The Śrī Dāmodarāṣṭakaṁ prayer with eight slokas (verses) is sung daily during the month of Damodara. This is verse 7, with purport explained by Visnujana Swami.
कुवेरात्मजौ बद्ध-मूर्त्यैव यद्वत्
त्वया मोचितौ भक्ति-भाजौ कृतौ च
तथा प्रेम-भक्तिं स्वकां मे प्रयच्छ
न मोक्षे ग्रहो मे ‘स्ति दामोदरेह ॥ ७॥
kuverātmajau baddha-mūrtyaiva yadvat
tvayā mocitau bhakti-bhājau kṛtau ca
tathā prema-bhaktiṁ svakāṁ me prayaccha
na mokṣe graho me ‘sti dāmodareha ॥ 7॥
kuvera-ātmajau–the two sons of Kuvera (named Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva); baddha-mūrtyā-eva–by He whose divine form was bound with ropes to the grinding mortar; yat-vat–since they were like that (cursed by Nārada to take birth as twin arjuna trees); tvayā–by You; mocitau–they who were liberated; bhakti-bhājau–the recipients of devotional service; kṛtau–You made them; ca–also; tathā–then; premabhaktim–loving devotion; svakām–Your own; me–unto me; prayaccha– please give; na mokṣe–not for liberation; grahaḥ–enthusiasm; me–my; asti–is; dāmodara–O Lord Dāmodara!; iha–this.
Translation
7) O Lord Damodara, in Your form as a baby, Mother Yasoda bound You to a grinding stone with a rope for tying cows, You then freed the sons of Kuvera, Manigriva, and Nalakuvera, who were cursed to stand as trees, and You gave them the chance to become Your devotees. Please bless me in this same way, I have no desire for liberation into Your effulgence.
Purport by Visnujana Swami
This verse reveals deep truths about prema-visesa, pure ecstatic love for Krishna. Beginning with kuveratmajau, the two sons of Kuvera are introduced. They were able to obtain the direct vision of the Lord. But isn’t prema-bhakti the only means for seeing the Lord face to face? And having once seen the Lord, doesn’t the agony of separation set in upon losing that vision? This is the feature of prema-bhakti that brings the Lord under the sway of the pure devotee’s love.
How did the two reprobates get such mercy? The answer is that by the quality of Sri Krishna’s love, bhakta-vatsala, the impossible becomes possible. To honor the word of His pure devotee Narada Muni, who gave the benediction that they would see the Lord face to face, the Lord actually delivers these two brothers. Did they ever do anything to deserve this? No. It is simply causeless mercy!
“Although these two young men are the sons of the very rich Kuvera and I have nothing to do with them, Devarsi Narada is My very dear and affectionate devotee, and therefore because He wanted Me to come face to face with them, I must do so for their deliverance.” Srimad Bhagavatam 10.10.25.
The purport is that Krishna is bound by the love of Sri Narada. This is His quality of bhakta-vatsala. Therefore He utilizes the wooden grinding mortar to pull down the two trees that are actually the two brothers. By the mercy of the pure devotee, Narada Muni, they received the mercy of the Lord. Similarly, by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, we can receive the same benediction.
By baddha-murtyaiva, we understand that the Lord has agreed to be bound with rope and tied to the wooden mortar. But even though He is tied up, He liberates Manigriva and Nalakuvara. The word mocitau indicates they are liberated from samsara, repeated birth and death, not only from Sri Narada’s curse. Furthermore, the two boys are then given bhaktibhajau, the benediction of prema-bhakti. They are now counted amongst the pure devotees known as bhakti-bhajam, those who can never give up the shelter of devotional service.
With the statement tatha prema-bhaktim svakam me prayaccha, Satyavrata Muni requests, “Please benedict me also with prema-bhakti in the same way”. The word svakam denotes the exclusive shelter of Krishna’s own lotus feet or His own beautiful form, the exclusive object of meditation. “I have no desire for personal liberation,” (na mokse graho me ‘sti damodareha).
Even though the Lord may offer liberation (moksa), the answer is no (na). Other than this (iha), referring to prema-bhakti, I am not eager (grahah) for anything else. The mood is that if one can obtain prema-bhakti, then why care for the insignificance of liberation from material life? Another meaning of lila indicates Vrindavan, where prema-bhakti is predominant, and where Sri Krishna is always present.
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