Premambhoja Maranda Stava Raja
I glorify her whose form is manifest from the wish-fulfilling jewel of blazing mahabhava, whose radiance shines from being anointed with the excellent fragrant paste of her sakhis' loving affection;
who is bathed by the waves of the nectar of mercy, by the stream of the nectar of youthfulness, and by the floods of the nectar of loveliness, eclipsing the goddess Indira herself;
whose limbs are veiled by the silken garment of shyness, who is anointed with the saffron paste of loveliness, whose body is patterned with brilliant dark musk designs;
who is adorned with these nine finest jewels of ecstasy: trembling, tears, hairs standing on end, paralysis, perspiration, faltering voice, reddening, madness, and stupor;
who is adorned with finely wrought ornaments, garlanded with flowers that are her own virtues, perfumed with the fragrant powder of her nature as a heroine both calm and impassioned;
whose hidden jealous pride is her braided hair, who is radiant with the tilaka of good fortune, whose ears shine with the earrings of hearing Krishna's name and fame;
whose lips are reddened with the betel of deep attachment, whose eyeliner is the crookedness of her love, who is scented with the camphor of the smile flowing from her joking speech;
who playfully reclines upon the couch of pride within her fragrant inner chamber, adorned with the swaying locket of love's bewilderment (prema-vaicittya);
whose breasts are concealed, bound by the bodice of loving anger; whose fame, like an excellent vina, withers the faces and hearts of her rival women with envy;
who playfully rests her lotus hand on the shoulder of her sakhi, her own youthful maturity; the youthful Syama, who serves dark Krishna the honey-wine of love's delight;
Bowing to you, holding a straw between his teeth, this person begs: "Please revive this greatly suffering one with the sprinkling of the nectar of your service."
The merciful never abandon even a wicked person who has come for shelter; therefore, O Gandharvika, ah, do not abandon this one, such as he is!
Whoever recites this king of prayers named "Premambhoja-maranda," composed as a means to obtain Sri Radhika's mercy, attains service unto her.
About Premambhoja Maranda Stava Raja
One of Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami's best-known stotras, styled a "stava-raja" (king of prayers). Its first ten verses form a single unbroken sentence of accumulating descriptive compounds building a complete portrait of Radha, her form born of mahabhava, her nine sattvika-bhavas enumerated in verse four, her ornaments, her moods, before the poet finally speaks in verses eleven through thirteen, begging shelter while "holding a straw between his teeth," a classical gesture of utter self-abasement.
- Composer
- Raghunatha Dasa Goswami · Read biography
- Verses
- 13
Frequently asked
Who wrote Premambhoja Maranda Stava Raja?
Premambhoja Maranda Stava Raja was composed by Raghunatha Dasa Goswami.
What is the meaning of Premambhoja Maranda Stava Raja?
I glorify her whose form is manifest from the wish-fulfilling jewel of blazing mahabhava, whose radiance shines from being anointed with the excellent fragrant paste of her sakhis' loving affection;
How many verses does Premambhoja Maranda Stava Raja have?
Premambhoja Maranda Stava Raja has 13 verses.
Can I download Premambhoja Maranda Stava Raja as a PPT or PDF?
Yes. A ready-to-display slide deck for Premambhoja Maranda Stava Raja — 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.