Songs Sung After Evening Class
Kothāy Go Premamayi?
kothāy go premamayi rādhe rādhe
rādhe rādhe go, jaya rādhe rādhe (1)
O Rādhe full of prema, where are You? O Rādhe, all glories to You!
dekhā diye prāṇa rākhô, rādhe rādhe
tomāra kāṅgāla tomāya ḍāke, rādhe rādhe (2)
O Rādhe, give me Your darśana and save my life. Your wretched beggar calls out to You, “Rādhe! Rādhe!”
rādhe vṛndāvana-vilāsinī, rādhe rādhe
rādhe kānu-mana-mohinī, rādhe rādhe (3)
O Rādhe, You engage in amorous pastimes in Vṛndāvana. O Rādhe, You are the enchantress of the mind of Kānu.
rādhe aṣṭa-sakhīr śiromaṇi, rādhe rādhe
rādhe vṛṣabhānu-nandini, rādhe rādhe (4)
O Rādhe, You are the crest-jewel among Your eight principal sakhīs. O Rādhe, You are the charming daughter of Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja.
(gosā̃ī) niyam ka’re sadāi ḍāke, rādhe rādhe (5)
As a practice, Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī is continually calling out, “Rādhe! Rādhe!”
(gosā̃ī) ek-bār ḍāke keśī-ghāṭe,
ābār ḍāke vaṁśī-vaṭe, rādhe rādhe (6)
One time he calls out at Keśī-ghāṭa, another time he calls out at Vaṁśī-vaṭa, “Rādhe! Rādhe!”
(gosā̃ī) ek-bār ḍāke nidhuvane,
ābār ḍāke kuñjavane, rādhe rādhe (7)
One time he calls out at Nidhuvana; another time he calls out at Sevā-kuñja, “Rādhe! Rādhe!”
(gosā̃ī) ek-bār ḍāke rādhā-kuṇḍe,
ābār ḍāke śyāma-kuṇḍe, rādhe rādhe (8)
One time he calls out at Rādhā-kuṇḍa; another time he calls out at Śyāma-kuṇḍa, “Rādhe! Rādhe!”
(gosā̃ī) ek-bār ḍāke kusum-vane,
ābār ḍāke govardhane, rādhe rādhe (9)
One time he calls out at Kusuma-sarovara; another time he calls out at Govardhana, “Rādhe! Rādhe!”
(gosā̃ī) ek-bār ḍāke tālavane,
ābār ḍāke tamālvane, rādhe rādhe (10)
One time he calls out at Tālavana; another time he calls out at Tamālavana, “Rādhe! Rādhe!”
(gosā̃ī) malin vasan diye gāy,
vrajer dhūlāy gaḓāgaḓi ĵāy, rādhe rādhe (11)
Wearing faded and worn cloth, he rolls in the dust of Vraja, singing, “Rādhe! Rādhe!”
(gosā̃ī) mukhe rādhā rādhā bôle,
bhāse nayanera jale, rādhe rādhe
Calling out “Rādhā! Rādhā!” he becomes submerged in the tears flowing from his eyes. “Rādhe! Rādhe!”
(gosā̃ī) vṛndāvane kuli kuli kẽde beḍāy,
rādhā bôli’, rādhe rādhe
He wanders throughout the lanes of Vṛndāvana, weeping and exclaiming, “Rādhe! Rādhe!”
(gosā̃ī) chāpānna daṇḍa rātri-dine>
jāne nā rādhā-govinda bine, rādhe rādhe
Throughout the fifty-six daṇḍas of the day and night, he knows nothing but Rādhā-Govinda. “Rādhe! Rādhe!”
(tār par) cāri daṇḍa śuti’ thāke
svapne rādhā-govinda dekhe, rādhe rādhe
Then he takes rest for only four daṇḍas [one hour thirty-six minutes] and sees Rādhā-Govinda in his dreams. “Rādhe! Rādhe!”
Maha Mantra
Śrī Dāmodarāṣṭakam
namāmīśvaraṁ sac-cid-ānanda-rūpaṁ
lasat-kuṇḍalaṁ gokule bhrājamānam
yaśodā-bhiyolūkhalād dhāvamānaṁ
parāmṛṣṭam atyantato drutya gopyā (1)
I worship the Supreme Controller, whose form is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss, upon whose cheeks, makara-shaped earrings are swinging, and who shines most brilliantly in Gokula. Running away from the grinding mortar in great fear of Mother Yaśodā, He was ultimately caught from behind.
rudantaṁ muhur netra-yugmaṁ mṛjantaṁ
karāmbhoja-yugmena sātaṅka-netram
muhuḥ śvāsa-kampa-tri-rekhāṅka-kaṇṭha-
sthita-graiva-dāmodaraṁ bhakti-baddham (2)
Weeping incessantly, He rubs His eyes with His two lotus hands. His eyes are filled with fear. He takes heavy breaths again and again that cause the pearls and other ornaments around His neck, which is marked by three gracefully curving lines, to tremble. [I offer praṇāma unto] that Dāmodara, who is bound by His mother’s vātsalya-bhakti.
itīdṛk sva-līlābhir ānanda-kuṇḍe
sva-ghoṣaṁ nimajjantam ākhyāpayantam
tadīyeśita-jñeṣu bhaktair jitatvaṁ
punaḥ prematas taṁ śatāvṛtti vande (3)
Through pastimes such as these, He drowns the residents of Gokula in pools of bliss, thereby informing people who are aware of His Godhood that He can only be conquered by His devotees. Hundreds of times, I again offer loving obeisances to Him.
varaṁ deva! mokṣaṁ na mokṣāvadhiṁ vā
na cānyaṁ vṛṇe ’haṁ vareśād apīha
idaṁ te vapur nātha! gopāla-bālaṁ
sadā me manasy āvirāstāṁ kim anyaiḥ (4)
O Deva, I do not ask for liberation [from this world], nor the highest liberation [of residence in Vaikuṇṭha]. Nor do I seek any other benediction4 from You, the supreme benefactor. O Nātha! May this form of Yours as Bāla-gopāla (a little cowherd boy) in Vṛndāvana forever remain visible in my heart. What is the use of any other benediction?
idaṁ te mukhāmbhojam avyakta-nīlair
vṛtaṁ kuntalaiḥ snigdha-raktaiś ca gopyā
muhuś cumbitaṁ bimba-raktādharaṁ me
manasy āvirāstām alaṁ lakṣa-lābhaiḥ (5)
Your lotus-like face, encircled by soft, blackish-blue curly locks of hair that have a reddish glow, is repeatedly kissed by the gopī Śrī Yaśodā. May Your lotus face, with lips like red bimba-fruit, always remain manifest in my heart. I do not care about millions of other attainments.
namo deva! dāmodarānanta viṣṇo!
prasīda prabho! duḥkha-jālābdhi-magna
kṛpā-dṛṣṭi-vṛṣṭyāti-dīnaṁ batānu
gṛhāṇeśa! mām ajñam edhy akṣi-dṛśyaḥ (6)
O Deva! O Dāmodara! O Ananta! O Viṣṇu! Obeisances unto You! O Prabhu, be pleased with me. I am drowning in an ocean of miseries. Alas, I am most afflicted and do not know what to do. O Īśa, shower me with Your merciful glance and kindly uplift me by becoming directly visible to my eyes.
kuverātmajau baddha-mūrtyaiva yadvat
tvayā mocitau bhakti-bhājau kṛtau ca
tathā prema-bhaktiṁ svakāṁ me prayaccha
na mokṣe graho me ’sti dāmodareha (7)
Just as You freed the two sons of Kuvera, even while bound around the belly, and made them recipients of devotion, similarly, please bestow upon me profuse prema-bhakti to You [in Your form as a little cowherd boy]. O Dāmodara! I long for this alone; I do not want any other kind of liberation.
namas te ’stu dāmne sphurad-dīpti-dhāmne
tvadīyodarāyātha viśvasya dhāmne
namo rādhikāyai tvadīya priyāyai
namo ’nanta-līlāya devāya tubhyam (8)
O Dāmodara, I offer praṇāma to the rope binding Your belly, for it is an abode of brilliant effulgence. I offer praṇāma to Your belly, which is the mainstay of the entire universe. I offer praṇāma again and again to Śrīmatī Rādhikā, Your most beloved. And I offer praṇāma to You, my Divine Lord, who perform unlimited transcendental pastimes.