The Essence of Elation
The glory and description of the ever joyous God
Sanskrit: Vande Vandyam Sadaanandam
Kannada: Krishnamurthy kannamunde
Nearest meaning in English:
The essence of sheer joy, the destroyer of defects,
Sri Vaasudeva, worshipped by all
The one who grants boons to everyone
The one who grants boons to the likes of Bramha and others
O lord of Indira, I bow to thee.
The lord of the universe whose divine feet are kissed
By the bowed crowns of the entourage of celestials His is the brilliance that lights up the sun and our hearts
O husband of Shree, I bow to your lotus feet.
Pleasantly draped in a gold-coloured silken garment
Tied and held together by a golden girdle
The cherished seat of the mother of the world
Such is the glory of Naarayana’s thighs.
The one which can only be lovingly clasped by Rama
The one marked with the three creases
Extremely slender yet holds the cosmos within
Such is the awesomeness of Jagadeesha’s waist.
That which has no end or beginning, yet appears to be bounded
Nestled between the strong and long arms
The chosen abode of Ramaa
Such is the expansiveness of Srihari’s chest.
The muscular arms which hold
The conch, discus, mace and lotus
Whose only task is to hold up the entire universe
Such are the powerful arms of the lord.
The throat of Hari is the fountainhead of the Vedas The lustre of the jewel ‘Kaustubha’ is illuminated and
Enhanced by the radiance of Hari’s neck.
Those who have been roasted by the oppressive heat of life
Are granted a life-giving coolness
By the mere memory of the lotus face of Maadhava
Which even a thousand moonrises cannot rival.
Like the brimming overflow of a filled pot
His smile escapes through his parted lips
The mere thought of Srihari’s smiling face
Is enough to grant one, eternal bliss.
Ever ready to cool the hearts
Of those troubled by the burns inflicted by life
With the waters of joy and kindness
Such is the tender gaze of the ocean of compassion Sriraamachandra
He grants the ultimate Bramha-padavi (title)
He grants freedom to his devotees
The one who is waited upon by Bramha and other gods
Achieves everything by a mere twitch of his eyebrow.
Only constant remembrance of Hari throughout one’s life
Can ensure his remembrance at the time of death
O one who cannot be fathomed by even Bramha and others... He is... infinite!