namaḥ kṛṣṇāya śuddhāya
brahmaṇe paramātmane
yogeśvarāya yogāya
tvām ahaḿ śaraṇaḿ gatā
namah -- obeisances; krishnaya -- to Krishna; suddhaya -- the pure; brahmane -- the Absolute Truth; parama-atmane -- the Supersoul; yoga -- of pure devotional service; isvaraya -- the controller; yogaya -- the source of all knowledge; tvam -- You; aham -- I; saranam -- for shelter; gata -- have approached.
I offer my obeisances unto You, Krishna, the supreme pure, the Absolute Truth and the Supersoul, the Lord of pure devotional service and the source of all knowledge. I have come to You for shelter.
Srila Sridhara Svami has translated the word yogaya as "unto Krishna, the source of knowledge." The word yoga indicates connection and also the means to achieve something. As conscious souls, we have a connection with the Supreme Soul through bhakti, or devotion. Through that relationship we experience perfect knowledge of the Supreme Soul. Since the Supreme Soul is the Absolute Truth, perfect knowledge of Him means perfect knowledge of everything. As stated in the Mundaka Upanishad (1.3), kasmin bhagavo vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavati: When the Absolute is understood, everything is understood. Thus Lord Krishna Himself, by His spiritual potency, establishes our connection with Him, and that connection is the source of all spiritual knowledge. Thus Acarya Sridhara, by his thoughtful translation, stimulates us to deeper understanding of Krishna conscious philosophy.
