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Vṛtrāsura's Prayers (Catuḥ-ślokī)

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.11.24–27 — Vṛtrāsura's prayers on the battlefield

ahaṁ hare tava pādaika-mūla- dāsānudāso bhavitāsmi bhūyaḥ manaḥ smaretāsu-pater guṇāṁs te gṛṇīta vāk karma karotu kāyaḥ
Word for word
aham I; hare O my Lord; tava of Your Lordship; pāda-eka-mūla whose only shelter is the lotus feet; dāsa-anudāsaḥ the servant of Your servant; bhavitāsmi shall I become; bhūyaḥ again; manaḥ my mind; smareta may remember; asu-pateḥ of the Lord of my life; guṇān the attributes; te of Your Lordship; gṛṇīta may chant; vāk my words; karma activities of service to You; karotu may perform; kāyaḥ my body
Translation

O my Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, will I again be able to be a servant of Your eternal servants who find shelter only at Your lotus feet? O Lord of my life, may I again become their servant so that my mind may always think of Your transcendental attributes, my words always glorify those attributes, and my body always engage in the loving service of Your Lordship?

na nāka-pṛṣṭhaṁ na ca pārameṣṭhyaṁ na sārva-bhaumaṁ na rasādhipatyam na yoga-siddhīr apunar-bhavaṁ vā samañjasa tvā virahayya kāṅkṣe
Word for word
na not; nāka-pṛṣṭham the heavenly planets or Dhruvaloka; na nor; ca also; pārameṣṭhyam the planet on which Lord Brahmā resides; na nor; sārva-bhaumam sovereignty of the whole earthly planetary system; na nor; rasā-ādhipatyam sovereignty of the lower planetary systems; na nor; yoga-siddhīḥ eight kinds of mystic yogic power (aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, etc.); apunaḥ-bhavam liberation from rebirth in a material body; vā or; samañjasa O source of all opportunities; tvā You; virahayya being separated from; kāṅkṣe I desire
Translation

O my Lord, source of all opportunities, I do not desire to enjoy in Dhruvaloka, the heavenly planets or the planet where Lord Brahmā resides, nor do I want to be the supreme ruler of all the earthly planets or the lower planetary systems. I do not desire to be master of the powers of mystic yoga, nor do I want liberation if I have to give up Your lotus feet.

ajāta-pakṣā iva mātaraṁ khagāḥ stanyaṁ yathā vatsatarāḥ kṣudh-ārtāḥ priyaṁ priyeva vyuṣitaṁ viṣaṇṇā mano 'ravindākṣa didṛkṣate tvām
Word for word
ajāta-pakṣāḥ who have not yet grown wings; iva like; mātaram the mother; khagāḥ small birds; stanyam the milk from the udder; yathā just as; vatsatarāḥ the young calves; kṣudh-ārtāḥ distressed by hunger; priyam the beloved or husband; priyā the wife or lover; iva like; vyuṣitam who is away from home; viṣaṇṇā morose; manaḥ my mind; aravinda-akṣa O lotus-eyed one; didṛkṣate wants to see; tvām You
Translation

O lotus-eyed Lord, as baby birds that have not yet developed their wings always look for their mother to return and feed them, as small calves tied with ropes await anxiously the time of milking, when they will be allowed to drink the milk of their mothers, or as a morose wife whose husband is away from home always longs for him to return and satisfy her in all respects, I always yearn for the opportunity to render direct service unto You.

mamottamaśloka-janeṣu sakhyaṁ saṁsāra-cakre bhramataḥ sva-karmabhiḥ tvan-māyayātmātmaja-dāra-geheṣv āsakta-cittasya na nātha bhūyāt
Word for word
mama my; uttama-śloka-janeṣu among devotees who are simply attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sakhyam friendship; saṁsāra-cakre in the cycle of birth and death; bhramataḥ who am wandering; sva-karmabhiḥ by the results of my own fruitive activities; tvat-māyayā by Your external energy; ātma to the body; ātma-ja children; dāra wife; geheṣu and home; āsakta attached; cittasya whose mind; na not; nātha O my Lord; bhūyāt may there be
Translation

O my Lord, my master, I am wandering throughout this material world as a result of my fruitive activities. Therefore I simply seek friendship in the association of Your pious and enlightened devotees. My attachment to my body, wife, children and home is continuing by the spell of Your external energy, but I wish to be attached to them no longer. Let my mind, my consciousness and everything I have be attached only to You.

About Vṛtrāsura's Prayers (Catuḥ-ślokī)

Vṛtrāsura speaks these four verses in the middle of his battle with Indra, knowing he is about to die. Born as a demon, he had been King Citraketu in his previous life, a great devotee cursed by Pārvatī. He asks only to be a servant of the Lord's servants in birth after birth, and in verse 26 he longs for the Lord as unfledged birds wait for their mother, as hungry calves wait for milk, and as a wife waits for her husband to come home.

Verses
4

Frequently asked

Who wrote Vṛtrāsura's Prayers (Catuḥ-ślokī)?

Vṛtrāsura's Prayers (Catuḥ-ślokī) was composed by Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa. It appears in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Prayers.

What is the meaning of Vṛtrāsura's Prayers (Catuḥ-ślokī)?

O my Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, will I again be able to be a servant of Your eternal servants who find shelter only at Your lotus feet? O Lord of my life, may I again become their servant so that my mind may always think of Your transcendental attributes, my words always glorify those attributes, and my body always engage in the loving service of Your Lordship?

How many verses does Vṛtrāsura's Prayers (Catuḥ-ślokī) have?

Vṛtrāsura's Prayers (Catuḥ-ślokī) has 4 verses.

Can I download Vṛtrāsura's Prayers (Catuḥ-ślokī) as a PPT or PDF?

Yes. A ready-to-display slide deck for Vṛtrāsura's Prayers (Catuḥ-ślokī) — 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.