Govinda

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This article is about the deity. For other uses, see Govinda (disambiguation).

Govinda is another name for the Hindu deity, Krishna, who is also spelt Krsna. Go can refer to cows, land or one's senses. Vinda means "protector". When the two words are combined, Govinda means Krsna who is the protector of the cows, the land and/or one's senses. The story of how Krishna was given the name Govinda is described in detail in the Vishnu Purana. After lifting Govardhan hill to protect the villagers and cows of Vrindavan, the deva Indra awarded him the title.

A famous prayer called the Bhaja Govindam was written in the 8th century by a devotee named Adi Sankara (also known as Sankaracharya), a summary of which is; "If one just worships Govinda, one can easily cross this great ocean of birth and death." This refers to the belief that worshipful adoration of Krsna can lead believers out of the cycle of reincarnation, or samsara, and into an eternal blissful life in Vaikuntha, 'beyond this material world' where Govinda resides.

[edit] Usage related to Krishna

Govinda (or Govind) is a name of Krsna and also appears as the 187th and 539th names in the Vishnu Sahasranama.
According to Adi Sankara's commentary on the Vishnu Sahasranama, translated by Swami Tapasyananda, Govinda has three meanings:
- The sages call Krsna "Govinda" as He pervades all the worlds, giving them power.
- The Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata states that Vishnu restored the earth that had sunk into the netherword, or Patala, so all the devas praised Him as Govinda (Protector of the Land).
- Alternatively, it means "He who is known by Vedic words alone". Adi Sankara's Bhaja Govindam prayer expresses the value of inner devotion to Krsna.
In another Hindu scripture, the Harivamsa, Indra praised Krsna for having attained loving leadership of the cows which Krsna tended as a cowherd, by saying, "So men too shall praise Him as Govinda."

[edit] References

Sri Vishnu Sahasranama, commentary by Sri Sankaracharya, translated by Swami Tapasyananda, available at Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. Available at: http://www.sriramakrishnamath.org and US site: http://www.vedanta.com.