Çré Nämäñöaka
“Eight prayers Glorifying the Holy Name”
by Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé
Translated by Çréla Prabhupäda and Kuçakratha däsa
(note: Translations followed by an asterisk are Çréla Prabhupäda’s.)
TEXT 1
nikhila-çruti-mauli-ratna-mälä
dyuti-néräjita-päda-paìkajänta
ayi mukta-kulair upäsyamänaà
paritas tväà hari-näma saàçrayämi
nikhila—of all; çruti—the Vedas; mauli—crown; ratna—jewels; mälä—necklace; dyuti—effulgence; néräjita—worshiped; päda—feet; païkaja—lotus; anta—tips of the toes; ayi—O!; mukta-kulaiù—by the liberated souls; upäsyamanam—adored; paritas—compoletely; tväm—You; hari—of Hari; näma—name; saàçrayämi—I take shelter.
O Hari-näma! 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
Upaniñads, the crown jewels of all the Vedas. You are eternally adored by liberated souls, such as Närada and Çukadeva. O Hari-näma! I take complete shelter of You.*TEXT 2
jaya nämadheya muni-vånda-geya he
jana-raïjanäya param akñaräkåte
tvam anädaräd api manäg udéritaà
nikhilogra-täpa-paöaléà vilumpasi
jaya—all glories; nämadheya—O holy name; muni—of sages; vånda—by the multitudes; geya—chanted; he—O!; jana—of the people; raïjanäya—for the happiness; param—supreme; akñara—of syllables; äkåte—the form; tvam—You; anädaräd—without respect; api—even; manäg—once; udéritaà—spoken; nikhila—all; ugra—terrible; täpa—tortures; paöaléà—abundance; vilumpasi—you take away.
O Hari-näma, all glories to You! sung by all the sages, You are the supreme combination of syllables, and You bring transcendental bliss to all people. even if a person utters You only once disrespectfully, still You relieve his many extreme sufferings.
TEXT 3
yad-äbhäso ’py udyan kavalita-bhava-dhvänta-vibhavo
dåçaà tattvändhänäm api diçati bhakti-praëayiném
janas tasyodättaà jagati bhagavan-näma-taraëe
kåté te nirvaktuà ka iha mahimänaà prabhavati
yad-äbhäso—the dim light of which; api—even; udyan—rising; kavalita—swallow up; bhava—of repeated birth and death; dhvänta—darkness; vibhavaù—power; dåçaà—of the eyes; tattva—to the truth; andhänäm—blind; api—even; diçati—indicates; bhakti—devotional service; praëayiném—causing; janaù—people; tasya—of Him; udättaà—exalted; jagati—in the world; bhagavan—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; näma—of the name; taraëe—O sun; kåté—pious person; te—of You; nirvaktuà—to describe; ka—who?; iha—here; mahimänaà—glory; prabhavati—is able.
O sun of the Holy Name, even a dim glimmer of Your splendor swallows up the powerful darkness of materialistic life and gives those who are blind to the truth the vision to follow the path of pure devotional service. Who in this world, even if learned and pious, can fully describe Your transcendental glory?
TEXT 4
yad-brahma-säkñät-kåti-niñöhayäpi
vinäçam äyäti vinä na bhogaiù
apaiti näma sphuraëena tat te
prärabdha-karmeti virauti vedaù
yad-brahma—Brahman; säkñät—direct; kåti—activity; niñöhayä—faith; api—also; vinäçam—to destruction; äyäti—goes; vinä—without; na—not; bhogaiù—enjoyment; apaiti—attains; näma—of the name; sphuraëena—by the appearance (in one’s consciousness); tat—that; te—of You; prärabdha-karma—reactions to fruitive activities; iti—thus; virauti—declares; vedaù—the vedas.
O Holy Name, the Vedas declare that meditation on the impersonal Brahman cannot bring freedom from karmic reactions, that they have to be enjoyed or suffered, but that when You manifest in one’s consciousness all karma at once disappears.
TEXT 5
aghadamana-yaçodänandanau nandasüno
kamalanayana-gopécandra-våndävanendräù
praëatakaruëa-kåñëäv ity aneka-svarüpe
tvayi mama ratir uccair vardhatäà nämadheya
aghadamana—crusher of Agha; yaçodänandanau—darling child of Yaçodä; nandasüno—son of Nanda Mahäräja; kamala-nayana—lotus-eyed one; gopé-candra—moon of the gopés; våndävana-indräù—Lord of Våndävana; praëata-karuëa—You who are merciful to those who surrender to You; kåñëau—Kåñëa; iti—thus; aneka—many; svarüpe—forms; tvayi—in You; mama—of me; ratiù—love; uccair—greatly; vardhatäm—may increase; nämadheya—holy names.
O Holy Name, You have many forms, such as Aghadamana (Crusher of Aghäsura), Yaçodänandana (Darling Child of Yaçodä), Nandasünu (Son of Nanda), Kamalanayana (Lotus-eyed One), Gopécandra (Moon of the gopés), Våndävanendra (King of Våndävana), Praëatakaruëa (He Who Is Merciful to the surrendered souls), and Kåñëa. I pray that my love for You in Your many forms may greatly increase.
TEXT 6
väcyaà väcakam ity udeti bhavato näma svarüpa-dvayaà
pürvasmät param eva hanta karuëaà taträpi jänémahe
yas tasmin vihitäparädha-nivahaù präëé samantäd bhaved
äsyenedam upäsya so ’pi hi sadänandämbudhau majjati
väcyaà—the object described; väcakam—the words that describe the object; iti—thus; udeti—manifested; bhavataù—of you; näma—O Holy name; svarüpa—forms; dvayaà—two; pürvasmät—the first (form); param—the second (form); eva—indeed; hanta—indeed; karuëaà—(more) compassion; tatra—there; api—even; jänémahe—we know; yaù—one who; tasmin—to that (form, i.e., the first form); vihita—commits; aparädha—of offenses; nivahaù—a multitude; präëé—living entity; samantäd—completely; bhaved—may be; äsyena—with the mouth; idam—this; upäsya—worshiping; saù api—whoever; hi indeed; sadä—eternal; änanda—of bliss; ambudhau—in the ocean; majjati—immerse.
O Holy Name, You are manifested in two forms: the Supreme Person You designate, and the sound vibration that designates. We know that the second form is more merciful than the first, because even if a person offends Your first form in many ways, You plunge him into an ocean of transcendental bliss if he serves Your second form with his voice.
TEXT 7
süditäçrita-janärti-räçaye
ramya-cid-ghana-sukha-svarüpiëe
näma gokula-mahotsaväya te
kåñëa pürëa-vapuñe namo namaù
südita—destroy; äçrita—(who take) shelter; jana—of the people; ärti—sufferings; räçaye—abundance; ramya—charming; cit—spirit; ghana—intense; sukha—happiness; sva-rüpiëe—own form; näma—O Holy name; gokula—for Gokula; mahä-utsaväya—great festival; te—of You; kåñëa—of Lord Kåñëa; pürëa—the perfect and full; vapuñe—transcendental form; namaù—obeisances; namaù—obeisances.
O Holy name! You destroy the many sufferings of those who take shelter of You. You are the very form of intense spiritual bliss, a festival of happiness for Gokula, and the perfect and complete form of Lord Kåñëa. Again and again I bow to You.
TEXT 8
närada-véëojjévana
sudhormi-niryäsa-mädhuré-püra
tvaà kåñëa-näma kämaà
sphura me rasane rasena sadä
närada—of Närada; véëä—of the véëä; ujjévana—the life; sudhä—of nectar; ürmi—waves; niryäsa—essence; mädhuré—sweetness; püra—flood; tvam—You; kåñëa—of Kåñëa; näma—O Holy name; kämam—if You wish; sphura—please appear; me—of me; rasane—of the tongue; rasena—with nectar; sadä—always.
O enlivener of Närada’s véëä, O flood of the waves of sweet nectar, O Holy Name of Lord Kåñëa, please forever manifest on my tongue with all your nectarean sweetness.