Govindashtakam

गोविन्दाष्टकम्

Govindāṣṭakam

All 8 verses

Verse 1

सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तं नित्यमनाकाशं परमाकाशं गोष्ठप्राङ्गणरिङ्खणलोलमनायासं परमायासम् । मायाकल्पितनानाकारमनाकारं भुवनाकारं क्ष्मामानाथमनाथं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम् ॥१॥

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सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तं नित्यमनाकाशं परमाकाशं गोष्ठप्राङ्गणरिङ्खणलोलमनायासं परमायासम् । मायाकल्पितनानाकारमनाकारं भुवनाकारं क्ष्मामानाथमनाथं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम् ॥१॥: Bow to Govinda, supreme bliss: truth, knowledge, the infinite, eternal, without ether, supreme ether, playful in the cow-pen courtyard, without effort yet supreme effort, assuming many forms through maya yet formless, the form of the worlds, lord of the earth, refuge of the helpless.

Govinda is named as truth, knowledge, and bliss beyond form yet appearing as all forms. The paradox of the formless wearing form points to Brahman as the one reality that is both the ground of maya and untouched by it.

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Verse 2

मृत्स्नामत्सीहेति यशोदाताडनशैशवसन्त्रासं व्यादितवक्त्रालोकितलोकालोकचतुर्दशलोकालिम् । लोकत्रयपुरमूलस्तम्भं लोकालोकमनालोकं लोकेशं परमेशं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम् ॥२॥

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मृत्स्नामत्सीहेति यशोदाताडनशैशवसन्त्रासं व्यादितवक्त्रालोकितलोकालोकचतुर्दशलोकालिम् । लोकत्रयपुरमूलस्तम्भं लोकालोकमनालोकं लोकेशं परमेशं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम् ॥२॥: Bow to Govinda, supreme bliss: the child trembling in fear of Yashoda's beating for eating mud, who with open mouth revealed the fourteen worlds within and without, the pillar-root of the three worlds, the boundary mountain unseen by the worlds, lord of the worlds, supreme Lord.

The child who swallowed the fourteen worlds is the consciousness in which all realms arise and subside. What the mother's eyes saw as a frightened boy, the wise know as the pillar supporting the triple world and the light beyond every horizon.

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Verse 3

त्रैविष्टपरिपुवीरघ्नं क्षितिभारघ्नं भवरोगघ्नं कैवल्यं नवनीताहारमनाहारं भुवनाहारम् । वैमल्यस्फुटचेतोवृत्तिविशेषाभासमनाभासं शैवं केवलशान्तं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम् ॥३॥

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त्रैविष्टपरिपुवीरघ्नं क्षितिभारघ्नं भवरोगघ्नं कैवल्यं नवनीताहारमनाहारं भुवनाहारम् । वैमल्यस्फुटचेतोवृत्तिविशेषाभासमनाभासं शैवं केवलशान्तं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम् ॥३॥: Bow to Govinda, supreme bliss: destroyer of the enemies of heaven, remover of the earth's burden, healer of the disease of becoming, liberation itself, eater of butter yet non-eater, consumer of the worlds, pure splendour reflected in the mind's modes yet beyond reflection, auspicious, utterly peaceful.

He who eats butter yet sustains the worlds is the Self that feeds on nothing yet nourishes all existence. Removal of the burden of becoming is the recognition that the pure mind's reflection and its source are one undivided peace.

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Verse 4

गोपालं प्रभुलीलाविग्रहगोपालं कुलगोपालं गोपीखेलनगोवर्धनधृतिलीलालालितगोपालम् । गोभिर्निगदितगोविन्दस्फुटनामानं बहुनामानं गोधीगोचरदूरं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम् ॥४॥

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गोपालं प्रभुलीलाविग्रहगोपालं कुलगोपालं गोपीखेलनगोवर्धनधृतिलीलालालितगोपालम् । गोभिर्निगदितगोविन्दस्फुटनामानं बहुनामानं गोधीगोचरदूरं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम् ॥४॥: Bow to Govinda, supreme bliss: Gopala, cowherd in the Lord's sportive form, protector of the clan, Gopala delighted in play with the gopis and in the sport of lifting Govardhana, clearly called Govinda by the cows, of many names, far beyond speech and thought.

The cows name him Govinda, yet he remains beyond word and thought. The Lord who lifts the hill is the inner strength that upholds the devotee when the storms of existence threaten to overwhelm.

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Verse 5

गोपीमण्डलगोष्ठीभेदं भेदावस्थमभेदाभं शश्वद्गोखुरनिर्धूतोद्गतधूलीधूसरसौभाग्यम् । श्रद्धाभक्तिगृहीतानन्दमचिन्त्यं चिन्तितसद्भावं चिन्तामणिमहिमानं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम् ॥५॥

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गोपीमण्डलगोष्ठीभेदं भेदावस्थमभेदाभं शश्वद्गोखुरनिर्धूतोद्गतधूलीधूसरसौभाग्यम् । श्रद्धाभक्तिगृहीतानन्दमचिन्त्यं चिन्तितसद्भावं चिन्तामणिमहिमानं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम् ॥५॥: Bow to Govinda, supreme bliss: distinct among the circle of gopis and cowherd gatherings, appearing in difference yet shining as non-difference, whose auspiciousness is ever grey with dust raised by cows' hooves, joy grasped through faith and devotion, inconceivable, the true being contemplated, the wonder of the wish-fulfilling gem.

Among the gopis he seems near and far, in difference and non-difference at once, like Brahman appearing as many yet never divided. The joy held through faith is the same bliss the scriptures call the thought-free gem of the Self.

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Verse 6

स्नानव्याकुलयोषिद्वस्त्रमुपादायागमुपारूढं व्यादित्सन्तीरथ दिग्वस्त्रा दातुमुपाकर्षन्तं ताः । निर्धूतद्वयशोकविमोहं बुद्धं बुद्धेरन्तःस्थं सत्तामात्रशरीरं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम् ॥६॥

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स्नानव्याकुलयोषिद्वस्त्रमुपादायागमुपारूढं व्यादित्सन्तीरथ दिग्वस्त्रा दातुमुपाकर्षन्तं ताः । निर्धूतद्वयशोकविमोहं बुद्धं बुद्धेरन्तःस्थं सत्तामात्रशरीरं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम् ॥६॥: Bow to Govinda, supreme bliss: who, having taken the garments of women agitated at their bath, climbed a tree and drew them near to give back their clothes as they covered themselves with their hands; who shakes off the twin sorrows of grief and delusion, who is pure intelligence, the inner light of intellect, whose body is pure being alone.

The Lord who strips away pretence restores the soul to its own covering of shamelessness before God. He who dispels grief and delusion is the intelligence within intelligence, the being that remains when the ego's garments fall away.

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Verse 7

कान्तं कारणकारणमादिमनादिं कालघनाभासं कालिन्दीगतकालियशिरसि सुनृत्यन्तं मुहुरत्यन्तम् । कालं कालकलातीतं कलिताशेषं कलिदोषघ्नं कालत्रयगतिहेतुं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम् ॥७॥

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कान्तं कारणकारणमादिमनादिं कालघनाभासं कालिन्दीगतकालियशिरसि सुनृत्यन्तं मुहुरत्यन्तम् । कालं कालकलातीतं कलिताशेषं कलिदोषघ्नं कालत्रयगतिहेतुं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम् ॥७॥: Bow to Govinda, supreme bliss: the beloved, cause of causes, beginningless and without beginning, appearing dark as a raincloud, dancing beautifully again and again on Kaliya's head in the Yamuna, time itself, beyond time and its arts, all-containing, destroyer of the faults of Kali, cause of movement through the three times.

Dancing on the serpent's head, he is time and beyond time, the cause of all causes. To know him as Lord of the three times is to discover the witness that was never bound by past, present, or future.

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Verse 8

बृन्दावनभुवि बृन्दारकगणबृन्दाराधितवन्द्यायां कुन्दाभामलमन्दस्मेरसुधानन्दं सुमहानन्दम् । वन्द्याशेषमहामुनिमानसवन्द्यानन्दपदद्वन्द्वं नन्द्याशेषगुणाब्धिं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम् ॥८॥

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बृन्दावनभुवि बृन्दारकगणबृन्दाराधितवन्द्यायां कुन्दाभामलमन्दस्मेरसुधानन्दं सुमहानन्दम् । वन्द्याशेषमहामुनिमानसवन्द्यानन्दपदद्वन्द्वं नन्द्याशेषगुणाब्धिं प्रणमत गोविन्दं परमानन्दम् ॥८॥: Bow to Govinda, supreme bliss: in the land of Vrindavan, worshipped by hosts of devotees, worthy of praise, of gentle smile bright as jasmine, nectar-bliss and great bliss, whose pair of blissful feet are adored in the minds of all great sages, praised as the ocean of all virtues.

The bliss adored in Vrindavan is the same bliss the sages worship in the cave of the heart. Feet that sages salute in the mind lead the seeker from outer grove to the inner expanse where all virtues merge in one ocean.

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