Madana Gopala Stotra

In the forest, on the excellent bathing-ghat called Dvadasaditya, resounding with ripples along the clear sandy bank of the sun's daughter, amid a grove, mounted upon a jeweled golden altar right at its center — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Beautiful with a turban shining with fresh peacock feathers, his necklace, armlets, and bracelets, his anklets ringing with a sound like the roar of the ocean, his limbs radiant with fine garments, kunkuma paste, and jasmine flowers — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Standing with his hip gracefully bent, one leg lightly crossed over the other, playing so sweetly on the flute held to his bimba-red lips, his neck turned at a striking angle — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Whose facial splendor renders futile Brahma's creation of the moon, a mere fragment of whose radiance has thrown Radha's composure into darkness, whose senses are maddened by the sweetness of his own smiling talk — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Whose eyes strike fear into the host of autumn-blossomed lotuses by outshining them, who with his restless, slow, sidelong glances churns in an instant the milk-ocean of Radha's heart — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Who, by the dance of his crooked, restless eyebrows, wins as a gift the jewel of virtue famed among all chaste women, whose tilaka-marked forehead shatters the very bow of Cupid — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

In the ocean of his lofty nose, shaped like a young parrot's fine beak, the fish-like glances of the family's young brides sport and play; who is maddened by Radha's speech touched with the trace of a smile — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Who, to catch and hold the bee of Radhika's mind — fallen there having flown up on the fragrance of his blossoming, bandhuka-red lips — has laid out a path of nectar along the edge of his gleaming teeth — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Who has aimed the arrow of his sidelong glance at the bird of Radha's composure, startled into flight by the shoot of Cupid springing from his ear; who offers a feast of shining honey-wine to the bee-like locks of his hair — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Who is a bee intoxicated from drinking the honey of the lotus-face of splendid Gandharvika, blossoming with fragrant beauty, upon whose mirror-conquering cheek the bimba-red mark of a kiss is to be sought — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Whose swaying, gold, makara-shaped earrings steal away every trace of Radha's composure, who keeps his eyes fixed steadily upon the flute despite the distraction of her restless sidelong glances — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Whose neck, marked with three lovely lines surpassing even a sapphire conch, bears near it a great jewel, as if holding it there to embrace Radhika's own reflected image — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Who bears, raised high, a bed of blue lotuses for his chest, freshly made just so that fatigued Radha may sleep there, his own two splendid arms serving as her pillow at its edge — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Who, on the lovely surface of his belly, bears near his wondrous navel a fine line of hairs, like the very script of the ocean-king Cupid, offered for the delight of the cowherd women — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Delightful, rising like a great post set up by Cupid for binding the languid elephant of young women's hearts, gracious with knees like blossoms that conquer the beauty of emerald hips — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Watching with delight his own pair of reddish lotus feet — the sole cause and support of everything for the maddened bee of Radhika, who lives only by drinking the fresh honey of love — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Whose fame for vast beauty, through the graceful arrangement of his incomparably playful limbs, puts to shame the beauty of ten million Cupids, and who effortlessly crushes even the pride of the mightiest — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

On the bank of the sun's daughter, her waters clear, where a fresh flood of passionate love has risen among the rows of beautiful women, expanding greatly, his shoulder as radiant as lightning — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Who bears, taught anew to ever-fresh young women by the excellent teacher of youthfulness, the treatise on love composed by the sage Cupid himself — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Whose pride of speech is silenced by the playful splendor of Radhika as she deepens their loving sport, who turns to some other topic, his eyes smiling gently, a little mischievously, upon her graceful face — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Who delights Radha close beside him in fitting ways, a moon lovely with the affection shared with his elder brother, tireless in the sport of the pleasure-groves, showering the nectar of love upon the devoted cakora birds who live only for him — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Whoever, wise, bathed in a rising flood of humility, recites this hymn to Gopala united with Cupid's own beauty — having abandoned attachment to material sense-objects, and even any selfish claim upon Krishna — attains, birth after birth, deep loving attachment for his lotus feet.