SREE NAMASTAKAM

(By Sree Rupa Goswami)

O Hari Nama! The Tips of Thy Lotus Feet have eternally been adored by the glowing radiance diffused from the gemmed chaplets of the Upanishads, the crest jewels of the Vedas. Thou art eternally worshipped by the liberated souls. O Hari Nama! Clearing myself of all offences, I entirely take shelter in Thee.

O Holy Name! All glory to Thee who art eternally chanted by the saints. To confer eternal bliss upon the people Thou hast appeared before them as the Transcendental Word. Thou killest all sorts of terrible sufferings of him who happens to chant even Thy dimly reflected Name known as Namabhasa.

O Sun of Blessed Name! even the slightest reflection of Thy Radiant Self is sufficient to dispel the gloom of ignorance from the minds of those who are steeped in the foul sink of worldliness, and confer spiritual vision of pure devotion on those who are blind of the inner sight. Who is there so expert in the world that can sing the glories of Thy Name to finish?

O Holy Name! The seed of deeds, which necessitates rebirth for their fruition, is not totally destroyed despite veritable at-one-ment with Brahman by dint of constant meditation. But O Name! No sooner dost Thou gain a free scope on the tongue of Thy chanter than all the seeds of deeds of his prenatal existence are destroyed. Such the Vedas loudly declare.

O Killer of the demon Agha! O Son of Yashoda! O Son of Nanda! O Lotus Eyed! O Moon of the Gopees! O Lord of Brindaban! O Merciful to the bowed! O Krishna! Thou hast manifested Thy-self in such various Forms out of Thy infinite Mercy. Let my ardour of love go on increasingly, in a great measure, for Thee.

O Holy Name! Thou hast a double Form, viz., Vachya (Signified) i.e., the Transcendental Personality, and Vachaka (Significant) i.e., the Transcendental Word or Name--such as Krishna, Govinda, etc.,-identical with the Vachya. To us the latter Vachaka is more compassionate than the former Vachya against whom we fallen souls have sinned. Because as soon as we chant the Vachaka, i.e., Thy Holy Name, keeping clear of offences against the Name, we are at once immersed in the blissful ocean of Divine Love.

O Holy Name! O Krishna! Thou killest the offences of Thy devotees who have taken shelter in Thy Lotus Feet. Thou art veritable Living Entity of the most Beautiful self-conscious concentrated Bliss. Thou art, O Name! the Entity of the great Rejoicings of Gokula. O Krishna! I offer my humble greetings, time and again, to Thee-Divine Form of all Exquisiteness in the fullest degree.

O Holy Name of Krishna! Thou art the very life of Narada's guitar and the Elixir of the ambrosial ripples of the ocean surcharged with Divine mellowness. I beseech Thee, O Holy Name! Do Thou ever find a full scope in my tongue with all ardour of Divine Love.