आनन्दस्तोत्रम्
Ānanda-stotram
In Praise of Bliss
A hymn of twenty names of Śrī Krṣṇa
By Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda
श्रीकृष्णः परमानन्दो गोविन्दो नन्दनन्दनः ।
तमालश्यामलरुचिः शिखण्डकृतशेखरः ॥१॥
śrī-kṛṣṇaḥ paramānando govindo nanda-nandanaḥ |
tamāla-śyāmala-ruciḥ śikhaṇḍa-kṛta-śekharaḥ ||1||
O Śrī Kṛṣṇa!
O you who are the supreme bliss!
O Govinda!
O Darling of Nanda!
O you of tamāla-like swarthy luster!
O you whose crest is marked with a peacock feather!
Commentary
In his commentary on Stava-mālā, Śrī Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇapāda introduces this composition, which immediately follows the author’s three Caitanyāṣṭakams that begin the Stava-mālā, as follows:
evaṁ svadeśikaṁ śrī-caitanyaṁ stutvā ‘sac-cid-ānanda-rūpāya kṛṣṇāyākliṣṭa-kāriṇe,’ ‘eko vaśī sarvagaḥ kṛṣṇa īḍya eko’pi san bahudhā yo’vabhāti,’ ‘tasmāt kṛṣṇa eva paro devas taṁ dhyāyen,’ ‘kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam,’ ‘mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat’ ity ādi-śruti-smṛtibhis tenopadiṣṭaṁ paratamaṁ tattvaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ stotum ārabhate … |
“Having in this way praised his own guru, Śrī Caitanya [in the three aforementioned Caitanyāṣṭakams], the author begins to praise Kṛṣṇa, taught by him [i.e., by Śrī Caitanya] to be the Supreme-most Entity as per the Śrutis and Smṛtis, such as [Gopāla Tāpanī Upaniṣad 1.1], ‘[Obeisance] Unto he of a form of eternal being, consciousness, and bliss, Kṛṣṇa, the Indefatigable Agent,’ [Gopāla Tāpanī Upaniṣad 1.19], ‘The One, the all-pervading Controller, the worshipable Kṛṣṇa, who, although being one, appears manifold …,’ [the Śruti], ‘Therefore, Kṛṣṇa alone is the Supreme Deva; meditate on him,’ [Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.3.28], ‘Kṛṣṇa, however, is Bhagavān himself,’ [Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā 7.7], ‘There is nothing else superior to me,’ and so forth.”
Śrī Vidyābhūṣaṇapāda then comments that the author begins this Ānanda-stotram with the name Śrī Kṛṣṇa because this name is the foremost of all of Śrī Bhagavān’s names, as per a statement of Śrī Bhagavān himself in Prabhāsa Purāṇa, which is cited in HBV 10.498, “O destroyer of foes [i.e., O Arjuna], my name Kṛṣṇa is the foremost of my names” (Śrī-Kṛṣṇeti nikhila-nāma-mukhyena nāmnā vācyatvāc Chrī-Kṛṣṇaḥ ‘nāmnāṁ mukhyataraṁ nāma kṛṣṇākhyaṁ me parantapa’ iti Bhagavad-ukteḥ). He adds that the reason for this usage [i.e., meaning] of the name Kṛṣṇa is Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s eternality and his being bliss itself (tat-pravṛtti-nimittaṁ ca sad-ānandatvam), as per this statement in Mahābhārata:
kṛṣir bhū-vācakaḥ śabdo ṇaś ca nirvṛti-vācakaḥ |
tayor aikyaṁ paraṁ brahmā kṛṣṇa ity abhidhīyate ||
“The word [i.e., root] kṛṣ is a signifier of existence, and [the suffix] ṇa is a signifier of bliss. The oneness of the two [i.e., of existence and bliss, the referents of kṛṣ and ṇa], Parabrahman, is thus referred to as Kṛṣṇa.”
The name Kṛṣṇa can also refer to Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s being swarthy, as per another statement of Śrī Bhagavān in the Nārāyaṇīya, “Since my complexion is swarthy (kṛṣṇa), I am [called] Kṛṣṇa, O Arjuna!” (kvacit śyāmatvaṁ ca, kṛṣṇo varṇaś ca me yasmāt tasmāt kṛṣṇo’ham arjuna iti Bhagavad-ukteḥ),
Śrī Vidyābhūṣaṇapāda also comments that, “O you who are the supreme bliss!” (Paramānandaḥ) conveys that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is both supreme and bliss, as per the statement in Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad (3.9.28), “Brahman is consciousness and bliss” (paramaś cāsāv ānandaś ceti paramānandaḥ; vijñānam ānandaṁ brahma ityādi śruteḥ), and that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the supremacy of bliss on account of his being constituted of consciousness, his being all-pervading, his being possessed of beauty, or his being possessed of figure (ānandasya pāramyaṁ vijñānātmakatvād vibhutvāt saśrīkatvād vā mūrtatvād vā). He is known as Govinda because of his being the lord (indra) of cows, as per a statement of Śrī Śuka in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (10.26.25), “May this destroyer of Indra’s pride, the lord of the cows, be pleased with us” (gavām indratvāt Govindaḥ, prīyān na indro gavām iti Śukokteḥ). He is known as the “Darling of Nanda” (Nanda-nandanaḥ) because of his being born of Yaśodā from Nanda (Nandād Yaśodāyaṁ jātatvāt).
पीतकौशेयवसनो मधुरस्मितशोभितः ।
कन्दर्पकोटिलावण्यो वृन्दारण्यमहोत्सवः ॥२॥
pīta-kauśeya-vasano madhura-smita-śobhitaḥ |
kandarpa-koṭi-lāvaṇyo vṛndāraṇya-mahotsavaḥ ||2||
O you who wear golden silk cloth!
O you who are adorned with a sweet smile!
O you possessed of the loveliness of crores of Kandarpas!
O you who are a grand festival for Vṛndāvana!
[Alt., O you who are the great joy of Vṛndāvana!]
Commentary
Śrī Vidyābhūṣaṇapāda comments that “golden” here means the color of lightning (pīte vidyud-varṇe) and that “O you possessed of the loveliness of crores of Kandarpas” indicates that Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s sparkling luster is greater even than that of crores of Kāmadevas (kandarpa-koṭer apy adhikaṁ lāvaṇyaṁ taralā kāntir yasya saḥ).
वैजयन्तीस्फुरद्वक्षाः कक्षात्तलगुडोत्तमः ।
कुञ्जार्पितरतिर्गुञ्जापुञ्जमञ्जुलकण्ठकः ॥३॥
vaijayantī-sphurad-vakṣāḥ kakṣātta-laguḍottamaḥ |
kuñjārpita-ratir guñjā-puñja-mañjula-kaṇṭhakaḥ ||3||
O you whose chest shimmers with a vaijayantī!
O you who bear an excellent stick on your side!
O you who are full of fondness for kuñjas!
O you who wear a charming necklace of guñjas!
Commentary
Śrī Vidyābhūṣaṇapāda comments that a vaijayantī refers to a garland made of flowers of five different colors (pañca-varṇa-puṣpa-racitā srag vaijayantī) and that a kuñja is a dwelling made of creepers and other materials (kuñjeṣu latādi-mandireṣu).
कर्णिकाराढ्यकर्णश्रीर्धृतस्वर्णाभवर्णकः ।
मुरलीवादनपटुर्बल्लवीकुलवल्लभः ॥४॥
karṇikārāḍhya-karṇa-śrīr dhṛta-svarṇābha-varṇakaḥ |
muralī-vādana-paṭur ballavī-kula-vallabhaḥ ||4||
O you the beauty of whose ears is ornamented with karṇikas!
O you who wear golden colored unguents!
O you who are expert in playing the flute!
O you who are the beloved of the ballavīs!
Commentary
Śrī Vidyābhūṣaṇapāda comments that the karṇikās mentioned here are the flowers bearing this name, which are also known as vṛkotpalas (i.e., the flowers of the Bayur tree, Pterospermum Acerifolium) according Halāyudha (karṇikārais tad-ākhyaiḥ puṣpair … vṛkṣotpalaḥ karṇikāraḥ iti halāyudhaḥ).
गान्धर्वाप्तिमहापर्वा राधाराधनपेशलः ।
इति श्रीकृष्णचन्द्रस्य नामविंशतिसंज्ञितम् ॥५॥
आनन्दाख्यं महास्तोत्रं यः पठेच्छृणुयाच्च यः ।
स परं सौख्यमासाद्य कृष्णप्रेमसमन्वितः ॥६॥
सर्वलोकप्रियो भूत्वा सद्गुणावलिभूषितः ।
व्रजराजकुमारस्य सन्निकर्षमवाप्नुयात् ॥७॥
gāndharvāpti-mahāparvā rādhārādhana-peśalaḥ |
iti śrī-kṛṣṇacandrasya nāma-viṁśati-saṁjñitam ||5||
ānandākhyaṁ mahāstotraṁ yaḥ paṭhec chṛṇuyāc ca yaḥ |
sa paraṁ saukhyam āsādya kṛṣṇa-prema-samanvitaḥ ||6||
sarva-loka-priyo bhūtvā sad-guṇāvali-bhūṣitaḥ |
vraja-rāja-kumārasya sannikarṣam avāpnuyāt ||7||
O you for whom meeting Gāndharvā is a grand festival!
O you who are adept at adoring Rādhā!
One who shall recite, or who shall hear, this great stotra,
[Which is] Entitled ‘Bliss’ (Ānanda)
And constituted of twenty names of Śrī Kṛṣṇacandra,
Shall attain paramount joy,
[Shall] Become endowed with prema for Kṛṣṇa,
Dear to all people,
And ornamented with virtues,
And [shall] attain nearness to the Prince of Vraja.
Commentary
Śrī Vidyābhūṣaṇapāda comments that “O you who are adept at adoring Rādhā” (Rādhārādhana-peśalaḥ) means Śrī Kṛṣṇa is an expert in dressing Rādhā, who keeps her lover, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, under her control (Rādhāyāḥ Svādhīna-bhartṛkāyā ārādhane tad-veśa-nirmāṇe peśalo nipuṇaḥ). “Nearness” (sannikarṣam), furthermore, means the bhāva [or, the state of being] his associate (sannikarṣaṁ sannidhiṁ tat-pārṣada-bhāvam ity arthaḥ).
Meter
Anuṣṭup
Sources
Stava-mālā editions by Śrī Purī Dāsa Mahāśaya, Śrī Rāma Nārāyaṇa Vidyāratna, and Nirṇaya Sāgara Press.