Govinda
Govinda (Sanskrit:गोविन्द) is another name for the Hindu deity, Krishna. 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.
In the mid-nineties the British band Kula Shaker wrote a hit song in Sanskrit entitled Govinda.
Usage related to Krishna
- Govinda (or Govind) is a name of Krishna 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 Krishna "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 Krishna.
- In another Hindu scripture, the Harivamsa, Indra praised Krsna for having attained loving leadership of the cows which Krishna tended as a cowherd, by saying, "So men too shall praise Him as Govinda."
References
Sri Vishnu Sahasranama, commentary by Sri Sankaracharya, translated by Swami Tapasyananda (Ramakrishna Math Publications, Chennai).