Madana Gopala Stotra

In the forest, on the excellent bathing-ghat called Dvadasaditya, resounding with the humming of rows of bees along the clear 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, bracelets, and rings, and his sounding anklets, 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 face makes futile Brahma's creation of the moon, a mere particle of whose facial splendour has removed the thick darkness of Radha's jealous pride, and the sweetness of whose smiling words maddens her senses — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Whose eyes strike fear into the host of autumn-blossomed lotuses by outshining them, who with the crooked sidelong glances of his eye-corners, moving like the upraised Mandara mountain, 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 the splendour of his lofty nose, shaped like a young parrot's fine beak, he makes the fish-like glances of the young wives of noble families sport and play; whose heart is maddened by the mantra of 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, which flew up on seeing Cupid's arrow at 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 rob Radha's whole body of its natural functions, 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 leaf of his belly, bears near his wondrous navel a fine line of hairs, like a row of letters in King Cupid's own hand, sealed with his seal, offered for the delight of the cowherd women — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Delightful with the swelling pillars of his thighs, full of rasa, set up by Cupid for firmly 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 very life of all the senses of the maddened bee 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 with a mere particle of his strength crushes the pride of countless maddened lions — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

On the bank of the sun's daughter, splendid like a clear rain-cloud, his shoulders flashing with the arms, bright as lightning, of the rows of cowherd beauties in whom fresh love has arisen, expanding greatly — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Who here sustains a debate with ever-new young women, whom the great professor Fresh Youth has taught the logic treatise composed by the sage Cupid — 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, a moon made lovely by the love of tender Rupa and his elder brother, tireless in the sport of the pleasure-groves, who showers the nectar of love upon his people, who are like cakora birds — this indescribable Gopala, Madana-Gopala himself, appears.

Whoever, wise, bathed in a rising flood of humility, recites this hymn to Gopala joined with the name Madana (Madana-gopala) — 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.