Translations of Gopala-mantra and Kama-gayatri -

I was inspired on another thread where Madhava explains that his tradition chants the kama-gayatri and the krishna mantra japa style. I don't know if it is appropriate here, but I'm wondering if anyone here has a translation of those mantras that they feel is especially nectar and also accurate. Are the translations ISKCON gives at 2nd initiation good? Thanks.

Though of course such issues only become truly relevant after mantra-dIkSA, I'm sure we can have a look at this here, too.

I cannot remember offhand the translations given in ISKCON, but I do not believe there would be all that drastic differences there. In the kRSNa-mantra, there is the bIja, it ends with svAhA, and the names Krishna, Govinda and Gopijanavallabha are there. We all know the meanings of those names.

In the kAma-gAyatrI, there are also three names, namely (1) Kamadeva, referring to the aprAkRta-navina-madana of Vrindavan, (2) Pushpabana, the "flower-arrowed" god of love who pierces all our senses with the arrows he shoots, and (3) Ananga, the "incorporeal" god of love, a name drawn from the incident of Shiva's burning Cupid with his glance, hence making him an-aGga. The three words in between, common to the gAyatrI-meter, namely vidmahe, dhImahi and pracodayat, refer to our turning our attention towards the upAsya, to our contemplating upon the upAsya, and to our prayer to have the upAsya appear within our hearts, respectively.

The differences are more likely to appear in the depths of interpretation than in the direct translation.

I should also add that the iSTa-devata of the mantra will not be realized by reading hundreds of different explanations. Sometimes you may come across so many different vyAkhyas, and attempting to memorize them all at the time of mantra-smaraNa you will only find yourself puzzled and distracted from the essence, which is prayer.

Did any one of you have read GopAla-tApanI upaniSad by Tripurari Maharaj yet?

You will get the best explanation ever on GopAla mantra and as well as bIja mantra.
This is such a powerful mantra! I was overwhelmed with all these inner meanings! Jay!

I got a copy of that from him, but frankly I have only scratched the surface thus far (which admittedly looked good).

ISKCON's translations:

Gopal mantra - "I offer oblations unto Lord Krsna, Who is Govinda, the Lover of the gopis."

Kama gayatri - "Let us meditate on the Master of the senses, Who carries the arrows of flowers. Let us meditate on Him, being thus enthused by the transcendental Cupid."

Those are on the sheet as given at initiation. But from what I've heard, there is certainly the possibility of different versions out there.

Ys,

I offer oblations? Like rice, ghee and the other stuff you throw in when you say svAhA in the fire-sacrifice? How about offering yourself?

Kamadeva isn't exactly "Master of the senses", that's a common translation for Hrisikesh. Kamadeva and Ananga are fairly synonymous.

I read then entire thing and perhaps its my lack of advancement, but I didn't find it very striking or inspiring. It did give me more of an understanding of the mantra, but that was about it.

I think that Ras Bihari Lal in Vrindavan is putting out a version as well. Does anyone know who's translation he's using? Or perhaps he's bootleggin Tripurari's? Its certainly a possibility as that seems his thing.

While we're on the topic, I remember reading in Dasarath Suta's Radha Krishna Nectar book a section on the Gopal mantra, where it was giving different things one could pray for while chanting the Gopal mantra. Has anyone heard of this or read it anywhere else?

I'm going to try to get a copy of RK Nectar and post that info in here.

Ys,

That was the reason I was suggesting to read this book to have an understanding of this gopAla-mantra. Are you looking for something more?

As a krishna devotee, what other things you could pray for while chanting the gopAla-mantra? You can only pray for kRSNa-prem. That is my understanding.

Visvanatha Chakravarti pad has drawn the relevant data on Kama gayatri in his Mantrartha dipika, and there's also Dhyanachandra's Paddhati which provides the meditations for the mantras and gayatris.

Gopal Tappani has been available in English for ages; Kusakratha's translation and Madras Gaudiya math and maybe others. There is a really interesting section in there about Krsna being a perfect brahmacari

Here is the info from Dasarath Suta's Radha Krishna Nectar book:

"Healing Meditations with the Gopala-Mantra"

"In the ancient scripture named Krama-dipika there is a list of dhyanas
(meditations) that are used in conjunction with the famous 18-syllable
Gopala-mantra for healing purposes. Very simple to perfom and effective in
potency, these meditations are to be held in focus while chanting the mantra
with proper concentration thus:

1) for those in need of food - meditate on Gopala Krishna lying in His
cradle, gently swayed to and fro by gopis and being fed with milk.

2) to allay adversity or illness or misfortune - meditate on the infant
Krishna easily killing the demon Putana.

3) for long life and good health - meditate on youthful Krishna carrying
milk and curds in His hands.

4) for maladies caused by poisoning - meditate on Krishna dancing on the
hoods of the serpent Kaliya.

5) for fever among children - meditate on Krishna holding the demon Baka by
the beak and tearing him to pieces.

6) for distress caused by excessive rain, storm or lightning - meditate on
Krishna holding up Govardhana Hill with His left hand and playing Hid flute
with His right.

7) for rainfall during drought and relief from fever - meditate on Krishna
sporting in the Yamuna river with the gopis and splashing water on them.

8) to vanquish opponents - meditate on Lord Vishnu riding on Garuda and
routing His enemies in great victory.

Also included in the book are dhyanas for:
* securing prosperity
* attaining the office of High Priest to the King
* obtaining children
* gaining mastery of eloquent speech
* bringing people under one's influence
* attaining freedom from sorrows and miseries of the world"

What facinates me about the gayatris is how thy form a condenced salutation, meditation and suplication, but what is bija for? Is it the seed that contains the mantra and gayatri in an even further condensed form? And the svaha, I've noticed that this is sometimes changed to namah.

I'm sure this is probably on this site somewhere, but if not would anyone mind giving better translations to the standard mantras received in IGM at second initiation? Specifically the brahma-gayatri. Thanks.

Ys,