The play of the Sweet Absolute as described in Śrī Śrī Dāmodarāṣṭakam.
The Pastime of Mother Yaśodā’s binding Kṛṣṇa took place today on Dīpāvalī (Śrī Sārārtha-darśinī: 10.9.1).
Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj has commented:
“In Śrī Dāmodarāṣṭakam, Satyavrata Muni wrote many merciful verses. You are so fortunate to hear the meanings of that composition. If you chant or hear this composition once every day, you will attain the service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of the sakhīs. The Dāmodarāṣṭakam contains full Kṛṣṇa-līlā, and it has very mercifully appeared to us.”
Śrī Śrī Dāmodarāṣtakam
namāmīśvaraṁ sachchidānanda-rūpaṁ
lasat-kuṇḍalaṁ gokule bhrājamānam
yaśodā-bhiyolūkhalād dhāvamānaṁ
parāmṛṣṭam atyantato drutya gopyā [1]
namāmi–I offer my obeisance īśvaraṁ–to the Lord, rūpaṁ–the embodiment sat–of eternal, chit–spiritual, ānanda–joy, [whose] kuṇḍalaṁ–earrings lasat–sway [as] bhrājamānam–He shines gokule–in Gokula, [who,] bhiyā–in fear yaśodā–of Yaśodā, dhāvamānaṁ–runs ulūkhalāt–from the wooden mortar [but is] āmṛṣṭam–caught
parā–from behind gopyā–by the cowherd women [that] drutya–ran atyantataḥ–faster [than Him] … [1]
I offer my obeisance to the Supreme Lord, the embodiment of eternal spiritual joy. His earrings sway as He shines in Gokula. In fear of Mother Yaśodā, He runs from the wooden mortar but is caught from behind by her, who ran faster than Him.
rudantaṁ muhur netra-yugmaṁ mṛjantaṁ
karāmbhoja-yugmena sātaṅka-netram
muhuḥ śvāsa-kampa-trirekhāṅka-kaṇṭha-
sthita-graiva-dāmodaraṁ bhakti-baddham [2]
[who] rudantaṁ–cries [and] muhuḥ–repeatedly mṛjantaṁ–rubs [His] netra-yugmaṁ–eyes [with His] ambhoja–lotus-like kara yugmena–hand, [whose] netram–eyes [are] sa ātaṅka–fearful, [who] śvāsa–breathes muhuḥ–repeatedly [and] kampa–shakes graiva–the necklace sthita–situated kaṇṭha–on [His] neck, [which is] aṅka–marked tri–by three rekhā–lines, [and who, with] dāma–a rope [around His] udaraṁ–waist, [is] baddham–bound bhakti–by devotion. [2]
He cries and repeatedly rubs His eyes with His lotus hand. His eyes are filled with fear. He pants and shakes the necklace around His neck, which is marked by three lines. With a rope around His waist, He is bound by devotion.
itīdṛk sva-līlābhir ānanda-kuṇḍe
sva-ghoṣaṁ nimajjantam ākhyāpayantaṁ
tadīyeṣita-jñeṣu bhaktair jitatvaṁ
punaḥ prematas taṁ śatāvṛtti vande [3]
[By] īdṛk–such sva-līlābhiḥ–Pastimes of His iti–as this, nimajjantam–He submerges sva-ghoṣaṁ–His companions kuṇḍe–in a pool ānanda–of joy [and] ākhyāpayantaṁ–proclaims jñeṣu–to those who know [only] tadīya–of His īṣita–majesty [that He is] jitatvaṁ–conquered bhaktaiḥ–by devotion. premataḥ–Out of love, vande–I offer my obeisance taṁ–to Him śata–hundreds punaḥ–and hundreds āvṛtti–of times. [3]
By such Pastimes, He submerges His companions in a pool of joy and proclaims to those who know only His majesty that He is conquered by devotion. Out of love, I offer my obeisance to Him hundreds and hundreds of times.
varaṁ deva mokṣaṁ na mokṣāvadhiṁ vā
na chānyaṁ vṛṇe ’haṁ vareśād apīha
idan te vapur nātha gopāla-bālaṁ
sadā me manasy āvirāstāṁ kim anyaiḥ [4]
deva–O Lord! ahaṁ–I vṛṇe–desire na–neither varaṁ–the boon mokṣaṁ–of liberation, na–nor avadhiṁ–the highest form mokṣa–of liberation, vā–nor cha anyaṁ–any other [boon from You] iha–here (in Vṛndāvan), api–although [You are] īśāt–the controller vara–of [all] boons. nātha–O Lord! [May] idam–this gopāla–cowherd bālaṁ–boy vapuḥ–form te–of Yours sadā–always āvirāstāṁ–be manifest [in] me–my manasi–heart. kim–What anyaiḥ–of [anything] else? [4]
O Lord! I desire neither the boon of liberation, nor the highest form of liberation (residence in Vaikuṇṭha), nor anything else from You here, although You are the giver of all boons. O Lord! May Your cowherd boy form always be manifest in my heart. What need is there for anything else?
idan te mukhāmbhojam avyakta-nīlair
vṛtaṁ kuntalaiḥ snigdha-raktaiś cha gopyā
muhuś chumbitaṁ bimba-raktādharaṁ me
manasy āvirāstām alaṁ lakṣa-lābhaiḥ [5]
[May] idam–this ambhojam–lotus mukha–face te–of Yours, [which is] vṛtaṁ–surrounded kuntalaiḥ–by hair [that is] avyakta–dark nīlaiḥ–blue, snigdha–shiny, [and] raktaiḥ–reddened, cha–and [which is] muhuḥ–repeatedly chumbitaṁ–kissed gopyā–by the cowherd woman, [and Your] bimba–bimba-fruit rakta–red adharaṁ–lips, āvirāstām–be manifest [in] me–my manasi–heart. alaṁ–Enough lakṣa–with hundreds of thoussands lābhaiḥ–of [other] boons. [5]
May Your bright red lips and Your lotus face, which is repeatedly kissed by Mother Yaśodā and surrounded by Your shiny, dark blue, reddened locks, be manifest within my heart. Thousands of other boons are meaningless to me.
namo deva dāmodarānanta viṣṇo
prasīda prabho duḥkha-jālābdhi-magnaṁ
kṛpā-dṛṣṭi-vṛṣṭyātidīnaṁ batānu-
gṛhāṇeśa mām ajñam edhy akṣi-dṛśyaḥ [6]
[My] namaḥ–obeisance [to You,] ananta–O infinite, viṣṇo–all-pervading, deva–Lord, [whose] udara–belly [is bound] dāma–by a rope! prasīda–Be pleased, prabho–O Master! [I am] magnaṁ–submerged abdhi–in an ocean jāla–of illusory duḥkha–sorrow. bata–Oh! anugṛhāṇa–Please grace mām–me, [who am] atidīnaṁ–very poor [and] ajñam–ignorant, vṛṣṭyā–with the shower kṛpā–of [Your] merciful dṛṣṭi–glance. īśa–O Lord, edhi–please become dṛśyaḥ–visible akṣi–to [my] eyes. [6]
My obeisance to You, O infinite, all-pervading Lord whose belly is bound with a rope! Be pleased, O Master! I am submerged in an ocean of sorrow. Oh! Please grace me, a very poor and ignorant soul, with the shower of Your merciful glance. O Lord, please appear before my eyes.
kuverātmajau baddha-mūrtyaiva yadvat
tvayā mochitau bhakti-bhājau kṛtau cha
tathā prema-bhaktiṁ svakāṁ me prayachchha
na mokṣe graho me ’sti dāmodareha [7]
yadvat–As ātmajau–the sons kuvera–of Kuvera [were] mochitau–liberated cha–and kṛtau–made bhājau–recipients bhakti–of devotion tvayā–by You eva–even while [Your] mūrtyā–form [was] baddha–bound, tathā–so prayachchha–please give me–me svakāṁ–Your own prema–loving bhaktiṁ–devotion. iha–In this regard, asti me–I have na–no grahaḥ–interest mokṣe–in liberation, dāmodara–O Lord whose belly is bound by a rope! [7]
As You liberated and gave devotion to the two sons of Kuvera even while Your body was bound (by Mother Yaśodā), so please give me loving devotion to You. Here, I have no interest in liberation, O Lord whose belly is bound by a rope!
namas te ’stu dāmne sphurad-dīpti-dhāmne
tvadīyodarāyātha viśvasya dhāmne
namo rādhikāyai tvadīya-priyāyai
namo ’nanta-līlāya devāya tubhyam [8]
[Let my] namaḥ–obeisance te–to You astu–be, dāmne–to the rope [which is] sphurat–a splendourous dīpti–bright dhāmne–abode, [and] atha–then [to] tvadīya–Your udarāya–belly, dhāmne–the shelter viśvasya–of the universe. [My] namaḥ–obeisance rādhikāyai–to Rādhikā, tvadīya–Your priyāyai–beloved, [and my] namaḥ–obeisance tubhyam–to You devāya–to the Lord līlāya–whose Pastimes [are] ananta–infinite. [8]
Let me offer my obeisance to the bright, splendourous rope (by which You are bound) and then to Your belly, which is the shelter of the universe. Let me offer my obeisance to Rādhikā, Your beloved, and let me offer my obeisance to You, O Lord, whose Pastimes are infinite.
References
trayyā chopaniṣadbhiś cha sāṅkhya-yogaiś cha sātvataiḥ
upagīyamāna-māhātmyaṁ hariṁ sāmanyatātmajam
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.8.45)
“The Lord whose glories are sung by the three Vedas, the Upaniṣads, the Sāṅkhyā scriptures, the Yoga-sūtras, and the Vaiṣṇava scriptures—Mother Yaśodā considers Him to be her own son.”
nandaḥ kim akarod brahman śreya evaṁ mahodayam
yaśodā vā mahābhāgā papau yasyāḥ stanaṁ hariḥ
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.8.46)
“The Lord drank from the breasts of greatly fortunate Yaśodā. O brāhmaṇ, what sort of extraordinary auspicious activities did she and Nanda Mahārāj perform?”
svamātuḥ svinna-gātrāyā visrasta-kabara-srajaḥ
dṛṣṭvā pariśramaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ kṛpayāsīt svabandhane
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.9.18)
“Seeing the sweating body, the falling braids and flower decorations, and the exertion of His mother, Kṛṣṇa mercifully allowed Himself to be bound.”
evaṁ sandarśitā hy aṅga hariṇā bhṛtya-vaśyatā
svavaśenāpi kṛṣṇena yasyedaṁ seśvaraṁ vaśe
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.9.19)
“The self-controlled Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, by whom the entire world and all the gods are controlled, thus showed His quality of being controlled by His servants.”
nemaṁ viriñcho na bhavo na śrīr apy aṅga-saṁśrayā
prasādaṁ lebhire gopī yat tat prāpa vimukti‑dāt
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.9.20)
“Neither Brahmā, nor Śiva, nor even Lakṣmī, who resides on the Lord’s chest, attained from Kṛṣṇa, the giver of the highest liberation, the grace that Mother Yaśodā did.”
nāyaṁ sukhāpo bhagavān dehināṁ gopikā-sutaḥ
jñānināñ chātma-bhūtānāṁ yathā bhakti-matām iha
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.9.21)
“The Lord, the son of Yaśodā, is not as easily attained by those who identify with the body, by those who understand the soul, or by devotees who are self-satisfied, as He is by devotees here (devotees who serve the Lord under the guidance of the Lord’s servants in Vraja).”