Sri Damodara Ashtakam

Sri Damodara Ashtakam is the Slokam in praise of and as prayer to Bhagwan Sri Krishna. Damodar denotes dama udhar which means “roped midriff”. When Sri Krishna was growing up as a kid at Gokulam, He used to be hyper active and difficult to manage. Sri Yashoda Devi used to tie Sri Krishna either with a tree or a stone apparatus to restrict His movements. As His belly always used to sport a rope, He was called as Damodar. In some Sri Krishna temples, we can see the rope mark in the belly of Sri Krishna.

As per the legend, Sri Damodara Ashtakam is composed as a conversation between Sage Narada and Sage Saunaka in Sri Padma Puran. The slokam is believed to be composed by Sri Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa.

Sri Damodara Ashtakam dwells on the activities of Sri Krishna when he was tied up with the rope. When once He was tied up with the stone rice pounder, He crawled between a set of twin trees along with the pounder. Though Sri Krishna had passed through the trees easily, the stone pounder got stuck between the trees. When Sri Krishna playfully pulled the rope, the stone pounder had split the twined trees.

From the fallen trees, two Gandharvas (Celestial singers) named Manigreeva and Nalakuvara emerged. Due to their previous sins, they became entwined trees. Due to the miracle of Sri Krishna’s touch, their sins got alleviated and they became Gandharvas again.

The Slokam is presented in Devanagiri and English Scripts.

नमामीश्वरं सच्चिदानन्द रूपं
लसत्कुण्डलं गोकुले भ्राजमानम्
यशोदाभियोलूखलाद्धावमानं
पराम्रुष्टम् अत्यन्ततो द्रुत्य गोप्या
namaa-meeshvaraM sachchidhaanandha roopaM
lasath-kuNdalaM gokulae bhraaja-maanam
yashodha-abhi-yoloo-khalaadh-Dhaava-maanaM
paraa-mruShtam athyanthathoa dhruthya goapyaa (1)

रुढन्तं मुहुर् नेत्र युगमं म्रुजन्तं
कराम्भोज युग्मेन सातन्ङ्क नेत्रम्
मुहुः श्वास कम्प त्रिरेखान्ङ्क कन्ठ
स्थित ग्रैव दामोदरं भक्ति बद्धम्
ruDanthaM muhur nethra yugamaM mrujanthaM
karaambhoja yugmaena saathanGka naethram
muhuh shvaasa kampa thrirekhaanGka kanTa
sThitha graiva dhaamodharaM bhakthi badhDham (2)

इतिद्रिक् स्वलीलाभिरानन्द कुण्डे
स्व घोषं निमज्जन्तमाख्या पयन्तम्
तदियेषिताज्ञेषु भक्तैर्जितत्वं
पुनः प्रेमतस्तं शताव्रुत्ति वन्दे
ithi-dhrik svaleela-abhira-anandha kuNdae
sva ghoShaM nimajjantham-aakhyaa payantham
thadhiyaeShi-thaajnaeShu bhakthairji-thathvaM
punah praema-thasthaM shathaa-vruththi vandhae (3)

वरं देव मोक्षं न मोक्षावदिं वा
न चान्यं व्रुणेऽहं वरेषादपीह
इदं ते वपुनार्थ गोपाल बालं
सदा मे मनस्या विरास्तां किमन्यैः
varaM dheva mokShaM na mokShaavadhiM vaa
na chaanyaM vruNe(A)-haM vareShaadh-apeeha
idhaM thae vapuna-arTha gopaala baalaM
sadhaa mae manasyaa viraasthaaM kimanyaih (4)

इदं ते मुखाम्भोजमत्यन्त नीलैर्
व्रुतं कुन्तलैः स्निग्ध रक्तैश्च गोप्या
मुहुश्चुम्बितं बिम्ब रक्तधरं मे
मनस्या विरास्तां अलं लक्ष लाभैः
idhaM thae mukhaam-bhojam-athyantha neelair
vruthaM kunthalaih snigDha rakthai-shcha gopyaa
muhush-chumbithaM bimba raktha-DharaM mae
manasyaa viraasthaaM alaM lakSha laabhaih (5)

नमो देव दामोदरानन्त विष्णवे
प्रसीद प्रभो दुःख जालाब्धि मग्नम्
क्रुपा द्रुष्टि व्रुष्ट्यति दीनं बतानु
ग्रुहाणेश मां अज्ञ मेद्यक्षिद्रुश्यः
namoa dhaeva dhaamoadhara-anantha viShNavae
praseedha prabho dhu:kha jaalaabDhi magnam
krupaa dhruShti vruShtyathi dheenaM bathaanu
gruhaaNaesha maaM jnamedh-yakShi-dhrushyah (6)

कुवेरात्मजौ बद्ध मूर्त्यैव यद्वत्
त्वया मोचितौ भक्ति भाजौ क्रुतौ च
तथा प्रेम भक्तिं स्वकं मे प्रयच्छ
न मोक्षे ग्रहो मेऽस्ति दमोदरेह
kuvera-athmajau badhDha moorthyaiva yadhvath
thvayaa mochithau bhakthi bhaajau kruthau cha
thaThaa praema bhakthiM svakaM mae prayachCha
na mokShae grahoa mae(A)sthi dhamodharaeha (7)

नमस्तेऽस्तु दाम्ने स्फुरद्धीप्ति धाम्ने
त्वदीयो दरायाथ विश्वस्य धाम्ने
नमो राधिकायै त्वदीय प्रियायै
नमोऽनन्त लीलाय देवाय तुभ्यम्
namasthe(A)sthu dhaamnae sphuradh-Dheepthi Dhaamnae
thvadheeyo dharaayaaTha vishvasya Dhaamnae
namoa raaDhikaayai thvadheeya priyaayai
namo(A)nantha leelaaya dhaevaaya thubhyam