Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam - Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī

Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam - Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī

rādhā-mukunda-pada-sambhava-gharma-bindu-

nirmañchanopakaraṇī-kṛta-deha-lakṣām

uttuṅga-sauhṛda-viśeṣa-vaśāt pragalbhāṁ

devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi (1)

I offer praṇāma unto the haughty Śrī Lalitā-devī who is charmingly endowed with many beautiful, sweet qualities (sulalitā). She has natural expertise in all arts (lalitā), thus her sevā self-manifests. She wipes away the glittering drops of perspiration which appear upon the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhā and Mādhava when They meet; and she is perpetually immersed in the most elevated mellow of sauhṛda-rasa, or undivided absorption in fulfilling the heart’s desire of her intimate friend Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

rākā-sudhā-kiraṇa-maṇḍala-kānti-daṇḍi-

vaktra-śriyaṁ cakita-cāru-camūru-netrām

rādhā-prasādhana-vidhāna-kalā-prasiddhāṁ

devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi (2)

I offer praṇāma unto Śrī Lalitā-devī whose beautiful face mocks the brilliance of the full moon, whose eyes are ever-restless like those of a startled doe, who is famous for her extraordinary expertise in the art of dressing Śrīmatī Rādhikā, and who is the treasure-house of unlimited feminine qualities.

lāsyollasad-bhujaga-śatru-patatra-citra-

paṭṭāṁśukābharaṇa-kañculikāñcitāṅgīm

gorocanā-ruci-vigarhaṇa-gaurimāṇaṁ

devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi (3)

I offer praṇāma unto Śrī Lalitā-devī whose body is adorned with a splendid sārī as brilliant as the multi-coloured tail-feathers of an ecstatically dancing peacock, whose breast is covered with an exceedingly attractive blouse (kañculi), whose hair part is decorated with shimmering red vermilion, and who wears various necklaces and other jeweled ornaments. Her golden complexion defeats that of even gorocanā [bright golden pigment that comes when rain-water from svati-nakśatra hits the head of a qualified cow] and she possesses innumerable good qualities.

dhūrte vrajendra-tanaye tanu suṣṭhu-vāmyaṁ

mā dakṣiṇā bhāva kalaṅkini lāghavāya

rādhe giraṁ śṛṇu hitām iti śikṣayantīṁ

devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi (4)

I offer praṇāma unto Śrī Lalitā-devī, the charming treasure-house of all good qualities, who instructs Śrīmatī Rādhikā in this way: “O Kalaṅkini (unchaste one)! Rādhe! Listen to my good instructions which are favorable for you! Vrajendra-nandana is very crafty (dhūrta). Don’t display Your mood of gentle submission (dakṣiṇā bhāva) to Him; instead, in all circumstances be contrary.”

rādhām abhi-vraja-pateḥ kṛtam ātmajena

kūṭaṁ manāg api vilokya vilohitākṣīm

vāg-bhaṅgibhis tam acireṇa vilajjayantīṁ

devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi (5)

I offer praṇāma unto the abode of all good qualities, the supremely charming Śrī Lalitā-devī, who, upon hearing Śrī Kṛṣṇa speak even a few sly words to Śrīmatī Rādhikā, immediately becomes furious and shames Kṛṣṇa with her biting, sarcastic remarks, “You are so truthful and simple-hearted, and such a chaste lover!”

vātsalya-vṛnda-vasatiṁ paśupāla-rājṣyāḥ

sakhyānuśikṣaṇa-kalāsu guruṁ sakhīnām

rādhā-balāvaraja-jīvita-nirviśeṣāṁ

devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi (6)

I offer praṇāma unto the supremely charming Śrī Lalitā-devī, who possesses all divine qualities; who is also the recipient of Yaśodā-devī’s parental affection; the guru of all the sakhīs, instructing them in the art of friendship; and the very life of both Śrīmatī Rādhikā and the younger brother of Baladeva.

yāṁ kām api vraja-kule vṛṣabhānu-jāyāḥ

prekṣya sva-pakṣa-padavīm anuruddhyamānām

sadyas tad-iṣṭa-ghaṭanena kṛtārthayantīṁ

devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi (7)

I offer praṇāma unto the supremely charming Śrī Lalitā-devī, the treasure-house of all good qualities. Upon seeing any young maiden anywhere in Vraja and discerning that she is inclined towards her priya-sakhī Śrīmatī Rādhikā, Lalitā immediately tells Rādhā that She must accept this person in Her own party (sva-pakṣa). Rādhā obeys Lalitā, who thus fulfills that maiden’s desires.

rādhā-vrajendra-suta-saṅgama-raṅga-caryāṁ

varyāṁ viniścitavatīm akhilotsavebhyaḥ

tāṁ gokula-priya-sakhī-nikuramba-mukhyāṁ

devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi (8)

I offer praṇāma unto Śrī Lalitā-devī, the embodiment of all divine virtues and the foremost of all the favorite sakhīs of Gokula. Her primary task is providing pleasure for Śrī Rādhā-Govinda by arranging Their meetings—this delightful sevā surpasses the enjoyment of all the best festivals combined together.

nandan amūni lalitā-guṇa-lālitāni

padyāni yaḥ paṭhati nirmala-dṛṣṭir aṣṭau

prītyā vikarṣati janaṁ nija-vṛnda-madhye

taṁ kīrtidā-pati-kulojjvala-kalpa-vallī (9)

If a person with a cheerful and pure heart recites this aṣṭaka in praise of Lalitā-devī, he will be affectionately brought into Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s own group of sakhīs. Lalitā-devī is superbly ornamented with beauty, grace and charm, and, along with Śrīmatī Rādhikā, is the effulgent wish-fulfilling creeper (kalpa-vallī) of Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja’s family that winds around the kalpa-vṛkṣa of Kṛṣṇa.