Damodarashtakam (Namamishvaram): Meaning, Verses & How to Sing in Kartik Month

Quick answer: The Damodarashtakam is a hymn of eight verses (ashtaka) from the Uttara Khanda of the Padma Purana, spoken by the sage Satyavrata Muni in a conversation with Narada Muni and Shaunaka Rishi. It glorifies Lord Krishna as 'Damodara' — the child who was bound (dama) at the belly (udara) by mother Yashoda with a rope. Beginning with the words 'Namamishvaram sac-cid-ananda-rupam', it is the central hymn sung during the sacred month of Kartik, especially in the Gaudiya Vaishnava and ISKCON traditions, while offering ghee lamps to the deity of Damodara.

Among the most beloved devotional hymns of the Vaishnava tradition, the Damodarashtakam holds a special place in the hearts of Krishna devotees. Recited with rising fervour throughout the sacred month of Kartik, this eight-verse prayer celebrates one of the tenderest episodes in Krishna's childhood — the moment mother Yashoda bound the infant Lord at his waist with a simple rope of love.

Its very first line, 'Namamishvaram sac-cid-ananda-rupam', has become the signature sound of Kartik evenings in temples and homes across the world, sung softly as small ghee lamps are lifted in offering before an image of baby Krishna.

What is the Damodarashtakam?

The Damodarashtakam (Sanskrit for 'the eight verses in praise of Damodara') is a hymn of eight stanzas drawn from the Uttara Khanda of the Padma Purana, one of the eighteen major Puranas of the Hindu tradition. The name combines dama (rope) and udara (belly) — 'the Lord who was bound at the belly by a rope' — recalling how the tiny Krishna was tied to a grinding mortar by his mother.

The verses are set within a sacred conversation: they are spoken by the sage Satyavrata Muni to Narada Muni and Shaunaka Rishi, as an instruction on the glories of the Kartik vrata (the vow observed in the month of Kartik) and the surpassing sweetness of loving devotion to Krishna.

Key facts at a glance

The Damodara-lila: how Krishna was bound

The hymn draws its emotion from a famous pastime described in the tenth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam and cherished throughout Vaishnava literature. One morning in Gokula, mother Yashoda was churning butter herself, singing of her darling child's deeds. The infant Krishna, wanting to be fed, climbed into her lap; she picked him up to nurse him but then, remembering milk boiling over on the stove, set him down and hurried away.

Displeased, little Krishna broke the butter pot with a stone and began eating the fresh butter. When Yashoda returned and saw the mischief, she took up a stick to gently discipline him. The child ran, and she chased after — until, out of her own maternal love, the Lord who is beyond all reach allowed himself to be caught.

Yashoda then tried to tie him to a wooden grinding mortar. Yet every rope she brought fell short by two fingers' width — for the unlimited Lord cannot be measured or bound by any material means. Only when she was exhausted, and Krishna saw her sincere love and effort, did he willingly submit to being bound. From this pastime he received the eternal name Damodara — 'he who is bound at the belly.'

The lesson at the heart of the story is profound: the Supreme Lord, whom no power in the universe can control, is conquered by nothing except pure, selfless love (prema). This is the theme the Damodarashtakam sings again and again.

The famous opening verse

The first verse of the hymn is the most widely recited. In IAST transliteration it reads:

namamishvaram sac-cid-ananda-rupam / lasat-kundalam gokule bhrajamanam / yashoda-bhiyolukhalad dhavamanam / paramrishtam atyantato drutya gopya

A simple translation: 'To the Supreme Controller, whose form is eternity, knowledge and bliss; whose earrings sway and glisten as he shines in Gokula; who, in fear of mother Yashoda, is running away from the wooden grinding mortar — only to be caught from behind by the gopi who ran after him faster still — to that Lord I offer my humble obeisances.'

In this single stanza the whole mood is set: the transcendental Lord (ishvaram) is shown as the frightened, fleeing child, captured by a mother's love — the paradox of the almighty made small and sweet.

The theme: bound by love, not by force

Across its eight verses, the Damodarashtakam turns from the pastime itself to the devotee's own heart. The poet declares that he does not pray for liberation, nor for wealth, nor even for residence in the spiritual world — he asks only that the beautiful form of Damodara, with the rope around his waist, may appear within his heart and never leave.

This is the essence of bhakti as the tradition understands it: the goal of devotion is not personal reward but loving service and the constant remembrance of the Lord's sweetness. The rope of Yashoda becomes a symbol of the bond of love that ties the devotee to God.

What the eight verses cover

• Obeisances to the child Krishna running from Yashoda (verse 1)
• The beauty of his tearful, lamp-lit face and the rope at his waist (verse 2)
• A prayer that only Damodara's loving form be remembered above all opulence (verse 3)
• The rejection of impersonal liberation in favour of Krishna's sweet pastimes (verse 4)
• The glory of his lotus feet and the mercy shown even to the sons of Kuvera (verses 5 to 7)
• A final surrender and plea for pure, causeless devotion (verse 8)

When and how the Damodarashtakam is sung

The Damodarashtakam is above all the hymn of Kartik — the holiest month of the Vaishnava calendar, falling roughly across October and November. Kartik is also called Damodara masa, the month of Damodara, and observing the Kartik vrata is considered especially dear to Krishna.

The most cherished observance is the daily offering of a ghee lamp (deepa-dana) to a small deity or image of baby Damodara, performed each evening throughout the month. As the lamp is lifted and gently circled before the Lord, devotees sing the Damodarashtakam together, verse by verse.

1. Set up a clean altar with an image or deity of baby Krishna (Damodara).
2. Prepare a small lamp with pure ghee and a cotton wick, ideally offered at dusk.
3. Light the lamp and offer it to the Lord, circling it before the deity.
4. Sing or recite the eight verses of the Damodarashtakam with attention and love.
5. Offer a short prayer, remembering Yashoda's love and Krishna's mercy.
6. Repeat daily through the month of Kartik, ideally at the same time each evening.

While Kartik is the peak season for the hymn, many devotees recite it throughout the year as part of their daily worship, and it is a standard part of temple programs in the Gaudiya Vaishnava and ISKCON communities worldwide.

The benefits of reciting the Damodarashtakam

The Padma Purana and the tradition that carries this hymn describe great spiritual blessings for those who sing it with devotion during Kartik:

• Deepening of pure love (prema) for Krishna, the very goal of the hymn.
• The purifying merit of offering lamps to the Lord in the month most dear to him.
• Freedom from material entanglement through sincere remembrance of Krishna's pastimes.
• The softening of the heart, as one meditates on the tender bond between Yashoda and her child.
• The blessing of steady devotion that asks nothing in return but loving service.

Devotees emphasise, however, that the true 'benefit' the hymn itself requests is not any material gain, but simply that the Lord's sweet, love-bound form should live forever in the heart of the one who prays.

A hymn of tender devotion

The Damodarashtakam endures because it captures a truth that theology alone cannot: that the infinite God allows himself to be held by the love of a devotee, as gladly as an infant is held in his mother's arms. Whether sung in a great temple or beside a single flickering ghee lamp at home, its eight verses invite every heart into the intimate courtyard of Gokula — to watch Yashoda tie her rope, and to pray that the same rope of love may bind us to the Lord forever.

As Kartik returns each year, the soft refrain of 'Namamishvaram' rises again in countless homes, keeping alive one of the most beautiful pastimes and prayers in all of Hindu devotion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Damodarashtakam?

It is an eight-verse hymn from the Uttara Khanda of the Padma Purana that glorifies baby Krishna as Damodara — the child bound at the belly with a rope by mother Yashoda. It is sung especially during the sacred month of Kartik.

What does the word Damodara mean?

Damodara combines dama (rope) and udara (belly): 'one who is bound at the belly by a rope.' It refers to the pastime in which mother Yashoda tied the infant Krishna to a grinding mortar out of maternal love.

Who spoke the Damodarashtakam?

According to the Padma Purana, the verses were spoken by the sage Satyavrata Muni in a conversation with Narada Muni and Shaunaka Rishi, while explaining the glories of the Kartik vrata.

How many verses are in the Damodarashtakam?

There are eight verses. The word ashtakam itself means 'a group of eight,' referring to the eight stanzas of the hymn.

When is the Damodarashtakam sung?

It is chiefly sung throughout the month of Kartik (roughly October to November), also called Damodara masa, especially while offering a ghee lamp to Damodara each evening. Many devotees also recite it daily year-round.

What is the first line of the Damodarashtakam?

The hymn opens with 'namamishvaram sac-cid-ananda-rupam, lasat-kundalam gokule bhrajamanam,' offering obeisances to the Supreme Lord whose form is eternity, knowledge and bliss, shining beautifully in Gokula.

What is the main theme of the Damodarashtakam?

Its central theme is that the all-powerful Lord, whom no force can control, is conquered only by pure, selfless love. The devotee prays not for liberation or wealth but only that Krishna's rope-bound form remain in the heart forever.

Why is a ghee lamp offered while singing it?

Offering a ghee lamp (deepa-dana) to Damodara each evening in Kartik is considered especially dear to Krishna. The Damodarashtakam is traditionally recited during this lamp offering as an act of loving devotion.