Sri Namastaka

Eight prayers Glorfying the Holy Name

by Srila Rupa Gosvami

Text 1

nikhila-sruti-mauli-ratna-mala-

dyuti-nirajita-pada-pankajanta

ayi mukta-kulair upasyamanam

paritas tvam hari-nama samsrayami

nikhila - of all; sruti - the Vedas; mauli - crown; ratna - jewels; mala - necklace; dyuti - effulgence; nirajita - worshiped; padafeet; pankaja - lotus; anta - tips of the toes; ayi - O!; mukta-kulair - by the liberated souls; upasyamanam - adored; paritas - completely; tvam - You; hari - of Hari; nama - name; samsrayami - I take shelter.

O Hari-nama! 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 Upanirads, the crown jewels of all the Vedas. You are eternally adored by liberated souls, such as Narada and Sukadeva. O Hari-nama! I take complete shelter of You.

Text 2

jaya namadheya muni-vanda-geya he

jana-ranjanaya param akrarakate

tvam anadarad api manag udiritam

nikhilogra-tapa-patalim vilumpasi

jaya - all glories; namadheya - O holy name; muni - of sages; vanda - by the multitudes; geya - chanted; he - O!; jana - of the people; ra{.sy 241}janaya - for the happiness; param - supreme; akrara - of syllables; akate - the form; tvam - You; anadarad - without respect; api - even; manag - once; udiritam - spoken; nikhila - all; ugra - terrible; tapa - tortures; patalim - abundance; vilumpasi - you take away.

O Hari-nama, O name sung by the sages, O transcendental syllables that bring bliss to the people, even if You are spoken only once, and even if You are spoken disrespectfully, You at once remove the many harsh sufferings of everyone.

Text 3

yad-abhaso 'py udyan kavalita-bhava-dhvanta-vibhavo

dasam tattvandhanam api disati bhakti-pranayinim

janas tasyodattam jagati bhagavan-nama-tarane

kati te nirvaktum ka iha mahimanam prabhavati

yad-abhaso - the dim light of which; apy - even; udyan - rising; kavalita - swallowed up; bhava - of repeated birth and death; dhvanta - darkness; vibhavo - power; dasam - of the eyes; tattva - to the truth; andhanam - blind; api - even; disati - indicates; bhakti - devotional service; pranayinim - causing; janas - people; tasya - of Him; udattam - exalted; jagati - in the world; bhagavan - of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nama - of the name; tarane - in the deliverance; kati - pious person; te - of You; nirvaktum - tp describe; ka - who?iha - here; mahimanam - glory; prabhavati - is able.

O sun of the Holy Name, even the dim light of Your early dawn gives the sight of pure devotion to they who are blind to the truth. What learned person in this world is able to describe Your transcendental glory?

Text 4

yad-brahma-sakrat-kati-nirthayapi

vinasam ayati vina na bhogaih

apaiti nama sphuranena tat te

prarabdha-karmeti virauti vedah

yad-brahma - Brahman; sakrat - direct; kati - activity; nirthaya - faith; api - also; vinasam - to destruction; ayati - goes; vina - without; na - not; bhogaih - enjoyment; apaiti - attains; nama - of the name; sphuranena - by the appearancew; tat - that; te - of You; prarabdha - begun; karma - karma; iti - thus; virauti - declares; vedah - the veda(t11)

The Vedas declare that although meditation on impersonal Brahman cannot bring freedom from past karma, O Holy Name, Your appearance at once makes all karma disappear.

Text 5

aghadamana-yasodanandanau nandasuno

kamalanayana-gopicandra-vandavanendrah

pranatakaruna-Krsnav ity aneka-svarupe

tvayi mama ratir uccair vardhatam namadheya

aghadamana - crusher of Agha; yasodanandanau - son of Yasoda; nandasuno - son of Nanda Maharaja; �kamalanayana - lotus0eyed; gopicandra - moon of the gopisvandavanendrah - moon of Vrndavana; pranatakaruna - merciful to teh worshipper; Krsnav - Krsna; ity - thus; aneka - many; svarupe - forms; tvayi - in You; mama - of me; ratir - love; uccair - greatly; vardhatam - may increase; namadheya - the holy names.

O Holy Name, I pray that my love for You in Your many forms, such as Aghadamana (Crusher of Aghasura), Yasodanandana (Son of Yasoda), Nandasunu (Son of Nanda), Kamalanayana (Lotus-eyed), Gopicandra (Moon of the gopis), Vandavanendra (King of Vrndavana), Pranatakaruna (Merciful to the surrendered souls), and Krsna, may greatly increase.

Text 6

vacyam vacakam ity udeti bhavato nama svarupa-dvayam

purvasmat param eva hanta karunam tatrapi janimahe

yas tasmin vihitaparadha-nivahah prani samantad bhaved

asyenedam upasya so 'pi hi sadanandambudhau majjati

vacyam - the object described; vacakam - the words; ity - thus; udeti - rises; bhavato - of you; nama - of the name; svarupa - the form; dvayam - both; purvasmat - as before; param - great; eva - indeed; hanta - indeed; karunam - compassion; tatra - there; api - even; janimahe - we know; yas - one who; tasmin - ion that; vihitaparadha - committed an offense; nivahah - multitude; prani - living entity; samantad - completely; bhaved - may be; asyena - with the mouth; idam - this; upasya - worshiping; so - He; api - even; hi indeed; sadanandambudhau - in the ocean of bliss; majjati - plunges.

O Holy Name, You are manifested in two forms: 1. the Supreme Person described by the Holy Name, and 2. the sound vibration of the Holy Name. We know that the second form is more merciful than the first. Even a person who commits many offenses to the first form, may become always plunged into an ocean of bliss by serving the second with his voice.

Text 7

suditasrita-janarti-rasaye

ramya-cid-ghana-sukha-svarupine

nama gokula-mahotsavaya te

Krsna purna-vapure namo namah

sudita - destroyed; asrita - sheltered; jana - of the people; arti - sufferings; rasaye - abundance; ramya - charming; cid - spirit; ghana - intense; sukha - happiness; svarupine - own form; nama - name; gokula - in Gokula; mahotsavaya - for a great festival; te - of You; Krsna - of Lord Krsna; purna - the perfect �and full; vapure - transcendental form; namo - obeisances; namah - obeisances.

O name that destroys the many sufferings of they who take shelter of You, O name that is the form of delightful and intense spiritual bliss, O name that is a festival of happiness for Gokula, O perfect and complete Holy Name of Lord Krsna, I bow down and offer my respects to You. I bow down and offer my respects to You.

Text 8

narada-vinojjivana

sudhormi-niryasa-madhuri-pura

tvam Krsna-nama kamam

sphura me rasane rasena sada

narada - of Narada; vina - of the lute; ujjivana - the life; sudha - of nectar; urmi - waves - niryasaessence; madhuri - sweetness; pura - flood; tvam - YTou; Krsna - of Krsna; nama - O name; kamam - if You wish; sphura - please appear; me - of me; rasane - of the tongue; rasena - with nectar; sada - always.

O life of Narada's vina, O flood of the waves of sweet nectar, O Holy Name of Lord Krsna, please sweetly appear on my tongue.