The Hare Krishna Movement

The following 25 verses (slokas) Prayers by Queen Kunti from the Srimad Bhagavatam were often quoted by Srila Prabhupada when giving lectures, and are so important that an entire book was published from the purports to these verses entitled “Teachings of Queen Kunti”. We encourage our readers to download the entire book by following the link at bottom of post for a free pdf file. You can also print these important slokas by clicking on the print icon following the post for easy reference to memorizing these famous slokas.

Srimad Bhagavatam
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Canto One, Chapter 8, Text 18-43

Prayers by Queen Kuntī Slokas

8.18

kunty uvāca

namasye puruṣaṁ tvādyam
īśvaraṁ prakṛteḥ param
alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām
antar bahir avasthitam

kuntī uvāca—Śrīmatī Kuntī said; namasye—let me bow down; puruṣam—the Supreme Person; tvā—You; ādyam—the original; īśvaram—the controller; prakṛteḥ—of the material cosmos; param—beyond; alakṣyam—the invisible; sarva—all; bhūtānām—of living beings; antaḥ—within; bahiḥ—without; avasthitam—existing.

Śrīmatī Kuntī said: O Kṛṣṇa, I offer my obeisances unto You because You are the original personality and are unaffected by the qualities of the material world. You are existing both within and without everything, yet You are invisible to all.

8.19

māyā-javanikācchannam
ajñādhokṣajam avyayam
na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā
naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā

māyā—deluding; javanikā—curtain; ācchannam—covered by; ajñā—ignorant; adhokṣajam—beyond the range of material conception (transcendental); avyayam—irreproachable; na—not; lakṣyase—observed; mūḍha-dṛśā—by the foolish observer; naṭaḥ—artist; nāṭya-dharaḥ—dressed as a player; yathā—as.

Being beyond the range of limited sense perception, You are the eternally irreproachable factor covered by the curtain of deluding energy. You are invisible to the foolish observer, exactly as an actor dressed as a player is not recognized.

8.20

tathā paramahaṁsānāṁ
munīnām amalātmanām
bhakti-yoga-vidhānārthaṁ
kathaṁ paśyema hi striyaḥ

tathā—besides that; paramahaṁsānām—of the advanced transcendentalists; munīnām—of the great philosophers or mental speculators; amala-ātmanām—those whose minds are competent to discern between spirit and matter; bhakti-yoga—the science of devotional service; vidhāna-artham—for executing; katham—how; paśyema—can observe; hi—certainly; striyaḥ—women.

You Yourself descend to propagate the transcendental science of devotional service unto the hearts of the advanced transcendentalists and mental speculators, who are purified by being able to discriminate between matter and spirit. How, then, can we women know You perfectly?

8.21

kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya
devakī-nandanāya ca
nanda-gopa-kumārāya
govindāya namo namaḥ

kṛṣṇāya—the Supreme Lord; vāsudevāya—unto the son of Vasudeva; devakī-nandanāya—unto the son of Devakī; ca—and; nanda-gopa—Nanda and the cowherd men; kumārāya—unto their son; govindāya—unto the Personality of Godhead, who enlivens the cows and the senses; namaḥ—respectful obeisances; namaḥ—obeisances.

Let me therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto the Lord, who has become the son of Vasudeva, the pleasure of Devakī, the boy of Nanda and the other cowherd men of Vṛndāvana, and the enlivener of the cows and the senses.

8.22

namaḥ paṅkaja-nābhāya
namaḥ paṅkaja-māline
namaḥ paṅkaja-netrāya
namas te paṅkajāṅghraye

namaḥ—all respectful obeisances; paṅkaja-nābhāya—unto the Lord who has a specific depression resembling a lotus flower in the center of His abdomen; namaḥ—obeisances; paṅkaja-māline—one who is always decorated with a garland of lotus flowers; namaḥ—obeisances; paṅkaja-netrāya—one whose glance is as cooling as a lotus flower; namaḥ te—respectful obeisances unto You; paṅkaja-aṅghraye—unto You, the soles of whose feet are engraved with lotus flowers (and who are therefore said to possess lotus feet).

My respectful obeisances are unto You, O Lord, whose abdomen is marked with a depression like a lotus flower, who are always decorated with garlands of lotus flowers, whose glance is as cool as the lotus and whose feet are engraved with lotuses.

8.23

yathā hṛṣīkeśa khalena devakī
kaṁsena ruddhāticiraṁ śucārpitā
vimocitāhaṁ ca sahātmajā vibho
tvayaiva nāthena muhur vipad-gaṇāt

yathā—as it were; hṛṣīkeśa—the master of the senses; khalena—by the envious; devakī—Devakī (the mother of Śrī Kṛṣṇa); kaṁsena—by King Kaṁsa; ruddhā—imprisoned; ati-ciram—for a long time; śuca-arpitā—distressed; vimocitā—released; aham ca—also myself; saha-ātma-jā—along with my children; vibho—O great one; tvayā eva—by Your Lordship; nāthena—as the protector; muhuḥ—constantly; vipat-gaṇāt—from a series of dangers.

O Hṛṣīkeśa, master of the senses and Lord of lords, You have released Your mother, Devakī, who was long imprisoned and distressed by the envious King Kaṁsa, and me and my children from a series of constant dangers.

8..24

viṣān mahāgneḥ puruṣāda-darśanād
asat-sabhāyā vana-vāsa-kṛcchrataḥ
mṛdhe mṛdhe ’neka-mahārathāstrato
drauṇy-astrataś cāsma hare ’bhirakṣitāḥ

viṣāt—from poison; mahā-agneḥ—from the great fire; puruṣa-ada—the man-eaters; darśanāt—by combating; asat—vicious; sabhāyāḥ—assembly; vana-vāsa—exiled to the forest; kṛcchrataḥ—sufferings; mṛdhe mṛdhe—again and again in battle; aneka—many; mahā-ratha—great generals; astrataḥ—weapons; drauṇi—the son of Droṇācārya; astrataḥ—from the weapon of; ca—and; āsma—indicating past tense; hare—O my Lord; abhirakṣitāḥ—protected completely.

My dear Kṛṣṇa, Your Lordship has protected us from a poisoned cake, from a great fire, from cannibals, from the vicious assembly, from sufferings during our exile in the forest and from the battle where great generals fought. And now You have saved us from the weapon of Aśvatthāmā.

8.25

vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat
tatra tatra jagad-guro
bhavato darśanaṁ yat syād
apunar bhava-darśanam

vipadaḥ—calamities; santu—let there be; tāḥ—all; śaśvat—again and again; tatra—there; tatra—and there; jagat-guro—O Lord of the universe; bhavataḥ—Your; darśanam—meeting; yat—that which; syāt—is; apunaḥ—not again; bhava-darśanam—seeing repetition of birth and death.

I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.

8.26

janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir
edhamāna-madaḥ pumān
naivārhaty abhidhātuṁ vai
tvām akiñcana-gocaram

janma—birth; aiśvarya—opulence; śruta—education; śrībhiḥ—by the possession of beauty; edhamāna—progressively increasing; madaḥ—intoxication; pumān—the human being; na—never; eva—ever; arhati—deserves; abhidhātum—to address in feeling; vai—certainly; tvām—You; akiñcana-gocaram—one who is approached easily by the materially exhausted man.

My Lord, Your Lordship can easily be approached, but only by those who are materially exhausted. One who is on the path of [material] progress, trying to improve himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education and bodily beauty, cannot approach You with sincere feeling.

8.27

namo ’kiñcana-vittāya
nivṛtta-guṇa-vṛttaye
ātmārāmāya śāntāya
kaivalya-pataye namaḥ

namaḥ—all obeisances unto You; akiñcana-vittāya—unto the property of the materially impoverished; nivṛtta—completely transcendental to the actions of the material modes; guṇa—material modes; vṛttaye—affection; ātma-ārāmāya—one who is self-satisfied; śāntāya—the most gentle; kaivalya-pataye—unto the master of the monists; namaḥ—bowing down.

My obeisances are unto You, who are the property of the materially impoverished. You have nothing to do with the actions and reactions of the material modes of nature. You are self-satisfied, and therefore You are the most gentle and are master of the monists.

8.28

manye tvāṁ kālam īśānam
anādi-nidhanaṁ vibhum
samaṁ carantaṁ sarvatra
bhūtānāṁ yan mithaḥ kaliḥ

manye—I consider; tvām—Your Lordship; kālam—the eternal time; īśānam—the Supreme Lord; anādi-nidhanam—without beginning and end; vibhum—all-pervading; samam—equally merciful; carantam—distributing; sarvatra—everywhere; bhūtānām—of the living beings; yat mithaḥ—by intercourse; kaliḥ—dissension.

My Lord, I consider Your Lordship to be eternal time, the supreme controller, without beginning and end, the all-pervasive one. In distributing Your mercy, You are equal to everyone. The dissensions between living beings are due to social intercourse.

8.29

na veda kaścid bhagavaṁś cikīrṣitaṁ
tavehamānasya nṛṇāṁ viḍambanam
na yasya kaścid dayito ’sti karhicid
dveṣyaś ca yasmin viṣamā matir nṛṇām

na—does not; veda—know; kaścit—anyone; bhagavan—O Lord; cikīrṣitam—pastimes; tava—Your; īhamānasya—like the worldly men; nṛṇām—of the people in general; viḍambanam—misleading; na—never; yasya—His; kaścit—anyone; dayitaḥ—object of specific favor; asti—there is; karhicit—anywhere; dveṣyaḥ—object of envy; ca—and; yasmin—unto Him; viṣamā—partiality; matiḥ—conception; nṛṇām—of the people.

O Lord, no one can understand Your transcendental pastimes, which appear to be human and are so misleading. You have no specific object of favor, nor do You have any object of envy. People only imagine that You are partial.

8.30

janma karma ca viśvātmann
ajasyākartur ātmanaḥ
tiryaṅ-nṝṣiṣu yādaḥsu
tad atyanta-viḍambanam

janma—birth; karma—activity; ca—and; viśva-ātman—O soul of the universe; ajasya—of the unborn; akartuḥ—of the inactive; ātmanaḥ—of the vital energy; tiryak—animal; nṛ—human being; ṛṣiṣu—in the sages; yādaḥsu—in the water; tat—that; atyanta—veritable; viḍambanam—bewildering.

Of course it is bewildering, O soul of the universe, that You work, though You are inactive, and that You take birth, though You are the vital force and the unborn. You Yourself descend amongst animals, men, sages and aquatics. Verily, this is bewildering.

8.31

gopy ādade tvayi kṛtāgasi dāma tāvad
yā te daśāśru-kalilāñjana-sambhramākṣam
vaktraṁ ninīya bhaya-bhāvanayā sthitasya
sā māṁ vimohayati bhīr api yad bibheti

gopī—the cowherd lady (Yaśodā); ādade—took up; tvayi—on Your; kṛtāgasi—creating disturbances (by breaking the butter pot); dāma—rope; tāvat—at that time; yā—that which; te—Your; daśā—situation; aśru-kalila—overflooded with tears; añjana—ointment; sambhrama—perturbed; akṣam—eyes; vaktram—face; ninīya—downwards; bhaya-bhāvanayā—by thoughts of fear; sthitasya—of the situation; sā—that; mām—me; vimohayati—bewilders; bhīḥ api—even fear personified; yat—whom; bibheti—is afraid.

My dear Kṛṣṇa, Yaśodā took up a rope to bind You when You committed an offense, and Your perturbed eyes overflooded with tears, which washed the mascara from Your eyes. And You were afraid, though fear personified is afraid of You. This sight is bewildering to me.

8.32

kecid āhur ajaṁ jātaṁ
puṇya-ślokasya kīrtaye
yadoḥ priyasyānvavāye
malayasyeva candanam

kecit—someone; āhuḥ—says; ajam—the unborn; jātam—being born; puṇya-ślokasya—of the great pious king; kīrtaye—for glorifying; yadoḥ—of King Yadu; priyasya—of the dear; anvavāye—in the family of; malayasya—Malaya hills; iva—as; candanam—sandalwood.

Some say that the Unborn is born for the glorification of pious kings, and others say that He is born to please King Yadu, one of Your dearest devotees. You appear in his family as sandalwood appears in the Malaya hills.

8.33

apare vasudevasya
devakyāṁ yācito ’bhyagāt
ajas tvam asya kṣemāya
vadhāya ca sura-dviṣām

apare—others; vasudevasya—of Vasudeva; devakyām—of Devakī; yācitaḥ—being prayed for; abhyagāt—took birth; ajaḥ—unborn; tvam—You are; asya—of him; kṣemāya—for the good; vadhāya—for the purpose of killing; ca—and; sura-dviṣām—of those who are envious of the demigods.

Others say that since both Vasudeva and Devakī prayed for You, You have taken Your birth as their son. Undoubtedly You are unborn, yet You take Your birth for their welfare and to kill those who are envious of the demigods.

8.34

bhārāvatāraṇāyānye
bhuvo nāva ivodadhau
sīdantyā bhūri-bhāreṇa
jāto hy ātma-bhuvārthitaḥ

bhāra-avatāraṇāya—just to reduce the burden to the world; anye—others; bhuvaḥ—of the world; nāvaḥ—boat; iva—like; udadhau—on the sea; sīdantyāḥ—aggrieved; bhūri—extremely; bhāreṇa—by the burden; jātaḥ—You were born; hi—certainly; ātma-bhuvā—by Brahmā; arthitaḥ—being prayed for.

Others say that the world, being overburdened like a boat at sea, is much aggrieved, and that Brahmā, who is Your son, prayed for You, and so You have appeared to diminish the trouble.

8.35

bhave ’smin kliśyamānānām
avidyā-kāma-karmabhiḥ
śravaṇa-smaraṇārhāṇi
kariṣyann iti kecana

bhave—in the material creation; asmin—this; kliśyamānānām—of those who are suffering from; avidyā—nescience; kāma—desire; karmabhiḥ—by execution of fruitive work; śravaṇa—hearing; smaraṇa—remembering; arhāṇi—worshiping; kariṣyan—may perform; iti—thus; kecana—others.

And yet others say that You appeared to rejuvenate the devotional service of hearing, remembering, worshiping and so on in order that the conditioned souls suffering from material pangs might take advantage and gain liberation.

8.36

śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanty abhīkṣṇaśaḥ
smaranti nandanti tavehitaṁ janāḥ
ta eva paśyanty acireṇa tāvakaṁ
bhava-pravāhoparamaṁ padāmbujam

śṛṇvanti—hear; gāyanti—chant; gṛṇanti—take; abhīkṣṇaśaḥ—continuously; smaranti—remember; nandanti—take pleasure; tava—Your; īhitam—activities; janāḥ—people in general; te—they; eva—certainly; paśyanti—can see; acireṇa—very soon; tāvakam—Your; bhava-pravāha—the current of rebirth; uparamam—cessation; pada-ambujam—lotus feet.

O Kṛṣṇa, those who continuously hear, chant and repeat Your transcendental activities, or take pleasure in others’ doing so, certainly see Your lotus feet, which alone can stop the repetition of birth and death.

8.37

apy adya nas tvaṁ sva-kṛtehita prabho
jihāsasi svit suhṛdo ’nujīvinaḥ
yeṣāṁ na cānyad bhavataḥ padāmbujāt
parāyaṇaṁ rājasu yojitāṁhasām

api—if; adya—today; naḥ—us; tvam—You; sva-kṛta—self-executed; īhita—all duties; prabho—O my Lord; jihāsasi—giving up; svit—possibly; suhṛdaḥ—intimate friends; anujīvinaḥ—living at the mercy of; yeṣām—of whom; na—nor; ca—and; anyat—anyone else; bhavataḥ—Your; pada-ambujāt—from the lotus feet; parāyaṇam—dependent; rājasu—unto the kings; yojita—engaged in; aṁhasām—enmity.

O my Lord, You have executed all duties Yourself. Are you leaving us today, though we are completely dependent on Your mercy and have no one else to protect us, now when all kings are at enmity with us?

8.38

ke vayaṁ nāma-rūpābhyāṁ
yadubhiḥ saha pāṇḍavāḥ
bhavato ’darśanaṁ yarhi
hṛṣīkāṇām iveśituḥ

ke—who are; vayam—we; nāma-rūpābhyām—without fame and ability; yadubhiḥ—with the Yadus; saha—along with; pāṇḍavāḥ—and the Pāṇḍavas; bhavataḥ—Your; adarśanam—absence; yarhi—as if; hṛṣīkāṇām—of the senses; iva—like; īśituḥ—of the living being.

As the name and fame of a particular body is finished with the disappearance of the living spirit, similarly if You do not look upon us, all our fame and activities, along with the Pāṇḍavas and Yadus, will end at once.

8.39

neyaṁ śobhiṣyate tatra
yathedānīṁ gadādhara
tvat-padair aṅkitā bhāti
sva-lakṣaṇa-vilakṣitaiḥ

na—not; iyam—this land of our kingdom; śobhiṣyate—will appear beautiful; tatra—then; yathā—as it is now; idānīm—how; gadādhara—O Kṛṣṇa; tvat—Your; padaiḥ—by the feet; aṅkitā—marked; bhāti—is dazzling; sva-lakṣaṇa—Your own marks; vilakṣitaiḥ—by the impressions.

O Gadādhara [Kṛṣṇa], our kingdom is now being marked by the impressions of Your feet, and therefore it appears beautiful. But when You leave, it will no longer be so.

8.40

ime jana-padāḥ svṛddhāḥ
supakvauṣadhi-vīrudhaḥ
vanādri-nady-udanvanto
hy edhante tava vīkṣitaiḥ

ime—all these; jana-padāḥ—cities and towns; svṛddhāḥ—flourished; supakva—nature; auṣadhi—herbs; vīrudhaḥ—vegetables; vana—forests; adri—hills; nadī—rivers; udanvantaḥ—seas; hi—certainly; edhante—increasing; tava—by You; vīkṣitaiḥ—seen.

All these cities and villages are flourishing in all respects because the herbs and grains are in abundance, the trees are full of fruits, the rivers are flowing, the hills are full of minerals and the oceans full of wealth. And this is all due to Your glancing over them.

8.41

atha viśveśa viśvātman
viśva-mūrte svakeṣu me
sneha-pāśam imaṁ chindhi
dṛḍhaṁ pāṇḍuṣu vṛṣṇiṣu

atha—therefore; viśva-īśa—O Lord of the universe; viśva-ātman—O soul of the universe; viśva-mūrte—O personality of the universal form; svakeṣu—unto my own kinsmen; me—my; sneha-pāśam—tie of affection; imam—this; chindhi—cut off; dṛḍham—deep; pāṇḍuṣu—for the Pāṇḍavas; vṛṣṇiṣu—for the Vṛṣṇis also.

O Lord of the universe, soul of the universe, O personality of the form of the universe, please, therefore, sever my tie of affection for my kinsmen, the Pāṇḍavas and the Vṛṣṇis.

8.42

tvayi me ’nanya-viṣayā
matir madhu-pate ’sakṛt
ratim udvahatād addhā
gaṅgevaugham udanvati

tvayi—unto You; me—my; ananya-viṣayā—unalloyed; matiḥ—attention; madhu-pate—O Lord of Madhu; asakṛt—continuously; ratim—attraction; udvahatāt—may overflow; addhā—directly; gaṅgā—the Ganges; iva—like; ogham—flows; udanvati—down to the sea.

O Lord of Madhu, as the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my attraction be constantly drawn unto You without being diverted to anyone else.

8.43

śrī-kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa-sakha vṛṣṇy-ṛṣabhāvani-dhrug-
rājanya-vaṁśa-dahanānapavarga-vīrya
govinda go-dvija-surārti-harāvatāra
yogeśvarākhila-guro bhagavan namas te

śrī-kṛṣṇa—O Śrī Kṛṣṇa; kṛṣṇa-sakha—O friend of Arjuna; vṛṣṇi—of descendants of Vṛṣṇi; ṛṣabha—O chief; avani—the earth; dhruk—rebellious; rājanya-vaṁśa—dynasties of the kings; dahana—O annihilator; anapavarga—without deterioration of; vīrya—prowess; govinda—O proprietor of Golokadhāma; go—of the cows; dvija—the brāhmaṇas; sura—the demigods; arti-hara—to relieve distress; avatāra—O Lord who descends; yoga-īśvara—O master of all mystic powers; akhila—universal; guro—O preceptor; bhagavan—O possessor of all opulences; namaḥ te—respectful obeisances unto You.

O Kṛṣṇa, O friend of Arjuna, O chief amongst the descendants of Vṛṣṇi, You are the destroyer of those political parties which are disturbing elements on this earth. Your prowess never deteriorates. You are the proprietor of the transcendental abode, and You descend to relieve the distresses of the cows, the brāhmaṇas and the devotees. You possess all mystic powers, and You are the preceptor of the entire universe. You are the almighty God, and I offer You my respectful obeisances.

Text pasted from; Causless Mercy

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