Shankara's Govinda-ashhTaka - 1

[Anand Hudli]

satyaM jnaanam-anantaM nityamanaakaashaM paramaakaashaM
goshhThapraaN^gaNa-riN^gaNa-lolamanaayaasaM paramaayaasam.h |
maayaakalpita-naanaakaaramanaakaaraM bhuvanaakaaraM
xmaayaa naatham-anaathaM praNamata govindaM paramaanandam.h || 1 ||


satyaM jnaanam-anantaM - truth, knowledge, and infinite ( as per
the definition of Brahman in the taittiriiya upanishhad)
nityaM - eternal
anaakaashaM - not space (aakaasha)
paramaakaashaM - (but) supremely pervasive like space
goshhThapraaN^gaNa- (in) the court yard of cowpens
riN^gaNa-lolaM- fond of crawling
anaayaasaM - (is) without any fatigue
paramaayaasaM - (but appears as if He is) extremely exhausted
maayaakalpita- made by Maayaa
naanaakaaraM - diverse forms
anaakaaraM - without form
bhuvanaakaaraM - of the form of the world
xmaayaa naatham- the Lord of the earth
anaathaM - without a lord
praNamata - bow to
govindaM - Lord Govinda (Krishna)
paramaanandaM - the Supreme Bliss

Translation:

Bow to Lord Govinda who is truth, knowledge, and infinite, the eternal
(Brahman), who, though not space, is all pervasive like space. (But
still) He is fond of crawling (as an infant) in the court yards of
the cowpens of Vraja. (After crawling so) He appears as if He is
extremely exhausted even though in reality He cannot be weary at all.
He bears diverse forms made by Maayaa even though He is without any
form. The Vishvaruupa or the form of the world is a form of His. He is
the Lord of the earth but He Himself is without a master (and is
therefore, the Lord of all). Govinda is Supreme Bliss.

Shankara Bhagavatpaada has nicely explained the meanings of the name
"Govinda" in his commentary on the Vishnu-sahasra-naama. I will give
two meanings here.

gobhireva yato vedyo govindaH samudaahR^itaH |

Since You are known by Vedaantic texts (go) alone, You are said to be
"Govinda."

The upanishhads (vedaanta treatises) are described as cows, as in
"sarvopanishhado gaavo dogdhaa gopaalanandanaH". All the upanishhads
are like cows and Lord Krishna, the son of Nanda, milks them. This
leads to a second definition of Govinda.

gavaam-indrataaM gataH govinda iti

Since He is the Lord of the cows, He is called Govinda.


Anand

--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

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