Prayers of Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.10.29–38 — The sons of Kuvera pray to baby Kṛṣṇa after the twin arjuna trees fall
O Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa, Your opulent mysticism is inconceivable. You are the supreme, original person, the cause of all causes, immediate and remote, and You are beyond this material creation. Learned brāhmaṇas know [on the basis of the Vedic statement sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma] that You are everything and that this cosmic manifestation, in its gross and subtle aspects, is Your form.
You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller of everything. The body, life, ego and senses of every living entity are Your own self. You are the Supreme Person, Viṣṇu, the imperishable controller. You are the time factor, the immediate cause, and You are material nature, consisting of the three modes passion, goodness and ignorance. You are the original cause of this material manifestation. You are the Supersoul, and therefore You know everything within the core of the heart of every living entity.
O Lord, You exist before the creation. Therefore, who, trapped by a body of material qualities in this material world, can understand You?
O Lord, whose glories are covered by Your own energy, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You are Saṅkarṣaṇa, the origin of creation, and You are Vāsudeva, the origin of the caturvyūha. Because You are everything and are therefore the Supreme Brahman, we simply offer our respectful obeisances unto You.
Appearing in bodies like those of an ordinary fish, tortoise and hog, You exhibit activities impossible for such creatures to perform — extraordinary, incomparable, transcendental activities of unlimited power and strength. These bodies of Yours, therefore, are not made of material elements, but are incarnations of Your Supreme Personality. You are the same Supreme Personality of Godhead, who have now appeared, with full potency, for the benefit of all living entities within this material world.
O supremely auspicious, we offer our respectful obeisances unto You, who are the supreme good. O most famous descendant and controller of the Yadu dynasty, O son of Vasudeva, O most peaceful, let us offer our obeisances unto Your lotus feet.
O supreme form, we are always servants of Your servants, especially of Nārada Muni. Now give us permission to leave for our home. It is by the grace and mercy of Nārada Muni that we have been able to see You face to face.
Henceforward, may all our words describe Your pastimes, may our ears engage in aural reception of Your glories, may our hands, legs and other senses engage in actions pleasing to You, and may our minds always think of Your lotus feet. May our heads offer our obeisances to everything within this world, because all things are also Your different forms, and may our eyes see the forms of Vaiṣṇavas, who are nondifferent from You.
About Prayers of Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva
Kuvera's sons were turned into twin arjuna trees by Nārada's curse after he found them drunk and naked in the water. A hundred years of the demigods later, baby Kṛṣṇa, tied to a wooden mortar by Mother Yaśodā, crawls between the trees and pulls them down, and the brothers stand before Him freed. In the last verse they ask that their words, ears, hands, minds and heads be used only for Him, and their eyes only for seeing His devotees.
- Composer
- Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa
- Songbook
- Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Prayers
- Mood
- Verses
- 8
Frequently asked
Who wrote Prayers of Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva?
Prayers of Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva was composed by Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa. It appears in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Prayers.
What is the meaning of Prayers of Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva?
O Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa, Your opulent mysticism is inconceivable. You are the supreme, original person, the cause of all causes, immediate and remote, and You are beyond this material creation. Learned brāhmaṇas know [on the basis of the Vedic statement sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma] that You are everything and that this cosmic manifestation, in its gross and subtle aspects, is Your form.
How many verses does Prayers of Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva have?
Prayers of Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva has 8 verses.
Can I download Prayers of Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva as a PPT or PDF?
Yes. A ready-to-display slide deck for Prayers of Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva — 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.