Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Maadesikaya nama:
"Govinda! Govinda!"
A huge crowd had gathered in front of the building housing a finance company.
Most of the people appeared agitated and the looks on their faces were
murderous. I went near to find out what was wrong, with all the curiosity of a
passerby and was surprised to find the Lord's name being uttered by many of
them, but without the devotion or ecstasy that normally accompanies such
chanting. In fact they appeared to be uttering the naama more in chagrin and
pain, than in any joy or elation. 'Govinda!' was the glorious name emanating
from their lips, irrespective of religious affinity. When I inquired, it
transpired that after mobilising sizeable deposits from a large number of
gullible investors, the finance company owners had done a vanishing act
overnight, disappearing with crores of rupees of public money. While describing
the loss of money, many in the crowd were saying 'Panam Govindaa thaan'.
Anguish and sorrow engulfed me, less in commiseration with the plight of those
who had lost the money, and more at the way Emperuman's tirunaamam was being
misused to depict a case of cheating and misappropriation. And this naturally
led me to thoughts of the glory of this particular name of the Lord, my mental
rambling confirming the extreme inappropriateness of using such a hallowed name
of the Lord under such circumstances.
If you really think about it, you would find the greatness of the Govinda naama
such as to defy narration. If a competition were to be held among Bhagavan
Naamaas, in terms of efficacy, sweetness, greatness, popular acceptance,
handiness for repetitive use, etc., the Govinda naama would win hands down.
This is no idle claim of an ignoramus like me, but a well-documented fact that
is reiterated often in our Itihaasaas and Puranas.
Further, the Govinda naama is intertwined with our lives and finds use from the
time we wake up till we go to sleep daily. One of the very first acts after our
getting up from bed is to perform an Aachamanam. And during this Achamanam and
every other that we perform on various occasions throughout the day, the name
Govinda occupies a pride of place, chanted first while sipping the water and
again while touching various parts of the body with our fingers.
'Sarvaangaanaam Nayanam pradhaanam' say the Shastras, attributing primacy to
the eyes among the various organs of the body. And it is perhaps an indication
of the greatness of the Govinda naama that the prescribed part to be touched
while uttering it is the eye. And before we eat too, after sanctifying the food
with the Parishechana mantras and offering it to our Inner Dweller
symbolically, it is the Govinda naama that we utter, before even a crumb passes
our lips. And Shastras tell us that with each morsel of food intake, we should
utter the Govinda naama-'Kapale kapale chaiva kuryaat Govinda keertanam'.
At the beginning of every Sankalpam, which precedes any vaidika karma, we
recite, "Sri Govinda! Govinda! Govinda! asya Sri Bhagavata: mahaa Purushasya.."
This perhaps makes food tastier, healthier and more nourishing. Most of us,
when we are past 40 and our limbs start giving us trouble, making us grunt and
groan when we sit down and get up, involuntarily say 'Govinda', to ease the
process. It is Govinda who protects those who play, the Mahabharata tells
us-'Kreedantam paatu Govinda: sayaanam paatu Madhava:' Hence the Govinda naama
appears to be the ideal one for athletes to utter. Thus, the use of the Govinda
naama is widespread and is inextricably mingled with our daily routine, made so
by Maharshis who have known and experienced the efficacy of this tirunaamam.
To talk of the efficacy of Bhagavan naamaas is perhaps sacrilegious-one holy
name of the Lord is definitely as potent as another in destroying sin and
conferring auspiciousness. However, some of these names have found much greater
favour with devotees, on various grounds. For instance, though the Lord has a
thousand names and more, there is no practice of chanting 'Nyagrodha:,
Udumbara:, Amoorti:' etc., though these are doubtless a part of the
Sahasranaama Stotram. Though these naamaas signify certain attributes of
Emperuman, yet we do not go in for intensified chanting or japam of these
names. Similarly, though there are divine names galore, devotees have preferred
the Govinda naama as protection against evil and while appealing to Him for
assistance during emergencies.
A classic case in point is Droupati. When all effort at protecting her modesty
(from the intemperate Ducchaasana who was intent on disrobing her in pubic)
fails, she puts up her hands in desperation and calls to a distant Krishna to
rush to her aid. And in doing so, she couches her appeal in the following words-
'Shanka Chakra Gadaa paane! Dwaaraka nilaya! Achyuta!
Govinda! Pundareekaaksha! Raksha maam saranaagataam'
Readers may wonder-Droupati has definitely not given any primacy to the Govinda
naama while crying out to Sri Krishna, prefacing the same with others like
Achyuta, Dwaraka Nilaya, etc. So, where is the question of Govinda naama alone
coming to her rescue? To find an answer to this, we have to look into the
response of Sri Krishna to Droupati's appeal. Discussing the matter at Dwaraka
with Sri Rugmini, the Lord tells Her that He had to rush to the distressed
damsel's rescue immediately, because her calling Him 'Govinda' had struck a
deep chord in His merciful heart and His sense of obligation to save her was
multiplying every moment, much like a debt contracted at usurious rates of
interest. Among all the other names she calls Him in her appeal, Emperuman
particularly remembers and repeats the name Govinda, as being responsible for
making Him feel extremely obliged-
'Govinda!' iti yat aakrandat Krishnaa maam doora vaasinam
Rinam pravruddham iva me hridayaat na apasarpati'
Sri Pillai Lokacharya declares that it was this Govinda naama, not even the
Lord Himself, which protected Droupati from certain shame and
ignominy-'Droupatikku aapattile pudavai surandadu tirunaamam ire'. The Acharya
explains that even if Emperuman is far off, as He was at distant Dwaraka when
Droupati (at Hastinapuram) appealed to Him, His glorious Govinda naama is
always by our side and would protect us from peril, if only we choose to utter
it-'avan doorastthan aanaalum idu kitti nindru udavum'. Hence the Acharya
concludes that the Govinda naama in particular and all Bhagavan naamaas in
general, are greater and more glorious than the Lord Himself-'Vaachya
prabhaavam pol andru vaachaka prabhaavam'.
We come across several devotees, especially at Tirumala, uttering this holiest
of holy names differently--some say 'Goyinda', yet others 'Gohinda'.
Etymologically, such pronunciations rob the word of all significance, making it
probably meaningless. However, as far as the Lord is concerned, it is the
devotion with which the name is uttered, rather than its grammatical
perfection, which matters more. Whichever way the Govinda naama is uttered,
rightly or wrongly, it offers comprehensive protection to its votaries, unlike
most other mantras which require perfect pronunciation and intonation. This
again is stated by Sri Pillai Lokacharya-'sollum kramam ozhiya sonnaalum than
svaroopam keda nillaadu'.
Well, if it is all that exalted as is touted by Shastras, the purport of this
tirunaamam must indeed be profound. What exactly does the name Govinda mean?
According to the Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram, the Lord is known as Govinda:
as He is the (sole) recipient of wholesome words of praise by the
Shruti-'Gavaam, Stuti Giraam vinda: Govinda: sa udaahrita:'. It is a
universally accepted fact that all words of the immaculate Vedas are nothing
but words of adoration and adulation addressed to Emperuman. At places, it may
appear that the Shruti is heaping praise on various devatas like Agni, Vaayu,
Varuna, Indra, Rudra, et al. However, all such paeans of praise are meant
solely for the Universal Inner Dweller, the Paramatma. As such, Sriman Narayana
is the only person entitled to be adulated ('Stavya:' says the Sahasranaamam)
and to whom all words of admiration are addressed, thus making Him Govindan.
Sri Parasara Battar interprets the naama as referring to Varaha Perumal-He is
Govindan because He rescued and regained Mother Earth who had been spirited
away by asuras and hidden deep under the ocean. In support of this, he quotes
the Lord Himself, in the following Mahabhaarata slokam-
'nashtaam cha dharaneem poorvam avindam cha guhaa gataam
Govinda iti tenaaham devai: vaagbhi: abhishtuta:'.
This appears to be most authentic interpretation, since it comes from Emperuman
Himself and is reiterated elsewhere too in Mahabharata-
'imaam hi dharaneem poorvam nashtaam saagara mekhalaam
Govinda ujjahaara aasu Vaaraaham roopam aasrtita;'
The most obvious interpretation and the one which brings out in full the Lord's
admirable trait of Accessibility or Soulabhyam, is of course to define Him as
one who attains/protects/leads cows. Just think of it, the Supreme Paramatma,
the omnipotent Parabrahmam coming down to earth and moving as one with the
lowliest of lowly and engaging Himself in the humble occupation of a cowherd!
The Lord is praised by Indra as being the leader of cows, in the following
Harivamsa sloka-
'Aham kila Indro devaanaam, tvam gavaam Indratvam gata;
Govinda iti lokaa: tvaam stoshyanti bhuvi saasvatam'
He knows each of the cows in Gokulam individually and inside out. And the cows
know Him too, recognizing Him as the Supreme Lord and showering their love and
affection on Him in abundant measure-- this too gives Him the name
Govinda;-"Govindo vedanaat gavaam". And He is crowned by Indra as the King of
Cows, in what is known as Govinda Pattaabhishekam, which followed the Lord's
holding up the Goverdhana mountain for seven days with His little finger, as a
protective umbrella for the cows and cowherds of Gokulam from the sleet, rain
and storm let loose by an enraged Indra, denied his usual annual tribute.
'Abhyashinchata Daasaarham"
There are several other subsidiary meanings of the Govinda naama arrived at by
scholars who have immersed themselves in the beauty and glory of this hallowed
name of the Lord.
It is interesting if you see how the Govinda nama is used by scriptures while
denoting the Paramatma. To offer just one example, we know the famous
Taittiriyopanishad dictum which tells us that all demigods perform their
appointed work, prompted by fear of the Parabrahmam-"Bheeshaasmaat vaata;
pavate, bheeshodeti Soorya: bheeshaasmaat Agnischa Indrascha, Mrityu:
dhaavati'. That Paramatma, who is left nameless by the Taittiriyopanishad, is
identified definitively as Govinda, by the Gopala Poorvataapini
Upanishad-'Govindaat Mrityu: bibheti'. If Govinda is thus the source of fear
("Bhaya krit"), He is also the one who destroys fear "Bhaya naasana:", we are
told by Sri Mahabharatam-
"Atasee pushpa sankaasam peeta vaasasam Achyutam
Ye namasyanti Govindam na teshaam vidyate bhayam'
It is Govinda who is touted to be the holiest of the holy, the most auspicious
of all that is held auspicious-
'Pavitraanaam hi Govinda: pavitram param uchyate
Punyaanaam api punya: asou mangalaanaam cha mangalam'
He might have a thousand and more names, but the name to which He answers with
pleasure is of course the Govinda naama, because it reminds Him of His sojourn
with cows and Gopas and Gopis, who are extremely dear to His heart. In fact, He
is pained if addressed by any other name indicating His supremacy, which is why
Sri Andal beseeches Him not to be annoyed at being called such names-'Siru per
azhaittanavum seeri arulaade.' Again, to indicate the wantlessness of the
Paramatma and to explain His having attained all that He desires, it is the
Govinda naama that She resorts to-'Kurai ondrum illaada Govinda!'. Such is
Andal's fascination and infatuation with the Govinda nama, that she trains even
Her parrots to continuously call out only that tirunaamam -"Koottil irundu kili
eppodum Govinda!Govinda! endru azhaikkum"
The greatness and glory of the Govinda naama are such that they are capable of
instantly transforming hell into heaven, says Tondaradippodi Azhwar-"poriyil
vaazh narakam ellaam pul ezhundu ozhiyum andre". Though there is no direct
reference here to the Govinda nama, it is clear by inference, as Azhwar speaks
earlier of the three-lettered name of the Lord-"Govinda"-- which conferred
liberation on even a vile and wicked knave like Kshatrabandhu-"Moondru ezhutthu
udaya peraal Katthirabandhum andre paraangati kandu kondaan". The same idea of
Govinda nama being the sole panacea for all mundane ills is emphasized by
Vishnu Dharmam too-
"Yadi samsaara nirvedaat abhivaanchasi sadgatim
Tat aaraadhaya Govindam".
Further, not only does Govinda not have any "Kurai" or wants, He makes His
devotees too rid of any unrequited desires-for, a single utterance of the
Govinda nama is capable of conferring merits which cannot be attained even by
gifting a million cows during the auspicious eclipse period, by living for ages
on the banks of the sacred Ganga at Kasi and Prayag, giving off gold in
mountainous quantities to the needy and performing innumerable sacrifices
ordained in the Vedas.
The famous Ambareesha Chakravarthy is another votary of the Govinda nama, as
would appear from his response to Indra. The Emperor tells the chief of
celestials that it is natural for Devas to place hurdles in the way of those
whose devotion to Govinda is steadfast, for the celestials are envious of the
devotees. And why should there be such envy? Because the votaries of Govinda
would definitely rid themselves of Samsara and thus place themselves beyond the
power of Devas. Here is the relative slokam from Vishnu Dharmam--
'Srooyate kila Govinde bhakti udvahataam nrinaam
Samsaaraarnava bheetaanaam tridasaa: paripanthina:'
Notwithstanding any such hurdle, the Emperor expresses his resolve never to
forsake the worship of Govinda, for nothing else could be more auspicious-
'Govinda bhaktaadhikam shreyascha anyam na vidyate
Sa tvam prahara maa vaa mayi vajram Purandara!
Naaham utsrijya Govindam anyam aaraadhayaami bho:'
However, is the Govinda nama part of a potent mantra, like Narayana, Vishnu and
Vasudeva, which respectively form the body of the Ashtaakshara, Shadakshara and
Dvaadasaakshara mantras? Yes, the Upanishad tells us, calling it the
five-lettered/worded formulation-"Govindasya pancha padam manum". To those who
meditate on the Lord and surrender to Him using this Govinda mantra prefaced by
Pranavam, He shows Himself in all His splendour, we are told-"teshaam asou
darsayat aatma roopam tasmaat mumukshu: abhyaset nitya shaanti:" Apart from the
Govinda mantra, this holy name also forms an integral part of the MahaSudarsana
mantram.
Govindan is described as a beautiful moorthi, distinct and different from other
forms of Sriman Narayana. He is depicted with not one or two, but four bows in
His four hands, all meant for aasrita rakshanam (protection of the devout),
which sets Him apart as a Saviour par excellence. He is extraordinarily
effulgent, His splendour not that of the scorching Sun, but resembling that of
a thousand moons, cool, pleasant and inviting, instantly relieving us from the
horrible heat of Samsara. Here is Swami Desikan's tribute to Govindan, in his
Panniru Tirunaamam-
"Govinan endrum kulir madiyaagi kodiyavarai
Evum dhanukkaludan terkkilum ul kazhutthilum
Mevum tiruvarulaal vinai teertthu enai aandu arulum
Poovan tozha atthi maa malai mel nindra punniyane"
When my ruminations drew to a close, I recollected
what started off the train of thought-the habit of people uttering the Govinda
nama, especially when they are cheated, looted or lose money otherwise. I
realized, on second thoughts, that the habit is not as inappropriate as I
originally concluded, but is indeed the losers' call to the Lord, just like
Droupati, for assistance at a time of distress, due to the involuntary
realization that it is to Govinda they must appeal, at a time of anguish and
pain. If the hills of Tirumala have been reverberating since time immemorial
with the devotees' call of "Govinda!", despite Srinivasa having no apparent
connection with the particular name, it speaks volumes about bhaktas'
preference for the intoxicating elixir of the Govinda nama. Thus, while
scholars prefer the name for its profound purport, the proletariat prefers it
for its simplicity and sweetness, making this holy name one of universal
acceptance and adulation.
Here are a few slokas I found in the course
of my browsing, which sit sweet on the tongue, for your perusal and pleasure-
"Namo viggyaana roopaaya paramaananda roopine
Krishnaya Gopeenaathaaya Govindaya namo nama:
Barhi peedaabhiraamaaya raamaaya aakuntta medhase
Ramaa maanasa hamsaaya Govindaya namo nama:
Kesava! klesa harana! Narayana! Janardana!
Govinda!Paramaananda!maam samuddhara Madhava!
Yata: Satyam yato Dharma: yato hree: aarjavam yata:
Tato bhavati Govinda: yata: Krishna: tato jaya:
Go koti daanam grahaneshu, Kaasi Prayaaga Gangaa krita kalpa vaasa:
Yagyaayutam Meru suvarna daanam Govinda naamnaam na kadaapi tulyam".
Srimate SriLakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana
Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
dasan, sadagopan
Vrindavane cha govindam
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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