MAHA MANTRA is YUGA DHARMA

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Sri Namastaka

"Eight Prayers Glorifying the Holy Name"

by Srila Rüpa Gosvami

 

 

Translated by Srila Prabhupäda and Kushakratha Prabhu

(Note: Translations followed by an asterisk are SRila Prabhupäda's.)

 

1

nikhila-çruti-mauli-ratna-mälä

dyuti-néräjita-päda-paìkajänta

ayi mukta-kulair upäsyamänaà

paritas tväà hari-näma saàçrayämi

 

nikhila-of all; çruti-the Vedas; mauli-crown; ratna-jewels; mälä-necklace;

dyuti-effulgence;néräjita-worshiped; päda-feet; païkaja-lotus; anta-tips of

the toes; ayi-O!; mukta-kulaiù-by the liberated souls;upäsyamanam-adored;

paritas-compoletely; tväm-You; hari-of Hari; näma-name; saàçrayämi-I take

shelter.

 

O Hari-näma! The tips of the toes of Your lotus feet are constantly being

worshiped by the glowing radiance

emanating from the string of gems known as the Upaniñads, the crown jewels

of all the Vedas. You are eternally adored

by liberated souls, such as Närada and Çukadeva. O Hari-näma! I take

complete shelter of You.*

 

TEXT 2

jaya nämadheya muni-vånda-geya he

jana-raïjanäya param akñaräkåte

tvam anädaräd api manäg udéritaà

nikhilogra-täpa-paöaléà vilumpasi

 

jaya-all glories; nämadheya-O holy name; muni-of sages; vånda-by the

multitudes; geya-chanted; he-O!;jana-of the people; raïjanäya-for the

happiness; param-supreme; akñara-of syllables; äkåte-the form; tvam-You;

anädaräd-without respect; api-even; manäg-once; udéritaà-spoken;

nikhila-all; ugra-terrible; täpa-tortures;paöaléà-abundance; vilumpasi-you

take away.

 

O Hari-näma, all glories to You! Sung by all the sages, You are the supreme

combination of syllables, and

You bring transcendental bliss to all people. Even if a person utters You

only once disrespectfully, still You relieve his

many extreme sufferings.

 

TEXT 3

yad-äbhäso 'py udyan kavalita-bhava-dhvänta-vibhavo

dåçaà tattvändhänäm api diçati bhakti-praëayiném

janas tasyodättaà jagati bhagavan-näma-taraëe

kåté te nirvaktuà ka iha mahimänaà prabhavati

 

yad-äbhäso-the dim light of which; api-even; udyan-rising; kavalita-swallow

up; bhava-of repeated birth nddeath;dhvänta-darkness;vibhavaù-power;dåçaà-of

the eyes; tattva-to the truth; andhänäm-blind; api-even;diçati-indicates;

bhakti-devotional service; praëayiném-causing; janaù-people; tasya-of Him;

udättaà-exalted; jagati-in the world; bhagavan-of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead; näma-of the name; taraëe-O sun; kåté-pious person; te-of You;

nirvaktuà-to describe; ka-who?; iha-here; mahimänaà-glory; prabhavati-is

able.

 

O sun of the Holy Name, even a dim glimmer of Your splendor swallows up the

powerful darkness of materialistic life and gives those who are blind to the

truth the vision to follow the path of pure devotional service.

Who in this world, even if learned and pious, can fully describe Your

transcendental glory?

 

TEXT 4

yad-brahma-säkñät-kåti-niñöhayäpi

vinäçam äyäti vinä na bhogaiù

apaiti näma sphuraëena tat te

prärabdha-karmeti virauti vedaù

 

yad-brahma-Brahman; säkñät-direct; kåti-activity; niñöhayä-faith; api-also;

vinäçam-to destruction;äyäti-goes; vinä-without; na-not; bhogaiù-enjoyment;

apaiti-attains; näma-of the name; sphuraëena-by the appearance

(in one's consciousness); tat-that; te-of You; prärabdha-karma-reactions to

fruitive activities; iti-thus; virauti-declares;vedaù-the Vedas.

 

O Holy Name, the Vedas declare that meditation on the impersonal Brahman

cannot bring freedom from karmic reactions, that they have to be enjoyed or

suffered, but that when You manifest in one's consciousness all karma

at once disappears.

 

TEXT 5

aghadamana-yaçodänandanau nandasüno

kamalanayana-gopécandra-våndävanendräù

praëatakaruëa-kåñëäv ity aneka-svarüpe

tvayi mama ratir uccair vardhatäà nämadheya

 

aghadamana-crusher of Agha; yaçodänandanau-darling child of Yaçodä;

nandasüno-son of Nanda Mahäräja;kamala-nayana-lotus-eyedone;gopé-candra-moon

of the gopés; våndävana-indräù-Lord of Våndävana;praëata-karuëa-You who are

merciful to those who surrender to You; kåñëau-Kåñëa; iti-thus; aneka-many;

svarüpe-forms; tvayi-in You; mama-of me; ratiù-love; uccair-greatly;

vardhatäm-may increase; nämadheya-Holy Names.

 

O Holy Name, You have many forms, such as Aghadamana (Crusher of Aghäsura),

Yaçodänandana (Darling Child of Yaçodä), Nandasünu (Son of Nanda),

Kamalanayana (Lotus-eyed One), Gopécandra (Moon of the Gopés), Våndävanendra

(King of Våndävana), Praëatakaruëa (He Who Is Merciful to the Surrendered

Souls), and Kåñëa. I pray that my love for You in Your many forms may

greatly increase.

 

TEXT 6

väcyaà väcakam ity udeti bhavato näma svarüpa-dvayaà

pürvasmät param eva hanta karuëaà taträpi jänémahe

yas tasmin vihitäparädha-nivahaù präëé samantäd bhaved

äsyenedam upäsya so 'pi hi sadänandämbudhau majjati

 

väcyaà-the object described; väcakam-the words that describe the object;

iti-thus; udeti-manifested;bhavataù-of You; näma-O Holy Name; svarüpa-forms;

dvayaà-two; pürvasmät-the first (form); param-the second (form); eva-indeed;

hanta-indeed; karuëaà-(more) compassion; tatra-there; api-even; jänémahe-we

know; yaù-one who; tasmin-to that (form, i.e., the first form);

vihita-commits; aparädha-of offenses; nivahaù-a multitude; präëé-living

entity; samantäd-completely; bhaved-may be; äsyena-with the mouth;

idam-this; upäsya-worshiping; saù api-whoever;hi indeed; sadä-eternal;

änanda-of bliss; ambudhau-in the ocean; majjati-immerse.

 

O Holy Name, You are manifested in two forms: the Supreme Person You

designate, and the sound vibration that designates. We know that the second

form is more merciful than the first, because even if a person

offends Your first form in many ways, You plunge him into an ocean of

transcendental bliss if he serves Your second form with his voice.

 

TEXT 7

süditäçrita-janärti-räçaye

ramya-cid-ghana-sukha-svarüpiëe

näma gokula-mahotsaväya te

kåñëa pürëa-vapuñe namo namaù

 

südita-destroy; äçrita-(who take) shelter; jana-of the people;

ärti-sufferings; räçaye-abundance;ramya-charming; cit-spirit; ghana-intense;

sukha-happiness; sva-rüpiëe-own form; näma-O Holy Name; gokula-for

Gokula; mahä-utsaväya-great festival; te-of You; kåñëa-of Lord Kåñëa;

pürëa-the perfect and full;vapuñe-transcendental form; namaù-obeisances;

namaù-obeisances.

 

O Holy Name! You destroy the many sufferings of those who take shelter of

You. You are the very form ofintense spiritual bliss, a festival of

happiness for Gokula, and the perfect and complete form of Lord Kåñëa. Again

and again I bow to You.

 

TEXT 8

närada-véëojjévana

sudhormi-niryäsa-mädhuré-püra

tvaà kåñëa-näma kämaà

sphura me rasane rasena sadä

 

närada-of Närada; véëä-of the véëä; ujjévana-the life; sudhä-of nectar;

ürmi-waves; niryäsa-essence;mädhuré-sweetness; püra-flood; tvam-You;

kåñëa-of Kåñëa; näma-O Holy Name; kämam-if You wish; sphura-please

appear; me-of me; rasane-of the tongue; rasena-with nectar; sadä-always.

 

O enlivener of Närada's véëä, O flood of the waves of sweet nectar, O Holy

Name of Lord Kåñëa, please forever manifest on my tongue with all Your

nectarean sweetness.