ജയ ജനാര്ദനാ കൃഷ്ണാ രാധികാപതേ

A kirtan built as one unbroken chain of vocatives, with the name Krishna set into the middle of every half-line so that it falls like a beat: victory, Janardana — Krishna — lord of Radhika; releaser of people — Krishna — releaser from birth; borne by Garuda — Krishna — lord of the gopis; enchanter of the eye — Krishna — lotus-eyed. Six verses run that way in Sanskrit, working through the names by sound as much as by sense, each line alliterating on a single letter. Then the seventh and eighth change language without warning and finish in Kannada — protect me, bless your servant always, guard me, lord — before the opening verse returns and closes the circle. It is sung as call and response rather than recited.