Damodar
It was a plenty-good day. Lots of cleaning. Also spent time
with a Buddhist monk and had dinner with him at the home of a Mauritian couple,
Hari and Krishna Katha.
Overall, it’s a great month known as Kartik, when Krishna devotees celebrate the pastime of Krishna as a
youngster, helping Himself to butter, and the consequences that follow. In
temples and ashrams, we sing this
song. (Translation by Kala Kanta of Gainesville.)
Damodarastaka
After you steal butter, Your earrings dance and shine
As you flee Your mother in Your Gokula pastime.
Though You are all blissful, all knowing, ever-new,
Greatest of controllers, Your mother controls You.
She shows You the stick and she binds You by the waist,
You shudder and sob and Your pearl necklace shakes.
As You rub Your frightened eyes, tears roll down Your face,
Ropes of her love bind You in Your mother’s embrace.
Relishing Your childhood activities like this,
You plunge Your devotees in deep oceans of bliss.
Though many revere You, by love You are subdued.
Again and again, Lord, I bow down before you.
Although You give freedom, I don’t ask to be free,
Nor do I want anything You should offer me.
I only request that Your sweet childhood pastime
Ever be enacted in my heart and in my mind.
Curly hair encircles Your face of blackish-blue.
Kisses make Your cheeks look like red bimba fruit.
May this sublime vision be all that I can see.
Any other treasure has no value to me.
Damodar! O
Vishnu! O Lord beyond compare,
Be pleased with a soul sunk in oceans of despair.
Uplift and protect me with glances from Your eyes;
Shower Your compassion like rainfall from the skies.
Two sons of Kuvera were cursed to stand as trees;
You gave them the chance to become Your devotees.
My Lord, will You offer the same blessing to me?
I don’t want to merge with Your identity.
Although in Your belly the universe is found,
Your mother’s effulgent rope has Your belly bound.
I bow to that rope and to Radha, Your most dear,
And those sublime pastimes in which You appear.
May the Source be with you!
4 km
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