namāmiI bow down;īśvaramto the supreme controller;sat-cit-ānanda-rūpamwhose form is composed of eternity, knowledge, and bliss;lasat-kuṇḍalamwhose earrings play and swing;gokule bhrājamānamwho is splendrously manifest in Gokula;yaśodā-bhiyāin fear of Mother Yaśodā;ulūkalāt-dhāvamānamwho gets down from the wooden rice grinding mortar and runs away;para-āmṛṣṭamcatching Him by the back;atyamvery much;tatam drutyachasing after Him quickly;gopyāby the gopī (Śrī Yaśodā)
Translation
To the Supreme Lord, whose form embodies eternity, knowledge, and bliss, whose earrings swing to and fro, who shines beautifully in Gokula, who [due to the offense of breaking the pot of yogurt that His mother was churning into butter and then stealing the butter that was kept hanging from a swing] quickly ran from the grinding mortar in fear of Mother Yaśodā, and who was finally caught from behind by her, who ran faster than He—to that Supreme Lord, Śrī Dāmodara, I offer my humble obeisances.
rudantamcrying;muhuḥagain and again;netra-yugmamHis two eyes;mṛjantamrubbing;kara-ambhoja-yugmenawith His two lotus-like hands;sa-ātaṅka-netramwith very fearful eyes;muhuḥagain and again;śvāsaquick breathing and sighing;kampatrembling;tri-rekha-aṅka-kaṇṭhaneck marked with three lines (just like a conchshell);sthitasituated;graivapearl necklaces and other neck ornaments;dāma-udaramunto He with a rope around His belly;bhakti-baddhamwho is bound by devotion
Translation
[Seeing His mother’s stick, ] He cried and rubbed His eyes again and again with His two lotus hands. His eyes were fearful, and His quick breathing shook the strand of pearls on His neck, which bore three lines like a conchshell. To that Supreme Lord, Śrī Dāmodara, whose belly is bound with the ropes of His mother’s pure love, I offer my humble obeisances.
iti īdṛkdisplaying in this way (childhood pastimes such as the Dāmodara līlā and so forth);sva-līlābhiḥby His own pastimes;ānanda-kuṇḍein a pool of bliss;sva-ghoṣamHis own family and the other residents of Gokula;nimajjantamimmersing;ākhyāpayantammakes known;tadīya-īśita-jñeṣuto those desirous of knowing His majesty (aiśvarya);bhaktaiḥ jitatvamHis quality of being conquered by His loving devotees (who are devoid of aiśvarya jñāna);punaḥagain;premataḥwith love and devotion;tamunto that Lord Dāmodara;śata-āvṛttihundreds and hundreds of times;vandeI praise
Translation
With these superexcellent childhood pastimes Lord Kṛṣṇa drowned the residents of Gokula in pools of ecstasy. In this way He declared to those absorbed in knowledge of His majesty and opulence: “I am conquered only by My pure loving devotees.” With great love I again offer my obeisances to Lord Dāmodara hundreds and hundreds of times.
varaṁ deva mokṣaṁ na mokṣāvadhiṁ vāna cānyaṁ vṛṇe 'haṁ vareṣād apīhaidaṁ te vapur nātha gopāla-bālaṁsadā me manasy āvirāstāṁ kim anyaiḥ
Word for word
varamboons;devaO Lord!;mokṣamliberation;nanot;mokṣā-avadhimthe highest pinnacle of liberation (the realm of Śrī Vaikuṇṭha loka);vāor;nanot;ca-anyamor anything else;vṛṇe ahamI pray for;vara-īśātfrom You Who can bestow any boon;apialso;ihahere in Vṛndāvana;idamthis;teYour;vapuḥdivine bodily form;nāthaO Lord!;gopāla-bālama young cowherd boy;sadāalways;me manasiin my heart;āvirāstāmmay it be manifest;kim anyaiḥwhat is the use of other things (mokṣā, and so forth.)
Translation
O Lord, though You can award all kinds of benedictions, I pray to You neither for the boon of impersonal liberation, nor for the highest liberation of eternal life in Vaikuṇṭha, nor for any other such boon. O Lord, I simply wish that this form of Yours as Bāla Gopāla in Vṛndāvana may ever be manifest in my heart, for what use do I have for any other boon besides this?
idaṁ te mukhāmbhojam atyanta-nīlairvṛtaṁ kuntalaiḥ snigdha-raktaiś ca gopyāmuhuś cumbitaṁ bimba-raktādharaṁ memanasy āvirāstām alaṁ lakṣa-lābhaiḥ
Word for word
idamthis;teYour;mukha-ambhojamlotus like face;avyakta-nīlaiḥby very dark blue;vṛtamsurrounded;kuntalaiḥby curling locks of hair;snigdhasoft and glossy;raktaiḥby reddish tinted;caalso;gopyāby the gopī (Śrī Yaśodā);muhuḥagain and again;cumbitamkissed;bimba-rakta-adharamwith lips red as the bimba fruit;memy;manasiin the heart;āvirāstāmmay it be manifest;alamuseless (there is no need for me);lakṣa-lābhaiḥby millions of attainments of other boons
Translation
O Lord, again and again mother Yaśodā kisses Your lotus face, which is framed by locks of soft black hair tinged with red and beautified by Your lips colored red like the bimba fruit. May this vision of Your lotus face ever be manifest in my heart. Thousands and thousands of other benedictions are of no use to me.
namo deva dāmodarānanta viṣṇoprasīda prabho duḥkha-jālābdhi-magnamkṛpā-dṛṣṭi-vṛṣṭyāti-dīnaṁ batānugṛhāṇeṣa mām ajñam edhy akṣi-dṛśyaḥ
Word for word
namaḥI bow down;devaO divine Lord!;dāmodaraO Lord whose belly is bound with a rope!;anantaO limitless Lord!;viṣṇoO all pervading Lord!;prasīdabe pleased;prabhoO my Master!;duḥkha-jālaa network of material miseries;abdhi-magnamimmersed in the ocean;kṛpā-dṛṣṭi-vṛṣṭyāby the rain of merciful glances;āti-dīnamvery fallen;bataalas!;anugṛhāṇaplease accept;īśaO supremely independent Lord!;māmme;ajñamignorant;edhiplease come;akṣi-dṛśyaḥperceptible to my eyes
Translation
O Supreme Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. O Dāmodara! O Ananta! O Viṣṇu! O master! O Lord, be pleased upon me. Shower me with Your merciful glances and deliver this poor ignorant fool immersed in an ocean of worldly sorrows, and become visible to my eyes.
kuverātmajau baddha-mūrtyaiva yadvattvayā mocitau bhakti-bhājau kṛtau catathā prema-bhaktiṁ svakāṁ me prayacchana mokṣe graho me 'sti dāmodareha
Word for word
kuvera-ātmajauthe two sons of Kuvera (named Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva);baddha-mūrtyā-evaby He whose divine form was bound with ropes to the grinding mortar;yat-vatsince they were like that (cursed by Nārada to take birth as twin arjuna trees);tvayāby You;mocitauthey who were liberated;bhakti-bhājauthe recipients of devotional service;kṛtauYou made them;caalso;tathāthen;prema-bhaktimloving devotion;svakāmYour own;meunto me;prayacchaplease give;na mokṣenot for liberation;grahaḥenthusiasm;memy;astiis;dāmodaraO Lord Dāmodara!;ihathis
Translation
O Lord Dāmodara, as a baby tied to a grinding mortar, You delivered Kuvera’s two sons from the curse of Nārada and made them into great devotees. In the same way, please give me pure loving devotion for You. I long for this alone and have no desire for any kind of liberation.
namaḥobeisances;teto You;astumay there be;dāmneunto the rope around Your waist;sphuratsplendrous;dīpti-dhāmneunto the effulgent abode;tvadīya-udarāyaunto Your belly;athathus;viśvasyaof the entire universe;dhāmneunto the shelter;namaḥobeisances;rādhikāyaiunto Rādhikā;tvadīya priyāyaiunto Your Beloved;namaḥobeisances;ananta-līlāyaunto Your limitless sportive pastimes;devāyaunto Your transcendental nature;tubhyamunto You
Translation
O Lord Dāmodara, obeisances unto the brilliantly effulgent rope binding Your belly! Obeisances unto Your belly, the abode of the entire universe! Obeisances unto Your dearmost beloved, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī! And obeisances unto You, O Lord, who display unlimited pastimes!
About Namamisvaram Saccidananda Rupam
The Sri Damodarastaka, eight verses glorifying child Krishna bound by rope to a mortar by mother Yashoda as punishment, found in the Padma Purana. Especially beloved during the month of Kartika, when it is sung with an offering of a lamp.
Namamisvaram Saccidananda Rupam was composed by Satyavrata Muni. It appears in Songs of Vaishnava Acaryas.
What is the meaning of Namamisvaram Saccidananda Rupam?
To the Supreme Lord, whose form embodies eternity, knowledge, and bliss, whose earrings swing to and fro, who shines beautifully in Gokula, who [due to the offense of breaking the pot of yogurt that His mother was churning into butter and then stealing the butter that was kept hanging from a swing] quickly ran from the grinding mortar in fear of Mother Yaśodā, and who was finally caught from behind by her, who ran faster than He—to that Supreme Lord, Śrī Dāmodara, I offer my humble obeisances.
Where can I listen to Namamisvaram Saccidananda Rupam?
You can listen to 9 recordings of Namamisvaram Saccidananda Rupam on this page, including versions sung by HG Aindra Prabhu, HG Agnidev Prabhu, HG Ananta Nitai Prabhu, HG Krsnabhishek Prabhu.
How many verses does Namamisvaram Saccidananda Rupam have?
Namamisvaram Saccidananda Rupam has 8 verses.
Can I download Namamisvaram Saccidananda Rupam as a PPT or PDF?
Yes. A ready-to-display slide deck for Namamisvaram Saccidananda Rupam — 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.
Audio courtesy of ISKCON Desire Tree. All glories to the devotee singers.