Gopika Geetham

One of the most important approaches to attain salvation in Hindu faith is through unalloyed devotion (bhakthi). This is called Bhakthi Yoga. This method does not need great intellectual capability or great stamina do different yogas or detachment to the achievable results. In Hindu religion this devotion can be of several types depending on the personality of the devotee. One of the most important is to be devoted to god imagining him as your sweet heart. This approach is called the Nayaki-Nayaka bhava. The prime example of this approach is the devotion of Gopikas (women who are cow herds in Brindavan, where lord Krishna lived). They loved Lord Krishna with all their heart. This prayer is taken from the tenth chapter of Bhagwatha.(The story of Lord Vishnu as told to King Janamejaya by Sage Shuka) The Gopikas are unable to even spend a few hours without Lord Krishna who has gone to graze their cows and lament about their fate . The Lord hearing their appeal comes before them. If I translate it as such, I would not be able to make it in to a song in English. So I have added, “Oh Krishna” to each line of the translation .But for this it is a faithful translation of the text.

Gopya Ouchu:-

Jayathi thedhikam , janmana vruja,
Srayatha indira, saswadathrahi,
Dhayitha, drusyatham dikshuthavaka,
Thwayi druthasavasthwam vichinwathe. 1

The Gopis said:-

This Vruja land of ours, oh Krishna,
Has always been rich, oh Krishna,
For Lakshmi is here, oh Krishna,
Because of your birth, oh Krishna,
When all the people are happy, Oh Krishna,
We the gopis who love you, Oh Krishna,
Search for you in all places, Oh Krishna,
So be pleased to come before us, Oh darling Krishna.

With your eyes which can win, oh Krishna,
The luster inside the lotus flower, Oh Krishna,
Which is in a clear pond, oh Krishna,
In the season of spring, Oh Krishna,
You kill us who are your lowly maids, oh king of love,
Don’t you think, it is a murder, Oh benefactor of all.

Visha jalapyaya dyavla raakshasa,
Dwarsha maruthadwaidhyuthanalath,
Vrusha mayathmaja dwisatha bhaya,
Drushabha, they vayam rakshitha muhu. 3

From the poisonous fumes, Oh Krishna,
Of the serpent Kalinga, Oh Krishna,
From the storm, the thunder and the rain, Oh Krishna,
From the asura who came as a bull, Oh Krishna,
From Vyoma the son of Maya, Oh Krishna,
And from all such great fears , Oh Krishna,
You have saved us several times, Oh our God.

You are not the baby of gopis, Oh Krishna,
You are the soul of all beings, Oh Krishna,
By the request of Lord Brahma, Oh Krishna,
You have appeared in our clan, Oh Krishna,
To save the world, Oh Lord who is our friend.

To those who are afraid of this life, Oh Krishna,
And who seek protection of your feet, Oh Krishna,
You grant them protection, Oh Krishna,
And you give them all that they ask, Oh Krishna,
We request you to place your hand, Oh Krishna,
Which is like lotus on our head, Oh Darling.

Vruja janarthihan ,veera yoshithaam,
Nijjanasmayadwamsasmitha,
Bhaja sakhe bhavath kim kareesmano,
Jalaruhananam charu darshaya. 6

Pranatha dehinam, papa karshanam,
Truna charanugam, sree nikethanam,
Phani phanarpitham, they padambujam,
Krunu kucheshu na, kreedi hruchayam. 7

You who destroy the sins, Oh Krishna,
Of those who bow before you, Oh, Krishna,
Please keep those lotus feet of yours, Oh Krishna,
Which accompanies the cows, Oh Krishna,
Which is storehouse of beauty, Oh Krishna,
And which danced on the head of a snake, Oh Krishna,
On our pretty breasts, Oh Krishna,
And satisfy our passion for you, Oh Krishna.

Madhuraya gira, valgu vakhyaya,
Budha manognaya, pushkare kshana,
Vidhi kareerima, veera , muhyathi,
Radara seedhuna pyayaswa na. 8

Oh Friend with a lotus eye, Oh Krishna,
The words that fall from your mouth, Oh Krishna,
Which made the wise turn in to ecstasy, Oh Krishna,
Have attracted us a lot, Oh Krishna,
Oh friend who is our hero, Oh Krishna,
Feed us the nectar from your lips, Oh Krishna,
And give us our life again, Oh Krishna.

Thava kadamrutham, thaptha jeevanam,
Kavebhheereeditham kalmashapaham,
Sravanamangalam sree madhathatha,
Bhuvi grunwanthi , they booritha jana. 9

The nectar of your story, Oh Krishna,
Is the antidote for misery, Oh Krishna,
It is sung by very wise people, Oh Krishna,
It solves all their problems, Oh Krishna,
It blesses with all that is good, Oh Krishna,
And those great ones, Oh Krishna,
Who can tell your story in detail, Oh Krishna,
Are really blessed ones, Oh Krishna.

Prahasitham priya, Prema veekshanam,
Viharanam cha they dhyana mangalam,
Rahasi samvidho, ya hrudhi sparsa,
Kuhaka, no mana kshobhayanthi he. 10

Your look of Love, Oh Krishna,
Gives us pleasure, Oh Sweet heart,
Your playfulness towards us, Oh Krishna,
Your secret gestures, Oh Krishna,
Turn our thoughts in to ecstasy, Oh Krishna,
And turns our mind wildly, Oh Deceiver

Chalasi yadi vruja charayan pasoon,
Nalina sundaram, Nadha they padam,
Shila shrunangurai, seedhtheethi, na,
Kalilatham mana kantha gachathi. 11

When you accompany the cattle of Vruja, Oh Krishna,
Your lotus feet which is pretty and delicate, Oh Lord,
Treads over stones and thorns, Oh Krishna,
And gives you great pain, Oh Krishna,
And this makes our mind, Oh Krishna,
Restless and worried, Oh Krishna.

Deenapareekshaye neela kuntalai,
Vanaruhananam bhibradavrutham,
Ghanarajaswalam darsayan muhur,
Manasi na smaram veera yachasi. 12

To test poor people like us oh Krishna,
You come with cloud like hair, Oh Krishna,
While coming from the forest, Oh Krishna,
And also face coated with dust, Oh Krishna,
On seeing you like that, oh Krishna,
Our minds become darkly passionate, Oh Krishna,
But you don’t bother about us, Oh Krishna.

Pranadha kamadham padmajarchidham,
Dharani mandanam dhyeyamapadhi,
Charana pankajam santhamam cha they,
Ramana nasthaneshwa arpayadhihan. 13

Please keep your lotus like feet, Oh darling,
Which grants all the wants of devotees, Oh Krishna,
Which is worshipped by Lord Brahma, Oh Krishna,
Which is the ornament to the world, Oh Krishna,
Which is to be worshipped at times of peril, Oh Krishna,
And which grants pleasure even when it is served, Oh Krishna,
On our breasts dearly and tenderly, Oh Krishna.

Suratha vardhanam, soka nasanam,
Sthitha venuna, sushtu chumbitham,
Ithra raga vimaaranam nrunam,
Vithara veera nasthe adharamrutham. 14

Oh heroic one, Please give us, Oh Krishna,
The nectar of your lips, Oh Krishna,
Which increases passion, Oh Krishna,
Which destroys sorrows, Oh Krishna,
Which is being enjoyed, Oh Krishna,
By the flute of yours, Oh Krishna,
And which puts an end, Oh Krishna,
Of the other longings in men, Oh Krishna.

Atathi yath bhavan agni kananam,
Thrutiryu gayathe thwamapasyatham,
Kutila kunthalam, Sri mukham cha they,
Jada udeekshatham, pashma krudrusyam. 15

Your going away to the forest, oh Krishna,
During the day time, Oh Krishna,
Makes us feel that every second, Oh Krishna,
Like a never ending age, Oh Krishna,
And seeing you back, Oh Krishna,
Through your flowing frontal curls, Oh Krishna,
Makes us feel that Lord Brahma, Oh Krishna,
Is a very slow witted one, Oh Krishna.

Pathi suthaanwaya brathru bandhawa,
Nathi vilangyathenthyaachyuthaga,
Gathi vidasthaveth geetha mohitha,
Kim thava, yoshitha ka sthyajen nisi. 16

We have left our husbands and son, Oh Achyutha,
And also our families and brothers, Oh, Krishna,
And have come near you, Oh Krishna,
You who know even the path of the dead, Oh Krishna,
Have neglected us at night, Oh Krishna,
Who have come attracted by your song, Oh deceiver.

Rahasi samvidam hruchayodhayam,
Prahasi thananam prema veekshanam,
Bruha dura sreeyo , veekshya dhama they,
Muhurathi spruha, muhya they mana. 17

Vruja janoukasam vyakthi ranga they,
Vraji nahanthryalam viswa mangalam,
Thyaja manakcha nasthwath spruharthmanam,
Swajana hrudrujam , ya nishudhanam. 18

You who are the friend of people of Vruja, Oh Krishna,
Are capable of destroying all their sins, Oh Krishna,
And also you do good to the entire universe, Oh Krishna,
So give us that medicine, to cure our aching heart, Oh Krishna,
To us who are in love with you, Oh Krishna.

Yathe sujatha charanamburuham sthaneshu,
Bheetha sanai priya dadimahi karkaseshu,
Thenatavi matasi thadwaitha thena kimswith.
Koorpathibhir bramathi dheerbhavadhayusham na. 19

We keep your lotus like tender feet, Oh darling,
Very tenderly on our very hard breasts, Oh Krishna,
With lot of care so that they do not pain, Oh Krishna,
But you travel with those tender feet, Oh Krishna,
In forests over sharp thorns and stones, oh Krishna,
And thinking of the pain those feet would suffer, Oh Krishna,
The brain of ours who have given our life to you, Oh Krishna,
Gets rattled and worried, Oh Krishna.

Sri Shuka Uvacha:-

Ithi gopya pragayanthya,
Pralapanthyas cha chithradha,
Rurudhu suswaram rajan,
Krishna darshana lalasa. 20

Sage Shuka said:-

Oh king thus did sing, the gopis
With great desire and wailing voice,
In a pretty tone and in several ways,
And then they wept out loudly.

Thasamavira bhochowri,
Smayamana mukhambuja,
Peethambaradhara sragwi,
Sakshanmanmadhamanmadha. 21

Then appeared before them Lord Krishna,
Wearing the yellow silk,
Wearing several garlands,
And with a smile in his face,
Who is capable of making,
The god of love yearn for his love.