śrīmate veṅkaṭeśāya vedānta-gurave namaḥ ||
Having been lucky enough to go through and translate all the verses of Śrī Vedānta Deśika's Godā Stuti into English, I thought I would compile all the translated verses together into one post. This is still rough and unpolished, and I do hope to rework all of the verses into better-flowing, more poetic English versions at some point in the future. I will update the English translations only in this post, leaving the older translations with the verses as a way to keep track of my original work.
I dedicate this work to my beloved grandparents.
The noble Veṅkaṭanātha,
endowed with śrī,
(saffron-maned) lion among poets and philosophers,
supreme teacher of the Vedānta
—may he be established forever in my heart!
The wish-granting vine
who is the delight / child of the lineage of Śrī Viṣṇucitta,
Beautiful to behold
through Her union with the yellow sandalwood tree
that is in fact the Lord of Śrīraṅgam,
Forbearance manifested,
A second Lakṣmī, as it were,
on account of Her mercy—
in that Godā
do I,
having no other refuge,
take refuge! [1]
Your glory
foreign even to the abundant words of śruti
is not measured out by the words of those like me.
Although I know this to be so, Godā,
with great force indeed
Your virtues
shattering silence
compel me to speak. [2]
Godā!
You Yourself, o Mother, must arrange
my words to be
sweet and pleasing
worthy of Your praisenectar to the ears of Your beloved,
comparable to Your bejeweled anklets' tinkling. [3]
Diving correctly
at sacred fords / with the holy teachers
into
Your Sarasvatī / Your stream of language
which possesses the splendor of the Yamunā
through its association with Kṛṣṇa
Goda!
by Your glance,
the words,
oozing honey,
of poets,
their intellect opened,
shine forth. [4]
O Lady,
That Mukunda immediately feels compassion
for those like us,
long consecrated to misdeeds,
is surely because
He is restrained
by
Your crown of flowers,
the melodious sounds of Your stringed vīṇā
and the garlands of Your words! [5]
Lady,
With a crimson (Śoṇa) lower lip and auspicious, lofty breasts,
you are Pārvatī,
the beloved of Śiva (Tuṅga-bhadrā);
Through your multitudes of unbroken streams of speech,
You are Sarasvatī,
flowing language;
Through Your own nature You are Lakṣmī,
spotless (Virajā), with transcendental nectar;
Although You are the gift of the earth (Godā),
to Your passionate Beloved, You give delight (Narmadā)! [6]
Born from an ant-hill,
the ear of the earth
which is your very essence
that seer became lord of all poets;
Goda!
What wonder is it then,
that these compositions
like the honey from the lotus of Your face
taste so sweet! [7]
To enjoy Your Beloved
the way You do, Godā,
Your elders
singing their own devotion
with feelings of fondness and reverence
adorn their hearts
with a variety of tales
born from union and separation. [8]
Mother!
The daughter of Viṣṇucitta;
The extractor, through Her words,
of the nectar
that sustains the cosmos;
The second manifestation, as it were,
of the ice-rayed moon,
destroying burning affliction;
The sister of Lakṣmī,
Daughter of the Ocean of Milk—
Thus do saintly people know You. [9]
When Your father,
compelled by just a little praise
of the destroyer of the demon Madhu,
presented a garland
made beautiful by the fragrance of Your hair,
he obtained the blessing
that is the title "Elder",
earlier unattainable by hundreds of praise-verses
nectar to the ears. [10]
Lady,
The southern direction has become the best of all,
after Your descent,
obtainable by fully ripened merit
for hither
are glances bestowed
constantly
with great regard
by the Lord of Śrīraṅgam,
though he be asleep! [11]
Lady,
The river Godāvarī
in which rivers like the Gaṅgā dwell
for long periods of time on sacred occasions
in order to become pure
sanctifies this world with its waters
simply through its connection
with Your name! [12]
“O lovely-limbed girl,
How did this Ancient Man
sleeping on a snake
riding on a bird
become your self-chosen husband?”—
Thus do these teasing words
of Your beloved friends
show their entirely appropriate love. [13]
O Goddess,
Large black bees,
competing with one another as they buzz around
Your husband's beautiful crown,
made fragrant by the garland You enjoyed earlier,
abandon the Vaijayantī wildflower garland
that adorns His chest
and create the appearance
of an umbrella
made of peacock feathers. [14]
Your crown-garland,
being a source of delight,
always attractive,
filled with passion,
graceful,
endowed with excellent qualities,
has become Mukunda's crown's adornment,
while the Vaijayantī garland,
though fragrant,
though always residing on [Mukunda's] chest,
though filled with redness,
though beautiful,
though possessing excellent virtues,
has been bested. [15]
Nectar-sipping honeybees,
delighted by drinking nectar as they please
in Your crown-garland,
obtained by the head
of the All-Pervading Lord,
making melodious sounds,
themselves arrange
Your marvelous marriage
as if resounding with the auspicious music of instruments! [16]
The Supreme Lord,
although delighted
by the lotus—
whose pollen becomes the very cosmos—
in His navel,
by the sandalwood of Kamalā's [Lakṣmī's] bosom
on His chest,
by the Vedas
in His divine feet,
wears
with bowed head
your crown-garland! [17]
Grasping
Your upper garment
and Your garland too,
perfumed by Your locks
with His crest,
o Godā,
this Lord of Raṅgam generally bears
auspiciousness
wealth
coronation
supreme authority. [18]
Even He
whom the Vedas
their words being entirely natural
reverentially declare through their lofty heads [the Upaniṣads]
to be the Fragrance of All Things
acquires an additional perfume
through the flowers
made fragrant by Your curled locks! [19]
On the blessed head
of the Father of the Entire Universe,
cherishing the weight of Your crown-garland
Your half-closed glances,
filled with great respect,
cast
a second garland
of blue lotuses, as it were. [20]
Extolling
the exchange of garlands between you and the Lord of Śrīraṅgam,
which arises from the loving relationship between You Two,
Your devotees on earth
people of taste
make the Triple Worlds debate noisily
whether You are superior or inferior to Him, or
whether You are equals! [21]
Bright green,
from the radiance of Your body
which resembles a blade of dūrvā grass,
bright yellow,
from Lakṣmī's golden luster,
Madhu's Destroyer's body
bestower of auspiciousness
upon devotees
is brilliantly hued
like the neck
of a high-crested peacock. [22]
Only after having worshipped
the Lord
worthy of worship
always accompanied by You and Lakṣmī
according to injunctions that are Vedic blossoms,
o Mother!
did even venerable ones like Manu
lords of the earth
long enjoy their own reigns. [23]
When even those people
who have committed offenses recently
communicate their desire for protection
to the Lord of Śrīraṅgam through Lakṣmī
You, o Lady,
stand by Him on the other side;
if You weren't there,
He would likely turn His face away! [24]
Godā!
The contraction of Your eyebrows alone
destroying crooked sins through its virtues
well-suited to enjoyment
is the primary cause
of the destruction
of the vice of independence
of Your Lord
inclined to present rewards [strictly] in accordance with actions. [25]
Good people,
o Godā,
surrender to You,
a river of nectar
which destroys the vile poison
of evil conduct
descending
along with Lakṣmī
a bountiful rain
of compassion
from the black Kṛṣṇa-cloud
on the shores of Śrīraṅgam,
endowed with the virtues of lightning,and immediately quench
their burning suffering. [26]
If,
Godā,
You take pity upon even me
a sinner,
and protect me,
then that befits You;
for a mother suckles her child
out of the fullness of her motherly love
even if bitten on the breast! [27]
Her hue as blue as the sapphire hue of Indra, performer of a hundred oblations;
Her hands as beautiful as the beautiful white water-lily
Her body slightly bowed from the weight of Her bosom,
A brimming ocean of motherly love,
whose Lord was attracted by the garlands
worn on Her locks
May Godā
born to Viṣṇucitta
delight us in our hearts! [28]
Whoever recites this praise-song of Godā
delightful through its many virtues
sprung up from Veṅkaṭeśa
whose devotion has flowered thus
He,
attaining the eternal service
of the lotus-feet
of the Lord of Śrīraṅgam
endowed with Śrī,
becomes greatly revered! [29]
Salutations to
the lion among poets and philosophers
resplendent with illustrious auspicious virtues
the noble Veṅkaṭeśa
endowed with śrī
teacher of the Vedānta!
Well done. Neatly put.
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