Kanaka dasa's Keshava Nama

Kanaka dasa's Keshava  Nama

By

Kanaka dasa (Pen name-Adhi KesavE)

(Kanaka dasa is a great devotee of Krishna who lived between 1508 and 1806. He hailed from Kagginale of Dharwad district. When he was not allowed to enter the shrine in Udupi, the lord himself turned to see him(Kanakana kindi)  .His songs are classified as Devarnamas and he is a great  composer  from Karnataka.

Long back  I had  translated  many of his songs .Bur this translation , I took  help from blog  of great scholar Hari Sarvothama  from his blog https://sarvotamah.blogspot.com/.My deep sense  of acknowledgement to him.Most of the meaning of Kesava's name , I took from my translation of  Vishna sahasra nama)

 

Isha ninna charaNa bhajane Asheyinda mADu venu

dOsha rAshi nAsha mADu shreesha kEshava |1|

 

Oh God  I am doing  this  due  to desire  tossing about your feet

Please destroy   my  heaps  of sins, Keshava  , lord of Lakshmi

Kesava  -He  who killed  Kesi

 

sharaNu hokkenayya yenna maraNa samayadalli ninna

 carana smaraNe karuNisayya nArAyaNa |2|

 

I seek  your fefuge, at  the time  of my death

Pleas show mercy  andmake me think of your feet, Oh Narayana

(Narayana- he in whom all souls reside)

 

shOdhisenna bhavada kalusha bhOdisayya gyAnavenage

bAdhisuva yamana bAdhe biDisu mAdhavA |3|

 

Please test   for bad sins  and  teach me  wisdom

Oh Madhava free  me from the  pain  of Yama  who ties

(Madhava-  God of knowledge)

 

 hindanEka yOnigaLali bandu bandu nondenayya

 indu bhavada bandha biDisu tande gOvindA |4|

 

I have suffered  because  I went and went  from ob to wombs

Please today cut off  the  tie  of birth  to me, Oh father  Govinda

(Govinda-Chief of cow herds/God who grants salvation)

 

 bhrashTanenisa bEDa krishNa ishTu mAtra bEDikombe

 shishTaroDane iTu kashTa biDisu vishNuvE|5|

 

Oh Krishna  do not consider   as a wrong doer , I only  request  this

Please put  me with good people   and remove difficulties , Oh Vishnu

(Krishna –One  who is black)

 

madananayya ninna mahime vadanadalli nuDiyuvante

 hrudayadoLage hudugisayya madhusUdhanA |6|

 

Father  of Manmatha  , make me  recite  your praises, by my tougue

Please   make them grow in my heart  , Oh Madhusudana

(Madhu  sudana- killer  of Madhu)

 

 kavidukonDu iruva pApa savidu pOguvante mADo

 javana bAdheyannu biDisu trivikramA |7|

 

Sins  keep on overflowing, please  make  them diminish

Oh TRivikrama, please get  of the pain  of next birth

(Trivikrama –Form of Vamana  who measured the worlds)

 

 kAmajanaka ninna nAma prEmadinda pADuvantha

nEmavenage pAlisayya swAmi vAmanA |8|

 

Oh father  of Manmatha, please  promote the rule

To sing   sing your  name with love, Oh Vamana

(vamana –Dwarf  Brahmachari  who went  to Mahabali)

 

modalu ninna pAda pUje odaguvante mADO yenna

hrudayalli sadana mADo mudadi shriidara |9|

 

First  make  me  do the   worship of your feet

And  Live in my heart  , Oh   cute   Sridhara

(Sridhara –He who carries  Maha Lakshmi)

 

husiyanADi hoTTe horeva vishayadalli rasikanendu

husige hAkadiirayya hrushiikEshanE |10|

 

Do not make me a liar  of enjoyer in makingmy belly full

Do not make me  one enjoying pleasures , Oh Hrishikesa

(Hrishikesa-One  who  controls  the senses)

 

biddu bhavadanEka januma baddhanAgi kalushadinda

 geddupOpa buddhi tOrO padmanAbhane |11|

 

Do not  make me  get tied    in the cycle of births

Please  guide  my brain  to get  out of it  , Oh Padmanabha

(Padmanabha-one who has lotus on his belly)

kAma krOdha biDisi ninna nAma jihveyoLage nuDiso

shrii mahAnubhAvanAda dAmOdarA |12|

 

Make  me  free from anger  and passion and put your name

Oh  great one, oh   DAmodara

(Dammodhara-One whose belly  was tied by a rope)

 

pankajAksha nEnu yenna manku buddhyannu biDisi

kinkaranna mADikoLLo sankarushaNA |13|

 

Oh lotus eyed one  by making me leave  stupid   of me  and mine

Oh Sankarssha  , make me  your  servant

(Sankarshana-He  who unites)

 

yEsu januma bandarEnu dAsanalla vEno nAnu

ghAsi mADadiru yenna vAsudEvanE |14|

 

Inspite of many births am I not  your servant

My Vasudeva  , do not trouble me.

(He who was born to Vasudeva)

 

buddhi shOnyanAgi yenna paddha kArya kuhakamanava

 tiddi hrudaya shuddhi mADo pradyumnanE |15|

 

Without  Brain , my road  has made  me impure human

Oh  Pradhyumna    , please   rectify  my mind

(Pradhyumna-He who makes  others shine)

 

 jananijanaka nIne yendu nenevenayya diina bandhu

yenage mukti pAlisayya aniruddhanE |16|

 

And Oh Anirudha  , grant me salvation

Come daily and make me think that  you are mother  as well as father

(Anirudha- He who cannot be  stopped)

 

harushadinda ninna nAma smarisuvate mADu nEma

 virisu caraNa dalli pushOttamA |17|

 

Make a rule for me to daily  think of your name

Oh Purushothama  , make  me find pleasure  in your feet

(Purushothama- Supreme spirit)

 

sAdhusanga koTTu ninna pAdabhajane yiTTu enna

bhEdamAdi nODadirO shri adhOkshajA |18|

 

BY giving  company of pious people and make me  worship yout feet

Oh Adhokshaja , please  do not  treat me differently

(Adhokshaja-  He who looks  below)

 

cAru caraNa tOri yenage pArugANisayya konege

bhAra hAkutiruve ninage nArasimhanE |19|

 

Please show me  your pretty  feet and eventually  save me

Though  this will make it heavy  , Oh Narasimha

(Narasimha-Man-lion form)

 

sancitArtha pApagaLanu kincitAda piiDegaLanu

 muncitavAgi kaLedu poreyo swAmi accyutA |20|

 

Have much  accumulated sins,  please  reduce

My sufferings  slightly and save me Oh Achyutha

(Achyutha-  He who never  changes)

gyAna bhakti koTTu ninna dhyAnadalli yiTTu sadA

hiina buddhi biDisu munna shrii janArdhana |21|

 

By giving  holy  wisdom and devotion, and permanently ,

Keep in memory  and first make leave my evil thoughts, Oh  Janardhana

(Janardhana- He who troubles  bad people)

 

japatapAnushTAna villade kupathAgAmiyAda yenna

krupeyamADi kshamisabEku upEndranE |22|

 

Without chanting and penance , I am  travelling  in evil path

With mercy   do pardon me  , oh Upendra

(He  who is Indra   to indra himself)

 

moreya iDuvenayya ninage sharadhi shayana shubhamatIya

 irisu bhaktanendu paramapurusha shri harI |23|

 

I will make appeal to you and with good understanding ,

Lie and rotate round you, Oh Divine  man Hari  place me  as youe devotee

(He who removes  births and deaths)

 

puTTisalEbEDa innu puTTisidake pAlisenna

ishTu mAtra bEDikombe shrii krishNanE |24|

 

Do not give  further birth, protect  me for having given a  life

Only this  I would  request you, Oh Krishna

(Krishna- he who is personification of truth)

 

satyavAda nAmagaLanu nityadalli paThisuvavara

 arthiyinda salahuvanu kartru kEshavA |25|

 

To the one who sings   these  truthful names

The creator  will truly save , Oh kesava

(Keshava- He who has  pretty hair)

 

mareyadale hariyanAma baredu Odi kELidavage

karedu mukti koDuva neley AdikEshavA |Isha|

 

Do not forget  names  of Hari   write, read  and learn

Oh God adhi kesava  , he will call and grant salvation

(Adhi kesava is Mudhra of  Author  Kanaka dasa)