Krishna Dwadasa Nama Stotram

Sri Krishna Dwadasa Nama Stotram
[The prayer of twelve names of Lord Krishna]
Translated by P. R. Ramachander

Srunu thwam munaya sarve Gopalasya Mahathmana,
Ananthasya prameyasya nama dwadasakam sthavam. 1

Please hear oh sages the twelve holy names of
The great Gopala mentioned by Adhi Sesha.

Arjunaya pura Githam Gopalena Mahathmana,
Dwarakayam prarthayathe Yasodascha sannidhou. 2

Arjuna sang these names of great Gopala,
In the city of Dwaraka in front of Yasodha.

Nyasam

Asya Sri Krishna dwadasa nama stotra maha manthrasya, Phalguna rishi,
Anushtup chanda, Sri Krishna Paramathma Devatha, Om bheejam,
Swahethi Shakthi Sri Gopala Krishna preethyarthe Jape Viniyoga.

For the great chant of twelve names of Sri Krishna, Arjuna is the Rishi,
Meter is Anushtup, God addressed is Sri Krishna Paramathma,
The strength is Swaha and this is being chanted for pleasing,
Sri Gopala Krishna.

Dhyanam

Janubhyam abhidavantham, Bahubhyam adhi Sundaram,
Sakundalalakam Balam, Gopalam Chinthayeth usha.

In the morning I think of the God Gopala,
Who is very striking with his Thighs,
Who is very pretty with his hands,
And is a boy wearing ear studs.

Manthram

Pradamam thu Harim vidhyath Dwitheeyam Kesavam Thadha,
Tritheeyam Padmanabham cha Chathurtham Vamanam Thadha. 1

The first name is Hari the knowledge, second one is Kesava,
Third one is he who has a lotus on his belly,
And the fourth one is Vamana, the little boy.

Panchamam Veda Garbham cha Sashtamam Madhu soodhanam,
SApthamam Vasudevam cha Varaham cha ashtamam thadha. 2

The fifth is he who has Vedas in his stomach,
Sixth one is he who killed the Asura called Madhu,
The seventh one is the son of Vasudeva,
And the eighth one is Varaha the boar.

Navamam Pundareekaksham, dasamam cha Janardhanam,
Krishnam ekadasa proktham Dwadasam Sreedharam thadha. 3

The ninth is the God with lotus like eyes,
The tenth is God to whom people pray
The eleventh is Krishna, the God who is black,
And twelfth is the God who carries Lakshmi.

Evam dwadasa namani Mayaa prokthani Phalguna,
Kala thratam Padeth yasthu thasya punya phalam srunu. 4

Arjuna told that those who chant these twelve names,
At dawn, noon and dusk, the following good results will occur.

Chandrayana Sahasrasya, kanya dana samasya cha,
Aswamedha sahasrasya, phalam apnodhi manava 5

They will get the result of performing,
One thousand Chandrayanas*,
Or get the effect of giving a girl in marriage,
Or get the effect of performing one thousand Aswamedhas.

* Fast of a particular type observed over a period of one month.