Sri Damodara-ashtakam

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Baby Damodara and the broken pot - Binding took place on the Diwali Day SB

10:9:1-2.

 

[srimad Bhagavatam 10:9:1-2 txt] : Sri Sukadeva Gosvami continued: One day

when mother Yasoda saw that all the maidservants were engaged in other

household affairs, she personally began to churn the yogurt. While

churning, she remembered the childish activities of Krsna, and in her own

way she composed songs and enjoyed singing to herself about all those

activities.

PURPORT: Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, quoting from the

Vaisnava-tosani of Srila Sanatana Gosvami, says that the incident of Krsna's

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

the Dipavali Day, or Dipa-malika. Even today in India, this festival is

generally celebrated very gorgeously in the month of Kartika by fireworks

and lights, especially in Bombay. It is to be understood that 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 krsna was

going to the houses of neighborhood gopas and gopis to steal butter because

He did not like the milk and yogurt ordinarily prepared.

While churning the butter, mother Yasoda was singing about the childhood

activities of Krsna. It was formerly a custom that if one wanted to

remember something constantly, he would transform it into poetry or have

this done by a professional poet. It appears that mother Yasoda did not

want to forget Krsna's activities at any time. Therefore she poeticized all

of Krsna's childhood activities, such as the killing of Putana, Aghasura,

Sakatasura and Trnavarta, and while churning the butter, she sang about

these activities in poetical form. This should be the practice of persons

eager to remain Krsna conscious twenty-four hours a day. This incident

shows how Krsna conscious mother Yasoda was. To stay in Krsna

consciousness, we should follow such persons. (A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Prabhupada. Srimad Bhagavatam 10:9:1-2. purport.)

 

 

 

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Sri Damodara-ashtakam

(found in the Padma Purana of Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa, spoken by Satyavrata

Muni in a conversation with Narada Muni and Saunaka Rsi)

"In the month of Kartika one should worship Lord Damodara and daily recite

the prayer known as Damodara-ashtakam, which has been spoken by the sage

Satyavrata and which attracts Lord Damodara. (Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa

2:16:198)

 

In Iskcon temples, centres, and devotees homes world wide devotees gather

for the entire month of Damodar (Kartika) to offer lamps (candles - dipas,

etc) and in ecstacy sing the glories of Sri Damodar. Check locally for the

timings of that ceremony - usually it is done in the evening, but some

temples and communities perform the ceremony morning and evening.

 

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 the

offence of breaking the pot of yogurt that His mother was churning into

butter and then stealing the butter that was kept hanging from a swing) is

quickly 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 greater

speed-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 and

rubbing His eyes again and again with His two lotus hands. His eyes are

filled with fear, and the necklace of pearls around His neck, which is

marked with three lines like a conch shell, is shaking because of His quick

breathing due to crying. To this Supreme Lord, Sri Damodara, whose belly is

bound not with ropes but with His mother's pure love, I offer my humble

obeisances.

 

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 of

Gokula in pools of ecstasy, and is revealing to those devotees who are

absorbed in knowledge of His supreme majesty and opulence that He is only

conquered by devotees whose pure love is imbues with intimacy and is free

from all conceptions of awe and reverence. With great love I again offer my

obeisances 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 do

not pray to You for the boon of impersonal liberation, nor the highest

liberation of eternal life in Vaikuntha, nor any other boon (which may be

obtained by executing the nine processes of bhakti). O Lord, I simply wish

that this form of Yours as Bala Gopala in Vrndavana may ever be manifest in

my 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 hair

tinged with red, is kissed again and again by mother Yasoda, and Your lips

are reddish like the bimba fruit. May this beautiful vision of Your lotus

face be ever manifest in my heart. Thousands and thousands of other

benedictions 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 glance

of mercy upon me, deliver this poor ignorant fool who is immersed in an

ocean 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 and

Nalakuvara--were delivered from the curse of Narada and made into great

devotees by You in Your form as a baby tied with rope to a wooden grinding

mortar, in the same way, please give to me Your own prema-bhakti. I only

long 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 brilliantly

effulgent rope which binds Your belly. I then offer my obeisances to Your

belly, which is the abode of the entire universe. I humbly bow down to Your

most beloved Srimati Radharani, and I offer all obeisances to You, the

Supreme Lord, who displays unlimited pastimes.

 

Sri Damodar astakam ki jaya