Govindastkam With Meaning

स्तूतिमंडल
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govindāṣṭkam
satyaḿ jñānamanaḿtaḿ nityamanākāśaḿ paramākāśaḿ

goṣṭhaprāńgaṇarińgaṇalolamanāyāsaḿ paramāyāsam |

māyākalpitanānākāramanākāraḿ bhuvanākāraḿ

kṣmāyā nāthamanāthaḿ praṇamata govindaḿ paramānandam || 1

mṛtsnāmatsīheti yaśodātāḍanaśaiśavasaḿtrāsaḿ

vyāditavaktrālokitalokālokacaturdaśalokālim |

lokatrayapuramūlastaḿbhaḿ lokālokamanālokaḿ

lokeśaḿ parameśaḿ praṇamata govindaḿ paramānandam || 2

traiviṣṭaparipuvīraghnaḿ kṣitibhāraghnaḿ bhavarogaghnaḿ

kaivalyaḿ navanītāhāramanāhāraḿ bhuvanāhāraḿ |

vaimalyasphuṭacetovṛttiviśeṣābhāsamanābhāsaḿ

śaivaḿ kevalaśāntaḿ praṇamata govindaḿ paramānandam || 3

gopālaḿ prabhulīlāvigrahagopālaḿ kulagopālaḿ

gopīkhelanagovardhanadhṛtilīlālālitagopālam |

gobhirnigaditagovindasphuṭanāmānaḿ bahunāmānaḿ

gopīgocaradūraḿ praṇamata govindaḿ paramānandam || 4

gopīmaṇḍalagoṣṭhībhedaḿ bhedāvasthamabhedābhaḿ

śaśvadgokhuranirghūtoddhata- dhūlīdhūsarasaubhāgyam |

śraddhābhaktigṛhītānandamacintyaḿ cintitasadbhāvaḿ

cintāmaṇimahimānaḿ praṇamata govindaḿ paramānandam || 5

snānavyākulayośidvastra- mupādāyāgamupārūḍhaḿ

vyāditsantīratha digvastrā hyupudātumupākarṣantam |

nirdhūtadvayaśokavimohaḿ buddhaḿ buddherantasthaḿ

sattāmātraśarīraḿ praṇamata govindaḿ paramānandam || 6

kāntaḿ kāraṇakāraṇamādimanādiḿ kālamanābhāsaḿ

kālindīgatakāliyaśirasi muhurnṛtyantaḿ nṛtyantam |

kālaḿ kālakalātītaḿ kalitāśeṣaḿ kalidoṣaghnaḿ

kālatrayagatihetuḿ praṇamata govindaḿ paramānandam || 7

vṛndāvanabhuvi vṛndārakagaṇavṛndārādhyaḿ vande.ahaḿ

kundābhāmalamandasmerasudhānandaḿ suhṛdānandam |

vandyāśeṣamahāmunimānasa- vandyānandapadadvandvaḿ

vandyāśeṣaguṇābdhiḿ praṇamata govindaḿ paramānandam || 8

govindāṣṭakametadadhīte govindārpitacetā yo

govindācyuta mādhava viṣṇo gokulanāyaka kṛṣṇeti |

govindāńghrisarojadhyānasudhājaladhau- tasamastāgho

govindaḿ paramānandāmṛtamantaḥsthaḿ sa tamabhyeti || 9

Govindāṣṭkam

Extol Govinda, Who is the eternal bliss, Who is the eternal truth, Who is knowledge, Who is eternal, Who is beyond the skies, Who is the final limit, Who roams in the courtyard of cowshed in Vraja, Who needs no effort, Who is the final effort, Who is assuming various forms in the form of Māyā, Who is without form, Who is the form of the universe, Who is Lord [incarnated] on the earth, and Who has no Lord.||1||

Extol Govinda, Who is the eternal bliss, Who ran away with the fear of caning from Yaśodā who said thus ‘‘Were You eating soil here?’’, Who then showed the world, the world beyond and the swarm of fourteen planes of existence in His open mouth [to His mother], Who is the basis or pillar of the existence of the three worlds, Who is the light of the world, Who needs no world to in, Who is the Lord of the world, and Who is the supreme Lord.||2||

Extol Govinda, Who is the eternal bliss, Who destroys the strength of the enemies of demi-gods, Who destroys the weight present on the earth, Who destroys the disease of metempsychosis, Who is the only one, Who eats freshly prepared butter, Who requires no food, Who is the food of the universe, Who is observed in the special consciousness state of spotless blossmed mind, Who cannot be [fully] observed, Who adores Śiva, and Who is always at rest.||3||

Extol Govinda, Who is the eternal bliss, Who is known as Gopāla, Who took the form of a cow-rearer for the sake of sport, Who incarnated in the lineage of a cow-rearer, Who did spectacular sport by playing with Gopīs and lifting the Govardhana mountain, Who was given a stainless name of Govinda by the cows (Kāmadhenu), Who has many names, and Who is beyond the scope of perception of the Gopīs.||4||

Extol Govinda, Who is the eternal bliss, Who enters the meeting place of the group of Gopīs, Who remains like an un-entered enlightenment in the state of being present at the meeting place, Whose beauty is added by the continuous association with the dust risen from the striking of cow-hooves at the ground, Who accepts devotion with happiness, Who is beyond reason, Who is reasoned with nice emotions, and Who is as great as the jewel of thought.||5||

Extol Govinda, Who is the eternal bliss, Who sits on a tree having collected the clothes of the Vraja maidens bathing in the river, Who asked the Gopīs to come closer to get the clothes back, Who is bereft of both unhappiness and passion, Who is wise, Who is situated inside the hearts of wise, and Who body is mere existence.||6||

Extol Govinda, Who is the eternal bliss, Who is resplendent, Who is the reason behind reason, Who is the beginning of the universe, Who is without a beginning, Who is the passage of time, Who is without luminosity, Who at once started dancing after entering the water of Kālindī, Who is death, Who is beyond the play of death, Who is made of nothing [formless], Who destroys the malice of Kaliyuga, and Who is the reason for the existence of past, present and future.||7||

I adore Govinda, Who is prayed by the group of Vraja maidens in the territory of Vṛndāvana, Who is prayed by demi-gods and Vṛndā (a maiden), Who has a beautiful spotless smile like jasmine which gives the pleasure of divine nectar, and Who is the pleasure of friends. Praise Govinda, Whose dual-feet is worth of reverence by the minds of great sages and rest alike. Praise Govinda, Who is the abode of all the qualities. Extol Govinda, Who is the eternal bliss.||8||

That who submits his (or her) mind to Govinda, chants the name of Govinda, Acyuta, Mādhava, Viṣṇu, Gokulanāyaka, Kṛṣṇa and thus, washes all the sins by meditating on the lotus-feet of Govinda, and sings this Govindāṣṭakam — he (or she) internalizes the divine nectar like eternally blissful Govinda.||9||

Poet: Ādi Śańkara

Source: Stotraratnāvalī — Gitapress

© Stutimandal 2006, 15 June

The Importance Of Selfless Giving

By Moosa Raza
The Gita has given a true, precise definition of daan or gift. First, it should be given to a person who deserves it. The recipient need not be one who has the capacity to return such a gift, in which case an element of expected reciprocity creeps into the act of giving. Second, it should be given when the person really needs it -- for a gift given when the need for it has passed is not of much use to the recipient. Third, give at the right place. Perhaps, Krishna had in mind the need for giving to charity, either secretly or without too much publicity, or maybe he had in mind institutional giving. Fourth, the gift would be more of an obligation to the giver, in the belief that it is part of one’s duty to give. There ought not to be any element of expectation linked to the gift -- neither to gain the respect, love or affection of the recipient, nor of any material gain. Only if a gift fulfils all these conditions does it deserve to be called saatvik, true and good.

The Quran carried the concept of voluntary giving to an obligatory tax. Called zakat, it is meant for the poor, the destitute, those whose hearts are to be reconciled, to free those in bondage and those in debt, for helping the stranded wayfarer and to serve God’s purposes. The Gita, too, has stipulated that the gift should be given in the belief that it is duty, that is, it must be given. The Quran also stipulates that the zakat should be given at a fixed rate on all your assets, your wealth, both visible and otherwise. By defining the methodology of ‘giving both secretly and openly’ the Quran has left it to the conscience of the giver to ensure that charity is to be given spontaneously with divine intent and not to earn fame, prestige or power.

Later, I found confirmation of this in the philosophy of C F Andrews, a Protestant clergyman and close personal friend of both M K Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore. In his boyhood he was a fervent believer in the Second Coming of Christ. His father, who believed in the literal truth of the Book of Revelations, had convinced Andrews that the Second Coming was imminent. But as he grew older the conviction faded and Andrews faced a moral crisis.

Andrews’s spiritual crisis was similar to those faced by saints like Augustine and al-Ghazali centuries earlier. He continued to pray intensely for Divine help. Suddenly, at the age of nineteen, as he prayed beside his bed before retiring, his fervent prayers were answered and his faith was restored. The effect of this conversion which brought him immense joy, was also to send him among the poor. He writes, “ An inner compulsion seemed to drive me towards it; and all through my life the impulse to surrender all for Christ’s sake and to find him among those who are in need has been present with me so strongly that sooner or later everything has had to give way before it...for the happiest moments I have known have always been those when I have been able to find my active work, not in university centres, or among the rich, or even among the middle classes, but among the suffering poor.”

From the author’s new book, ‘In Search of Oneness: The Bhagvad Gita and the Quran through Sufi Eyes’.

12 Symptoms Of Spiritual Awakening

Click On The Image To See Enlarged Image

Connecting With Mother Earth

By Narayani Ganesh
The festive Navaratri season is marked not just by fasting and prayer, Durga Puja and feasting; it is also an opportunity to connect with the five sacred elements, the panchabhuta --- air, water, fire, earth and ether or space. Celebrations at the Art of Living Centre in Bangalore revolve around a series of homas or sacrificial offerings to agni to nullify all sorrow and pain, to provide solace and bring peace. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says, “Homas are powerful ancient fire rituals performed by sages for over 5,000 years – they are also meant to protect the environment, by restoring reverence for Mother Earth.” Scientifically, homas have been proven to purify the atmosphere and have a healing effect on mind and body.

On the first five days of Navaratri known as pratipat, dwithiya, tritiya, chaturthi and panchami,Rudrabhishekam puja is performed. Vedic scriptures uphold this as one of the greatest pujas to get absolved of one’s sins and afflictions, for bringing peace, prosperity and happiness, along with family togetherness.

Shashti, the sixth day, Sri Maha Ganapati homa to Ganesha, Lord of Auspiciousness, is performed to remove obstacles before initiating any new venture. This is followed by Sri Subramanya homa, to overcome fear, remove negative vibrations and welcome positive, healing vibrations. Navagraha homa, to propitiate and nullify the negative impact of the nine planets is also performed. Scientists concur that the direction you choose to face could affect your life on account of the Earth’s magnetic field; so Vaastu Shanti homa minimizes negative impact on the environment.

Saptami, the seventh day begins with Rudra homa, to purify and to remove negative energy. Then Sudarshana homa, offered to Narayana, is for removal of ignorance and the beginning of a new life enriched with knowledge. ‘Su’ means auspicious and ‘darshana’ is dhrishti or right vision.

The highlight of the season is the Shatha Chandi homa performed on ashtami, the eighth day, to remove blocks to growth – both in the internal as well as external worlds, bringing peace, prosperity, success and strength to all life. The 700 verses in praise of Goddess Durga are chanted and 108 herb offerings are made to the sacrificial fire invoking the goddess to bestow her grace. The cleansing power of herbs remove pollutants from the air and transmit energy that is released thus.

The kalasha puja ritual involves filling the pot with water and decorating it with turmeric, vermillion, leaves and flowers. The pot is seen as Devi and so ornaments are placed on it and a braid with flowers at the rear completes the picture. Vedic shlokas are recited in unison by trained students with correct intonation and pitch, for the power lies not so much in the meaning of the words as in the sound they generate for vibrations need to be in tune with cosmic vibrations. Water responds to positive and negative vibrations just as animals and plants do, and by reciting shlokas in praise of Shakti, the water in the kalash acquires intense energy. Once the ritual is over, the energized water is sprinkled on all those assembled as blessing, arising from the Divine Mother’s grace.

The Mother is present as energy in not just the five elements but also in all diverse life forms in Creation. Our consciousness is nothing but Mother Divine as she is imminent in our waking, dreaming and sleeping states.

On Navami, the ninth day, seers and sages of the past, present and future are honoured through Rishi homa, as thanksgiving for all the received wisdom that enrich our lives. All these rituals are merely intended to help us connect to ourselves through the elements and by recognizing the power that resides in each one of us.

Click On The Picture Of Durga To See The Enlarged Image With Full Decoration.

Action without vision creates division. Vision without action is imagination. Vision with action leads to transformation, says Swami Tejomayananda, global head of Chinmaya Mission. When the vision of oneness, a higher vision, is absent it creates divisions in the family, company, community, nation and the world. Self-importance is the cause for divisions at any level. In a family there are conflicts, in a company there is manipulation, in a community there is fanaticism, in a country each state wants its own independence and internationally there are wars. This is all because of the absence of vision of oneness -- one harmonious family, one strong nation, one peaceful global family.
When there is a great vision but nothing is done to implement it, it remains as imagination. There may be great spiritual knowledge and cultural glory -- yet we suffer because we need much more implementation and application of the knowledge. Hence vision coupled with action alone causes transformation.

Transformation is not just change. Change is often reversible and external. But transformation is lasting and happens from within. A caterpillar transforms into a butterfly. A child transforms into a youth and an adult. A country transforms into a nation. A nation transforms from a developing nation to a developed nation. We have transformed as a country to attain political freedom and have come a long way since then. We have the potential to lead the world in the decades to come. To manifest that potential into performance, vision into action, we need fundamental transformation and not just in the constitution, judiciary, political system, education, infrastructure, economy and transport. What we need is transformation of attitudes and mindsets.
We want an efficient, united, corruption-free, prosperous, truly educated and just India. But have we thought what India needs from us? India needs transformed people with vision.

“A geographical area where a population survives is called a country. A geographical area where a people live is called a nation. How are we to transform population into people? Nation-building should necessarily have a goal for the whole nation, with which each one can get inspired. With such a devoted goal we can surrender our ego and selfish desires,” says Swami Chinmayananda.

We need transformation in seven areas to enable personal, holistic transformation and through that, a transformed India. “If Indians transform to become physically fit, emotionally strong, intellectually refined, culturally rooted, actively patriotic and spiritually uplifted with the vision of universal oneness, India will be revitalised. Indians will not only gain at a personal level, but will be positive contributors to society across the world,” says Swami Mitrananda of the Chinmaya Yuva Kendra.

When India was oppressed, a timid Lakshmi was transforming into a brave Rani of Jhansi; India fought back the oppressors. When India was slumbering, Narendra was transforming into Swami Vivekananda and India went from weakness to strength. When Jamsetji Tata transformed to be the Father of Indian Industry, India began to recognise its potential to compete globally. When India was struggling for freedom, M K Gandhi was transforming into Mahatma Gandhi, and India was on its way to attaining political freedom. When Verghese transformed into Amul Verghese Kurien India grew from insufficiency into the largest milk producing country in the world. When a fisherman’s son, Abdul, transformed into scientist and later President Kalam, India began to revive her scientific progress. The new generation today is awake to ancient wisdom across cultures that tirelessly assert that “In individual transformation lies world redemption.”

The author is president and acharya, Chinmaya Mission, Mumbai. Visit www.transformingindians.org