Just because Janmasthmi has passed doesn't mean we can't still celebrate Krishna. One of my favorite stotras is "Shri Krishnastakam", so here is a fun craft based on that stotra that you can do with your kids. The Gujarati lyrics and English transliteration of the entire stotra are both listed below, but this craft focusing mainly on the first stanza of the stotra, particularly two words that describe Krishna, because singing stotras is even more fun when you understand the meaning behind them. Check out the step by step instructions below!
This craft focuses on two particular words in the first stanza: "supichaguchamastakam", which refers to the fact that Krishna adorns his head with beautiful peacock feathers and "sunaadavenuhastakam", which refers to the fact that Krishna holds a melodious flute in one hand.
Grab a cardboard box. You know you have one lying around from that recent Amazon purchase, so lets put it to some good use!
Cut a rectangle out of the cardboad box and then bend it in half in order to make a poster/board that stands on its own. See the photo above for some guidance.
Paste construction paper onto both sides of the cardboard; I recommend using two different colors of construction paper. Alternatively, you can color each side of the cardboard with a different color using colored pencils.
Draw a teardrop shape on green construction paper, cut it out, and then cut 1 cm slits all around the outside of the paper. See the photo above for more guidance, but essentially we are trying to make a peacock feather.
Draw a "eye" shape on blue construction paper, cut it out, and then glue it to the center of the green feather.
Draw a circle on purple construction paper, cut it out, and then glue it to the center of the blue "eye" shape.
Glue your finished peacock feather onto one side of your cardboard. Have your kid practice their Gujarati by either writing or tracing "supichaguchamastakam" under the feather.
Draw a flute on another construction paper and glue this to the other side of your cardboard. Have your kid practice their Gujarati by either writing or tracing "sunaadavenuhastakam" underneath it.
Once you are done you can keep the board up around your house and use it as a reminder to sing "Sri Krishnashtakam" and try to emulate Krishna in your own life. We also sat down and talked about how we can also bring "supichaguchamastakam" and "sunaadavenuhastakam" into our own lives. We may not wear peacock feathers on the daily, but we can still adorn our head with beautiful thuoghts. We may not play the flute, but we can still bring music into the world by speaking beautiful Truths and talking nicely with others.
Gujarati Lyrics
ભજે વ્રજૈકમણ્ડનં સમસ્તપાપખણ્ડનં
સ્વભક્તચિત્તરંજનં સદૈવ નન્દનન્દનમ
સુપિચ્છગુચ્છમસ્તકં સુનાદવેણુહસ્તકં
અનંગરંગસાગરં નમામિ કૃષ્ણનાગરમ
મનોજગર્વમોચનં વિશાલ લોલલોચનં વિઘૂતગોપશોચનં નમામિ પદ્મલોચનમ્ કરારવિન્દભૂધરં સ્મિતાવલોકસુન્દરં મહેન્દ્ર માનદારણં નમામિ કૃષ્ણવારણમ
કદમ્બસૂનકુણ્ડલં સુચારુગણ્ડમણ્ડલં વ્રજાંગનૈકવલ્લભં નમામિ કૃષ્ણદુર્લભમ્ યશોદયા સમોદયા સગોપયા સનન્દયા યુતં સુખૈકદાયકં નમામિ ગોપનાયકમ્
સદૈવ પાદપંકજં મદીયમાનસે નિજં દધાન મુત્તમાલકં નમામિ નન્મદબાલકમ્ સમસ્ત દોષશોષણં સમસ્ત લોકપોષણં સમસ્ત ગોપમાનસં નમામિ નન્દલાલસમ્
ભુવો ભરાવતારકં ભવાબ્ધિ કર્ણધારકં યશોમતી કિશોરકં નમામિ ચિત્તચોરકમ્ દગન્ત કાન્ત ભંગિનં સદાસદાલ સંગિનં દિને-દિને નવં-નવં નમામિ નન્દસંભવમ્
ગુણાકરં સુખાકરં કૃપાકરં કૃપાપરં સુરદ્વિષન્નિકન્દનં નમામિ ગોપનન્દનમ્ નવીનગોપનાગરં નવીનકેલિલંપટં નમામિ મેઘસુન્દરં તડિત્પ્રભાલ સત્પટમ્
સમસ્તગોપનન્દનં હૃદમ્બુજૈકમોદનં નમામિ કુંજમઘ્યગં પ્રસન્નભાનુશોભનમ્ નિકામકામદાયકં દગન્તચારુસાયકં રસાલવેણુગાયકં નમામિ કુંજનાયકમ્
વિદિગ્ધગોપિકામનોમનોજ્ઞતલ્પશાયિનં નમામિ કુંજકાનને પ્રવૃઘ્ધવહ્નિપાયિનમ્ યદાતદા યથા તથા તથૈવ કૃષ્ણસત્કથા મયા સદૈવ ગીયતાં તથા કૃપા વિધીયતામ્
પ્રમાણિકાષ્ટકદ્વયં જપત્યધીત્ય ય: પુમાન્ ભવેત્સ નન્દનન્દને ભવે ભવે સુભક્તિમાન્
English lyrics:
bhaje vrajaika mandanam samasta paapa khandanam
sva bhakta chitta ranjanam sadaiva nanda nandanam
su piccha guccha mastakam su naada venu hastakam
ananga ranga saagaram namaami krishna naagaram
manoja garva mochanam vishaala lola lochanam
vidhuta gopa shochanam namaami padma lochanam
karaaravinda bhudaram smitaavaloka sundaram
mahendra maana daaranam namaami krishna vaaranam
kadamba suna kundalam su chaaru ganda mandalam
vrajaanganaika vallabham namaami krishna durlabham
yashodayaa sa modayaa sa gopayaa sa nandayaa
yutam sukhaika naayakam namaami gopa naayakam
sadaiva paada pankajam madiya maanase nijam
dadhaanam uttamaalakam namaami nanda baalakam
samasta dosha shosanam samasta loka poshanam
samasta gopa maanasam namaami krishna laalasam
bhuvo bharaavataarakam bhavaabdhi karnadhaarakam
yashomati kishorakam namaami chitta chorakam
driganta kranta bhanginam sadaa sadaali sanginam
dine dine navam navam namaami nanda sambhavam
gunaakaram sukhaakaram kripaakaram kripaaparam
sura dvishan nikandanam namaami gopa nandanam
navina gopa naagaram navina keli lampatam
namaami megha sundaram tadit prabhaa lasat patam
samasta gopa nandanam hridambujaika mohanam
namaami kunja madhya gam prasanna bhaanu shobhanam
nikaama kaama daayakam driganta chaaru saayakam
rasaala venu gaayakam namaami kunja naayakam
vidaghda gopikaa mano manojna talpa shaayinam
namaami kunja kaanane pravriddha vahni paayinam
yadaa tadaa yathaa tathaa tathaiva krishna sat kathaa
mayaa sadaiva giyataam tathaa kripa vidhiyataam
pramaanikaastaka dvayam japaty adhitya yah pumaan
bhavet sa nanda nandane bhave bhave su bhaktimaan