Nandakumar Ashtakam

सुन्दरगोपालम् उरवनमालं नयनविशालं दुःखहरम् ।
वृन्दावनचन्द्रमानन्दकन्दं परमानन्दं धरणिधरम् ॥
वल्लभघनश्यामं पूर्णकामम् अत्यभिरामं प्रीतिकरम् ।
भज नन्दकुमारं सर्वसुखसारं तत्त्वविचारं ब्रह्मपरम् ॥१॥

sundaragopālam uravanamālaṃ nayanaviśālaṃ duḥkhaharam .
vṛndāvanacandramānandakandaṃ paramānandaṃ dharaṇidharam ..
vallabhaghanaśyāmaṃ pūrṇakāmam atyabhirāmaṃ prītikaram .
bhaja nandakumāraṃ sarvasukhasāraṃ tattvavicāraṃ brahmaparam ..1..

(Salutations to Sri Nandakumara) who is the beautiful gopala of Vrindavana, with vanamala (garland of forest flowers) hanging on his chest and with large eyes captivating everyone; whose very form removes the sufferings of his devotees,
who is the bright moon of Vrindavana, and a source of immense joy; who is the embodiment of supreme bliss himself and bears the earth within him,
who is the most beloved ghanashyama (literally dark-coloured), who is self-satisfied by being absorbed within his own divine nature, and extremely pleasing, inspiring love and affection from all,
worship that Nandakumara, the essence of all joy, by reflecting on his divine essence (which is) of the nature of supreme brahman.

सुन्दरवारिजवदनं निर्जितमदनम् आनन्दसदनं मुकुटधरम् ।
गुञ्जाकृतिहारं विपिनविहारं परमोदारं चीरहरम् ॥
वल्लभपटपीतं कृतउपवीतं करनवनीतं विबुधवरं ।
भज नन्दकुमारं सर्वसुखसारं तत्त्वविचारं ब्रह्मपरम् ॥२॥

sundaravārijavadanaṃ nirjitamadanam ānandasadanaṃ mukuṭadharam .
guñjākṛtihāraṃ vipinavihāraṃ paramodāraṃ cīraharam ..
vallabhapaṭapītaṃ kṛtaüpavītaṃ karanavanītaṃ vibudhavaraṃ .
bhaja nandakumāraṃ sarvasukhasāraṃ tattvavicāraṃ brahmaparam ..2..

(Salutations to Sri Nandakumara) who has a beautiful face like the lotus flower which subdues the pride of even madana (god of love) in beauty, who is an abode of joy, and who wears a crown on his head,
who wears a garland made of gunja berries and wanders in the groves with the gopis; who is extremely generous and also extremely playful, stealing the clothes of the gopis,
who is beloved of all and loves to wear yellow garments; who wears the sacred thread; who stole butter during childhood and held it in his hand and who is the supreme god,
worship that Nandakumara, the essence of all joy, by reflecting on his divine essence (which is) of the nature of supreme brahman.

शोभितमुखधूलं यमुनाकूलं निपट_अतूलं सुखदतरम् ।
मुखमण्डितरेणुं चारितधेनुं वादितवेणुं मधुरसुरम् ॥
वल्लभमतिविमलं शुभपदकमलं नखरुचिअमलं तिमिरहरं ।
भज नन्दकुमारं सर्वसुखसारं तत्त्वविचारं ब्रह्मपरम् ॥३॥

śobhitamukhadhūlaṃ yamunākūlaṃ nipaṭa_atūlaṃ sukhadataram .
mukhamaṇḍitareṇuṃ cāritadhenuṃ vāditaveṇuṃ madhurasuram ..
vallabhamativimalaṃ śubhapadakamalaṃ nakharuciamalaṃ timiraharaṃ .
bhaja nandakumāraṃ sarvasukhasāraṃ tattvavicāraṃ brahmaparam ..3..

(Salutations to Sri Nandakumara) whose face is adorned with the dust of the shore of yamuna river in Vrindavana; such a matchless adornment (of dust) gives great joy to the devotees,
who, with the adornment of dust on his face, wanders about with the cows in Vrindavana playing melodious tunes in his flute,
who is the beloved of the devotees and stainless pure divinity, whose lotus feet is a source of auspicious blessings, and the splendour of whose pure toe-nails remove the darkness within (the heart of devotees).
worship that Nandakumara, the essence of all joy, by reflecting on his divine essence (which is) of the nature of supreme brahman.

शिरमुकुटसुदेशं कुञ्चितकेशं नटवरवेशं कामवरम् ।
मायाकृतमनुजं हलधर_अनुजं प्रतिहतदनुजं भारहरम् ॥
वल्लभव्रजपालं सुभगसुचालं हितमनुकालं भाववरं ।
भज नन्दकुमारं सर्वसुखसारं तत्त्वविचारं ब्रह्मपरम् ॥४॥

śiramukuṭasudeśaṃ kuñcitakeśaṃ naṭavaraveśaṃ kāmavaram .
māyākṛtamanujaṃ haladhara_anujaṃ pratihatadanujaṃ bhāraharam ..
vallabhavrajapālaṃ subhagasucālaṃ hitamanukālaṃ bhāvavaraṃ .
bhaja nandakumāraṃ sarvasukhasāraṃ tattvavicāraṃ brahmaparam ..4..

(Salutations to Sri Nandakumara) who has a crown well-decorating his head, from which curly locks flow down; who has assumed the dress of a dancing actor and the beauty of that form excels the god of love,
who has assumed a human form through his power of maya, and became the younger brother of Haladhara (Balaram); who checked the demons and removed the weight of sins from the earth,
who is the beloved protector of vraja, bringing good fortune to the people and guiding them well; who is always a benefactor of everyone and feels deeply for his devotees.
worship that Nandakumara, the essence of all joy, by reflecting on his divine essence (which is) of the nature of supreme brahman.

इन्दीवरभासं प्रकटसुरासं कुसुमविकासं वंशिधरम् ।
हृतमन्मथमानं रूपनिधानं कृतकलगानं चित्तहरम् ॥
वल्लभमृदुहासं कुञ्जनिवासं विविधविलासं केलिकरं ।
भज नन्दकुमारं सर्वसुखसारं तत्त्वविचारं ब्रह्मपरम् ॥५॥

indīvarabhāsaṃ prakaṭasurāsaṃ kusumavikāsaṃ vaṃśidharam .
hṛtamanmathamānaṃ rūpanidhānaṃ kṛtakalagānaṃ cittaharam ..
vallabhamṛduhāsaṃ kuñjanivāsaṃ vividhavilāsaṃ kelikaraṃ .
bhaja nandakumāraṃ sarvasukhasāraṃ tattvavicāraṃ brahmaparam ..5..

(Salutations to Sri Nandakumara) who shine like the blossom of a blue lotus and manifests his divine plays like the blossom of the flowers, holding the divine flute in his hand,
who takes away the pride of manmatha through his repository of beauty, and playing melodious music with his flute, steals the heart of all,
who is extremely dear to all and has a gentle smile; who dwells in the grooves of Vrindavana and plays various divine plays with the gopis.
worship that Nandakumara, the essence of all joy, by reflecting on his divine essence (which is) of the nature of supreme brahman.

अतिपरप्रवीणं पालितदीनं भक्ताधीनं कर्मकरम् ।
मोहनमतिधीरं फणिबलवीरं हतपरवीरं तरलतरम् ॥
वल्लभव्रजरमणं वारिजवदनं हलधरशमनं शैलधरं ।
भज नन्दकुमारं सर्वसुखसारं तत्त्वविचारं ब्रह्मपरम् ॥६॥

atiparapravīṇaṃ pālitadīnaṃ bhaktādhīnaṃ karmakaram .
mohanamatidhīraṃ phaṇibalavīraṃ hataparavīraṃ taralataram ..
vallabhavrajaramaṇaṃ vārijavadanaṃ haladharaśamanaṃ śailadharaṃ .
bhaja nandakumāraṃ sarvasukhasāraṃ tattvavicāraṃ brahmaparam ..6..

(Salutations to Sri Nandakumara) who is very skillful and wise, and protects the distressed; who is under the control of his devotees and performs his duties in a steady manner,
who is very captivating as well as composed, and who with his elder brother Balavira (i.e. Balarama), the incarnation of serpent Shesha, killed mighty enemies; who is also extremely playful,
who is very dear to the gopis of vraja and delights them with his lotus-like face; who pacifies the anger of Haladhara (i.e. Balarama) and lifted the Govardhana mountain.
worship that Nandakumara, the essence of all joy, by reflecting on his divine essence (which is) of the nature of supreme brahman.

जलधरद्युतिअङ्गं ललितत्रिभङ्गं बहुकृतरङ्गं रसिकवरम् ।
गोकुलपरिवारं मदनाकारं कुञ्जविहारं गूढतरम् ॥
वल्लभव्रजचन्द्रं सुभगसुछन्दं कृतआनन्दं भ्रान्तिहरं ।
भज नन्दकुमारं सर्वसुखसारं तत्त्वविचारं ब्रह्मपरम् ॥७॥

jaladharadyutiaṅgaṃ lalitatribhaṅgaṃ bahukṛtaraṅgaṃ rasikavaram .
gokulaparivāraṃ madanākāraṃ kuñjavihāraṃ gūḍhataram ..
vallabhavrajacandraṃ subhagasuchandaṃ kṛtaānandaṃ bhrāntiharaṃ .
bhaja nandakumāraṃ sarvasukhasāraṃ tattvavicāraṃ brahmaparam ..7..

(Salutations to Sri Nandakumara) whose body has the splendour of rain-clouds and bends in three-parts in playful attitude, who performed many plays and is a great rasika (one who delight in rasa or love plays),
who treats the entire gokula as a great family, and with his beautiful form which is like Madana (god of love), moves about in the grooves of vraja performing his divine plays; who is also very mysterious,
who is the beloved moon of vraja, bringing good fortune to all, and with his alluring form he gives great joy to all, taking away the delusion and monotony from life,
worship that Nandakumara, the essence of all joy, by reflecting on his divine essence (which is) of the nature of supreme brahman.

वन्दितयुगचरणं पावनकरणं जगदुद्धरणं विमलधरम् ।
कालियशिरगमनं कृतफणिनमनं घातितयमनं मृदुलतरम् ॥
वल्लभदुःखहरणं निर्मलचरणम् अशरणशरणं मुक्तिकरं ।
भज नन्दकुमारं सर्वसुखसारं तत्त्वविचारं ब्रह्मपरम् ॥८॥

vanditayugacaraṇaṃ pāvanakaraṇaṃ jagaduddharaṇaṃ vimaladharam .
kāliyaśiragamanaṃ kṛtaphaṇinamanaṃ ghātitayamanaṃ mṛdulataram ..
vallabhaduḥkhaharaṇaṃ nirmalacaraṇam aśaraṇaśaraṇaṃ muktikaraṃ .
bhaja nandakumāraṃ sarvasukhasāraṃ tattvavicāraṃ brahmaparam ..8..

(Salutations to Sri Nandakumara) whose pair of feet is extolled by the devotees; that pair of feet which make everything pure and uplift the world; that pair of feet which has embodied purity itself,
who moving about over the head of serpent Kaliya, bent its hood and danced over them, after destroying its deadly bind with his soft and tender body,
who is the beloved of the devotees and takes away their sorrows, and his pure holy feet gives refuge to those who are without refuge, and finally grants them liberation,
worship that Nandakumara, the essence of all joy, by reflecting on his divine essence (which is) of the nature of supreme brahman.

Description

Composed by Sri Vallabhacharya. Yet another beautiful octet about the thief of hearts (of both men and women), the dream lover of all women, the tall, dark, handsome flute player Shree Krishna. This octet by Shree Vallabhacharya describes the activities of Nanda’s beloved son and hence Shree Krishna is described as Nanda Kumara (Son of Nanda). Shree Krishna had hardly entered his teens when he was taken to Mathura to kill the evil Kamsa and be re-united with his biological parents.