Vishnu
Govinda nama-mantra
ॐ गोविन्दाय नमः
Oṁ Govindāya Namaḥ
Simple reading: Om go-vin-daa-ya na-mah
About this mantra
Govinda — finder of cows, of the earth, of the senses gone astray — is Krishna as the herdsman of everything that wanders. The name the Vraja children shouted across pastures became one of bhakti's dearest addresses: to call him Govinda is to admit one needs herding home.
Meaning
Om, salutations to Govinda — go-vinda, finder and keeper of the cows. The Bhagavata Purana (10.27.22–23) tells how the name was given: after Krishna lifted Govardhan, Surabhi the cow bathed him with her own milk and Indra with the water of the Ganga, and Indra named him Govinda, lord of the cows. The same name stands among the thousand of the Vishnu Sahasranama, which is why the cowherd's name is offered to Vishnu himself.
When to recite it
Janmashtami, Govardhan Puja and Annakut carry it, and Gopashtami — the day the cows are honoured — belongs to the cowherd's name; counted whenever Krishna is called as keeper of the herd rather than as king.
Word by word
- ॐoṁ
- the primordial sound
- गोविन्दायgovindāya
- to Govinda, protector of cows and the earth
- नमःnamaḥ
- I bow, salutations
Source: Traditional nāma-mantra