Sri Damodara-ashtakam

In the Padma Purana of Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa, spoken by SatyavrataMuni in a conversation with Narada Muni and Saunaka Rsi)"In the month of Kartika one should worship Lord Damodara and daily recitethe prayer known as Damodara-ashtakam, which has been spoken by the sageSatyavrata and which attracts Lord Damodara. (Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa2:16:198)

In Iskcon temples, centres, and devotees homes world wide devotees gatherfor the entire month of Damodar (Kartika) to offer lamps (candles - dipas,etc) and in ecstacy sing the glories of Sri Damodar. Check locally for thetimings of that ceremony - usually it is done in the evening, but sometemples and communities perform the ceremony morning and evening.

Jai Yashoda-Damodar Bhagwan

Sri Damodara-ashtakam

1.
namamisvaram sac-cid-ananda-rupam
lasat-kundalam gokule bhrajamanam
yasoda--bhiyolukhalad dhavamanam
paramrstam atyantato drutya gopya

1) To the Supreme Lord, whose form is the embodiment of eternal existence,knowledge, and bliss, whose shark-shaped earrings are swinging to and fro,who is beautifully shining in the divine realm of Gokula, who I (due to theoffence of breaking the pot of yogurt that His mother was churning intobutter and then stealing the butter that was kept hanging from a swing) isquickly running from the wooden grinding mortar in fear of mother Yasoda,but who has been caught from behind by her who ran after Him with greaterspeed-to that Supreme Lord, Sri Damodara, I offer my humble obeisances

2.
rudantam muhur netra-yugmam mrjantam
karambhoja-yugmena satanka-netram
muhuh svasa-kampa-trirekhanka-kantha-
sthita-graivam damodararm bhakti-baddham

2) (Seeing the whipping stick in His mother's hand,) He is crying andrubbing His eyes again and again with His two lotus hands. His eyes arefilled with fear, and the necklace of pearls around His neck, which ismarked with three lines like a conch shell, is shaking because of His quickbreathing due to crying. To this Supreme Lord, Sri Damodara, whose belly isbound not with ropes but with His mother's pure love, I offer my humbleobeisances.

3.

itidrk sva-lilabhir ananda-kunde

sva-ghosam nimajjantam akkyapayantam

tadiyesita-jnesu bhaktair jitatvam

punah prematas tam satavrtti vande

(3) By such childhood pastimes as this He is drowning the inhabitants ofGokula in pools of ecstasy, and is revealing to those devotees who areabsorbed in knowledge of His supreme majesty and opulence that He is onlyconquered by devotees whose pure love is imbues with intimacy and is freefrom all conceptions of awe and reverence. With great love I again offer myobeisances to Lord Damodara hundreds and hundreds of times.

4

varam deva moksam na moksavadhim va

na canyam vrne 'ham varesad apiha

idam te vapur natha gopala-balam

sada me manasy avirastam kim anyaih

4) 0 Lord, although You are able to give all kinds of benedictions, I donot pray to You for the boon of impersonal liberation, nor the highestliberation of eternal life in Vaikuntha, nor any other boon (which may beobtained by executing the nine processes of bhakti). O Lord, I simply wishthat this form of Yours as Bala Gopala in Vrndavana may ever be manifest inmy heart, for what is the use to me of any other boon besides this?

5

idam te mukhambhojam atyanta-nilair

vrtam kuntalaih snigdha-raktais' ca gopya

muhus cumbitam bimba-raktadharam me

manasy avirastam alam laksa-labhaih

5) O Lord, Your lotus face, which is encircled by locks of soft black hairtinged with red, is kissed again and again by mother Yasoda, and Your lipsare reddish like the bimba fruit. May this beautiful vision of Your lotusface be ever manifest in my heart. Thousands and thousands of otherbenedictions are of no use to me.

6
namo deva damodarananta visno
prasida prabho duhkha jalabdhi-magnam
krpa-drsti-vrsyati-dinam batanu-
grhanesa mam ajnam edhy aksi-drsyah

6) O Supreme Godhead, I offer my obeisances unto You. O Damodara! O Ananta!O Vishnu! O master! O my Lord, be pleased upon me. By showering Your glanceof mercy upon me, deliver this poor ignorant fool who is immersed in anocean of worldly sorrows, and become visible to my eyes.

7.
kuveratmajau baddha-murtyaiva yadvat
tvaya mocitau bhakti-bhajau krtau ca
tatha prema-bhaktim svakam me prayaccha
na mokse graho me 'sti damodareha

(7) 0 Lord Damodara, just as the two sons of Kuvera-Manigriva andNalakuvara--were delivered from the curse of Narada and made into greatdevotees by You in Your form as a baby tied with rope to a wooden grindingmortar, in the same way, please give to me Your own prema-bhakti. I onlylong for this and have no desire for any kind of liberation.

8.
namas te 'stu damne sphurad-dipti-dhamne
tvadiyodarayatha visvasya dhamne
namo radhikayai tvadiya-priyayai
namo 'nanta-lilaya devaya tubhyam

8) 0 Lord Damodara, I first of all offer my obeisances to the brilliantlyeffulgent rope which binds Your belly. I then offer my obeisances to Yourbelly, which is the abode of the entire universe. I humbly bow down to Yourmost beloved Srimati Radharani, and I offer all obeisances to You, theSupreme Lord, who displays unlimited pastimes.

Sri Damodar astakam ki jaya