(The twenty verses on
the Cowherd)
By
Vedantha
Desika,
Translated by
P.R.Ramachander
(Vedanta Desika (1269 – 1370) is a great
poet, devotee, philosopher and master-teacher belonging to the Sri Vaishnava
sect founded by saint Ramanuja. By the end of 14th centaury the followers of
Saint Ramanuja had split in to Vadakalai and Tenkalai. The followers of the
former consider Sri Vedanta Desika as their Acharya (teacher). This great Stotra
sings about the greatness of Gopala (cow herd) and is extremely popular among
his devotees. It is said that it was composed in Thiruvahindrapuram by the
Acharya overwhelmed by the beauty of the Rajagopala idol in the temple. These
are usually sung before Thadhiaradhanams (Group partaking of food offered to God)
and on the occasion of marriages and on
The translation presented here is a simple literal translation, trying
to bring out the beauty of this great stotra rathna. Those who are interested
may refer Sri.V.Sadagopan’s detailed commentary which is available in
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/ebooks/vdesikan/gopala_vimsati/index.html)
Jayanthi Sambhavam dhama vaijayanthi bhooshanam. 1
Salutations to him,
who wanders in Vrundavana,
Who is the darling of
the Gopis there,
Who was born on the
day of the Sri Jayanthi,
And who wears the
garland called Vaijayanthi.
Vacham nijangarasikam prasmeekshamano,
Vakthraravinda vinivesitha pancha janya,
Varna trikona ruchire varapundarike,
Badhasano jayathi vallava chakravarthi. 2
Victory to the
emperor of the Gopis,
Who looks at
Saraswathi sitting on his lap,
Who keeps his conch
Pancha Janya close to his lips,
Who sits in the
middle of a triangle placed,
In the middle of the
holy lotus.
Amnaya gandha ruchiru chira sphurithhadharoshta,
Masravilekshana manukshana mandhahasam,
Gopaladimbhavapusham kuhana janannya,
Pranasthanandhayamavaimi param pumaamsam. 3
I see that divine
gentleman,
Whose breath wafted
the fragrance of the Vedas,
Whose pretty lips
quivered,
When he cried and
laughed,
With his form of a
cow herd baby,
And smiled in between
the bouts of cry,
At the approach of
the deceitful mother*,
And drank her life
force and blessed her.
*Poothana the ogress sent to kill him
Aavirbhavathvanibruthabharanam purasthaat,
Aakunchithaika Charanam nibrudhanyapadam,
Dadhnaa nimanthamukurena nibhaddhatalam,
Nathaasya nanda bhavaneh nava neeta natyam 4
Let that form with
the several ornaments,
Appear before my
mind,
In which he folds one
leg and,
Holds the other leg
straight,
In which he produced
musical sounds,
And dancing steps in
line with,
The sound of churning
of curds,
Produced by his
mother,
For getting freshly
made butter
(Another version of the same:-
Aavirbhavathya nibhruthabaranam purastha,
Dakunchidaika charanam nihithannypadam,
Radha nibadhamookurena nibadha thalam,
Nadhasya nanda bhavane nava neethanatyam. 4
That form with the
several ornaments,
Appears before my
mind,
In which he folds one
leg and,
Holds the other leg
straight,
In which he keeps
time with,
The jingling sound
of anklets,
Which were tied on
him by Radha,
And in which he jumps
and trots ,
For getting butter in
the house of Nanda. )
Harthum Kumbhe vinihathikara swaduhaingaveenam,
Drushtwa dhama grahana chatulam matharam jatha rosham,
Payadheeshath prachalitha pado napagachchanna thishtan,
Mithyagopa sapadhi nayane meelayan viswagoptha. 5
Let me protected by
the protector of the universe,
Who extended his hand
to steal the sweet butter from the pot,
And seeing his very
angry and clever mother with a rope,
Moved slightly his
leg but not moving hither or thither,
Closed tightly both
his eyes and waited for her.
Vraja yoshidha panga
vedaneeyam
Madhura bhagya mannanya bhagya meede,
Vasudeva vadhoosthanandayam
thath,
Kimapi brahma kisora bhava drusyam. 6
I meditate on that
Brahmam,
Who is understood by
the Gopis,
Just by a slight look on him by them,
Who is the luck of
Who is the greatest
luck to,
The unmatchable souls
every where,
Who drank milk out of
the wife of Vasudeva,
And who always looks
like a handsome lad.
Parivarthitha kandaram bhayena,
Smitha phulladhara sambhavam
smarami,
Vitapithwanirasakam kayoschid,
Vipololukala karshakam kumaram. 7
I remember the lad
smiling with lips,
Resembling the rosy
leaf buds,
Who had turned his
neck out of fear,
And who dragged the
big mortar,
In between the two
trees and,
Freed both of them
of their,
Tree form forever.
Nikuteshu nisamayami nithyam,
Nigamanthairadhunapi mrugyamanam,
Yamalarjuna drusha
bala keleem ,
Yamuna sakshika
youvanam yuvaanam. 8
I see him daily near
me,
Who is being
searched by Vedas,
Who broke the two Arjuna
trees,
And who is with young
maidens,
Near the Yamuna with
it as a witness
Padavee madaveeyasim vimukther
Atavi sambada mambu
vahayantheem,
Arunadhara sabilasha vamsam,
Karunam karuna
manusham bhajami. 9
I sing about that man
who is the cause,
Who is the way which
is near salvation,
Who is the great wealth of the forests,
Who is as gross as
the rain bearing clouds,
Who has red lips fond
of keeping the flute,
And who exists as the
state of mercy.
Animesha nisheva neeya makshnor,
Jahadhyouvana ma virasthu chithe,
Kala hayitha kunthalam kalapai,
Karunanmadha vigraham
vibho may.
10
May He, whose form
maddened with mercy,
Appear and remain in my mind
Who has an ever
youthful pretty form,
Which does not allow
our eyes to close for a second,
And who has pretty
hair decorated by peacock feather,
Anuyayi manogna vamsa
naalai,
Ravathu sparsitha
vallavee vimoghai,
Anaghasmitha sheethalai rasou maam,
Anukampasaritham
ambujai pangai. 11
May I be protected by
His sight,
Which resemble the lotus
flowers,
Of his mind resembling the pond of
mercy,
Cooled by his
pleasant smile,
And which always
falls on the flute with him,
And which makes the
Gopis extremely happy,
Adharahitha chharu vamsa nalaa,
Mukutalambhi mayoora pincha mala,
Hari neelashila vihanga leela,
Prathibhasanthu mamanthima prayane. 12
I should be able to
see Him,
With flute kept close
to his lips,
With blue peacock
feather adorning his hair,
And with his pranks
shining like the blue gem,
During the last
procession of my life.
Akhilanavalokayami kaalan,
Mahila leena bhujantharasya yoona,
Abhilasha padam vrujanganana,
Abhilapakrama dhooramaabhi roopyam. 13
I see him always and
all times,
With a chest carrying
his Lady,
And also see him as prettiness,
That can never ever
be described,
And which is the acme
of desire of the gopis.
Hrudhi Mugdha sikanda mandana
LIkhitha kena mamaisha shilpana,
Madhanadhura vallavangana,
Vadhambhoja divakaro Yuva. 14
I salute Him who is
like a Sun.
To the lotus faces of
lovelorn gopis,
Who are infatuated by
his face,
Shining because of
the peacock feather,
Worn by him in his
head.
And who has etched
his pretty face,
In their minds
always.
Mahase mahithaya moulina,
Vinathenanjali manjana twishe,
Kalyami vidagdhavallavee
Valaya bhashitha manju venave. 15
I salute with folded
hands,
Him who is black in
colour,
And who plays his
pretty flute,
In the midst of those
gopis,
Who are intelligent
and experts.
Jayathu lalitha kruthyam sikshatho valveenaam,
Sidhila valaya sinja seethalair hastha thaalai,
Akhila bhuvana raksha
gopa veshasya vishnor,
Adharamani sudhaya vamsavan vamsa nala. 16
Victory to that flute
which partakes the nectar,
Flowing from the lips
of Vishnu,
Who has taken the
form of a gopa lad,
For protecting all
the world,
And to him who is
being taught,
The dancing steps
along with the ,
Beats created by the
tingling sound,
Created by their
bangles by the gopis.
Chithrakalpa sravasi kalayan langalee karna pooram,
Barhothamsa sphuritha chikaro bandhu jeevam dadhana,
Gunjam badhamurasi lalitham darayan harayashteem,
Gopasthreenam jayathi kithavo gopikamapahari. 17
Victory to Him who
cures,
The passion of Gopi maidens,
By prettily dressing himself,
With flower from
coconut sheaf in the ear,
With peacock feathers
and the flower,
Of red hibiscus tied
to his pretty tresses,
And the garland made of the black red
Seeds of Gunja* tree
decorating his chest.
*
Called Kundhumani in tamil, these seeds are used to weigh gold.
Leelayashtim karakisalaye dakshinenyasya dhanyam,
Amse devya pulakanibide sannivishatanya bahu,
Meghasyamo jayathi lalitham
mekhala datha venur,
Gunja peeda sphuritha
chikuro gopa kanya bhujanga. 18
Victory to him who
keeps his flute,
Tucked in his golden
waist band ,
Who keeps his right
hand on a stick,
Used to mind the
herds of cow,
Who keeps his left
hand on the shoulder,
Of the lady* shivering with joy,
Who is of the black
colour of the cloud,
And who ties his
tresses with a chain of Gunja seeds.
*Sri Sadagopan in
his commentary says this Lady is Nappinnai(neela Devi) a special sweet heart of
Prathyaleeda smruthi gaham praptha gadangapaalim,
Paschadeeshayilitha nayanam
preyasim prekshamana,
Bhasthrayanthra pranihithakaro bhaktha jeevathuravya,
Dwaree kreeda nibida vasano
vallavee vallabho na.
19
May that Lord who is the
Lord of the gopis,
Who swept his sweet
heart gopi in to a tight embrace,
Along with his wet
cloths made wet,
During the love play
inside the water,
Who gave a loving
glance to the gopi who,
Was keeping her eyes
partially closed,
Who held in his hand
a water gun,
And who is the savior
of his devotees,
Save me from the ills
of domestic life.
Vasoo hruthwa dinakara sutha sannidhou vallaveenaam,
Leelasmero jayathi lalithamasthitha kunda shakhaam,
Sa vreedabhisthadhanu vasanam thabhir abhyarthamana,
Kamee kaschid kara kamalayor anjalim yachamana. 20
Victory to the
playful one who ,
Sat daintily on the
branch of the kunda tree,
And took away all the
cloths left by Gopis,
Who were taking their
bath in the river that is ,
The daughter of the
sun god,
And when requested
for their cloths,
Requested them to
come out ,
And seek for the cloths with raised folded hands.
Phala Sruthi
Ithyan anya manasaa vinirmitham,
Venkatesa kavina sthuthim padan,
Divya venu rasikam sameekshathe ,
Daivatham kimapi yowatha priyam.
He who reads this
poem written,
By the poet Venkatesa*
with no one,
Else appearing in his
mind,
Would go near the God
who likes,
The holy flute , who
is the God,
Who is the darling of
all gopis.
* The name
of Vedantha desika was Venkatesa.
------------------------------------------------------
Note:
In a book published from Kerala, the following Stanza is
given as Stanza Number 5.But this is absent from many of the versions that I
saw:-
Kunda prasoona visadairdasanai chathurbhi,
Sandhasya mathranisam kucha choochukagram,
Nandasya
vakthramavalokayatho murarer,
Mandasmithm mama maneeshitha mathanothu.
Let my desires be
fulfilled by that ,
By the killer of Mura,
Who with his front
four teeth,
Which are like the
buds of Jasmine,
Bites the aureole of
the busts of his mother,
And smiling looks at the face of Nanda.