The play of the Sweet Absolute as described in full.

Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj has commented:

“In Sri Damodarastakam, Satyavrata Muni wrote many merciful verses. You are so fortunate to hear the meanings of that composition. If you chant or hear this composition once every day, you will attain the service of Radha and Krishna under the guidance of the sakhis. The Damodarastakam contains full Krishna-lila, and it has very mercifully appeared to us.”

Sri Sri Damodarastakam

namamisvaram sachchidananda-rupam
lasat-kundalam gokule bhrajamanam
yasoda-bhiyolukhalad dhavamanam
paramrstam atyantato drutya gopya [1]

namami–I offer my obeisance isvaram–to the Lord, rupam–the embodiment sat–of eternal, chit–spiritual, ananda–joy. [His] kundalam–earrings lasat–sway [as] bhrajamanam–He shines gokule–in Gokula. bhiya–in fear yasoda–of Yasoda, dhavamanam–He runs ulukhalat–from the wooden mortar [but is] amrstam–caught para–from behind gopya–by the cowherd women [that] drutya–ran atyantatah–faster [than Him]. [1]

I offer my obeisance to the Supreme Lord, the embodiment of eternal spiritual joy. His earrings sway as He shines in Gokula. In fear of Mother Yasoda, He runs from the wooden mortar but is caught from behind by her, who ran faster than Him.

rudantam muhur netra-yugmam mrjantam
karambhoja-yugmena satanka-netram
muhuh svasa-kampa-trirekhanka-kantha-
sthita-graiva-damodaram bhakti-baddham [2]

rudantam–He cries [and] muhuh–repeatedly mrjantam–rubs [His] netra-yugmam–eyes [with His] ambhoja–lotus-like kara yugmena–hands. [His] netram–eyes [are] satanka–fearful, svasa–He breathes muhuh–repeatedly [and] kampa–shakes graiva–the necklace sthita–situated kantha–on [His] neck, [which is] anka–marked tri–by three rekha–lines, [and He, with] dama–a rope [around His] udaram–waist, [is] baddham–bound bhakti–by devotion. [2]

He cries and repeatedly rubs His eyes with His lotus hands. His eyes are filled with fear. He pants and shakes the necklace around His neck, which is marked by three lines. With a rope around His waist, He is bound by devotion.

itidrk sva-lilabhir ananda-kunde
sva-ghosam nimajjantam akhyapayantam
tadiyesita-jnesu bhaktair jitatvam
punah prematas tam satavrtti vande [3]

[With] idrk–such sva-lilabhih–Pastimes of His iti–as this, nimajjantam–He submerges sva-ghosam–His companions kunde–in a pool ananda–of joy [and] akhyapayantam–proclaims jnesu–to those who know [only] tadiya–of His isita–majesty [that He is] jitatvam–conquered bhaktaih–by devotion. prematah–Out of love, vande–I offer my obeisance tam–to Him sata–hundreds punah–and hundreds avrtti–of times. [3]

With such Pastimes, He submerges His companions in a pool of joy and proclaims to those who know only His majesty that He is conquered by devotion. Out of love, I offer my obeisance to Him hundreds and hundreds of times.

varam deva moksam na moksavadhim va
na chanyam vrne ’ham varesad apiha
idan te vapur natha gopala-balam
sada me manasy avirastam kim anyaih [4]

deva–O Lord! aham–I vrne–desire na–neither varam–the boon moksam–of liberation, na–nor avadhim–the highest form moksa–of liberation, va–nor cha anyam–any other [boon from You] iha–here (in Vrndavan), api–although [You are] isat–the controller vara–of [all] boons. natha–O Lord! [May] idam–this gopala–cowherd balam–boy vapuh–form te–of Yours sada–always avirastam–be manifest [in] me–my manasi–heart. kim–What anyaih–of [anything] else? [4]

O Lord! I desire neither the boon of liberation, nor the highest form of liberation (residence in Vaikuntha), nor anything else from You here, although You are the giver of all boons. O Lord! May Your cowherd boy form always be manifest in my heart. What need is there for anything else?

idan te mukhambhojam avyakta-nilair
vrtam kuntalaih snigdha-raktais cha gopya
muhus chumbitam bimba-raktadharam me
manasy avirastam alam laksa-labhaih [5]

[May] idam–this ambhojam–lotus mukha–face te–of Yours, [which is] vrtam–surrounded kuntalaih–by hair [that is] avyakta–dark nilaih–blue, snigdha–shiny, [and] raktaih–reddened, cha–and [which is] muhuh–repeatedly chumbitam–kissed gopya–by the cowherd woman, [and Your] bimba–bimba-fruit rakta–red adharam–lips, avirastam–be manifest [in] me–my manasi–heart. alam–Enough laksa–with hundreds of thousands labhaih–of [other] boons. [5]

May Your bright red lips and Your lotus face, which is repeatedly kissed by Mother Yasoda and surrounded by Your shiny, dark blue, reddened locks, be manifest within my heart. Thousands of other boons are meaningless to me.

namo deva damodarananta visno
prasida prabho duhkha-jalabdhi-magnam
krpa-drsti-vrstyatidinam batanu-
grhanesa mam ajnam edhy aksi-drsyah [6]

[My] namah–obeisance [to You,] ananta–O infinite, visno–all-pervading, deva–Lord, [whose] udara–belly [is bound] dama–by a rope! prasida–Be pleased, prabho–O Master! [I am] magnam–submerged abdhi–in an ocean jala–of illusory duhkha–sorrow. bata–Oh! anugrhana–Please grace mam–me, [who am] atidinam–very poor [and] ajnam–ignorant, vrstya–with the shower krpa–of [Your] merciful drsti–glance. isa–O Lord, edhi–please become drsyah–visible aksi–to [my] eyes. [6]

My obeisance to You, O infinite, all-pervading Lord whose belly is bound with a rope! Be pleased, O Master! I am submerged in an ocean of sorrow. Oh! Please grace me, a very poor and ignorant soul, with the shower of Your merciful glance. O Lord, please appear before my eyes.

kuveratmajau baddha-murtyaiva yadvat
tvaya mochitau bhakti-bhajau krtau cha
tatha prema-bhaktim svakam me prayachchha
na mokse graho me ’sti damodareha [7]

yadvat–As atmajau–the sons kuvera–of Kuvera [were] mochitau–liberated cha–and krtau–made bhajau–recipients bhakti–of devotion tvaya–by You eva–even while [Your] murtya–form [was] baddha–bound, tatha–so prayachchha–please give me–me svakam–Your own prema–loving bhaktim–devotion. iha–In this regard, asti me–I have na–no grahah–interest mokse–in liberation, damodara–O Lord whose belly is bound by a rope! [7]

As You liberated and gave devotion to the two sons of Kuvera even while Your body was bound (by Mother Yasoda), so please give me loving devotion to You. Here, I have no interest in liberation, O Lord whose belly is bound by a rope!

namas te ’stu damne sphurad-dipti-dhamne
tvadiyodarayatha visvasya dhamne
namo radhikayai tvadiya-priyayai
namo ’nanta-lilaya devaya tubhyam [8]

[Let my] namah–obeisance astu–be te–to Your, damne–rope [which is] sphurat–a splendourous dipti–bright dhamne–abode [around Your belly], [and] atha–then [to] tvadiya–Your udaraya–belly, dhamne–the shelter visvasya–of the universe. [My] namah–obeisance radhikayai–to Radhika, tvadiya–Your priyayai–beloved, [and my] namah–obeisance tubhyam–to You devaya–to the Lord lilaya–whose Pastimes [are] ananta–infinite. [8]

Let me offer my obeisance to the bright, splendourous rope (by which You are bound) and then to Your belly, which is the shelter of the universe. Let me offer my obeisance to Radhika, Your beloved, and let me offer my obeisance to You, O Lord, whose Pastimes are infinite.

References

The Pastime of Mother Yasoda’s binding Krishna took place today on Dipavali (Sri Sarartha-darsini: 10.9.1).

trayya chopanisadbhis cha sankhya-yogais cha satvataih
upagiyamana-mahatmyam harim samanyatatmajam
(Srimad Bhagavatam: 10.8.45)

“The Lord whose glories are sung by the three Vedas, the Upanisads, the Sankhya scriptures, the Yoga-sutras, and the Vaisnava scriptures—Mother Yasoda considers Him to be her own son.”

nandah kim akarod brahman sreya evam mahodayam
yasoda va mahabhaga papau yasyah stanam harih
(Srimad Bhagavatam: 10.8.46)

“The Lord drank from the breasts of greatly fortunate Yasoda. O brahman, what sort of extraordinary auspicious activities did she and Nanda Maharaj perform?”

svamatuh svinna-gatraya visrasta-kabara-srajah
drstva parisramam krsnah krpayasit svabandhane
(Srimad Bhagavatam: 10.9.18)

“Seeing His mother’s sweating body, falling braids and flower decorations, and exertion, Krishna mercifully allowed Himself to be bound.”

evam sandarsita hy anga harina bhrtya-vasyata
svavasenapi krsnena yasyedam sesvaram vase
(Srimad Bhagavatam: 10.9.19)

“The self-controlled Lord, Sri Krishna, by whom the entire world and all the gods are controlled, thus showed His quality of being controlled by His servants.”

nemam virincho na bhavo na srir apy anga-samsraya
prasadam lebhire gopi yat tat prapa vimukti-dat
(Srimad Bhagavatam: 10.9.20)

“Neither Brahma, nor Siva, nor even Laksmi, who resides on the Lord’s chest, attained from Krishna, the giver of the highest liberation, the grace that Mother Yasoda did.”

nayam sukhapo bhagavan dehinam gopika-sutah
jnaninan chatma-bhutanam yatha bhakti-matam iha
(Srimad Bhagavatam: 10.9.21)

“The Lord, the son of Yasoda, is not as easily attained by those who identify with the body, by those who understand the soul, or by devotees who are self-satisfied, as He is by devotees here (devotees who serve the Lord under the guidance of the Lord’s servants in Vraja).”