श्रीगोवर्धनाश्रयदशकम्
Śrī Govardhanāśraya-daśakam
A poem of ten verses in praise of shelter in Śrī Govardhana
By Śrīmad Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī
श्रीगोवर्द्धनाय नमः ।
śrī-govardhanāya namaḥ |
Obeisance unto Śrī Govardhana.
सप्ताहं मुरजित्कराम्बुजपरिभ्राजत्कनिष्ठाङ्गुलि-
प्रोद्यद्वल्गुवराटकोपरिमिलन्मुग्धद्विरेफोऽपि यः ।
पाथःक्षेपकशक्रनक्रमुखतः क्रोडे व्रजं द्रागपात्
कस्तं गोकुलबन्धवं गिरिवरं गोवर्धनं नाश्रयेत् ॥१॥
saptāhaṁ murajit-karāmbuja-paribhrājat-kaniṣṭhāṅguli-
prodyad-valgu-varāṭakoparimilan-mugdha-dvirepho’pi yaḥ |
pāthaḥ-kṣepaka-śakra-nakra-mukhataḥ kroḍe vrajaṁ drāg apāt
kas taṁ gokula-bandhavaṁ giri-varaṁ govardhanaṁ nāśrayet ||1||
Who would not take shelter in him,
Govardhana,
The best of mountains,
The friend of Gokula,
Who quickly protected Vraja in his lap
From the mouth of the crocodile Śakra [i.e., Indra] lashing down rain
Although he was an enchanted bumblebee
Poised for a week
Atop the beautiful lotus seed pod
Of the raised little finger
Of the Conqueror of Mura’s shining lotus hand.
Commentary
Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmīpāda begins his praises of Śrī Govardhana by describing how Śrī Govardhana protected all the residents of Vraja from the attack of Devarāja Indra. He does so using an ornament of contradiction (vyatireka-alaṅkāra), portraying Indra as a crocodile, Govardhana as an enchanted bumblebee, Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s hand to a lotus flower, and his little finger to the lotus’s seed pod. As a bumblebee that finds a lotus full of excellent nectar becomes riveted upon its seed pod while drinking the lotus’s nectar and loses awareness of all else, so Govardhana remained fixed atop Śrī Kṛṣna’s hand and felt no pain under Indra’s onslaught. Rather, he felt delighted to continuously relish the nectar of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s sight and touch for seven consecutive days. Yet unlike a bumblebee that cannot protect itself or protect a lotus it is drinking nectar within when a crocodile storms by splashing water wildly, Govardhana easily protected itself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and all the residents of Vraja from the attack of Indra, who is referred to as Śakra, meaning, “he who is mighty,” in this verse to emphasize both the power of his onslaught of Vraja and the power Govardhana exhibited by joyfully withstanding it.
Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmīpāda also describes Govardhana as the “friend of Gokula” (Gokula-bāndhava) because Govardhana protected all the residents of Gokula in this way from the attack of Indra. Alternately, it may be read that he offers this description because Govardhana provides for the well-being of all the residents of Gokula with his waterfalls, pastures, grasses, fruits, flowers, and so forth. The word ‘Gokula’ can also be taken to refer specifically to the cows of Vraja, and Govardhana’s being described as their friend in that case alludes to his providing them with grasses, pastures, and so forth.
इन्द्रत्वे निभृतं गवां सुरनदीतोयेन दीनात्मना
शक्रेणानुगता चकार सुरभिर्येनाभिषेकं हरेः ।
यत्कच्छेऽजनि तेन नन्दितजनं गोविन्दकुण्डं कृती
कस्तं गोनिकरेन्द्रपट्टशिखरं गोवर्धनं नाश्रयेत् ॥२॥
indratve nibhṛtaṁ gavāṁ sura-nadī-toyena dīnātmanā
śakreṇānugatā cakāra surabhir yenābhiṣekaṁ hareḥ |
yat-kacche’jani tena nandita-janaṁ govinda-kuṇḍaṁ kṛtī
kas taṁ go-nikarendra-paṭṭa-śikharaṁ govardhanaṁ nāśrayet ||2||
What wise person would not take shelter in him,
Govardhana,
Because of whom Surabhi,
Followed by the humbled Śakra,
In seclusion performed a coronation of Hari
As the king (indra) of the cows
With water from the river of the suras;
[Govardhana] At whose base thereby appeared Govinda Kuṇḍa,
By which people are delighted;
[Govardhana] At whose summit is a flat slab
For the king (indra) of the cows [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa, to sit and rest]?
Commentary
“The river of the suras” (sura-nadī) refers to the branch of the Gaṅgā that flows in Svarga.
स्वर्धुन्यादिवरेण्यतीर्थगणतो हृद्यान्यजस्रं हरेः
सीरिब्रह्महराप्सरःप्रियकतत्श्रीदानकुण्डान्यपि ।
प्रेमक्षेमरुचिप्रदानि परितो भ्राजन्ति यस्य व्रती
कस्तं मान्यमुनीन्द्रवर्णितगुणं गोवर्धनं नाश्रयेत् ॥३॥
svardhuny-ādi-vareṇya-tīrtha-gaṇato hṛdyāny ajasraṁ hareḥ
sīri-brahma-harāpsaraḥ-priyaka-tat-śrī-dāna-kuṇḍāny api |
prema-kṣema-ruci-pradāni parito bhrājanti yasya vratī
kas taṁ mānya-munīndra-varṇita-guṇaṁ govardhanaṁ nāśrayet ||3||
What avowed person would not take shelter in him,
Govardhana,
Whose qualities are extolled
By the foremost of venerable sages,
And all around whom
Shine the kuṇḍas of Balarāma, Brahma, Rudra, Nīpa, and beautiful Dāna-nivartana,
Which are bestowers of prema, welfare, and splendor
And forever dear to the heart of Hari
Even more so than pre-eminent tīrthas such as the Svardhunī.
Commentary
Sīri, a name of Balarāma, here refers to Balarāma Kuṇḍa, which is north and slightly east of Rādhā Kuṇḍa and Śyāma Kuṇḍa. Presently, it has been built over inside Rādhā Nāgara Colony. Brahma refers to Brahma Kuṇḍa, which is just south of Mānasī Gaṅgā. Hara, a name of Śiva, here refers to Rudra Kuṇḍa, which is also known as Harjī Kuṇḍa and located south of Jatipura on the opposite side of Govardhana from Govinda Kuṇḍa. Āpsaraḥ refers to Āpsara Kuṇḍa, which is located on the south end of Govardhana near Pūcharī. Priyaka is a synonym for nīpa and kadamba, and here refers to Nīpa Kuṇḍa, which is also sometimes referred to as Kadamba Kuṇḍa and located near the east side of Govinda Kuṇḍa. Dāna here refers to Dāna-nivartana Kuṇḍa, which is located at the base of the east side of Govardhana about halfway between Dāna-ghāṭī and Govinda Kuṇḍa. Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī also refers to all the kuṇḍas mentioned in this and the following verse of this Govardhanāśraya-daśakam in his Vraja-vilāsa-stava (78–79). Svardhunī refers to the branches of the Gaṅgā that flows in Svargaloka. “The foremost of venerable sages” (mānya-munīndra) can be taken in general or to refer to Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī in particular.
ज्योत्स्नामोक्षणमाल्यहारसुमनोगौरीबलारिध्वजा-
गान्धर्वादिसरांसि निर्झरगिरिः शृङ्गारसिंहासनम् ।
गोपालोऽपि हरिस्थलं हरिरपि स्फूर्जन्ति यत्सर्वतः
कस्तं गोमृगपक्षिवृक्षललितं गोवर्धनं नाश्रयेत् ॥४॥
jyotsnā-mokṣaṇa-mālyahāra-sumano-gaurī-balāri-dhvajā-
gāndharvādi-sarāṁsi nirjhara-giriḥ śṛṅgāra-siṁhāsanam |
gopālo’pi hari-sthalaṁ harir api sphūrjanti yat-sarvataḥ
kas taṁ go-mṛga-pakṣi-vṛkṣa-lalitaṁ govardhanaṁ nāśrayet ||4||
Who would not take shelter in him,
Govardhana,
The abode of Hari,
Charming with cows, deer, birds, and trees,
Where even Hari is also present as a cowherd,
The mountain replete with waterfalls
That is a throne for [Hari’s] amour,
And all around whom
The lakes known as Candra, Mokṣaṇa, Mālyahāra,
Kusuma, Gaurī, Indra-dhvajā, Gandharva, and so forth shine.
Commentary
Candra refers to Candra Sarovara, which is located about two kilometers southeast of Dāna-ghāṭī. Mokṣaṇa refers to the two kuṇḍas known as Ṛṇa-mocana and Pāpa-mocana. Ṛṇa-mocana Kuṇḍa has now been built over but was located some distance south of the Harideva Mandira in Govardhana on the the left side of the parikramā path. Pāpa-mocana Kuṇḍa has also been built over but was located a short distance south of Ṛṇa-mocana Kuṇḍa. Mālyahāra refers to Mālyahāra Kuṇḍa, which is also known as Mālyahāri Kuṇḍa and located southwest of Rādhā Kuṇḍa in the neighborhood known today as Gaura Dhāma. Sumanaḥ refers to Kusuma Sarovara. Gaurī refers to Gaurī Kuṇḍa, which is located southeast of Saṅkarṣaṇa Kuṇḍa. Balāri-dhvajā, lit., “the flag of Indra, the enemy of Bala,” refers to the site where the Vraja-vāsīs would offer worship to Indra before Śrī Kṛṣṇa advised them to worship Govardhana instead. It is located a short distance from Ṛṇa-mocana Kuṇḍa and Pāpa-mocana Kuṇḍa. Gāndharva refers to Gandharva Kuṇḍa, which was located in the vicinity of Govinda Kuṇḍa but is no longer identifiable.
गङ्गाकोट्यधिकं बकारिपदजारिष्टारिकुण्डं वहन्
भक्त्या यः शिरसा नतेन सततं प्रेयान्शिवादप्यभूत् ।
राधाकुण्डमणिं तथैव मुरजित्प्रौढप्रसादं दधत्
प्रेयःस्तव्यमनोऽभवत्क इह तं गोवर्धनं नाश्रयेत् ॥५॥
gaṅgā-koṭy-adhikaṁ bakāri-padajāriṣṭāri-kuṇḍaṁ vahan
bhaktyā yaḥ śirasā natena satataṁ preyān śivād apy abhūt |
rādhā-kuṇḍa-maṇiṁ tathaiva murajit-prauḍha-prasādaṁ dadhat
preyaḥ-stavyamano’bhavat ka iha taṁ govardhanaṁ nāśrayet ||5||
Who here would not take shelter in him,
Govardhana,
Who,
By holding continuously with his head bowed in bhakti
The kuṇḍa of Ariṣṭa’s Foe [i.e., Śyāma Kuṇḍa],
[Which is] A crore times greater than the Gaṅgā
And born from the foot of Baka’s Foe [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa],
[And holding] As well the jewel Rādhā Kuṇḍa,
Has become more dear [to Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa] than even Śiva,
And,
Bearing [thus] the full grace of Mura’s Conqueror,
Has become most praiseworthy [even] among those who are dear [to Śrī Kṛṣṇa].
Commentary
Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī describes Govardhana as dearer to Śrī Bhagavān than even Śiva for a number of reasons. (1) Śiva holds upon his head the Gaṅgā, that is, water born from the feet of Viṣṇu, whereas Govardhana holds on his head the water of Śyāma Kuṇḍa, which contains the waters of all the tīrthas throughout the brahmāṇḍa, incuding the Gaṅgā, and furthermore water born directly from the feet of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, that is, he who is Svayam Bhagavān, the origin and Lord even of Bhagavān Viṣṇu; moreover, Govardhana holds on his head the waters of Rādhā Kuṇḍa, which are even more exalted than those of Śyāma Kuṇḍa (see Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī’s Rādhā-kuṇḍāṣṭakam for futher discussion of this). (2) Śiva came to hold the Gaṅgā upon his head at the request of Mahārāja Bhagīratha, that is, not out of his own eagerness to take on such a service and not by Bhagavān Viṣṇu’s own arrangement, whereas Govardhana came to hold the waters of Rādhā Kuṇḍa and Śyāma Kuṇḍa by the direct wish and arrangement of Svayaṁ Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa himself. (3) As the rasa of bhakti in Vraja and the rasa relished by Śrī Kṛṣṇa and his associates when they perform līlā on Govardhana itself is superior to that found in all other domains outside of Vraja, so Govardhana can be considered more dear to Śrī Kṛṣṇa than Śiva because he both facilitates, relishes, and bestows upon others a higher order of bhakti-rasa. Because Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa has extended such a wonderful priviledged position to Govardhana, Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī describes him as “bearing the full grace of Mura’s Conqueror” (Murajit-prauḍha-prasādaṁ dadhat) and as most praiseworthy even among all who are dear to Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa (preyaḥ-stavyamano’bhavat). This alludes to Govardhana being praised in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (10.21.18) as Hari-dāsa-vārya, the foremost of Hari’s servants, by none less than the gopīs of Vraja, and Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī states in his Govardhana-vāsa-prārthanā-daśakam that this statement was spoken by Śrī Rādhikā herself. Govardhana is thus understood to not only be greatly dear to Bhagavān and a great recipient of Bhagavān’s grace, but to be greatly dear to Bhagavān’s bhaktas as well, including the very highest sections of his bhaktas, that is, the residents of Vraja, and the Vraja-gopīs in particular.
यस्यां माधवनाविको रसवतीम् आधाय राधां तरौ
मध्ये चञ्चलके निपातवलनात्त्रासैः स्तुवत्यास्ततः ।
स्वाभिष्ठं पणमादधे वहति सा यस्मिन्मनोजाह्नवी
कस्तं तन्नवदम्पतिप्रतिभुवं गोवर्धनं नाश्रयेत् ॥६॥
yasyāṁ mādhava-nāviko rasavatīm ādhāya rādhāṁ tarau
madhye cañcalake nipāta-valanāt trāsaiḥ stuvatyās tataḥ |
svābhiṣṭhaṁ paṇam ādadhe vahati sā yasmin mano-jāhnavī
kas taṁ tan nava-dampati-pratibhuvaṁ govardhanaṁ nāśrayet ||6||
Who would not take shelter in him,
Govardhana,
The Young Couple’s intermediary,
Upon whom the Mānasa Gaṅgā flows,
Wherein the boatman Mādhava
Took the dairy-carrying Rādhā into a boat
And collected his desired fare
After being praised by her out of fear
Of turning and falling into the unsteady water.
Commentary
Rādhā being described as rasavatīṁ, that is, as “carrying dairy” (go-rasa), alludes to her having come to Govardhana and Mānasa Gaṅgā ostensibly in the course of taking some dairy to a yajña. Alternately, rasavatīṁ also conveys that she appears most lovely and that she is full of loving attachment to Mādhava. Mādhava’s “desired fare” (svābhiṣṭhaṁ paṇam) alludes to embraces, kisses, and so forth. Because this meeting of Rādhā and Mādhava takes place at Mānasa Gaṅgā on Govardhana, Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī describes Govardhana as “the Young Couple’s intermediary,” (Nava-dampati-pratibhuvaṁ), conveying both that Govardhana assists in uniting Rādhā and Mādhava by acting as a host for their meetings, and that taking shelter in Govardhana is essential for those who seek darśana of Rādhā and Mādhava’s līlās, since many of these līlās take place on Govardhana, and he graciously grants darśana of such līlās to those who take shelter in him.
रासे श्रीशतवन्द्यसुन्दरसखीवृन्दाञ्चिता सौरभ
भ्राजत्कृष्णरसालबाहुविलसत्कण्ठी मधौ माधवी ।
राधा नृत्यति यत्र चारु वलते रासस्थली सा परा
यस्मिन्स सुकृती तमुन्नतमये गोवर्धनं नाश्रयेत् ॥७॥
rāse śrī-śata-vandya-sundara-sakhī-vṛndāñcitā saurabha-
bhrājat-kṛṣṇa-rasāla-bāhu-vilasat-kaṇṭhī madhau mādhavī |
rādhā nṛtyati yatra cāru valate rāsa-sthalī sā parā
yasmin sa sukṛtī tam unnatam aye govardhanaṁ nāśrayet ||7||
Aye!
What greatly wise person would not take shelter in him,
Lofty Govardhana,
He upon whom is situated another charming Rāsa Sthalī
Where Mādhavī Rādhā dances
In the spring rāsas
Bearing around her neck
Kṛṣṇa’s playful, fragrant, resplendent, rasa-evoking arms,
[As she is] Attended by beautiful sakhīs
Fit to be worshiped by hundreds of Śrīs.
Commentary
The Rāsa Sthālī on Govardhan is referred to as “another” (parā) because the Rāsa Sthālī in Vṛndāvana near the bank of the Yamunā is well known from descriptions of it in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and elsewhere. The “Śrīs” spoken of here are Lakṣmīs found in Vaikuṇṭha. Rādhā is described as “Mādhavī” to convey that she is most dear to Mādhava and that she is fully devoted to Mādhava. Furthermore, Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī also uses the word mādhavī, along with the inset compound kṛṣṇa-rasāla-bāhu, to create a play on words and ornament of contradiction in the verse. By using the word mādhavī to describe Rādhā, he likens Rādhā to a jasmine creeper (mādhavī), and with the compound kṛṣṇa-rasāla-bāhu he likens Kṛṣṇa’s rasa-evoking (rasāla) arms (bāhu) to the dark (kṛṣṇa) branches (bāhu) of a mango tree (rasāla). The inversion in the application of the metaphor is that dark mango branches are seen to be entwined at their bases, that is, at their “neck” (kaṇṭha), in the spring season by mādhavī creepers, but here Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī describes the mādhavī creeper Rādhā as bearing around her neck (kaṇṭhī) Kṛṣṇa’s rasa-evoking arms (kṛṣṇa-rasāla-bāhu).
यत्र स्वीयगणस्य विक्रमभृता वाचा मुहुः फुल्लतोः
स्मेरक्रूरदृगन्तविभ्रमशरैः शश्वन्मिथो विद्धयोः ।
तद्यूनोर्नवदानसृष्टिजकलिर्भङ्ग्या हसन्जृम्भते
कस्तं तत्पृथुकेलिसूचनशिलं गोवर्धनं नाश्रयेत् ॥८॥
yatra svīya-gaṇasya vikrama-bhṛtā vācā muhuḥ phullatoḥ
smera-krūra-dṛganta-vibhrama-śaraiḥ śaśvan mitho viddhayoḥ |
tad-yūnor nava-dāna-sṛṣṭija-kalir bhaṅgyā hasan jṛmbhate
kas taṁ tat-pṛthu-keli-sūcana-śilaṁ govardhanaṁ nāśrayet ||8||
Who would not take shelter in Govardhana,
Where the Youthful Couple’s quarrel
Caused by [Kṛṣṇa’s] creation of a new tax
Arises and expands with repartee
As they recurrently beam
At the forceful speech of their personal companions,
And are repeatedly hit by one another
With darting arrows from the corners
Of their sharp, smiling eyes—
[Who would not take shelther in him, Govardhana,]
Whose every rock is indicative of that clever play?
Commentary
Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī praises Govardhana here as the site of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s celebrated līlā known as Dāna-keli (lit., “toll-play”) wherein Śrī Kṛṣṇa poses as a tax collector at a toll station, known as Dāna Ghāṭī, in the middle of Govardhana and blocks Śrī Rādhikā and her sakhīs from passing. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī has described this līlā in his Dāna-keli-kaumudī, as has Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī in his Dāna-keli-cintāmaṇi. Numerous kavis have also sung of it in Bengali and Vraja-buli padas.
The Couple’s being said to “beam at the forceful speech of their personal companions” (svīya-gaṇasya vikrama-bhṛtā vācā muhuḥ phullatoḥ) refers to instances in which they smile proudly as their personal companions, such as Lalitā or Madhumaṅgala, make pointed arguments to assert that either Rādhā or Kṛṣṇa is the rightful queen or king of Vṛndāvana and thus that the tax it due to her or him.
Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī stating that Govardhana’s “every rock is indicative of that clever play” (tat-pṛthu-keli-sūcana-śilaṁ) implies that the sight of any rock on or from Govardhana evokes remembrance of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s līlās at Dāna-ghāṭī and elsewhere.
श्रीदामादिवयस्यसञ्चयवृतः सङ्कर्षणेनोल्लसन्
यस्मिन्गोचयचारुचारणपरो रीरीति गायत्यसौ ।
रङ्गे गूढगुहासु च प्रथयति स्मारक्रियां राधया
कस्तं सौभगभूषिताञ्चिततनुं गोवर्धनं नाश्रयेत् ॥९॥
śrīdāmādi-vayasya-sañcaya-vṛtaḥ saṅkarṣaṇenollasan
yasmin go-caya-cāru-cāraṇa-paro rī-rīti gāyaty asau |
raṅge gūḍha-guhāsu ca prathayati smāra-kriyāṁ rādhayā
kas taṁ saubhaga-bhūṣitāñcita-tanuṁ govardhanaṁ nāśrayet ||9||
Who would not take shelter in him,
Govardhana,
Whose figure is honored with the ornament of good fortune,
Upon whom
He whose charming herding of the cows is superb [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa],
Surrounded by contemporaries like Śrīdāma,
And delighting with Saṅkarṣaṇa,
Sings “rī rī,”
And [elsewhere upon whom Śrī Kṛṣṇa] presents acts of amour with Rādhā
In the playhouses of hidden caves?
Commentary
Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s singing “rī rī” refers to his singing of a common tone that is often used as a base for vocal improvisation. Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī describes the caves of Govardhana as hidden because when one enters them, one is in complete seclusion. In the private spaces of these caves, Śrī Kṛṣṇa playfully performs acts of amour with Rādhā in a way that is comparable to an actor performing on a stage, and thus Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī compares these caves to playhouses, that is, sites where plays are performed. He also describes Govardhana as being honored with the ornament of good fortune because there is no greater privilege than having the chance to host and behold such līlās of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
कालिन्दीं तपनोद्भवं गिरिगणानत्युन्नमाच्छेखरान्
श्रीवृन्दाविपिनं जनेप्सितधरं नन्दीश्वरं चाश्रयम् ।
हित्वा यं प्रतिपूजयन्व्रजकृते मानं मुकुन्दो ददौ
कस्तं शृङ्गिकिरीटिनं गिरिनृपं गोवर्धनं नाश्रयेत् ॥१०॥
kālindīṁ tapanodbhavaṁ giri-gaṇān aty-unnamac-chekharān
śrī-vṛndā-vipinaṁ janepsita-dharaṁ nandīśvaraṁ cāśrayam |
hitvā yaṁ pratipūjayan vraja-kṛte mānaṁ mukundo dadau
kas taṁ śṛṅgi-kirīṭinaṁ giri-nṛpaṁ govardhanaṁ nāśrayet ||10||
Who would not take shelter in him,
Govardhana,
The king of mountains
Bearing a crown of peaks,
Whom Mukunda gave honor and highly worshiped
For the sake of [protecting] Vraja,
Leaving aside Kālindī, born of the Sun [i.e., the Yamunā],
[Numerous] Mountains with highly elevated peaks,
The beautiful forest of Vṛndā,
Which is a fulfiller of people’s desires,
And [his] home,
[The hill known as] Nandīśvara.
Commentary
The Yamunā is known to be the daughter of Sūrya, the devatā of the sun. All rains are understood to be order-carriers of Sūryadeva since it is his rays that cause the condensation of water on the earth and the subsequent showering of that water back on the earth as rain. If Kṛṣṇa were to appeal to Yamunā, Sūryadeva’s daughter, then by her appeal in turn to her father, Sūryadeva would certainly feel obliged to intervene in Indra’s attack on Vraja by calling off the tempestuous clouds Indra had sent. Yet Kṛṣṇa did not appeal to the Yamunā at the time of Indra’s attack. Similarly, although there are many very large mountains with high peaks on the earth that could have protected Vraja from Indra’s clouds with their backs, such as Mount Sumeru or the Himalayas, Kṛṣṇa did not make use of these mountains. Furthermore, although the land of Vṛndāvana is known to be a fulfiller of any desire a person has by virtue of its wish-fulling cows, wish-fulfilling trees, wish-fulfilling gems, and so forth, and any of these wish-fulfilling entities of Vṛndāvana could have been appealed to for the sake of protecting the people of Vraja, Kṛṣṇa did not appeal to them. Moreover, Kṛṣṇa could have conveniently lifted Nandīśvara Hill, the hill where he lives with his family, since this hill too, being part of his supramundane (aprākṛta) domain, is capable of providing shelter in any way required and fulfilling all the desires of Kṛṣṇa and the other residents of Vraja, yet Kṛṣṇa decided not to lift Nandīśvara Hill to protect Vraja and instead lifted Govardhana. And not only did he give (dadau) honor to Govardhana in this way, but he inspired all the residents of Vraja to worship him grandly (pratipūjayan). Kṛṣṇa thus established Govardhana’s paramount greatness throughout Vraja even in comparison to the Yamunā, other mountains, Vṛndāvana, and Nandīśvara.
तस्मिन्वासदमस्य रम्यदशकं गोवर्धनस्येह यत्
प्रादुर्भूतमिदं यदीयकृपया जीर्णान्धवक्त्रादपि ।
तस्योद्यद्गुणवृन्दबन्धुरखनेर्जीवातुरूपस्य तत्
तोषायापि अलं भवत्विति फलं पक्वं मया मृग्यते ॥११॥
tasmin vāsadam asya ramya-daśakaṁ govardhanasyeha yat
prādurbhūtam idaṁ yadīya-kṛpayā jīrṇāndha-vaktrād api |
tasyodyad-guṇa-vṛnda-bandhura-khaner jīvātu-rūpasya tat-
toṣāyāpi alaṁ bhavatv iti phalaṁ pakvaṁ mayā mṛgyate ||11||
May this delightful poem of ten verses about Govardhana,
Which grants residence there,
Be able to also satisfy
He by whose grace
It has manifested
Even from the mouth of I
Who am old and blind,
He who is a charming mine of elevated qualities,
He who is the embodiment of my vitality.
This is the ripe fruit sought by me.
Commentary
In this final verse, Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī presents the phala-śruti, that is, the result, or fruit, of hearing the poem. In verses of this type, poets typically offer listeners a blessing saying that they will attain the object that the poem describes, or, they will attain bhakti to that object in the case of many Vaiṣṇava poems. Poets also often make a prayer to the object of the poem for a desired end which they hope to achieve by means of composing and offering the poem. Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī, however, in a clever, unconventional manner, in this composition presents a prayer for the desired end he seeks by composing the poem, yet this desired end is not something for himself but rather is the satisfaction of the object of the poem, namely, Śrī Govardhana. Moreover, by praying that the poem may satisfy Śrī Govardhana, who he describes as “he who is a charming mine of elevated qualities” (udyad-guṇa-vṛnda-bandhura-khaneḥ), as “he who is the embodiment of my vitality” (jīvātu-rūpasya), and as the source of the grace by which he composed the poem despite his old age and ill health (yadīya-kṛpayā …), Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī also indirectly evokes well-being for listeners of the poem since it is understood that if the poem is able to satisfy Śrī Govardhana, then those who hear or recite it in the future will also satisfy Śrī Govardhana and thereby become recipients of his grace, which ultimately manifests in the form of shelter at his feet, attainment of prema for Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and participation in their līlās.
Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī also intends an additional second meaning in “he who is the embodiment of my vitality” (jīvātu-rūpasya), in “he who is a charming mine of elevated qualities” (udyad-guṇa-vṛnda-bandhura-khaneḥ), and in regard to whom he refers to as the source of the grace by which the poem was composed. While alluding to Śrī Govardhana in all of these ways, he also alludes to Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, whom he also regards as being replete with the highest virtues, as his very vitality, and as the source of the grace by which he composed the poem. Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī has described Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī in similar fashion repeatedly in other verses of his Stavāvalī, as well as in his Muktā-carita. So, in this verse he is also praying that Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī may be satisfied with the poem and bestow his grace upon those who hear or recite it in the future.
Meter
Śārdūla-vikrīḍita
Source
Stavāvalī edition by Śrī Rāma Nārāyaṇa Vidyāratna. A number of the points made in the commentary are based on Śrī Baṅga-vihārī Vidyālaṅkara’s Sanskrit commentary on the Stavāvalī found in this edition.