Mukunda Mala | Vedanta Spiritual Library

Mukunda Mala
By Kulasekhara Azhwar
Translated by P. R. Ramachander

[These immortal verses were composed by a prince of the Chera dynasty called Kulashekara Azhwar (Called Kula Shekara Perumal in Kerala). He was also called Mudaliyandan Nambi. He was one of the 12 sages of the Bhakthi cult of Vaishnavism called Azhwars. These sages were the minstrels of God who traveled from place to place and sang the praise of Lord Vishnu. The devotion to God expressed in these verses is unparallel in any world literature.]

Vandhe mukunda maravindha dalayathaksham,
Kundhendu sankha dasanam Sishu gopa vesham,
Indradhi deva gana vandhitha pada peetham,
Vridhavanalaya maham Vasudeva soonum,

Salutations to him who has,
Long lotus like eyes,
Teeth as white as moon, jasmine and conch,
Whose feet is for ever worshipped,
By Indra[1] and other Devas[2],
Who lives in Brindavana[3],
And who is the son of Vasudeva[4]

Sri Vallabhethi Varadhethi Dhaya Parethi,
Bhakthi priyethi Bhavaluntana kovidhethi,
Nathedhi, Naga sayanethi, Jagannivasa,
Thyalapinam prathi dinam kuru maam mukunda

Oh my lord who can only give delivarance,
Please make me capable of chanting every day,
Thy names such as,
Lord of all beings, He who can give all boons,
He who is the store house of mercy,
He who loves all his devotees,
He who can kill all problems of this world,
He who is Lord of every thing,
He who sleeps on the serpent,
And He who lives every where in this universe.

Jayathu jayathu devo devaki nandhanoyam,
Jayathu jayathu krishno vrishni vamsa pradheepa,
Jayathu jayathu megha syamala komalango,
Jayathu jayathu prithvi bhara naso mukunda

Victory and victory to the son of Devaki[5],
Victory and victory to Krishna who belongs to family of Yadhu[6],
Victory and victory to him who is black as a cloud and who has pretty limbs,
Victory and victory to the Mukunda[7] who lightens the earth .

Mukunda, murdhna prani pathya yache,
Bhavantha mekantha miyantha martham,
Avismrithi swacharanaravinde,
Bhave bhave meastha bhavat prasadath.

Hey Mukunda, With bowed head I beg of you,
A small favour alone and in secret,
Never should I forget your lotus like feet,
Please, please be kind enough to grant.

Sri Govinda padhombhoja,
Madhuna Mahadbutham,
Yath Payino na munchanthi,
Munchanthi yadhpaina.

The honey from the Lotus like feet of Govinda[8],
Is truly surprising,
People who get it never get released,
And people who do not get always get released

Naham vandhe thave charanayor dwndwamadwandha mahatho.
Kumbhi pakam guru mapi hare, narakam napanothum,
Ramya rama mrudhthu thanu latha anandhanena apirama
Bhave bhave hridaya bhavane bhaveyayam bhavantham.

I do not bow before your two great holy feet,
Oh God , to protect us from Kumbhi paka[9] hell,
Nor do I for playing in the pretty graden,
Of sensuous tender bodies of bewitching damsels,
But with a request to keep your memory,
In the palace of my heart for ever,
From birth to birth.

Nastha dharmenavasu nichaye naiva kamopabhoghe,
Yadyath bhavyam bhavathu bhagawan poorva karmanuroopam,
Ethath prarthyam mama bahumatham janma janamathoropi,
Twatpadambhoruha yuga gatha nischala bhakthirasthu.

No interest I have in Dharma,
Nor in collection of wealth and assets,
Nor in passion and making love,
For what has been decided by you,
Will come to me in the form of karmas of the past,
But I have one soulful prayer to thee, my Lord,
In this birth and what follows,
Let me have rock like faith,
In thine two holy feet.

Divi va bhuvi va mamastu vaso
Narake va narakantaka prakamam
Avadhirita-sarada aravindau
Charanau the marane api chintayami

Lord, who is the killer of Narakasura[10].
Let me be in this world,
Or the ether world or nether world,
But make me remember even at my death,
Only your pretty lotus like feet

Chintayami harim eva santatam
Manda-hasa-muditananambujam
Nanda-gopa-tanayam parat param
Naradadi-muni-vrinda-vanditam

Always I think of Hari[11].
Whose smile adorns his lotus like face,
Who is the truth of truths,
Who is the son of Nanda Gopa[12],
And who is worshipped by sage Narada[13],
And crowds of sages like him.

Kara-charana-saroje kantiman-netra-mine
Srama-mushi bhuja-vichi-vyakule agadha-marge
Hari-sarasi vigahyapiya tejo-jalaugham
Bhava-maru-parichinnah klesam adya tyajami

Exhasted by the difficult path of life so far,
I will drink the water from the pond of Hari,
Where his hands and arms are the lotus flowers,
And his shining eyes are the pretty fish,
And leave the pains and aches of this earth forever.

Sarasija-nayane sa-sankha-chakre
Mura-bhidi ma viramasva chitta rantum
Sukha-taram aparam na jathu jane
Hari-charana-smarana amrithena tulyam

Oh mind, never stop thinking for ever.
Of he who has lotus like eyes.
Of he who has the conch and the holy wheel,
And of he who has killed the asura[14] called Mura,
For I do not know any other pleasure as equal or great
Than the memory of the nectar like feet of Hari.

Mabhir manda-mano vichintya bahudha yamis chiram yatana
Naivami prabhavanti papa-ripavah svami nanu sridharah
Alasyam vyapaniya bhakti-sulabham dhyayasva narayanam
Lokasya vyasanapanodana-karo dasasya kim na kshamah

Oh my foolish idiotic mind,
Do not fret and think,
Of the pains that God of death will give.
How can your foes and sin touch you ever,
Is not your master the great Lord Sridhraa[15]?
Leave out this indifference ,
And pray Lord Narayana,
Who is easy to approach.
Will not that master.
Remove the sorrows of his slaves in a jiffy?

Bhava-jaladhi-gathanam dvandva-vata hatanam
Suta-duhitru-kalatra-thrana-bhararditanam
Vishama-vishaya-thoye majjatam aplavanam
Bhavati saranam eko vishnu-poto naranam.

Travelling in this sea of birth and death,
Being tossed hither and thither ,
By the cyclone of love and hate,
Carrying the heavy care,
Of son , daughter and wife ,
And being drowned ,
In this troublesome sea of attachments,
The only boat to save us is our Lord Vishnu

Bhava-jaladhim agadham dustharam nisthareyam
Katham aham ithi cheto ma sma gah katharathvam
Sarasija-drisi deve tharaki bhaktir eka
Naraka-bhidi nishanna tarayishyaty avasyam

Do not fret and worry,
As to how you can cross ,
This deep sea of life ,
Which can never be crossed,
For the single minded devotion,
To the God who killed the Naraka,
Will certainly take you across,
Without fail.

Trishna-toye madana-pavanoddhuta-mohormi-male
Daravarte tanaya-sahaja-graha-sanghakule cha
Samsarakhye mahati jaladhau majjatam nas tri-dhaman
Padambhoje vara-da bhavato bhakti-navam prayaccha

Drowning I am in this sea,
Of birth , death and life,
Because Of the wind of passion,
Started by the God of love,
And because of the burden of attachment,
To the son I love,
To the wealth that I earned and keep,
To the wife for whom I yearn,
And so giver of blessings,
Please be kind to give me a place,
In the boat of devotion ,
To thine lotus like feet and save.

Prithvi-renur anuh payamsi kanikah phalguh sphulingo laghus
Tejo nihsvasanam marut tanu-taram randhram su-sukshmam nabhah
Kshudra rudra-pitamaha-prabhritayah kinah samastah sura
Drishte yatra sa tarako vijayate sri-pada-dhuli-kanah

This earth becomes a particle of dust,
This water of the sea becomes but a single drop,
The raging fire becomes a tiny spark,
The blowing winds become a tiny movement,
The sky surrounding us becomes a small hole,
The lords Shiva[16] and Brahma[17] become insignificant,
And all the devas become like tiny insects,
If our Lord Mukunda is seen,
For the dust from his feet enslaves them all.

He! lokah srinutha prasuthi-marana-vyadhes chikitsam imam
Yoga-jnah samudaharanti munayo yam yajnavalkyadayah
Antar-jyothir ameyam ekam amritham krishnakhyam apiyatam
Tat pitam paramaushadham vitanute nirvanam atyantikam

Hey , people of the world,
Hear the panacea for birth, death and disease,
That has been told by sages great.
Steeped in ancient wisdom,
Like the Yagnavalkya[18],
It is the inner light alone,
Which like nectar ,
And is the name “Krishna”
For when drunk this great necter,
Grants the final liberation,
Which is complete and forever.

He! martyah paramam hitham srinutha vo vakshyami sankshepatah
Samsararnavam apad-urmi-bahulam samyak pravisya sthitah
Nana-jnanam apasya chetasi namo narayanayety amum
Mantram sa-pranavam pranama-sahitam pravartayadhvam muhuh

Hey men, hear what is really good for you,
In briefest possible words,
Drowned you have in the sea of existence,
Which has big waves of misfortune.
Which toss you hither and thither.
So leave out this futile search for jnana[19],
And oft chant “Om Narayana”
And bow before your lord.

Nathe nah purushottame tri-jagatam ekadhipe chetasa
Sevye svasya padasya dathari pare narayane thishthati
Yam kinchit purushadhamam kathipaya-gramesam alpartha-dam
Sevayai mrigayamahe naram aho mudha varaka vayam

Our Lord Narayana , the greatest among men,
Who rules alone the three worlds ,
Who can be served by mere control of breath,
Has come to share his all with us,
And come personally before us,
Yet we beg some lowly men,
Who rules a few villages,
For petty rewards and service.
What foolish wretches we are , alas.?

Baddhenanjalina nathena sirasa gatraih sa-romodgamaih
Kanthena svara-gadgadena nayanenodgirna-bashpambuna
Nityam tvachranaravinda-yugala-dhyanamritasvadinam
Asmakam sarasiruhaksha satatam sampadyatam jivitam

With bowed head and joined hands,
We pray our Lord,
With hairs standing erect ,
And with tottering voice we repeat his names,
With swelling tears we request the Lord Narayana,
“Please allow us to drink the nectar,
From your two lotus like feet,
And carry on our lives for us,
Oh, Lord who is lotus eyed”

Yat krishna-pranipatha-dhuli-dhavalam thath varshma thad vai siras
Thea nethre tamasojjhite su-ruchire yabhyam harir drisyathe
Sa buddhir vimalendu-sankha-dhavala ya madhava-dhyayini
Sa jihvamrita-varshiti prati-padam ya stauti narayanam

The head with white dust is loftiest,
Where the dust is collected by bowing to our Lord,
Those eyes which have left ignorance,
After seeing Lord Hari are the prettiest,
That brain which meditates on Lord Madhava[20],
Has the white glow of the moon and the conch,
And that tongue always showers nectar,
Which praises and glorifies lord Narayana.

Jihve kirthaya kesavam mura-ripum cheto bhaja sridharam
Pani-dvandva samarchayachyuta-kathah srotra-dvaya thvam srunu
Krishnam lokaya lochana-dvaya harer gacchanghri-yugamalayam
Jighra ghrana mukunda-pada-tulasim murdhan namadhokshajam

Oh tongue, sing the praises of Kesava[21],
Oh mind, praise the Lord who killed Mura[22],
Oh hands, serve the Lord Sridhara,
Of ears , hear the stories extolling Achyutha[23]
Oh eyes , see always lord Krishna,
Oh feet, Go to the temples of Hari,
Oh nose , smell the Thulasi [24],
From the two holy feet of Lord Mukunda,
And Oh head, bow before Lord Adhokshaja[25].

Amnayabhyasanany aranya-ruditham veda-vrathany anv-aham
Medas-cheda-phalani purtha-vidhayah sarvam hutam bhasmani
Tirthanam avagahanani cha gaja-snanam vina yat-pada-
Dvandvambhoruha-samsmritim vijayate devah sa narayanah

Recitation of holy words is but a cry in the forest,
Observation of penance of the Vedas is but a slimming exercise,
Holy sacrifices observed are but pouring ghee in to ashes.
Bathing in holy rivers is but a bath of an elephant,
If done without the memory of his lotus feet,
And so victory to the lord Narayana.

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