English Renditions

Bhaja hure mana in English.

It's starting to come together for Janmastami, where we will be playing.

I will work on my singing over this next week. I don't have a lot of natural talent so I have to work hard to get my voice to hit the notes. A week of practice will make it a lot better.

To get things to this point I've been putting more of my available energy into getting the band together than my own musical performance. This week the focus changes.

Here are a couple of demo tracks for you. These are the scratch tracks I give to the other members of my band (which still doesn't have a name - suggestions welcome). They then use the track to learn the tracks before we get together to rehearse them.

The vocal track is just a guide and is done in one take, after I've recorded everything else. I will eventually get around to doing proper recordings. In the meantime, you'll have to be satisfied with these scratch tracks.

• Mantra funk - (.mp3, 9.5MB, 10 min) I show some love to Jamiroquai and James Brown. I've been getting into playing bass lately. This one has a guide drum track from my workstation. Luke, our drummer, cut his arm in an accident and is out of action for another two months.
• O My Mind (.mp3, 6 MB, 6 mins) - An english rendition of Govinda das Kaviraja's "Bhaja hure mana". I do this is practically every program where I get to sing, so the peeps are quite familiar with it. It's nice to hear people singing along with this live. In this recording, made last night, Prahlad sings backing vocals.

Here is a Hare Krishna Christmas Carol for y'all, from our pre-Christmas Climate Change Harinam in Ashgrove, Brisbane, Australia:

Here's a shot of the harinam team from the day:

The sun is right in my eyes in this shot. When we're on harinam it's much better if people can see our eyes, but moments like these I can appreciate why devotees wear sunglasses.

There has been a proliferation of English versions of Damodarastakam over the past couple of weeks - a veritable plethora of versions have popped out of the woodwork.

I'm personally going with Krishna Dharma prabhu's version at the moment. As I promised earlier, here is a recording of it, made at a recent Sunday Feast.

It's 24 minutes long. If you just listen to the music then it will be boring. If you get into the subject matter it's a different experience.

We didn't try anything dynamic when we played it. Since we were recording it as a reference version I didn't want to take any risks.

At home daily we are singing it straight through, no call-and-response, and this cuts it down to 12 - 15 minutes.

• Download Krishna Dharma's Damodarastakam (English rendition) 11MB, 24 minutes, .mp3

There's Krishna Dharma prabhu to the left (click on him to go to his site), and here are the lyrics to the song:

(1)
namamisvaram sac-cid-ananda-rupam
lasat-kundalam gokule bhrajamanam
yasoda-bhiyolukhalad dhavamanam
paramrstam atyantato drutya gopya

I bow down to Damodara, the form of full joy,
eternity and wisdom, within Vrindavan.
Whose shining earrings swung as he so swiftly ran
from mother Yashoda who caught that naughty boy.

(2)
rudantam muhur netra-yugmam mrjantam
karambhoja-yugmena satanka-netram
muhuh svasa-kampa-trirekhanka-kantha-
sthita-graivam damodaram bhakti-baddham

Captured by Yashoda, crying repeatedly,
he rubs his reddish eyes with his trembling hands.
On his conchlike neck his necklace shakes as he pants.
I bow down to Damodara, bound but by bhakti

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

Thus bathing Gokula in a great lake of bliss;
he shows love defeats him, devoid of reverence.
Conquered only by those in complete confidence,
I offer him unlimited loving praises.

(4)
varam deva moksam na moksavadhim va
na canyam vrne ‘ham varesad apiha
idam te vapur natha gopala-balam
sada me manasy avirastam kim anyaih

I beg not from you Lord, who can grant any boon,
even liberation or life in your abode.
Let memories of Gopala be ever bestowed,
for what other favour offers such great fortune?

(5)
idam te mukhambhojam atyanta-nilair
vrtam kuntalaih snigdha-raktais ca gopya
muhus cumbitam bimba-raktadharam me
manasy avirastam alam laksa-labhaih

Your dark, crimson hued curls encircle your face,
lovely like a lotus, with lips of ruby red;
kissed by Yashoda; within my mind be seated.
A billion other boons could not grant such grace

(6)
namo deva damodarananta visno
prasida prabho duhkha-jalabdhi-magnam
krpa-drsti-vrstyati-dinam batanu
grhanesa mam ajnam edhy aksi-drsyah

O Damodara, Ananta, O almighty Vishnu,
I fall down prostrate, pray be pleased upon me.
Blinded and sinking in a sea of misery,
grace me with your glance that I shall ever see you.

(7)
kuveratmajau baddha-murtyaiva yadvat
tvaya mocitau bhakti-bhajau krtau ca
tatha prema-bhaktim svakam me prayaccha
na mokse graho me ’sti damodareha

Dear Damodara, the sons of Kuvera you saved,
while a baby, by breaking the trees they became.
As you granted them prema, pray grant me the same,
I want not salvation, your love alone I crave.

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

I bow down to the bright rope that binds your belly,
within which the cosmos is completely contained.
To your beloved Radha I bow yet again,
and to you the hero who plays wonderfully.

Since Eric is on a New Vrndavan nostalgia trip, here is a recording of Mother Bhavisya singing "Within Vrndavan's Woods and Groves", an english rendition of "Jaya Radha Madhava". Mother Bhavisya's singing is accompanied by beautiful instrumentation, I believe the work of NV Musical Director Hrishikesh das (Henry Doktorski).

Hrishikesh prabhu wrote some great papers about New Vrndavan and the musical tradition there. Some are available online, but I can't find them right now. Maybe Chopper Dave knows where to get them?

You can get copies of the music to the song and others, as well as recording of the NV Choir singing them, from Henry Doktorski's online store at ebay.

• Download Vrndavan's Woods (.mp3)

Within Vrndavan's woods and groves
Lord Krishna and Radha unite
To taste the joy of spiritual love
All glories to this holy sight

Yasoda mata's darling son
Jamuna river's pride and joy
The treasure of all devotees
All glories to this cowherd boy

Lyrics by H.H Umapati Swami.