Damodarastakam (with tika) from Radha-Damodara Vilasa

[Guest guest]

Sri Damodarastakam of Satyavrata Muni is very important for Gaudiya

Vaishnavas, and for this reason Srila Sanatana Goswami has written a

commentary illuminating these verses for deeper understanding and

appreciation. I have added the insights of Srila Prabhupada and other

Vaishnava acharyas to further enhance our appreciation of the unique

position of Lord Damodara.

Originally from the Padma Purana, Sri Damodarastakam is recited

during a conversation between Narada Muni and Saunaka Rishi. There is a

benediction that accompanies these verses -- anyone who recites or even

hears this prayer, especially in the month of Kartik, will attract the

eternal shelter of devotional service at the lotus feet of Sri Damodara.

 

(Does anyone know how to maintain the diacritics?)

 

Sri Damodarastakam

 

Verse 1 namäméçvaraà sac-cid-änanda-rüpaà

lasat-kuëòalam gokule bhräjamänam

yaçodä-bhiyolükaläd-dhävamänaà

paräàåñöam atyantato drutya gopyä

"I bow down to the supreme controller, Sri Damodara, whose form is the

embodiment of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. His glistening earrings swing

playfully to and fro upon His cheeks. He manifests super-excellent pastimes

in Gokula, stealing fresh butter suspended from the rafters of the gopis’

storerooms. In fear of Mother Yasoda, He jumps down from a wooden grinding

mortar and quickly runs away. She runs swiftly after Him and finally catches

Him from behind."

 

The specific attributes of the Absolute Truth of the Lord,

tattva-visesa, are addressed first. Satyavrata Muni begins with, namämé, the

offering of obeisances as an auspicious invocation, maìgaläcaraëa. He

invokes the mercy of Lord Damodara to empower him to offer this prayer by

the word, éçvara, the supreme controller. It also indicates that the Supreme

Lord alone is worthy of the highest praise. It further implies the specific

nature of devotional service, bhakti. The Lord manifests Himself in a form

that embodies eternal existence, knowledge and bliss, sac-cid-änanda-rüpam.

Thus, His supreme sovereignty is established.

The attribute of His enchanting beauty, rupa visesa, is described

next. As He runs from Mother Yasoda, His earrings begin to swing back and

forth, lasat-kuëòalam. The earrings naturally sport upon His cheeks as He

plays in the courtyard of Mother Yasoda. All the ornaments that adorn the

Lord have become super-excellent by contact with His divine body, yet these

earrings have attained superiority overall by the great fortune of

constantly kissing His divine cheeks while swinging. They are glistening,

lasanti, due to being enriched with the effulgence from the Lord’s

complexion.

Uddhava describes Krishna’s beauty as so supremely enchanting, that

His transcendental body is the ornament of all ornaments.

Only in Gokula does Krishna display His most splendrous pastimes

that surpass all other manifestations of His excellence, gokule bhräjamänam.

The word, gokule, indicates the place where cows and cowherds reside. The

attributes of His family, parivara-visesa, thus further portray His unique

excellence.

The last two lines of the verse describe the lila-visesa, the

attributes of His excellent pastime as the butter thief. In fear of Mother

Yasoda, yaçodä-bhiya, He quickly runs away, dhävamänaà, from the mortar,

ulükalät. Then, atyantato drutya, she also runs very swiftly.

"Krishna, at that time, was sitting on an upside-down wooden mortar

for grinding spices, and was distributing milk preparations such as yogurt

and butter to the monkeys as He liked. Because of having stolen, He was

looking all around with great anxiety, suspecting that He might be chastised

by His mother. Mother Yasoda, upon seeing Him, very cautiously approached

Him from behind. When Lord Sri Krishna saw His mother, stick in hand, He

very quickly got down from the top of the mortar and began to flee as if

very much afraid. Although yogis try to capture Him as Paramatma by

meditation, desiring to enter into the effulgence of the Lord with great

austerities and penance, they fail to reach Him. But Mother Yasoda, thinking

that same Personality of Godhead, Krishna, to be her son, began following

Krishna to catch Him."

The word, paräàåñöam, meaning caught from behind, also intimates the

supreme love that Sri Krishna has for Yasoda. Therefore, gopyä, lovingly

denotes Mother Yasoda and implies the great fortune of the cowherd caste

that the Supreme Lord prefers to mingle amongst them.

Quoting from the Vaishnava-tosani of Sanatana Goswami, Srila

Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur, explains that the pastime of baby Krishna’s

breaking the pot of yogurt and being bound by Mother Yasoda took place on

the Dipavali Day, or Dipa-malika. In India, this festival is celebrated in

the month of Kartik with fireworks and lights.

"Among all the cows of Nanda Maharaja, several of mother Yasoda’s

cows ate only grasses so flavorful that the grasses would automatically

flavor the milk. Mother Yasoda wanted to collect the milk from these cows,

make it into yogurt and churn it into butter personally, since she thought

that this child Krishna was going to the houses of neighborhood gopas and

gopis to steal butter because He did not like the milk and yogurt ordinarily

prepared."

These eight special cows were called padmagandha, and their milk was

as fragrant as the lotus flower. Just as swans live only on lotus stalks, so

these cows ate only special grass. Mother Yasoda took special care of these

cows, and used their milk to make special sweets for Krishna. She hoped that

he would lose interest in the butter and yogurt from the houses of other

gopis. In this way she made an attempt to rectify his stealing habit.

 

 

Verse 2 rudantaà muhur netra-yugmaà måjantam

karämbhoja-yugmena sätaìka-netram

muhuù çväsa-kampa-tri-rekhäìka-kaëöha-

sthita-graivaà dämodaraà bhakti-baddham

"He cries and rubs His eyes again and again with His two lotus hands. His

eyes are fearful and His breathing quick. As Mother Yasoda binds His belly

with ropes, He shivers in fright and the pearl necklace shakes upon His

neck, which is marked with three lines like a conch shell. To the Supreme

Lord, Sri Damodara, whose belly is bound by His mother’s pure love, not by

rope, I offer my humble obeisances."

 

The second verse continues describing the lila-visesa. He is crying,

rudantaà, because He sees the stick in Mother Yasoda’s hand. Perceiving that

she may strike Him, He appears fearful, hoping her natural empathy may save

Him from punishment. Due to fear, tears are forming in His eyes, so He rubs

his eyes with his lotus-like hands in the normal manner of children to wipe

away the tears that are beginning to flow.

Then, sätaìka-netram, His fearful eyes reveal how much He is

dreading punishment. It also indicates His glancing here and there in great

fear, trying to avoid being punished. The confidential pastime is revealed

in this way. Therefore, muhuù çväsa-kampa, due to his continual sobbing He

is trembling, and, therefore, sthita-graiva, the pearl necklaces and

earrings that adorn Him are also shaking.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is feared by everyone, has

become fearful of Mother Yasoda. In this way, Mother Yasoda now becomes more

than God, more than Krishna. The Mayavadi philosophers want to become one

with God, but in Vaishnava philosophy the devotee becomes more than Krishna.

And Krishna accepts this. He elevates His devotee beyond His own position,

just as Arjuna became the hero at Kuruksetra and Krishna was just his

chariot driver. Actually, Krishna was the hero, but He gave the credit to

His devotee, because He takes pleasure in seeing His devotee in a greater

position than Himself.

"When Mother Yasoda was trying to bind the offending child, she saw

that the rope was short by the measurement of two fingers. Thus she brought

another rope to join it. This new rope was also short by two fingers, and

when another rope was joined to it, it was still two fingers short. As many

ropes as she joined, all of them failed; their shortness could not be

overcome."

The reason for the failure of the rope to bind Him is,

bhakti-baddham. He can be bound only with devotion. No other power can bind

Him. The significance of the two fingers is also very important. The first

finger represents the devotee’s sincere endeavor of love, cesta, or

unflinching determination, dåòha-vrata, to attain Krishna and thereby please

Him. The second finger represents Krishna’s supreme mercy, karunä, by which

He agrees to be bound by His devotee’s pure love, bhakta vatsala.

So He is bound with a rope around the belly, dämodaraà, and tied to

a wooden grinding mortar. This reveals the Lord’s excellent quality of

coming under the control of His devotee’s pure love, bhakti-baddham. He

responds to bhakti in two ways. From Mother Yasoda’s point of view, He is

conquered and bound by her loving parental devotion, vätsalya. From His own

point of view, He willingly allows her to bind Him, although no rope can

ever bind Him.

"Because of Mother Yasoda’s hard labor, her whole body became

covered with perspiration, and the flowers and comb were falling from her

hair. When child Krishna saw His mother thus fatigued, He became merciful to

her and agreed to be bound. O Maharaja Pariksit, this entire universe, with

its great exalted demigods like Lord Shiva, Lord Brahma and Lord Indra, is

under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yet the Supreme

Lord has one transcendental attribute: He comes under the control of His

devotees. This was now exhibited by Krishna in this pastime."

 

 

Verse 3 itédåk-sva-léläbhir änanda-kuëòe

sva-ghoñaà nimajjantam äkhyäpayantam

tadéyeçita-jïeñu bhaktair jitatvaà

punaù prematäs taà çatävåtti vande

"O my Lord, by Your own childhood pastimes, You continually immerse the

residents of Gokula in pools of ecstasy. You reveal to those who are

attracted to Your majesty and opulence, that You are only conquered by the

love of Your pure devotees. Again I offer my obeisances with love and

devotion hundreds and hundreds of times."

 

The attributes of His excellent qualities, guna-visesa, are

described in this verse. The first word, ité, indicates this Damodara lila,

or all of His childhood pastimes like the Damodara lila. Next, sva-léläbhiù,

denotes His own transcendental pastimes by which, sva-ghoñaà, all the

residents of Gokula become, änanda-kuëòe nimajjantam, immersed in pools of

ecstatic mellows. The word, sva, connotes, svasya, His own glory or, svanam,

the glories of the residents of Gokula, which are displayed by these

pastimes, äkhyäpayantam. Moreover, sva-ghoñaà, may refer to child Krishna

since He is also a resident of Gokula.

Then a warning to those who cultivate knowledge of His majesty and

opulence, tadéyeçita-jïeñu, He only reveals Himself to the pure devotees,

bhaktair jitatvaà, being conquered by their love. Again, äkhyäpayantam, this

is proclaimed for all to know.

"To pure devotees throughout the world who could understand His

activities, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, exhibited how much

He can be subdued by His devotees, His servants. In this way He increased

the pleasure of the Vrajavasis by His childhood activities."

Only by pure love and devotion, prematäù, can the Lord be known. So

let us offer obeisances, vande, unto Him, tam, hundreds and hundreds of

times, çatävåtti. A further meaning can be gained from the above Bhägavatam

verse, that obeisances are offered hundreds of times to the process of

devotional service, bhakti, which subdues the object of our love, Sri

Krishna.

 

 

Verse 4 varaà deva mokñaà na mokñävadhià vä

na cänyaà våëe ’haà vareçäd apéha

idaà te vapur nätha gopäla-bälaà

sadä me manasy ävirästäà kim anyaiù

"O Lord Damodara, although You are able to give all kinds of benedictions, I

do not pray to You for liberation, nor the supreme goal of eternal life in

Vaikuntha, nor for any other boon. My only desire, O Lord, is that Your form

as Bala Gopal in Vrindavan may constantly remain in my heart. I have no use

for any other boon besides this."

 

Verses four and five describe the poet’s innermost desires,

beginning with, varaà, boons. No benedictions of any kind are requested

even, iha, here in Vrindavan, from He who can bestow any boon, vareçäd.

Satyavrata Muni does not seek liberation, mokña na, nor does he desire

mokña-avadhim, the highest conception of liberation, which is eternal life

in Vaikuntha. Neither is he interested in any other benediction, na ca

anyam, referring to the nine processes of devotional service beginning with

çravaëam kértanam, and the benefits they bestow. If others desire these, or

even if Krishna wants to bestow these upon him, he has no attraction for

them.

The three benedictions referred to, mokña, liberation, mokñävadhim,

eternal life in Vaikuntha, and, anyam, any other boon, all reflect an

ascending order of superiority. Eternal life in Vaikuntha is clearly

superior to impersonal liberation. The position of other boons such as the

nine processes of devotion are described in Çrémad-Bhägavatam.

"O Lord, we pray that You let us be born in any hellish condition of

life, just as long as our hearts and minds are always engaged in the service

of Your lotus feet, our words are made beautiful [by speaking of Your

activities] just as Tulasi leaves are beautified when offered unto Your

lotus feet, and as long as our ears are always filled with the chanting of

Your transcendental qualities."

By these words spoken by the four Kumaras, it can be understood that

the nine processes of devotion can be perfected even in hell. So in any

condition of life, one can experience the perfection that is available in

the eternal abode, Vaikuntha, through bhakti-yoga.

Is there anything that the Muni does desire? The answer is, iha,

here in Vrindavan, idaà te vapur nätha gopäla-bälaà, may Your form as a

cowherd boy, O Lord, sadä me manasy ävirästäà, always remain manifest in my

mind. Since Krishna is also the Supersoul in the heart, antaryämé, one may

see His divine beauty within as clearly as one sees externally with the

eyes.

Finally all boons of any kind are dismissed as, kim anyaiù, having

no value at all. The reason is that since Krishna is the quintessence of all

existence, knowledge, and bliss, sac-cid-änanda-rüpam, if He is attained

then all perfection is already included. Conversely, if one does not attain

Krishna, then all other benedictions are simply a source of lamentation

since they are of lesser value. One can be fully satisfied only by beholding

Krishna’s divine form as a young cowherd boy. Therefore, all other

benedictions are useless, kim anyaiù. This is the mood of Satyavrata Muni.

 

 

Verse 5 idaà te mukhämbhojam atyanta-nélair-

våtaà kuntalaiù snigdha-raktaiç ca gopyä

muhuç cumbitaà bimba-raktädharaà me

manasy ävirästäm alaà lakña-läbhaiù

"Your supremely enchanting face, encircled by shining locks of dark blue

curling hair, resembles the fully blossomed lotus, tinged with a reddish

luster, due to being kissed again and again by Mother Yasoda. May this

vision of Your lotus face, with lips as red as bimba fruit, remain forever

in my heart. Millions of other benedictions are of no benefit to me."

 

The poet demonstrates in this prayer that longing for the

association of the Lord in the heart is the best means to achieve Him. That

longing to see the beautiful lotus face of the Lord, which is supremely

enchanting, is stated first, idaà te mukhämbhojam. The indescribably sweet

face of Sri Krishna resembles a fully bloomed lotus flower. By simply seeing

His face, which is the treasure house of supreme bliss, all anxiety and

distress disappear. Therefore, may that lotus face, mukhämbhojam, manifest

within the mind even just once, manasy ävirästäm, or again and again, muhuù,

or constantly, sadä. The concept of sadä is carried over from the previous

verse to give its definitive conclusion in this verse. All three meanings

are intended.

That lotus face is always surrounded, våtaà, by curling hair,

kuntalaiù, which is a very dark blue color, atyanta-nilair. It is tinged

with a reddish hue, raktaiù, and is shining, snigdha. The curly locks

encircling Krishna’s face bounce as He moves here and there, just as a lotus

flower is surrounded by hovering honey bees. This is the meaning suggested

by våtaà. His lotus face is kissed again and again by, gopyä, Mother Yasoda.

The word muhuù, again and again, defines, gopyä, the supremely fortunate

gopi who repeatedly kisses, muhuç cumbitaà, that divine lotus face.

Furthermore, Krishna’s lotus face is, bimba-raktädharaà, adorned

with crimson red lips like the bimba fruit. That form is so completely

enchanting and satisfying that, lakña-läbhaiù, millions of other attainments

are simply, alaà, useless. They have no value. This is the meaning of the

fifth verse.

 

 

Verse 6 namo deva dämodaränanta viñëo

praséda prabho duùkha-jäläbdhi-magnam

kåpä-dåñöi-våñöyäti-dénaà batänu-

gåhäëeça mäm ajïam edhy akñi-dåçyaù

"O Damodara! O Lord of divine beauty and unlimited mercy! O all pervading

Visnu! I offer my obeisances unto You. May You be pleased with me. I am

drowning in an ocean of sorrow and feeling almost dead. Shower Your nectar

laden glances upon me, thereby uplifting me and enthusing me with life.

Please accept me, O Lord, and become visible before my eyes."

 

Feelings of love arise from the purity and potency of longing, and

then one is only satisfied to behold the beauty of Sri Krishna directly,

säkñät-darçana. The supreme method, paraà-sädhana, to attain this goal is

chanting the Holy Name, çré-näma-saìkértana. Satyavrata Muni begins this

verse chanting the Holy Names. In his ecstasy, feelings of awe and reverence

are abandoned by the elimination of the word, tubhyam, unto You. This

creates the mood of being in the personal presence of the Lord.

The name, deva, indicates, he divya-rüpa, O Lord of divine beauty!

This beauty is the cause for desiring personal darçana. The address,

dämodara, specifically refers to His glorious quality of, bhakta-vatsala,

coming under the sway of the devotee’s pure love for Him, even up to the

point of allowing Himself to be bound. How is one able to see Him unless

qualified by bhakti, pure devotional service? He who is unlimited with no

end, ananta, indicates the Lord who is inconceivable, infallible,

beginningless, and who has unlimited forms for sporting in divine pastimes.

Because He is inconceivable, He can only become visible to our eyes by His

power, not by our own power. Moreover, the name, viñëu, connotes He who is

all pervading. Thus there can be no difficulty for Him to appear before our

eyes.

In the last line of the verse, iça, refers to the supreme controller

who is completely independent. The poet prays, gåhäëeça, please accept this

prayer, O independent Lord, for nothing can cause You to act. You may accept

my entreaty or not by Your own sweet will. Still I will continue to hope.

The word praséda, indicates the mercy of prabhu, the supreme master.

The devotee hopes that Sri Krishna is pleased with him and will benedict him

with His mercy. Why? Because, duùkha-jäläbdhi-magnam, he is drowning in an

ocean of misery. Specifically, duùkha, denotes the pain of repeated birth

and death, or the agony of being separated from the Lord’s presence. The

illusion, jäla, of the material world is like, abdhi, the vast, bottomless

ocean, in which we are drowning, magnam. This is the cause of, ati-dénaà,

our condition of extreme distress. Another meaning is, due to being bereft

of, sädhu-saìga, the association of saintly devotees, we experience

distress. Moreover, we are extremely distressed not being able to see You,

my Lord.

The problem is compounded because of, ajïam, being ignorant about

what to do. Therefore, kåpä-dåñöi-våñöya, please bestow Your merciful glance

like a shower of nectar, thereby uplifting and enthusing us with life,

anugåhäëa. Thereupon, edhy akñi-dåçyaù, please become visible before our

eyes. This is the significance of the prayer.

 

 

Verse 7 kuverätmajau baddha-mürtyaiva yad-vat

tvayä mocitau bhakti-bhäjau kåtau ca

tathä prema-bhaktià svakäà me prayaccha

na mokñe graho me ‘sti dämodareha

"O Lord Damodara, although Mother Yasoda bound Your divine form to a wooden

grinding mortar, You mercifully delivered the sons of Kuvera, Manigriva and

Nalakuvara, who were cursed to stand as trees, and You gave them the gift of

devotional service. Please bless me in this same way with Your most

wonderful prema bhakti. I have no eagerness for any other type of

liberation."

 

This verse reveals deep truths about, prema-visesa, pure ecstatic

love for Krishna. Beginning with, kuverätmajau, the two sons of Kuvera are

introduced. They were able to obtain the direct vision of the Lord. But

isn’t prema bhakti the only means for seeing the Lord face to face? And

having once seen the Lord, doesn’t the agony of separation set in upon

losing that vision? This is the feature of prema bhakti that brings the Lord

under the sway of the pure devotee’s love.

How did the two reprobates get such mercy? The answer is that by the

quality of Sri Krishna’s love, bhakta-vatsala, the impossible becomes

possible. To honor the word of His pure devotee, Narada Muni, who gave the

benediction that they would see the Lord face to face, the Lord actually

delivers these boys. Did they ever do anything to deserve this? No. It is

simply causeless mercy!

"Although these two young men are the sons of the very rich Kuvera

and I have nothing to do with them, Devarsi Narada is My very dear and

affectionate devotee, and therefore because he wanted Me to come face to

face with them, I must do so for their deliverance."

The purport is that Krishna is bound by the love of Sri Narada. This

is His quality of bhakta-vatsala. Therefore he utilizes the wooden grinding

mortar to pull down the two trees which are actually the two brothers. By

the mercy of the pure devotee, Narada Muni, they received the mercy of the

Lord. Similarly, by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, the same benediction can

be received by us.

By, baddha-mürtyaiva, we understand that the Lord has agreed to be

bound with rope and tied to the wooden mortar. But even though He is tied

up, He liberates Manigriva and Nalakuvara. The word, mocitau, indicates they

are liberated from, saàsära, repeated birth and death, not only from Sri

Narada’s curse. Furthermore, the two boys are given, bhakti-bhäjau, the

benediction of prema-bhakti. They are now counted amongst the pure devotees

known as, bhakti-bhäjam, who can never give up the shelter of devotional

service.

With the words, tathä prema-bhaktià svakäà me prayaccha, Satyavrata

Muni requests, "Please benedict me also with prema-bhakti in the same way."

The word, svakäà, denotes the exclusive shelter of Krishna’s own lotus feet,

or His own beautiful form, the exclusive object of meditation. "I have no

desire for personal liberation," na mokñe graho me ‘sti dämodareha.

Even though the Lord may offer liberation, mokña, the answer is no,

na. Other than this, iha, referring to prema-bhakti, I am not eager, grahaù,

for anything else. The mood is that if one can obtain prema-bhakti, then why

care for the insignificance of liberation from material life? Another

meaning of, iha, indicates Vrindavan, where prema-bhakti is predominant, and

where Sri Krishna is always present.

 

 

Verse 8 namas te ‘stu dämne sphurad dépti-dhämne

tvadéyodaräyätha viçvasya dhämne

namo rädhikäyai tvadéya priyäyai

namo ‘nanta-léläya deväya tubhyam

"O Lord, I offer respectful obeisances unto Your belly, the abode of the

entire universe, which is bound by Mother Yasoda with a brilliantly

effulgent rope. To this rope I offer my humble obeisances. I offer repeated

obeisances to Your dearmost beloved Srimati Radharani, and I bow before You,

who are performing unlimited super-excellent pastimes."

 

At the conclusion of the prayer, obeisances are offered, namas te,

to the Lord’s unique binding, His bodily limbs, His associates and to the

Lord Himself, in order to arouse the mood of bhakti. Even the rope that

binds His belly, dämne, receives worship. That rope is the abode of, or

source of, effulgence, sphurad dépti-dhämne, and the poet here suggests that

the rope is also the source of the all-pervading brahman effulgence.

Then, obeisances are offered to the Lord’s belly which is bound by

this wondrous rope, tvadéyodaräyätha. What is that belly like? It is,

viçvasya dhämne, the abode or support of all the infinite universes in the

creation, including all the moving and non-moving living entities dwelling

therein. A gigantic lotus flower that sustains the fourteen worlds sprouts

from that belly and is the abode of Lord Brahma.

Child Krishna displayed His universal form to Mother Yasoda when he

opened His mouth to show that he wasn’t eating dirt; so this is another

indication. Therefore, when Mother Yasoda bound His belly with rope, she

bound the entire universe. Actually, Krishna allowed her to bring the entire

creation under her control, although it’s not possible to bind the

omnipotent Lord. By His acceptance to be bound, we can understand that this

pastime is inconceivable to mundane logic and reason. This is the mood here.

Obeisances are also offered to His beloved Srimati Radharani, namo

rädhikäyai. By Sri Radha’s mercy one is able to fully attain Sri Krishna.

Being foremost amongst the gopis, obeisances are offered unto Her

specifically. It is further implied that obeisances are being offered to all

the gopis, headed by Sri Radha. The word, rädhikä, refers to the one who is

perfectly engaged in Sri Krishna’s devotional service.

Therefore Satyavrata Muni says: "I offer obeisances unto Your

beloved, tvadéya priyäyai. She is Your eternally beloved, nitya-priya,

regardless of rendering devotional service to You." The word, tvadéya,

further elucidates that Sri Radha is dear not only to Krishna, but to all

Krishna’s devotees. The understanding is that Sri Krishna is also the

nitya-priya of Sri Radha. Thus, the super-excellence of Radharani’s love is

proclaimed. The poet avows, "Whoever is beloved by You, is worshipable for

the entire universe!"

The conclusion of the prayer alludes to the supreme transcendental

pastime, räsa-lélä, as well as all other unlimited pastimes of the Lord.

Since these topics are highly confidential, they are not mentioned directly.

There is only a hint of other unlimited pastimes, ananta-léläya. In

addition, ananta-léläya indicates that obeisances are offered to all the

pastimes within the divine realm of Gokula Vrindavan. By the word, deväya,

the divine transcendental Lord Sri Krishna is indicated. The inference is

that by Sri Damodara’s inconceivable divine qualities all the pastimes of

the Lord are also transcendental. Therefore, namo ‘nanta-léläya deväya

tubhyam, "I prostrate myself unto You who are engaged in unlimited

transcendental pastimes." This is the mood expressed by Satyavrata Muni.