Bhakti Arohan
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Shri Radha Kripa Kataksh Stotram

The best-loved Sanskrit hymn to Radha in Vrindavan, said to be spoken by Shiva to Parvati. Eleven verses end with the same longing question, "When will you make me the object of your merciful glance?", followed by a phala-shruti on when and where to recite it.

Shri Radha Kripa Kataksh Stotram

Original text

मुनीन्द्र–वृन्द–वन्दिते त्रिलोक–शोक–हारिणि प्रसन्न-वक्त्र-पङ्कजे निकुञ्ज-भू-विलासिनि । व्रजेन्द्र–भानु–नन्दिनि व्रजेन्द्र–सूनु–संगते कदा करिष्यसीह मां कृपाकटाक्ष–भाजनम् ॥ १ ॥ अशोक–वृक्ष–वल्लरी वितान–मण्डप–स्थिते प्रवालबाल–पल्लव प्रभारुणांघ्रि–कोमले । वराभयस्फुरत्करे प्रभूतसम्पदालये कदा करिष्यसीह मां कृपाकटाक्ष–भाजनम् ॥ २ ॥ अनङ्ग-रङ्ग मङ्गल-प्रसङ्ग-भङ्गुर-भ्रुवां सविभ्रमं ससम्भ्रमं दृगन्त–बाणपातनैः । निरन्तरं वशीकृतप्रतीतनन्दनन्दने कदा करिष्यसीह मां कृपाकटाक्ष–भाजनम् ॥ ३ ॥ तडित्–सुवर्ण–चम्पक–प्रदीप्त–गौर–विग्रहे मुख–प्रभा–परास्त–कोटि–शारदेन्दुमण्डले । विचित्र-चित्र सञ्चरच्चकोर-शाव-लोचने कदा करिष्यसीह मां कृपाकटाक्ष–भाजनम् ॥ ४ ॥ मदोन्मदाति–यौवने प्रमोद–मान–मण्डिते प्रियानुराग–रञ्जिते कला–विलास–पण्डिते । अनन्यधन्य–कुञ्जराज्य–कामकेलि–कोविदे कदा करिष्यसीह मां कृपाकटाक्ष–भाजनम् ॥ ५ ॥ अशेष–हावभाव–धीरहीरहार–भूषिते प्रभूतशातकुम्भ–कुम्भकुम्भि–कुम्भसुस्तनि । प्रशस्तमन्द–हास्यचूर्ण पूर्णसौख्य–सागरे कदा करिष्यसीह मां कृपाकटाक्ष–भाजनम् ॥ ६ ॥ मृणाल-वाल-वल्लरी तरङ्ग-रङ्ग-दोर्लते लताग्र–लास्य–लोल–नील–लोचनावलोकने । ललल्लुलन्मिलन्मनोज्ञ–मुग्ध–मोहिनाश्रिते कदा करिष्यसीह मां कृपाकटाक्ष–भाजनम् ॥ ७ ॥ सुवर्णमालिकाञ्चित–त्रिरेख–कम्बु–कण्ठगे त्रिसूत्र–मङ्गली-गुण–त्रिरत्न-दीप्ति–दीधिते । सलोल–नीलकुन्तल–प्रसून–गुच्छ–गुम्फिते कदा करिष्यसीह मां कृपाकटाक्ष–भाजनम् ॥ ८ ॥ नितम्ब–बिम्ब–लम्बमान–पुष्पमेखलागुणे प्रशस्तरत्न-किङ्किणी-कलाप-मध्य मञ्जुले । करीन्द्र–शुण्डदण्डिका–वरोहसौभगोरुके कदा करिष्यसीह मां कृपाकटाक्ष–भाजनम् ॥ ९ ॥ अनेक–मन्त्रनाद–मञ्जु नूपुरारव–स्खलत् समाज–राजहंस–वंश–निक्वणाति–गौरवे । विलोलहेम–वल्लरी–विडम्बिचारु–चङ्क्रमे कदा करिष्यसीह मां कृपाकटाक्ष–भाजनम् ॥ १० ॥ अनन्त–कोटि–विष्णुलोक–नम्र–पद्मजार्चिते हिमाद्रिजा–पुलोमजा–विरिञ्चजा-वरप्रदे । अपार–सिद्धि–ऋद्धि–दिग्ध–सत्पदाङ्गुली-नखे कदा करिष्यसीह मां कृपाकटाक्ष–भाजनम् ॥ ११ ॥ मखेश्वरि क्रियेश्वरि स्वधेश्वरि सुरेश्वरि त्रिवेद–भारतीश्वरि प्रमाण–शासनेश्वरि । रमेश्वरि क्षमेश्वरि प्रमोद–काननेश्वरि व्रजेश्वरि व्रजाधिपे श्रीराधिके नमोस्तुते ॥ १२ ॥ इतीममद्भुतं स्तवं निशम्य भानुनन्दिनी करोतु सन्ततं जनं कृपाकटाक्ष-भाजनम् । भवेत्तदैव सञ्चित त्रिरूप–कर्म नाशनं लभेत्तदा व्रजेन्द्र–सूनु–मण्डल–प्रवेशनम् ॥ १३ ॥ राकायां च सिताष्टम्यां दशम्यां च विशुद्धधीः । एकादश्यां त्रयोदश्यां यः पठेत्साधकः सुधीः ॥ १४ ॥ यं यं कामयते कामं तं तमाप्नोति साधकः । राधाकृपाकटाक्षेण भक्तिःस्यात् प्रेमलक्षणा ॥ १५ ॥ ऊरुदघ्ने नाभिदघ्ने हृद्दघ्ने कण्ठदघ्नके । राधाकुण्डजले स्थिता यः पठेत् साधकः शतम् ॥ १६ ॥ तस्य सर्वार्थ सिद्धिः स्याद् वाक्सामर्थ्यं तथा लभेत् । ऐश्वर्यं च लभेत् साक्षाद्दृशा पश्यति राधिकाम् ॥ १७ ॥ तेन स तत्क्षणादेव तुष्टा दत्ते महावरम् । येन पश्यति नेत्राभ्यां तत् प्रियं श्यामसुन्दरम् ॥ १८ ॥ नित्यलीला–प्रवेशं च ददाति श्री-व्रजाधिपः । अतः परतरं प्रार्थ्यं वैष्णवस्य न विद्यते ॥ १९ ॥ ॥ इति श्रीमदूर्ध्वाम्नाये श्रीराधिकायाः कृपाकटाक्षस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ॥

Transliteration

Munindra-vrinda-vandite triloka-shoka-harini prasanna-vaktra-pankaje nikunja-bhu-vilasini vrajendra-bhanu-nandini vrajendra-sunu-sangate kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam (1) Ashoka-vriksha-vallari vitana-mandapa-sthite pravalabala-pallava prabharunanghri-komale varabhayasphuratkare prabhutasampadalaye kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam (2) Ananga-ranga mangala-prasanga-bhangura-bhruvam savibhramam sasambhramam drriganta-banapatanaih nirantaram vashikritapratitanandanandane kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam (3) Tadit-suvarna-champaka-pradipta-gaura-vigrahe mukha-prabha-parasta-koti-sharadendumandale vichitra-chitra sancharachchakora-shava-lochane kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam (4) Madonmadati-yauvane pramoda-mana-mandite priyanuraga-ranjite kala-vilasa-pandite ananyadhanya-kunjarajya-kamakeli-kovide kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam (5) Ashesha-havabhava-dhirahirahara-bhushite prabhutashatakumbha-kumbhakumbhi-kumbhasustani prashastamanda-hasyachurna purnasaukhya-sagare kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam (6) Mrinala-vala-vallari taranga-ranga-dorlate latagra-lasya-lola-nila-lochanavalokane lalallulanmilanmanojna-mugdha-mohinashrite kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam (7) Suvarnamalikanchita-trirekha-kambu-kanthage trisutra-mangali-guna-triratna-dipti-didhite salola-nilakuntala-prasuna-guchchha-gumphite kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam (8) Nitamba-bimba-lambamana-pushpamekhalagune prashastaratna-kinkini-kalapa-madhya manjule karindra-shundadandika-varohasaubhagoruke kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam (9) Aneka-mantranada-manju nupurarava-skhalat samaja-rajahamsa-vamsha-nikvanati-gaurave vilolahema-vallari-vidambicharu-chankrame kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam (10) Ananta-koti-vishnuloka-namra-padmajarchite himadrija-pulomaja-viranchija-varaprade apara-siddhi-riddhi-digdha-satpadanguli-nakhe kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam (11) Makheshvari kriyeshvari svadheshvari sureshvari triveda-bharatishvari pramana-shasaneshvari rameshvari kshameshvari pramoda-kananeshvari vrajeshvari vrajadhipe shriradhike namostute (12) Itimamadbhutam stavam nishamya bhanunandini karotu santatam janam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam bhavettadaiva sanchita trirupa-karma nashanam labhettada vrajendra-sunu-mandala-praveshanam (13) Rakayam cha sitashtamyam dashamyam cha vishuddhadhih ekadashyam trayodashyam yah pathetsadhakah sudhih (14) Yam yam kamayate kamam tam tamapnoti sadhakah radhakripakatakshena bhaktih syat premalakshana (15) Urudaghne nabhidaghne hriddaghne kanthadaghnake radhakundajale sthita yah pathet sadhakah shatam (16) Tasya sarvartha siddhih syad vaksamarthyam tatha labhet aishvaryam cha labhet sakshaddrisha pashyati radhikam (17) Tena sa tatkshanadeva tushta datte mahavaram yena pashyati netrabhyam tat priyam shyamasundaram (18) Nityalila-pravesham cha dadati shri-vrajadhipah atah parataram prarthyam vaishnavasya na vidyate (19)

One question, asked eleven times

The heart of this hymn is its refrain: kada karishyasiha mam kripa-kataksha-bhajanam, "when will you make me, here, the recipient of your merciful sidelong glance?" Kataksha is the glance from the corner of the eye, the look a beloved gives without turning the head. The devotee is not asking for wealth or even for liberation, only to be noticed by Radha. The closing line of the text names its source as the Urdhvamnaya, a tantra, and tradition holds that Shiva recited it to Parvati.

What the verses describe

  • Who she is (1): worshipped by the great sages, remover of the sorrow of the three worlds, her lotus face always cheerful, playing in the groves of Vrindavan, daughter of King Vrishabhanu and companion of Nanda's son.
  • Her bower and her hands (2): seated under a canopy of creepers on an Ashoka tree, her feet soft and red as young coral leaves, her hands raised in the gestures of boon and fearlessness.
  • Her hold over Krishna (3, 5): with arrows shot from the corners of her eyes, she keeps Nanda's son always captivated; she is learned in every art of love and the queen of the kunjas.
  • Her beauty (4, 6–10): a golden complexion brighter than lightning and champaka flowers, a face that outshines millions of autumn moons, a three-lined throat, dark curls woven with flowers, jewelled ornaments, and a gait more graceful than a swaying golden creeper. This is classical Sanskrit kavya, where the beloved's beauty is a way of describing the divine.
  • Her supremacy (11–12): worshipped by Lakshmi, she grants boons to Parvati, Shachi and Saraswati; she is the goddess of sacrifice, ritual, the Vedas and the scriptures, and the queen of Vraja.

The phala-shruti: when and where

Verses 13 to 19 promise that whoever hears this hymn is freed from the three kinds of accumulated karma and enters Krishna's circle. They name the days for recitation: the full moon, the Shukla Ashtami, Dashami, Ekadashi and Trayodashi. The most famous instruction is to recite it a hundred times standing in the water of Radha Kund near Govardhan, at thigh, navel, chest or neck depth. The reward named last is the one a Vaishnava values above all: entry into Radha and Krishna's eternal play, "beyond which there is nothing more to pray for".

How it is recited today

In Vrindavan and Barsana the stotra is sung daily, and on Radhashtami it is recited in almost every temple. At home, recite it in the evening before a picture of Radha-Krishna with a ghee lamp and flowers, after the 28 names of Radha and before the aarti Aarti Shri Vrishbhanusuta Ki. Even reciting only the first verse and the twelfth, with its salutation Shri Radhike namostute, is a beautiful daily practice.

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Radha Kripa Kataksh Stotram: Full Sanskrit Lyrics & Meaning