotus feet of you both, the two ornaments of the three worlds, as you recline together upon a bed of flowers in the forest bower, sharing sweet, playful banter?
O Queen of Vrindavana, when, as the two of you rest beneath a tree on the bank of your pond, your lotus faces beautified by beads of sweat born from the exertion of loving sport, shall I fan you both with a whisk of soft camara hair?
O lovely-eyed one, when you are hiding in the hollow of a forest bower and are found out, and you knit your brows at me in feigned anger, when shall I coax that pretended anger away before the son of the King of Vraja, saying, "It was Citra who pointed you out to Mukunda, not I; do not frown at me"?
When shall I behold you, elated after defeating the son of the King of Vraja in a playful war of words, your speech blossoming with great pride, while your delighted companions, joyous as blooming flowers, sing your unbounded glories aloud?
Whatever surrendered soul properly recites this octet of prayers to the daughter of King Vrishabhanu, to him she, joined together with her beloved, joyfully bestows the flooding waves of her mercy.
About Gandharva Samprarthanastakam
Rupa Goswami's celebrated Gandharva-samprarthanastakam, an eight-verse prayer addressed directly to Sri Radha (here called Gandharvika) begging simply to witness, and eventually to serve, her intimate pastimes with Krishna in the groves of Vrindavana — fanning the divine couple, massaging their feet, pacifying Radha's feigned anger. It became a template later Gaudiya poets often echoed for expressing manjari-bhava, the mood of a maidservant desiring only to assist Radha's love for Krishna.
- Composer
- Rupa Goswami · Read biography
- Verses
- 9
Frequently asked
Who wrote Gandharva Samprarthanastakam?
Gandharva Samprarthanastakam was composed by Rupa Goswami.
What is the meaning of Gandharva Samprarthanastakam?
O Goddess, kindly show me the two of you playing here in a bower of Vrindavana, moving with the graceful sportiveness of a magnificent, joyfully maddened elephant; show me the pair of your lotus faces, bestow your mercy upon me, and be pleased.
How many verses does Gandharva Samprarthanastakam have?
Gandharva Samprarthanastakam has 9 verses.
Can I download Gandharva Samprarthanastakam as a PPT or PDF?
Yes. A ready-to-display slide deck for Gandharva Samprarthanastakam — verse and translation on each slide — is available to download in both PowerPoint (.pptx) and PDF formats from this page, for use in kirtan or temple programs.