SRI PADMANABHA SATAKAM

Padmanabha Satakam is a beautiful devotional poem in Sanskrit directly addressed to Lord

Padmanabha, the presiding deity of the kingdom, by Maharaja Swathi Tirunal of Travancore. The
significant contribution of the Maharaja to the world of Carnatic music is well-known. In Padmanabha
Satakam the poet follows the style of Narayaneeyam composed by another great Sanskrit scholar
and poet, Meppathur Narayana Bhattathiri. Bhattathiri has condensed Srimad Bhagavatam in 1000
slokas of unsurpassed poetic beauty and depth of devotion. Padmanabha Satakam is a more
condensed version of Srimad Bhagavatam (or, we can say, of Narayeneeyam) in 100 slokas of
great poetic merit where the poet has poured out his heart to his favourite deity Lord Padmanabha.
The poem is divided into 10 Daskas containing 10 slokas each. The commentator ( Sri Guruswamy)
has included a brief synopsis of the contents of the Dasaka in a couplet or two which are also
included in the text.
Given below is the text of dasakas 1 to 10 with a simple translation in English which, while giving the
prosaic meaning, will not, by any stretch of imagination, be able to convey the beauty of expression of
the original.

V

P P U Z
= c
= s
s 7P= |
In the first dasaka is told that Hari protects those who surrender themselves to Him whether they be
good, bad, suffering, women, aged or children. The exampes of Indradyumna, Ajamila, Panchali,
Pingala, Dhruwa and Markandeya are given in support of this assertion.
N
4c == = |
+ c
| V= ||1||
O Lord Padmanabha ! May the dust of Your lotus-feet which Brahma and others, devoid of desires,
put on their bowed heads with great devotion, which purifies the whole world and soon burns up the
cobweb of sins, ever purify me who is wanting in noble qualities.
c =
c=c |
c~Z 4
cc ||2||
Sages of most noble qualities, singing your praise by chanting the Vedic hymns eulogising your
exploits, are unable to cross, to this day, the ocean of your glory. Such being the case how can I,
dull-witted and helpless, praise you enough without your grace? Who can cross the ocean without a
boat?
= | =
cc = |
cc 7
cc ||3||
Therefore, O Lord, cut asunder my delusion which is binding me to this samsara (cycle of births and
deaths) and grant me steadfast devotion to your feet which will root out all trials and tribulations.
Also grant me such power of language and speech as would vividly describe your exalted position
gladdening the heart of learned men.
7 c -
c c = |
c d ~
d7 c ||4||
O Lord! it is by Your power this whole world is pervaded. By your command the Sun rises, the Wind
blows, the Fire burns and everything is created. It is in You that everything is lodged at the end of a
Kalpa. When You, of such majesty, is pleased, what cannot be attained by men?
! Zc
c ~ Z
|
d
= ~ ||5||
O Hari! You are always engaged in granting all the wishes of your devotees. I have a lot of evidence
with me to prove this. If this be not so, the words of Vyasa, Your own words and what the Vedas say
would prove to be false as the street talk of ignorant men.
= |= B
= c |
c Z
F! = ||6||
The King Indradyumna was born as an elephant by the curse (of sage Agastya). A crocodile caught
hold of him by the leg and he could not extricate himself from its grip even after (the struggle) of a
thousand years. Finally, worshipping You with lotus flowers lifted up by his trunk, he attained Your
form. The crocodile also was restored to its original state as a gandharva.
F c
c |
= | cc
c ||7||
A brahamana, Ajamila by name, was a sinner who, deluded by lust, cohabited with a woman of easy
virtue, forgetting You, the giver of liberation. At the end of his life he, frightened as he was, called his
son by his name Narayana. As soon as he took the name Narayana, Your soldiers prevented the
soldiers of Yama from taking him and led him to Your abode.
=
| HB |
= 7
= c= ||8||
The wicked Dussasana caught hold of Panchali and dragged her by her locks to the court of King
Dhrutarashtra. Helplessness was writ large on her face. She was having her monthly period and in
this condition Dussasana started disrobing her. Utterly helpless, she cried out her heart to You,
shamed by the violation of her modesty. O Hari! You did hear her prayer and provide her with
unending yards of spotless clothing rescuing her from such a terrible ordeal.
s B s
d |

H ||9||
The prostitute Pingala attained your feet in an hour and a half. Dhruva, a boy of five years, attained
the Dhruvapada by his tapas. Markandeya became a chiranjeevi ( of eternal life) by Your grace
(though he was destined to die young). I am incapable of recounting the blessings human beings can
derive by Your grace and compassion.
~ c = H
P |
c |
= = ||10||
You are the wish-yielding tree for Your devotees. By loving devotion to You, even for a few seconds
sinners have taken to the pure path of liberation. O Lord of Syanandurapura! make me also a
humble devotee at Your feet, be pleased to save me and remove my sufferings.

7 =d
4 c
In the second dasaka it is clearly stated that only devotion to the Lord is capable of giving one
continuous happiness and destroying all sorrows and sufferings.
= c
= F + |
= c|
= == ||1||
Those who drink the nectar of Your doings (leelas), meditate on Your all-enchanting form and spend
their time in the company of Your devotees are the ones whom O Madhava! I consider to have
achieved the highest goal of their lives.
=
| =|

= ||2||
O Vasudeva! by Your grace inspire my mind, which is always attached to the pleasures of the senses
and is devoid of peace, to tread the path of goodness.
7 =
|
Z
c H ||3||
O Lotus-eyed One! let my eyes take pleasure in seeing Your form always. Let my ears revel in
hearing the stories of Your exploits and my hands thirst for worshipping You daily .
c
| |

c= ||4||
Taking refuge at Your feet is the medicine to cure the disease of this samsara, cycle of births and
deaths. O Padmanabha! let that be so with me whose mind is deluded by Your Maya.
| V
= |
=
||5||
Steadfast devotion to Your lotus-feet will free human beings from all afflictions. For them even
liberation will be at hand, what to talk of other things like dharma( virtue), artha (wealth) and kama
(pleasures of the senses).
c-
c |
cc
c ||6||
By observing the vows and performing the rites propounded in the Vedas one can be absolved of
ones sins. But one will still be dogged by his vasanas, the impressions left on ones mind by past
behaviour and actions. But loving devotional service at Your feet will destroy ones sins and root out
the vasanas. Grant me that I am steadfastly devoted to Your lotus-feet.
c| !
|
=
||7||
There is no doubt that even accidental remembrance of Your names washes away all ones sins just
like medicine curing the disease and the fire burning a bundle of firewood. (Taking the medicine and
setting the fire may be accidental, not intentional. But they will still do their job).
7
| |
dc! =
d c ||8||
At the time of death whatever one remembers, visualises mentally, will determine the type of body
the soul will take in its next birth. Therefore grant me that my mind is ever engaged in remembering
and contemplating Your form.
=
s |

cc ||9||
Man attains and enjoys the pleasures of Heaven as the fruit of meritorious actions done by him on
Earth. Eventually, however, he returns to Earth when the fruits of his good deeds have been
exhausted. But Your devotee never returns to this mortal world after attaining You.

|
F c
d ||10||
Therefore I pray that your form, which has enthralled the heart of Lakshmi, which banishes all cares
and worries of devotees, which is sought after by the Vedas and which is of pure sattwa guna,
should always shine in the heart of my heart.

H d
F = V
In the beautiful third dasaka the captivating form of Lord Pamanabha is described in detail from foot-
to-head to help the devotee in meditation.

F= = |
| =
||1||
O Lord ! daily do I mentally visualise Your feet, beautiful as the red lotus flower and bearing the
marks of kulisha, fish etc and which dispel the crowd of darkness in the heart of Yogis by the moon-
like brightness of the nails.
=
c |
~
V 7
||2||
I again visualise in my heart your beautiful lotus-feet which is placed on the serpent-bed of Adishes,
which is adorned with beautiful anklets and from which has sprung the Ganga which Lord Siva has
placed on his head.

F |
c
4 ||3||
I visualise Your legs and the knees and also thighs which are fleshy and attractive. The latter are
always covered with golden-hued clothes lest people seeing them are enthralled (by their beauty).
cs
|
c! H
V

||4||
I see before my minds eye Your diamond-studded waist-band tinkling with tiny bells attached to
them. I also meditate on Your matchless middle and Your stomach which accommodates within itself
all the worlds, O Padmanabha.
c H
|

||5||
O Destroyer of samsara! I salute your chest with its srivatsa mark, your neck adorned with Kaustubha
of lustrous red colour and your hands, wearing diamond-studded bangles, always ready to be raised
for destroying the hordes of demons.

c |
=d s
c ~ ||6||
Salutations to your lips, red as the bimba fruit, the nectar of which is tasted by your consort Lakshmi,
to your spotless row of teeth resembling buds of jasmine flower and to your cheeks adorned with ear-
rings shaped like fish.

~ ~ |

c ||7||
O Rider of Garuda ! I worship, daily, your nose shaped as the flower of the sesame plant, your brows
resembling the bow of Kamadeva (Cupid), Your forehead adorned with kasturi tilak and dark curly
hair playing on it.

c |
s
= 7 ||8||
I meditate on your locks, dark as thick clouds rich with water and your diamond-studded crown as
bright as the combined brightness of many Suns. I then finally engage my mind, O Unblemished
One, on your beautiful face and the bewitching smile playing on it.
F 7 +
c |
=
=c c ||9||
O Giridhar !(the One who lifted up the hill Govardhan), may this form of yours, which is beautiful to
behold for the whole world, as attractive as a hundred Cupids combined, the very essence of beauty
and sweetness, ever revel at the centre of my heart-lotus.
Z
|=|
cc =-
H ||10||
O Lord of the worlds! I am now beginning to narrate, in whatever manner, the sequence in which
creation took place. To accomplish this I need your grace which is hard to get for those who have not
done many meritorious deeds.

N P
| V
In the fourth dasaka is described the creativity and dexterity of Brahma acquired by the grace of Lord
Padmanabha as a result of long and difficult austerities (tapas) observed by the former.
|
||1||
From your navel-lotus Brahma, the embodiment of all the Vedas, was born. All the worlds refer to
him as Hiranyagarbha
H |
P ||2||
With wonderment in his heart he looked around all the four directions and soon developed, in his
body, four faces and eight eyes.
7 = c |
||3||
Brahma saw the lotus but could not see Your body from which it had sprung. He pondered over who
he was, so helpless, and from whom he was born.
7 c c c |
7 ! ||4||
To find out the Truth, he went down and down, by his yogic powers, through the hole in the stalk of
the Lotus but alas! he could not find your beautiful form.
2 c 7 |
||5||
Disheartened, he came back again to the Lotus and, seeking Your grace, went into deep samadhi.
c= 7 |
= ||6||
At the end of a hundred years, his heart rid of all impurities by intense penance, Brahma had, in his
heart, the subtle vision of your beautiful form
c |
c c ||7||
Again, prayed by Brahma, You gave him the power to create the worlds. Brahma, to start with,
created the whole of moving and non-moving entities of the world.
H |
P
||8||
Brahma, by his mind, created the sages Sanaka and others. He prompted them to engage
themselves in the creation of the world but they did not heed his words as their hearts ever
delighted in your lotus-feet alone.
F + |
Fc P ||9||
From the body of Brhama were born sages, the chief among whom was Narada. Also, he created,
from his body, the very first couple, Manu and Satarupa, from whom proceeded creation of human
beings.
|
c V ||10||
O Padmanabha! You are the very first cause of creation, sustenance and dissolution of the worlds.
Your greatness cannot be measured by all the devas and the rishis. Bowing to you alone I
experience supreme happiness in my heart.

V s
c- - |
In the fifth dasaka are described the auspicious incarnations of the Lord as the fish, the tortoise and
the boar.

s |
c
c ||1||
O Lord! devotion prompts me, though I am dull-witted, to describe your incarnations in this world to
take the load off Mother Earth. Please therefore give me the skills to do this and take care of me
whose heart is always immersed in contemplating your lotus-feet.
F
= |
= P c -
c ||2||
The asura named Hayagriva, enemy of the devas, snatched away the Vedas from the mouth of
Brahma when the latter was sleeping. You, the ocean of compassion, made up your mind to kill him
and donned the body of a fish for this purpose.
| c
7P |
=
||3||
While the King Satyavrata was offering tarpan in the waters of a river, You were seen as a tiny fish in
his cupped hands filled with water. The king put him in a well. Then You, in the body of the fish,
started growing bigger and bigger. So you were put in a lake, then in a river and finally in the great
ocean.

= B H! |
Z
||4||
You put the king, who was desirous of seeing the deluge, along with the seven rishis, on a boat which
was the Earth itself tied to your huge horn. Dragging the Earth-boat, You coursed through the flood
waters, showing the occupants the different parts of the world.
c
H |

c ||5||
You then killed the demon with your huge sharp horn and restored the Vedas to a happy Brahma.
Such is your generosity to those who bow to you, the One with the lotus in the navel and the Teacher
of all. Please be kind enough to take care of me.
c = =
|
c =
||6||
Donning the body of a tortoise and lifting the Mandara mountain on your back as the agitator and
carrying Vasuki, the serpent, in your hands as the churning rope, You churned the Milky Ocean and
obtained nectar for the devas. From the Milky Ocean was born Goddess Lakshmi.
HB
c |
ccc
| c | ||7||
Lakshmi, the Mother of the worlds, happily placed the nuptial garland around Your neck. Lord Siva,
to please you, drank the poison thrown up by the ocean during the churning process. You gave the
wish-yielding tree, Airavata the elephant etc. to Indra.

= = |
P
H H 7 ||8||
Once upon a time, the two palace guards of Vaikunta, were cursed by Sanaka and other sages to
take asura-birth despised by all and beset with difficulties. The younger of the two named
Hiranyaksha was wicked and, using his immense power earned by his intense tapas, he submerged
the Earth in the flood waters.
| 7
|
c c
= ||9||
Seeing the Earth submerged, Manu sought help from Brahma from whose nostrils You emerged as
the young one of a boar. The boar assumed a gigantic form and, after killing the asura, returned the
Earth to its earlier state.

|
c
7 |2 ||0||
Extremely angered by the killing of his brother and confused by delusion, Hiranya Kashipu vowed, in
the midst of the assembly asuras, to vanquish you the substratum of all the worlds.
SRI PADMANABHA SATAKAM (DASAKAS 6-10)
Padmanabha Satakam is a beautiful devotional poem in Sanskrit directly addressed to Lord
Padmanabha, the presiding deity of the kingdom, by Maharaja Swathi Tirunal of Travancore. The
significant contribution of the Maharaja to the world of Carnatic music is well-known. In Padmanabha
Satakam the poet follows the style of Narayaneeyam composed by another great Sanskrit scholar
and poet, Meppathur Narayana Bhattathiri. Bhattathiri has condensed Srimad Bhagavatam in 1000
slokas of unsurpassed poetic beauty and depth of devotion. Padmanabha Satakam is a more
condensed version of Srimad Bhagavatam (or, we can say, of Narayeneeyam) in 100 slokas of
great poetic merit where the poet has poured out his heart to his favourite deity Lord Padmanabha.
The poem is divided into 10 Daskas containing 10 slokas each. The commentator ( Sri Guruswamy)
has included a brief synopsis of the contents of the Dasaka in a couplet or two which are also
included in the text.
Given below is the text of dasakas 6 to 10 with a simple translation in English which, while giving the
prosaic meaning, will not, by any stretch of imagination, be able to convey the beauty of expression of
the original.
P
P 7
=
In the sixth dasaka are described the auspicious incarnations of the Lord as Narasimha, Vamana and
Parasurama

c 7 |
c P= c
cc || 1||
To him was born a son, Prahlada, a great devotee of Yours and recognised as such by all good
people. His father Hiranya Kasipu tried to restrain him, in all manner of ways, from his loving
devotion to You. What evil deeds are not within the purview of the evil-minded?
|+
c |
4
c H ||2||
Prahlada had heard about Your glories from Narada while still in the womb of his mother Kayadhu.
He, therefore, did not heed his fathers words even after being tutored by his teachers prompted by
Hiranya Kasipu.

7 c
ccV P |
=
= H ||3||
Seeing that Prahladas mind was firmly established in Your lotus-feet, his father became exceedingly
angry. He made a hundred attempts to kill Prahlada, using weapons like tridents, animals like
elephants and even snakes.
7
|
c P
c| || 4||
Prahlada, strongly protected by the armour of Your compassion and grace, did not experience any
bodily pain or discomfort whatsoever. When questioned by his father about the power which was
protecting him, Prahlada replied that Hari was the power behind all the three worlds.

F d |
c c -
== ||5||
Asking where his Hari was, Hiranya Kasipu struck a pillar with his mace and from it emerged the most
terrible form of Yours, half-lion and half-human, your roar reverberating through the worlds and
terrifying their inhabitants.
H c
H |

=c ||6||
You quickly caught hold of the asura, pushed him on to your thighs , tore open his chest with your
nails and drank his blood. Then You put your hands on the head of child Prahlada as a token of your
blessing.

| |
Pd
V ||7||
O Padmanabha, the Supreme Being, I bow to you who is always eager to grant the wishes of your
devotees and who is unattached, beyond gunas and actions, and the source of everything. Kindly
take care of me whose mind is always engaged in the contemplation of your lotus-feet.
7P F|
c 7 |
P
|| 8||
You were born as the son of Aditi and seen in the yagashala of Bali, the King of the Asuras, in the
form of a brahmachari (celibate). Asked by Bali what You wanted, You asked for three feet of land
measured by Your own foot.

c |
Z
c | ||9||
You measured all the worlds in two steps and Bali, unable to provide the third foot, bound and his
egotism completely deflated, requested you to put the third step on his bowed head. Blessed indeed
is Bali, who thus surrendered everything to You.
c
c + F |
|U
d ||10||
You were born as Bhargava, a great soul, as the son of Maharshi Jamadagni and his consort Renuka
Devi. By the grace of Lord Siva you acquired divine weapons and axed the horde of your enemies to
death.
B

B 4c
In the seventh dasaka Rama Varma, with great love and devotion, decribes the story of Rama which
is beautiful, purifying and capable of wiping out all sins.
c
|
~
|| 1||
By the entreaties of the devas persecuted by Ravana, You took birth as the son of King Dasaratha of
the dynasty of Manu, along with brothers Lakshmana, Bharata and Satrughna as the result of
Putrakameshti yagna performed by the king.
c |
7 | H c |
c~ H
c ||2||
Armed with your bow and accompanied by your brother Lakshmana, You guarded the yagna
performed by Viswamitra from the demons led by Maricha. You purified, by the dust of your feet, wife
of Gautama and, breaking the bow of Siva, won the hand of Sita.
cP
c | c |
=
c4c 7 ||3||
You conquered an angry Parasurama who crossed your path and returned to Ayodhya. You
abandoned the kingdom and went into the forest plunging your subjects in sorrow in order to honour
the words of Your father whose mind was distressed and confused because of Kaikeyis utterances.
c c
c F |
c c
cc ||4||
Proceeding to the forests along with your wife and Lakshmana, You crossed the Ganga and happily
lived in the Chitrakoota hills. There you were grieved to hear the news of your fathers death from
Bharata to whom you gave the kingdom and also your padukas (footwear).
c c
7 dU |
= F
c H || 5||
Putting to death many other rakshasas like Viradha and acquiring many divine weapons from sage
Agastya, you killed the great rakshasas led by Khara who had come to fight after hearing the wails of
Surpananakha whose ears had been cut off by Lakshmana.
| V
4 |
7
cc ||6||
At the request of Sita, You pursued Maricha who had come in the guise of a golden deer and finally
killed him by a single arrow. In the interval when You were away, Ravana, disguised as a sanyasi,
abducted Sita leaving You grieving
7 +
c |
7P
P F || 7||
Seeing Jatayu, a friend of Dasratha, killed by Ravana You performed his after-death rites. There
You met Hanuman, a great devotee of Yours, and, at his instance, happily entered into a friendship
pact with Sugreeva
c B F H
c |
= P H |
d ||8||
You cut down, easily and instantly, seven huge sal trees by a single arrow and killed Vali, the son of
Indra, by stealth (hiding behind a tree). You sent out the monkeys of Sugriva in search of Sita in all
directions and gave your ring in the hands of Hanuman (to be given to Sita when she was found).
7 d
c 4c! |H |
P c
V || 9 ||
Having found Sita in Ravanas palace and having apprised her of Your endeavours to reclaim her,
Hanuman returned and gave you the Chudamani of Sita (as evidence of having met Sita) upon which
you were extremely happy. The Lord of the ocean, frightened by your arrows, allowed You to bridge
the ocean and cross over to Lanka, the city of Ravana.
c Z c=
T |
! =
= ||10||
You killed Ravana along with his ministers and relatives, accepted Sita purified by fire, reached
Ayodhya by Pushpak and were crowned along with Sugreeva and Vibheeshana. Finally, protecting
all, You returned to your abode without your consort.

P
P c

In the eighth dasaka the divine births of Balarama and Krishna, the Paramatman, are described
which will remove all the evils of this Kaliyuga
P |
! ||1||
Unable to bear the burden of wicked men, Vasudha (Earth) approached Brahma, who was already
surrounded by the devas (in this connection), and poured out her worries and fears in detail.
V = = |
| V c ||2||
Having heard Vasudhas problems, Brahma thought of you and told Vasudha and others that only
Lord Padmanabha could remove their sorrows
c = | ! |
P c + ||3||
Coming to your abode which is unapproachable by those deficient in Punya (fruit of meritorious
deeds), Brahma sang your praises and explained the cause of Earths worries.
=c |
4 ||4||
I will soon take birth in the dynasty of Yadus. Let the devas take birth as Yadavas On hearing
these words of Yours conveyed by Brahma, devas felt very happy.
d c |
c + ~| |P ||5||
From the womb of Rohini was born, prompted by you, Adisesha. You, the purifier of the worlds, also
soon entered the womb of Devaki.
= | =|

||6||
At midnight Devaki, greatly fulfilled, gave birth to You, resplendent with four hands carrying the
conch, the disc, the lotus and the mace.
| P |
P = 4 ||7||
Then the whole world was filled with joy except Kamsa as it had been predicted by the invisible voice
that the eighth child of his sister Devaki would kill him.
= |
= c ||8||
Eyes filled with tears, Vasudeva took You to the house of Nanda in Vraja, and took the girl baby (an
incarnation of Ambika ) born there to his house
. c = |
cP || 9 ||
Kamsa came to the delivery room and, seeing a little girl there, concluded that it was the Maya of
Ajita (Vishnu) and was not pleased at all.
F |
! = ||10||
Soon the dull-witted Kamsa ordered Putana, Sakata, Dhenuka and others to kill all newly born
babies. What is beyond the purview of those who have forgotten what sin is

7
~ d
In the ninth dasaka is told the most wonderful life history of Krishna and the incarnation of Kalki which
is yet to come.
c = |
P = cF |
= H
H c H || 1||
When you, nectar for the eyes of the whole world, were growing up in Vraja, a wicked demoness
came there in the guise of a beautiful woman (with the idea of killing you by suckling you with
poisioned breasts). As soon as she placed the nipple of her breast in your month You, the child in
guise, sucked in her life along with the milk.
B
c d|
7 c 7
c= c ||2||
Again, it was Sakatasura who came to Vraja and was killed (by the child Krishna who kicked him to
pieces). The Wind-Asura was also killed by you, the destroyer of the load on Earth. Seeing that
killing these demons was childs play for you the cowherds, deluded by your Maya, were overcome by
wonderment and happiness.
=
|
F c|
= B ||3||
Seeing that Garga, the Acharya for the Yadavas, had come to his house, Nanda arranged for the
performance of your naming ceremony according to the Sastras. You were named Krishna and your
brother was named Rama by the sage, a loving devotee of yours, who praised your greatness to
Nanda and others and returned to his place.
7P dH
=c c= = |
= =
7 ||4||
When children reported to your mother that you had swallowed mud, she was worried and looked into
your mouth where she saw, wonder of wonders, the whole of this created world. Soon after this You,
the repository of all auspicious qualities, moved to Vrindavan situated on the banks of the Yamuna
the colour of whose waters matched the dark colour of your body.
= c
c c| F |
F| c =
cc c = c
||5||
When you the Lord of Lakshmi were picnicing in the forest along with cowherd boys, Brahma,
(desirous of seeing your maya), abducted your calves and the cowherd boys. You, the Lord of all,
yourself became countless calves and cowherds and continued the picnic with the eatables on your
palm (as if nothing had happened). Brahma was utterly confused and, falling at your feet again and
again, praised you, the immutable Lord.

c c c |
c !
d ! ||6||
The crooked serpent Kaliya, living submerged in the Yamuna, poisoned its waters. Seeing this you
jumped on its hoods and started a beautiful dance. Broken in body by your weight and his arrogance
softened, he was made to leave Yamuna. In the days that followed You played, on your flute,
melodious songs which kept the whole world spell-bound. What else is to be said about this except
that the melody of your flute was powerful enough to steal the hearts of cowherd women.
c c
7c 7 |
! =
c = ~ c ||7||
Lifting up the Govardhana hill (on the little finger of your left hand), You deflated the conceit of Indra.
You performed the beautiful rasa dance with the cowherd women (on the banks of the Yamuna) on
several moonlit nights. Kamsa sent Akroora, one of your devotees, to invite you to the dhanuryagna
where You killed the elephant Kuvalayapeeda, the wrestlers Malla and Chanoora and finally Kamsa
himself.
c =| c 7=
c 7 = |
F=
P
||8||
At the hermitage of Sandeepani you learned all that was to be learned in a few days. You crowned
Ugrasena, of sterling qualities, as the King, helped Dharmaputra, who was devoted to your feet,
perfrom the Rajasuya sacrifice and killed the wicked Sisupala and others of his ilk. You merrily spent
your days in Dwaraka along with eight married wives with Rukmini at their head and several thousand
other women (released from captivity).
~
d H |
d
c || 9||
The poor brahmin Kuchela who was your class fellow and friend (at the Hermit of Sandeepani) came
to your palace in Dwaraka. You welcomed him and, overcome by pity at his condition, snatched the
bundle of flattened rice which he had brought and partook of it in spite of Lakshmi preventing you and
in return gave him immeasurable riches. Victory to you, the Lord of all the worlds and an ocean of
compassion.
Z ~F|
c= |
c c
cc c V

|| 10||
When Kali Yuga advances and reaches its zenith, You will incarnate as Kalki and angrily destroy all
those who are opposed to dharma and are of mean character. O Lord! I fall at your feet again and
again, helplessly, and pray to You, to make my mind steeped in pure sattwa only.

= V
cP
In the tenth dasaka the King prays to Lord Padmanabha, his favourite deity, who is none other than
the non-dual Brahman, the very embodiment of pure Consciousness and Bliss, to grant him his
wishes.
7 d
= c |
cH
= V ||1||
Just like gold in ornaments, mud in pots and thread in clothes, O Padmanabha ! you are the one
consciousness uniformly pervading all life, You are the only witness in the heart of all beings. Your
majesty transcends the Maya. I see you in my heart, O Padmanabha! protect me and take care of
me.
= F =c
|
N
= V ||2||
O Padmanabha! Your form is like a wave of the ocean of consciousness. Your pure form is
meditated upon by the saints led by Sanaka. You are without any differentiation of category, action or
attributes. You are the very first cause of everything and the Spiritual Teacher of the whole world.
Your greatness cannot be measured even by the gods led by Brahma and Siva. I see you in my
heart, O Padmanabha! protect me and take care of me.

!= = |
= c c
cc ||3||
O Lord! By the power of your Maya you create all these material worlds which are really dream-like
only and are annihilated by your power at the end of a cycle. Like the tortoise, when you withdraw
everything in you, You alone shine brightly, in the enveloping thick darkness, as the Ultimate Reality.

% c
c | |
cc =c c
|| 4||
O Devadeva! Whatever I ever do with my body, speech and mind I offer to you and surrender to you
so that you are pleased wih me. Even a man of the lowest caste whose mind is single-mindedly
attached to your lotus-feet purifies this world, not the one who turns his face away from you though he
may be a brahmin

cc |
=
7 c ||5||
This sinner always repeats Krishna, Rama and Madhusoodana without any purpose only to hide his
bad conduct and character. Your devotee is defamed in this fashion by the wicked of this Kali Yuga.
Please do not make me like that, O generous one who gives without limit.

c V |
c
=| = ||6||
Which world is without fear except your world ? Though Brahmas abode of Satyaloka is permanent,
Brahma himself does not stay there permanently. This being the situation, what will be the condition
of the sinners who are fit only for Hell. Please, therefore, cut asunder my bonds and break my
delusion, O the pure One
= = Z
|
< dV =
||7||
Sitting in the lotus pose, some meditate on your beautiful dark blue form, in the centre of the upturned
heart-lotus, above the regions of the sun, the moon and the fire, focusing their eyes on the tip of
their nose and gaining control over their breath by pranayama etc.
H
= |
=
= = ~||8||
They, with their impurities removed, visualise you with soft, blue and curly hair, adorned by the lustre
of fish-shaped ear-rings, lightening the burden of the worlds by your bewitching smile and captivating
beauty, wearing the Kaustubha diamond and the garland of wild flowers, beautiful as the Kama and
wearing clothes of golden hue.
7 c
7 |
=
Z||9||
One can reach you by Gnana, Karma or Bhakti. Gnana is for those who have developed complete
detachment from worldly things. Karma is those who are still interested in worldly things. Bhakti is for
those who are not completely detached but also not completely attached. .
=
H |
| F
s V ||10||
Whatever I have said, O Padmanabha !, without understanding your magnificence, please bear with
me and accept this with pleasure. Please also bless me with long life and good heath. Victory to thee,
O Lord with eyes beautiful as the lotus! free me from my trials and tribulations.
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