Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti's Govardhanastaka

1. krsna-prasadena samasta-saila- samrajyam apnoti ca vairino 'pi

sakrasya yah prapa balim sa saksad govardhano me disatam abhistam
krsna -- of Krsna; prasadena -- by the mercy; samasta -- of all; saila -- mountains; samrajyam --
sovereignty; apnoti -- attains; ca -- and; vairinah – from the enemy; api -- even; sakrasya -- Indra; yah --
who; prapa -- attained; balim -- the respectful offering; sah -- he; saksad -- directly; govardhanah --
Govardhana Hill; me -- my; disatam -- may grant; abhistam -- desire.
May Govardhana Hill, which by Krsna's mercy became the king of all mountains and received the respectful
tribute of its arch-enemy Indra, fulfull my desire.

2. sva-prestha-hastambuja-saukumarya- sukhanubhuter ati-bhumi-vrtteh

mahendra-vajrahatim apy ajanam govardhano me disatam abhistam
sva -- own; prestha -- dear; hasta -- hand; ambuja -- lotus; saukumarya -- delicateness; sukha -- of
transcendental bliss; anubhuteh -- from the experience; ati -- abode; bhumi -- the earth; vrtteh -- because of
the activity; mahendra -- of Indra; vajra -- of the thunderbolts; ahatim -- the striking; api --even; ajanan --
unaware
As it was held above the earth it became so filled with happiness by experiencing the softness of its beloved
Krsna's lotus hand it did not even know it was being struck by Indra's thunderbolt. May Govardhana Hill
fulfill my desire.

3. yatraiva krsno vrsabhanu-putrya danam grhitum kalaham vitene

sruteh sprha yatra mahaty atah sri- govardhano me disatam abhistam
yatra -- where; eva -- certainly; krsnah -- Krsna; vrsabhanu-putrya -- with Srimati Radharani, the daughter
of King Vrsabhanu; danam -- the toll; grhitum -- to collect; kalaham -- quarrel; vitene - instigated; sruteh –
of the Vedas; sprha -- desire; yatra -- where; mahati -- great; atah -- from that; sri- govardhanah --
Govardhana Hill.
Trying to collect a toll, Krsna quarrelled there with King Vrsabhanu's daughter. The personified Vedas yearn
to listen to that quarrel. May Govardhana his fulfill my desire.

4. snatva sarah svasu samira-hasti yatraiva nipadi-paraga-dhulih

alolayan khelati caru sa sri- govardhano me disatam abhistam
snatva having bathed; sarah -- in the lake; svasu -- very quickly; samira -- of the breese; hasti -- the
elephant; yatra -- where; eva -- certainly; nipa -- of the kadamba; adi -- and the other flowers; paraga-
dhulih -- carrying the pollen; alolayan -- moving; khelati -- plays; caru -- pleasantly; sah -- he; sri-
govardhanah -- Govardhana Hill.
Bathing in a nearby lake, the elephant of a pleasant breeze, covered with pollen of kadamba and other
flowers, gracefully plays there. May Govardhana Hill fulfill my desire.

5. kasturikabhih sayitam kim atrety uham prabhoh svasya muhur vitanvan

naisargika-sviya-sila-sugandhair govardhano me disatam abhistam
kasturikabhih -- with fragrant musk; sayitam -- sleeping; kim -- how is it?; atra - here; iti -- thus; uham --
transformation; prabhoh -- of the Supreme Lord; svasya -- own; muhur -- repeatedly; vitanvan -- spreading;
naisargika -- natural; sviya -- own; sila -- rocks; sugandhaih – with fragrances
Does the sweet fragrance of Govardhana come from the musk deer who relax there? From the Lord who
plays there? Or is it Govardhana's own natural scent? May Govardhana Hill fulfill my desire.

6. vamsa-pratidhvany-anusara-vartma didrksavo yatra harim harinyah

yantyo labhante na hi vismitah sa govardhano me disatam abhistam
vamsa -- of the flute; pratidhvani -- echo; anusara -- following; vartma -- path; didrksavah -- eager to see;
yatra -- where; harim -- Lord Hari; harinyah - the deer; yantyah -- going; labhante -- attain; na -- not; hi --
indeed; vismitah -- astonished; sah - he.
Searching there for Lord Hari on the path of His flute music, the astonished deer do not find Him. May
Govardhana Hill fulfill my desire.

7. yatraiva gangam anu navi radham arohya madhye tu nimagna-naukah

 krsno hi radhanugalo babhau sa govardhano me disatam abhistam
yatra -- where; eva --- certainly; gangam -- the river; anu -- following; navi -- in the boat; radham ---
Srimati Radharani; arohya -- invited to enter; madhye -- in the middle; tu -- but; nimagna-naukah -- began
to sink; krsnah -- Lord Krsna; hi -- certainly; radha-anugalah – with Srimati Radharani fearfully clinging to
Krsna's neck; babhau – appeared very splendid; sah -- He.
As the Divine Couple travelled on the Ganges there the boat began to sink in the middle. Krsna was
splendidly handsome as Radha clung to His neck. May Govardhana Hill fulfill my desire.

8. vina bhavet kim hari-dasa-varya- padasrayam bhaktir atah srayami

yam eva saprema nijesayoh sri- govardhano me disatam abhistam
vina -- without; bhavet -- there may be; kim -- how?; hari -- of Lord Hari; dasa -- of the servants; varya --
of the best; pada -- of the lotus feet; asrayam -- the shelter; bhaktih -- pure devotional service; atah --
therefore; asrayami -- I take shelter; yam -- of whom; eva -- certainly; sa - with; prema -- pure love of
Godhead; nija-isayoh -- of my two masters;
Without taking shelter of the feet of the hill that is the best of Lord Hari's servants and full of love for the
divine king and queen, how is it possible to attain pure devotional service? May Govardhana Hill fulfill my
desire.

9. etat pathed yo hari-dasa-varya- mahanubhavastakam ardra-cetah

sri-radhika-madhavayoh padabja- dasyam sa vinded acirena saksat
etat -- this; pathet -- may read; yah - who; hari-dasa-varya -- of the best of Lord Hari's servants; maha --
with great; anubhava -- glories; astakam -- eight verses; ardra -- moistened with love of Godhead; cetah --
whose mind; sri-radhika-madhavayoh -- of Sri Sri Radha-Madhava; pada -- feet; abja -- lotus; dasyam --
service; sah -- he; vindet -- may find; acirena -- quickly; saksat -- directly.
May the reader of these eight verses glorifying Lord Hari's greatest servant, his heart melting with pure love,
quickly attain direct service to the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Madhava.

namaste girirajaya sri govardhana namine

ashesha klesha nashaya paramananda dayine
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the king of all hills, Govardhana Hill (the source of enjoyment for the
senses, land, and cows). He is a servant of Krsna and is Krsna Himself. He puts an end to unlimited
sufferings and bestows the supreme bliss. (Preyo Bhakti Rasarnava)

These two verses are known as the sri-govardhana-pranama-mantra.

govardhano jayati saila-kulaadhi-raajo

yo gopikaabhirudito hari-daasa-varyah
krsnena sakra-makha-bhanga-krtaarcito yah
saptaaham asya kara-padma-tale 'py avatseet

saptaaham evaacyuta-hasta-pankaje
bhrngaayamaanam phala-moola-kandaraih
samsevyamaanam harim aatma-vindakair
govardhanaadrim sirasaa namaami

"Glorious is Sri Govardhana, the great King in the dynasty of hills, whom the gopis praised as the best of
Krsna's servants; who was resting for seven days in Krsna's lotus hand and whom Krsna made worshipable
by disrupting Indra's sacrifice."
"I offer my prostrated obeisances to the Govardhana Hill, who was kept for seven days in the lotus hand of
the infallible Lord Krsna and who served Him with his own paraphernalia swarms of black bees and an
abundance of delicious fruits and roots."