Govinda Damodara Stotram (Selected Verses)
Govinda Damodara Stotram (Selected Verses)
Govinda Damodara Stotram (Selected Verses)
govinda dāmodara stotram (laghu)
karāravindena padāravindaṃ
mukhāravinde viniveśayantam |
vaṭasya patrasya puṭe śayānaṃ
bālaṃ mukundaṃ manasā smarāmi ||
śrīkṛṣṇa govinda hare murāre
he nātha nārāyaṇa vāsudeva |
jihve pibasvāmṛtametadeva
govinda dāmodara mādhaveti || 1
vikretukāmākhilagopakanyā
murāripādārpitacittavṛttiḥ |
dadhyādikaṃ mohavaśādavocat
govinda dāmodara mādhaveti || 2
gṛhe gṛhe gopavadhūkadambāḥ
sarve militvā samavāpya yogam |
puṇyāni nāmāni paṭhanti nityaṃ
govinda dāmodara mādhaveti || 3
sukhaṃ śayānā nilaye nije'pi
nāmāni viṣṇoḥ pravadanti martyāḥ |
te niścitaṃ tanmayatāṃ vrajanti
govinda dāmodara mādhaveti || 4
jihve sadaivaṃ bhaja sundarāṇi
nāmāni kṛṣṇasya manoharāṇi |
samasta bhaktārtivināśanāni
govinda dāmodara mādhaveti || 5
sukhāvasāne idameva sāraṃ
duḥkhāvasāne idameva jñeyam |
dehāvasāne idameva jāpyaṃ
govinda dāmodara mādhaveti || 6
jihve rasajñe madhurapriye tvaṃ
satyaṃ hitaṃ tvāṃ paramaṃ vadāmi |
avarṇayethā madhurākṣarāṇi
govinda dāmodara mādhaveti || 7
tvāmeva yāce mama dehi jihve
samāgate daṇḍadhare kṛtānte |
vaktavyamevaṃ madhuraṃ subhaktyā
govinda dāmodara mādhaveti || 8
śrīkṛṣṇa rādhāvara gokuleśa
gopāla govardhananātha viṣṇo |
jihve pibasvāmṛtametadeva
govinda dāmodara mādhaveti || 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