ãrÈ NÄmÄ߯aka

“Eight prayers Glorifying the Holy Name”

by ãrÈla RÝpa GosvÄmÈ

Translated by ãrÈla PrabhupÄda and KuÃakratha dÄsa

(note: Translations followed by an asterisk are ãrÈla PrabhupÄda’s.)

 

TEXT 1

nikhila-Ãruti-mauli-ratna-mÄlÄ

dyuti-nÈrÄjita-pÄda-paËkajÄnta

ayi mukta-kulair upÄsyamÄnaÞ

paritas tvÄÞ hari-nÄma saÞÃrayÄmi

nikhila—of all; Ãruti—the Vedas; mauli—crown; ratna—jewels; mÄlÄ—necklace; dyuti—effulgence; nÈrÄjita—worshiped; pÄda—feet; paÎkaja—lotus; anta—tips of the toes; ayi—O!; mukta-kulaiÛ—by the liberated souls; upÄsyamanam—adored; paritas—compoletely; tvÄm—You; hari—of Hari; nÄma—name; saÞÃrayÄmi—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 Upanißads, the crown jewels of all the Vedas. You are eternally adored by liberated souls, such as NÄrada and ãukadeva. O Hari-nÄma! I take complete shelter of You.*

TEXT 2

jaya nÄmadheya muni-vÅnda-geya he

jana-raÎjanÄya param akßarÄkÅte

tvam anÄdarÄd api manÄg udÈritaÞ

nikhilogra-tÄpa-paÆalÈÞ vilumpasi

jaya—all glories; nÄmadheya—O holy name; muni—of sages; vÅnda—by the multitudes; geya—chanted; he—O!; jana—of the people; raÎjanÄya—for the happiness; param—supreme; akßara—of syllables; ÄkÅte—the form; tvam—You; anÄdarÄd—without respect; api—even; manÄg—once; udÈritaÞ—spoken; nikhila—all; ugra—terrible; tÄpa—tortures; paÆalÈÞ—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

dÅÃaÞ tattvÄndhÄnÄm api diÃati bhakti-praÊayinÈm

janas tasyodÄttaÞ jagati bhagavan-nÄma-taraÊe

kÅtÈ te nirvaktuÞ ka iha mahimÄnaÞ prabhavati

yad-ÄbhÄso—the dim light of which; api—even; udyan—rising; kavalita—swallow up; bhava—of repeated birth and death; dhvÄnta—darkness; vibhavaÛ—power; dÅÃaÞ—of the eyes; tattva—to the truth; andhÄnÄm—blind; api—even; diÃati—indicates; bhakti—devotional service; praÊayinÈm—causing; janaÛ—people; tasya—of Him; udÄttaÞ—exalted; jagati—in the world; bhagavan—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nÄma—of the name; taraÊe—O sun; kÅtÈ—pious person; te—of You; nirvaktuÞ—to describe; ka—who?; iha—here; mahimÄnaÞ—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-sÄkßÄt-kÅti-ni߯hayÄpi

vinÄÃam ÄyÄti vinÄ na bhogaiÛ

apaiti nÄma sphuraÊena tat te

prÄrabdha-karmeti virauti vedaÛ

yad-brahma—Brahman; sÄkßÄt—direct; kÅti—activity; ni߯hayÄ—faith; api—also; vinÄÃam—to destruction; ÄyÄti—goes; vinÄ—without; na—not; bhogaiÛ—enjoyment; apaiti—attains; nÄma—of the name; sphuraÊena—by the appearance (in one’s consciousness); tat—that; te—of You; prÄrabdha-karma—reactions to fruitive activities; iti—thus; virauti—declares; vedaÛ—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-yaÃodÄnandanau nandasÝno

kamalanayana-gopÈcandra-vÅndÄvanendrÄÛ

praÊatakaruÊa-kÅßÊÄv ity aneka-svarÝpe

tvayi mama ratir uccair vardhatÄÞ nÄmadheya

aghadamana—crusher of Agha; yaÃodÄnandanau—darling child of YaÃodÄ; nandasÝno—son of Nanda MahÄrÄja; kamala-nayana—lotus-eyed one; gopÈ-candra—moon of the gopÈs; vÅndÄvana-indrÄÛ—Lord of VÅndÄvana; praÊata-karuÊa—You who are merciful to those who surrender to You; kÅßÊau—KÅßÊa; iti—thus; aneka—many; svarÝpe—forms; tvayi—in You; mama—of me; ratiÛ—love; uccair—greatly; vardhatÄm—may increase; nÄmadheya—holy names.

O Holy Name, You have many forms, such as Aghadamana (Crusher of AghÄsura), YaÃodÄnandana (Darling Child of YaÃodÄ), NandasÝnu (Son of Nanda), Kamalanayana (Lotus-eyed One), GopÈcandra (Moon of the gopÈs), VÅndÄvanendra (King of VÅndÄvana), PraÊatakaruÊa (He Who Is Merciful to the surrendered souls), and KÅßÊa. I pray that my love for You in Your many forms may greatly increase.

 

 

 

TEXT 6

vÄcyaÞ vÄcakam ity udeti bhavato nÄma svarÝpa-dvayaÞ

pÝrvasmÄt param eva hanta karuÊaÞ tatrÄpi jÄnÈmahe

yas tasmin vihitÄparÄdha-nivahaÛ prÄÊÈ samantÄd bhaved

Äsyenedam upÄsya so ’pi hi sadÄnandÄmbudhau majjati

vÄcyaÞ—the object described; vÄcakam—the words that describe the object; iti—thus; udeti—manifested; bhavataÛ—of you; nÄma—O Holy name; svarÝpa—forms; dvayaÞ—two; pÝrvasmÄt—the first (form); param—the second (form); eva—indeed; hanta—indeed; karuÊaÞ—(more) compassion; tatra—there; api—even; jÄnÈmahe—we know; yaÛ—one who; tasmin—to that (form, i.e., the first form); vihita—commits; aparÄdha—of offenses; nivahaÛ—a multitude; prÄÊÈ—living entity; samantÄd—completely; bhaved—may be; Äsyena—with the mouth; idam—this; upÄsya—worshiping; saÛ 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

sÝditÄÃrita-janÄrti-rÄÃaye

ramya-cid-ghana-sukha-svarÝpiÊe

nÄma gokula-mahotsavÄya te

kÅßÊa pÝrÊa-vapuße namo namaÛ

sÝdita—destroy; ÄÃrita—(who take) shelter; jana—of the people; Ärti—sufferings; rÄÃaye—abundance; ramya—charming; cit—spirit; ghana—intense; sukha—happiness; sva-rÝpiÊe—own form; nÄma—O Holy name; gokula—for Gokula; mahÄ-utsavÄya—great festival; te—of You; kÅßÊa—of Lord KÅßÊa; pÝrÊa—the perfect and full; vapuße—transcendental form; namaÛ—obeisances; namaÛ—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 KÅßÊa. Again and again I bow to You.

 

 

 

TEXT 8

nÄrada-vÈÊojjÈvana

sudhormi-niryÄsa-mÄdhurÈ-pÝra

tvaÞ kÅßÊa-nÄma kÄmaÞ

sphura me rasane rasena sadÄ

 

nÄrada—of NÄrada; vÈÊÄ—of the vÈÊÄ; ujjÈvana—the life; sudhÄ—of nectar; Ýrmi—waves; niryÄsa—essence; mÄdhurÈ—sweetness; pÝra—flood; tvam—You; kÅßÊa—of KÅßÊa; 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 vÈÊÄ, O flood of the waves of sweet nectar, O Holy Name of Lord KÅßÊa, please forever manifest on my tongue with all your nectarean sweetness.