Govinda Damodara Stotram (Selected Verses)
Govinda Damodara Stotram (Selected Verses)
govinda dAmodara stotram (laghu)
karAravindena padAravindaM
mukhAravinde vinivezayantam |
vaTasya patrasya puTe zayAnaM
bAlaM mukundaM manasA smarAmi ||
zrIkRSNa govinda hare murAre
he nAtha nArAyaNa vAsudeva |
jihve pibasvAmRtametadeva
govinda dAmodara mAdhaveti || 1
vikretukAmAkhilagopakanyA
murAripAdArpitacittavRttiH |
dadhyAdikaM mohavazAdavocat
govinda dAmodara mAdhaveti || 2
gRhe gRhe gopavadhUkadambAH
sarve militvA samavApya yogam |
puNyAni nAmAni paThanti nityaM
govinda dAmodara mAdhaveti || 3
sukhaM zayAnA nilaye nije'pi
nAmAni viSNoH pravadanti martyAH |
te nizcitaM tanmayatAM vrajanti
govinda dAmodara mAdhaveti || 4
jihve sadaivaM bhaja sundarANi
nAmAni kRSNasya manoharANi |
samasta bhaktArtivinAzanAni
govinda dAmodara mAdhaveti || 5
sukhAvasAne idameva sAraM
duHkhAvasAne idameva jJeyam |
dehAvasAne idameva jApyaM
govinda dAmodara mAdhaveti || 6
jihve rasajJe madhurapriye tvaM
satyaM hitaM tvAM paramaM vadAmi |
avarNayethA madhurAkSarANi
govinda dAmodara mAdhaveti || 7
tvAmeva yAce mama dehi jihve
samAgate daNDadhare kRtAnte |
vaktavyamevaM madhuraM subhaktyA
govinda dAmodara mAdhaveti || 8
zrIkRSNa rAdhAvara gokuleza
gopAla govardhananAtha viSNo |
jihve pibasvAmRtametadeva
govinda dAmodara mAdhaveti || 9
About This Stotram
Overview
The Govinda Damodara Stotram is a Sanskrit devotional hymn attributed to Bilvamangalacharya (also known as Bilhana), a 12th-century Vaishnava saint and poet. This edition presents selected verses from the full text, centered on the refrain "Govinda Damodara Madhaveti" — an invocation of three of Krishna's names. The stotram belongs to the Vaishnava devotional tradition and is widely recited for the meditation on Krishna's divine names.
What are the benefits of chanting Govinda Damodara Stotram?
- Regular repetition of the central refrain is held to purify speech and the mind
- Recitation is associated with liberation from the cycle of rebirth
- Fosters devotion to Krishna through the practice of nama-smarana (remembrance of the name)
- Said to bring spiritual closeness to the divine
When is the best time to recite this?
Morning and evening are the standard times for recitation. Janmashtami and other Krishna festivals are particularly appropriate. The stotram can also be used as a continuous chant (ajapa-japa) throughout the day.
What is the historical and traditional background?
Bilvamangalacharya is associated with the 12th century CE and is also known for composing the Krishna Karnamrita, another celebrated Vaishnava devotional text. His compositions are characterized by lyrical Sanskrit verse and a focus on Krishna's childhood and pastoral forms. The Govinda Damodara Stotram became widely circulated in Vaishnava communities across India, particularly those emphasizing the practice of nama-kirtan as a devotional path. The "selected verses" format presented here draws the most commonly recited portions.
Available scripts
This text is available in 14 scripts: devanagari, tamil, telugu, kannada, malayalam, gujarati, bengali, iast, gurmukhi, oriya, assamese, sinhala, itrans, hk. Use the script selector above to switch between them.
Related Texts
- Krishna Karnamrita — another Sanskrit composition attributed to Bilvamangalacharya, also focused on Krishna's pastoral form
- Vishnu Sahasranama — the foundational Vaishnava name-recitation text from the Mahabharata