In Indian mythology, Krishna is a pastoral lord, the young beloved of the gopikas, and the sage advisor of the Pandavas. He is loved and respected by all and accepted in the pantheon as the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. By many names is he remembered, Govinda, Jaganatha and Guravayoorappa, among the prominent ones. In his childhood, he performed many miracles, killing demons and sheltering the cowherds from a storm by holding Mount Govardhana over their heads with his finger; he also played numerous childish pranks, such as stealing butter from Yashoda’s pot. As he grew up, he gave up his idyllic pastoral life and turned on his wicked uncle Kamsa. He slew Kamsa, seized the kingdom of Mathur?, and eventually, with his followers, founded a new capital at Dwaraka in Kathiawar (modern-day Gujarat). In the massive Indian epic, the Mahabharata, he appears as the constant friend and advisor of the five Pandavas, and his great sermon of the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna before the battle is recited to this day. The Gita is among the greatest ethical texts in human history and has been translated and cited globally.
The 12th century poetic genius Jayadeva’s magnum opus is a beautiful lyrical poem about the love between Radha and Lord Krishna. But he called it Gita Govinda, which literally means “The Song of the Cowherd.” The titles of each of the 12 sargas or cantos in Gita Govinda too, contain 10 different names of Krishna. Even when a canto focuses exclusively on Radha – her predicament, her shifting moods, her conversation with her sakhi (friend), or the sakhi’s description of Radha. Perhaps this is because from Jayadeva’s point of view, Radha’s thoughts and feelings too are suffused with the presence of the God!
Damodara - Krishna’s Name I
The titles of the first and eleventh cantos of Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda carry the name “Damodara”. It means one whose udaram (abdomen) is tied with a damam (rope). As a naughty little child, Lord Krishna once provoked the anger of his mother Yashoda. She decided to tie a mortar to His body using a rope, in order to keep Him out of mischief. But the rope always fell short, despite adding more pieces, and she was unable to bind Him – until Krishna stopped His divine play and allowed Himself to be imprisoned. Hence the name “Damodara”!
Keshava - Krishna’s Name II
The title of the second canto of Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda carries the name “Keshava”. It means either “one with luxuriant hair (kesam)” or “one who killed Kesi the demon”. Once, King Kamsa sent a demon named Kesi to kill his nephew Lord Krishna. Kesi took the form of a gigantic horse and entered Vrindavana. As the residents stood terrified seeing the terrible animal, Krishna flung his fist into the horse’s mouth, causing its teeth to fall out. Then, Krishna’s hand began to swell. Kesi, who could no longer breathe, died soon afterwards. Hence Krishna’s name “Keshava”!
Madhusoodana - Krishna’s Name III
The title of the third and fourth cantos of Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda carry the name “Madhusoodana”. It means “the killer of Madhu”. Madhu and Kaidabha were two demons who stole the Vedas from Lord Brahma and hid them in the ocean. Lord Vishnu took the horse-headed form of Hayagriva, and killed Madhu, and retrieved the Vedas. According to another purana, Madhu, invincible after gaining a boon from Goddess Mahadevi, became vain and attacked Lord Brahma. As vanquishing him was impossible, Brahma sought Lord Vishnu’s help. Vishnu then became Hayagriva and destroyed Madhu. Hence Krishna’s name “Madhusoodana”!
Pundarikaksha - Krishna’s Name IV
The title of the fifth canto of Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda carries the name “Pundarikaksha”. It is used to describe Lord Vishnu. If we look into the root meaning of the word, we will see that it is a compound word, made up of pundarikam and aksham. Pundarikam means “a lotus flower, especially a white lotus”. Aksham means “eye”. Thus the word Pundarikaksha means “the lotus-eyed one”. It may not be as specific as “Madhusoodana” or “Keshava” or “Damodara” in referring to Vishnu or Krishna but it indicates that Krishna is ethereally handsome in his physical appearance.
Vaikunta - Krishna’s Name V
The title of the sixth canto of Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda carries the name “Vaikunta”. The first image the word conjures is the abode of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. However, what is not known to all is that it is also an epithet of Vishnu, and hence Lord Krishna. Vaikunta was the name of Lord Vishnu’s avatar in Raivata manvantara. That is, Lord Vishnu was manu (variously, the progenitor of humankind, or the First Man or kshatriya ruler) of the fifth among the fourteen antaras [period of time], or the Raivata manvantara, according to Hindu cosmology.
Narayana - Krishna’s Name VI
The title of the seventh canto of Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda carries the name “Narayana”. As sages, Nara and Narayana are considered earlier incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Once, when they went into deep meditation, Lord Indra, the king of gods, feared they would usurp his throne with their spiritual powers. He sought to distract them with music, dance and apsaras (celestial danseuses). Unfazed, Narayana decided to teach Indra a lesson. He tapped on his thigh (uru), and out sprang an apsara of unmatched beauty, named Urvashi, and Narayana requested that she be given the choicest position in heaven!
Lakshmipati - Krishna’s Name VII
The title of the eighth canto of Gita Govinda carries the name “Lakshmipati”. As Lakshmi denotes “fortune,” “prosperity,” “power,” “beauty,” “success,” and so on, Lord Vishnu or Krishna is the master and granter of all these. Lakshmi also denotes the goddess, one of the “jewels” that emerged from the churning of the Milky Ocean (Ksheera sagaramanthan), and accepted as Lord Vishnu’s consort (pati). Similar names of Lord Vishnu include “Lakshmisha,” “Lakshmikant,” “Lakshminath,” “Lakshmiramana”. Another name used by Jayadeva for “Lakshmi” in Gita Govinda is “Sri”. By analogy, Lord Vishnu is “Sripathi,” “Srinath,” “Sridhar,” “Srikant,” “Srivallabh,” etc.
Mukunda - Krishna’s Name VIII
The title of the ninth canto of Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda carries the name “Mukunda”. As per one interpretation, Mukunda is one who grants mukti or liberation (from the endless cycle of birth-death-rebirth) and thus bestows ananda or joy. As per another, Mukunda is one – the smile on His face is as radiant and delicate as the kunda (jasmine) flower – who grants mukti. This spiritual dimension of Krishna’s personality is hardly evoked in Gita Govinda, as it is a poem that celebrates the physical love between Radha and Krishna. Some readers, however, interpret it as bridal mysticism.
Chaturbhuja - Krishna’s Name IX
The title of the tenth canto of Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda carries the name “Chaturbhuja”. Chatur means “four” and bhuja means “arms”. Hence, the word means “the four-armed one”. Lord Krishna was born when his parents – Vasudeva and Devaki – were held in prison by King Kamsa. He appeared in all His celestial magnificence as Lord Vishnu, his four arms holding a conch shell, a disc, a mace, and a lotus flower. The conch shell was called Panchajanya; the disc, Sudarshana; and the mace, Kaumodaki. After requesting Vasudeva to take Him to Gokula, Vishnu became an ordinary infant.
Pitambara - Krishna’s Name X
The title of the twelfth canto of Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda carries the name “Pitambara”. More than any other epithet Pitambara evokes the most famous and iconic image of Lord Krishna – the handsome, dark-skinned god in yellow silk (pita-ambara means “the wearer of yellow robes”); with peacock feathers in His thick, curly tresses; the vanamala (multi-flower and leaf garland) reaching up to His knees; the jewel kaustubha on the neck chain; the flute on His lips; the ultimate lover dancing with numerous beautiful gopis or cowherdesses on moonlit nights on the banks of the Yamuna in Vrindavana.
Strange as though it may seem, until Gita Govinda, none of the texts had detailed the relationship between the Lord and His greatest devotee. Even in Bhagavata Purana, we find no mention of Radha. At best, she is a marginal figure who features in folk songs, with no striking qualities that set her apart. In the critic Sisir Das’s estimate, Jayadeva’s original contribution to the Krishna lore lies in the dexterity with which “he ‘Sanskritized’ Radha and assured her immortality in Indian life and literature.
Radha is introduced to the masses primarily due to the influence of the Gita Govinda. Post the 12th century, she is considered the ideal partner, known for her devotion and undying loyalty towards the celestial being she loves. Some records define her as a young gopika; others say she is the wife of Lord Krishna. Regardless, throughout history, their stories and names are intertwined forever. The gopikas are often mentioned in these tales and are essential background characters, often troubled yet impressed by Lord Krishna’s behaviour. Gopika is a Sanskrit word that means “female cowherd,” “wife of a cowherd,” and “female guardian.” Here, young Krishna earned his reputation as a mischievous prankster. Krishna would play his flute, and the gopikas would come to him and dance around, symbolising his divine charisma; thus, the gopikas became a symbol of suddha bhakti, the highest form of pure faith. The cowherds and verdant landscape of the idyllic Vrindavan are the settings for most of the tale. Located near Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, it is a pilgrimage site today.
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