Sometimes called the national anthem of Vrindavan, here is Sri Sri Radha-kripa-kataksha-stava-raja (The King of Prayers which Petitions the Merciful Sidelong Glance of Srimati Radharani) from the Urdhvamnaya-tantra. Spoken by Lord Shiva and composed in a lovely meter, this exceptional prayer is daily sung in a charming melody by many Brijabasis (Vrindavan residents). The translation is by Kusakratha dasa and the painting above is by B.G. Sharma. In the final verse Lord Shiva mentions “Upon hearing this most astonishing prayer of mine being recited by a devotee, may Sri Vrishhabhanu-nandini (Radha) constantly make him the object of Her most merciful sidelong glance. At that time all his karmic reactions – whether mature, fructifying, or lying in seed – will be completely destroyed, and then he will gain entrance into the assembly of Nandanandana’s (Krishna’s) eternal loving associates.” May this prayer complement and enrich your experience of this holiest of days.
Kaustubha das
Sri Sri Radha-kripa-kataksha-stava-raja
(The King of Prayers which Petitions the Merciful Sidelong Glance of Srimati Radharani)
Text 1
munindra-vrinda-vandite triloka-shoka-harini
prasanna-vaktra-pankaje nikunja-bhu-vilasini
vrajendra-bhanu-nandini vrajendra-sunu-sangate
kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam
O goddess worshiped by the kings of sages, O goddess who remove the sufferings of the three worlds, O goddess whose face is a blossoming lotus, O goddess who enjoy pastimes in the forest, O daughter of Vrishhabhanu, O companion of Vraja’s prince, when will You cast Your merciful sidelong glance upon me?
Text 2
ashoka-vriksha-vallari-vitana-mandapa-sthite
pravala-vala-pallava-prabharunanghri-komale
varabhaya-spurat-kare prabhuta-sampadalaye
kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam
O goddess staying in a vine-cottage by an ashoka tree, O goddess whose delicate feet are as splendid as red blossoms, O goddess whose hand grants fearlessness, O abode of transcendental opulence’s, when will You cast Your merciful sidelong glance upon me?
Text 3
ananga-ranga-mangala-prasanga-bhangura-bhruvam
sa-vibhramam sa-sambhramam drig-anta-bana-patanaih
nirantaram vashi-krita-pratiti-nandanandane
kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam
O goddess who, playfully shooting the arrows of Your glances from the curved bows of Your auspicious, amorous eyebrows, have completely subdued Nanda’s son [Krishna], when will You cast Your merciful sidelong glance upon me?
Text 4
tadit-suvarna-campaka-pradipta-gaura-vigrahe
mukha-prabha-parasta-koti-sharadendu-mandale
vicitra-citra-sancarac-cakora-shava-locane
kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam
O goddess whose form is as splendid as champaka flowers, gold, and lightning, O goddess whose face eclipses millions of autumn moons, O goddess whose eyes are wonderful, restless young chakora birds, when will You cast Your merciful sidelong glance upon me?
Text 5
madonmadati-yauvane pramoda-mana-mandite
priyanuraga-ranjite kala-vilasa-pandite
ananya-dhanya-kunja-rajya-kama-keli-kovide
kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam
O young girl intoxicated with passion, O goddess decorated with cheerful jealous anger, O goddess who passionately love Your beloved Krishna, O goddess learned in playful arts, O goddess expert at enjoying amorous pastimes in the kingdom of the peerlessly opulent forest groves of Vrindavana, when will You cast Your merciful sidelong glance upon me?
Text 6
ashesha-hava-bhava-dhira-hira-hara-bhushite
prabhuta-shatakumbha-kumbha-kumbhi kumbha-sustani
prashasta-manda-hasya-curna-purna-saukya-sagare
kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam
O goddess decorated with a pearl necklace of bold amorous hints, O goddess as fair as gold, O goddess whose breasts are great golden waterpots, O ocean of happiness filled with the scented powders of gentle smiles, when will You cast Your merciful sidelong glance upon me?
Text 7
mrinala-vala-vallari-taranga-ranga-dor-late
latagra-lasya-lola-nila-locanavalokane
lalal-lulan-milan-manojna-mugdha-mohanashrite
kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam
O goddess whose arms are lotus stalks dancing on the waves, O goddess whose dark eyes are dancing vines, O playful, beautiful, charming goddess, when will You cast Your merciful sidelong glance upon me?
Text 8
suvarna-malikancita-trirekha-kambu-kanthage
tri-sutra-mangali-guna-tri-ratna-dipti-didhiti
salola-nila-kuntala-prasuna-guccha-gumphite
kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam
O goddess who wear a golden necklace on the three-lined conchshell of Your neck, O goddess splendid with three jasmine garlands and three jewelled necklaces, O goddess whose moving locks of dark hair are decorated with bunches of flowers, when will You cast Your merciful sidelong glance upon me?
Text 9
nitamba-bimba-lambamana-pushpa-mekhala-gune
prashasta-ratna-kinkini-kalapa-madhya-manjule
karindra-shunda-dandikavaroha-saubhagorake
kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam
O goddess who wear a sash of flowers on Your curved hips, O goddess charming with a sash of tinkling jewelled bells, O goddess whose beautiful thighs punish the regal elephant’s trunk, when will You cast Your merciful sidelong glance upon me?
Text 10
aneka-mantra-nada-manju-nupurarava-skhalatsamaja-
raja-hamsa-vamsha-nikvanati-gaurave
vilola-hema-vallari-vidambi-caru-cankrame
kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam
O goddess whose anklets’ tinkling is more beautiful than the sounds of many mantras and the cooing of many regal swans, O goddess whose graceful motions mock the moving golden vines, when will You cast Your merciful sidelong glance upon me?
Text 11
ananta-koti-vishnu-loka-namra-padmajarcite
himadrija-pulomaja-virincija-vara-prade
apara-siddhi-riddhi-digdha-sat-padanguli-nakhe
kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam
O goddess worshiped by Brahma, O goddess to whom countless millions of Vaishnavas bow down, O goddess who give blessings to Parvati, shaci, and Sarasvati, O goddess whose toenails are anointed with limitless opulence’s and mystic perfections, when will You cast Your merciful sidelong glance upon me?
Text 12
makheshvari kriyeshvari svadheshvari sureshvari
triveda-bharatishvari pramana-shasaneshvari
rameshvari kshameshvari pramoda-kananeshvari
vrajeshvari vrajadhipe sri-radhike namo ‘stu te
O queen of Vedic sacrifices, O queen of pious activities, O queen of the material world, O queen of the demigods, O queen of Vedic scholarship, O queen of knowledge, O queen of the goddesses of fortune, O queen of patience, O queen of Vrindavana, the forest of happiness, O queen of Vraja, O empress of Vraja, O Sri Radhika, obeisance’s to You!
Text 13
iti mamadbhutam stavam nishamya bhanu-nandini
karotu santatam janam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam
bhavet tadaiva sancita-trirupa-karma-nashanam
bhavet tada vrajendra-sunu-mandala-praveshanam
Upon hearing this most astonishing prayer of mine being recited by a devotee, may Sri Vrishhabhanu-nandini constantly make him the object of Her most merciful sidelong glance. At that time all his karmic reactions – whether mature, fructifying, or lying in seed – will be completely destroyed, and then he will gain entrance into the assembly of Nandanandana’s eternal loving associates.
Comments
9 responses to “An Appeal for the Merciful Sidelong Glance of Sri Radha”
Hi,
Did you know where I can find the singed version??
Namaste,
Love from Barcelona,
Noeli Naima.
Sai Ram. Thanks a lot for sharing this. Could you kindly upload a MP3 of that so that we can hear the melody?
Thanks.
Venkateswara Swamy
Venkateswara Swamy- Temporarily I’m unable to load any mp3 files to the sight. I’ll try to do it early next month.
Noeli- I don’t know what you mean by singed version.
Kaustubha
Dearest Kaustubha prabhu.
There are actually 19 stanzas – or slokas – to this song. You quote 13. Of course, the last 6 mention the benefits of singing the song daily … but I feel should be included to make it complete. Your servant, Indradyumnna Swami
Dear Maharaja
Yes, I neglected to include the Phala Shruti (the fruit of hearing) which expresses the benedictions one may receive upon reciting the prayer. I’ve included the translation below.
Thank you for your suggestion.
Kaustubha das
“The aspirant who recites this hymn on the full-moon day, on the eighth day of the waxing moon, and on the tenth, eleventh and thirteenth days of the waxing and waning moons, achieves the fruition of his desires and, by the grace of Sri Radhika’s compassionate sidelong glance, bhakti characterized by prema sprouts in his heart.”
“The aspirant who recites this hymn one hundred times, while immersed in the waters of Sri Radha-kunda, either up to his waist, up to his navel, up to his chest, or up to his neck, achieves the perfection of his desired ends and whatever he speaks comes true, he is endowed with full spiritual opulence and gets the direct, personal darshan of Srimati Radharani.”
“Being pleased with him, Srimati Radhika immediately grants him the greatest benediction and he gets to see with his own eyes Her darling sweet Lord, Sri Syamasundara. The Lord of Vraja, in His turn, grants that devotee an entrance into His eternal sports. For the Vaisnavas there is no greater goal to be achieved than this.”
Dear Venkateswara Swamy and Noeli,
There is a MP3 of the song sung by H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami at http://www.bcswami.com/?cat=15, under “Malaga Retreat – Day 2”
Your servant,
Madhavi d.d.
Than you for posting that Madhavi d.d.
radhay radhay ji sri radha kripa kataksha is one of the most favourit of my daughter bhigya but when she song “lallaulmil–than she ask me its pronaunsation is .01/ diffi–when it sung in a group then she somuthely sung with kripa of srimati radha rani ji.pl.krishna kripakataksha+radhachalisa+yugal prathna etc. are show on the page.radhay radhay ji.
I don’t know how to recite Your mantra, how to worship You with yantra,
Nor do I know how to welcome you or meditate upon you.
I don’t know how to pray to you or how to do Your mudra.
Nor do I know how to open my heart to you and tell you of my suffering.
But this I know, Oh MA!
That to take refuge in you will destroy all my sorrow.