Govinda (deity)
Govinda ( Sanskrit गोविंद or गोविन्द Govind ) is together with Gopala a designation of Krishna , the Avatar Vishnu . In Hinduism, and especially among the Vaishnavas , Vishnu and his full incarnation Krishna are worshiped as the highest deity.
etymology
Govinda is made up of the Sanskrit words go गो meaning cow, ox and vinda विन्द (protector, shepherd). Govinda thus means protector of the cows or cowherd. The youthful Krishna in particular is known by this name because he tended the cows in Vrindavan . In a broader sense, go can also mean the Vedas and beyond that the senses. Govinda therefore also protects the Vedas and gives the senses the greatest joy.
Interpretations
According to Adi Shankara's commentary on the Vishnu Sahasranama, translated by Swami Tapasyananda , Govinda has four meanings. The wise call Krishna Govinda because he pervades all worlds and gives them energy. In the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata it is stated that Vishnu restored the earth after it sank into the underworld of Patala. Because of this, the Devas praised him as Govind, the protector of the inhabited land. Govinda also means one who can be known through the Vedas alone. In Harivamsha , Indra praised Krishna for his loving herding of the cows with the addition that people should therefore revere him as Govinda.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi , in his commentary on Bhagavad Gita, describes Govinda as the Lord of the Senses. In the story in the Mahabharata about Draupadi , who threatened to be robbed of her sari by Dushasana at the court of Hastinapura , it is reported that Draupadi prayed to Krishna (who was then in Dvaraka ) when they no longer held their sari to their body could. Devotees who have lost everything or have nothing more to lose therefore also turn to the Supreme Lord as Govinda. In the vernacular of Tamil and Telugu , the dialect word govinda sometimes refers to a loss or failure. A Queen of the Visigoths who died in 589 was named Goswintha or Gosvinda, which is interpreted as the way of the cows . The term Vedas is possibly related to the French Veau (veal) and the Latin Vado or Vadum .
History
According to Klaus Klostermaier , Kumar Gopijanavallabha or Krishna as a lover of the Gopis is the last stage in a historical development process that ultimately led to modern Krishnaism. This form of worship was added later to the original Krishna Vasudeva cult, which most likely dates back to several centuries before the birth of Christ, and was added to the worship of Balakrishna , the godchild Krishna. Klostermaier explains:
“Today's worship of Krishna is an amalgam of various elements. Historical evidence suggests that the worship of Krishna-Vasudeva in and around Mathura took place several centuries before Christ. A second important element is the Krishna Govinda cult. Only later was the worship of Balakrishna added - of great importance in present-day Krishnaism. As the very last element, Krishna Gopijanavallabha appeared - Krishna as a lover of the Gopis, among whom Radha holds a special position. In some books Krishna is presented as the founder and first spiritual teacher of the Bhagavata religion. "
Govinda in Hinduism
Keshava nama
In the Keshava nama , the 24 names of Vishnu, Govinda appears in fourth place.
Sahasrara nama
Among the thousand names of Vishnu, the Sahasrara nama , Govinda appears in 187th and 539th places.
Bhagavad Gita
In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna addresses Krishna twice as Govinda (verses 1, 32 and 2, 9):
"किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा
येषामर्थे काङ्क्षितं नो राज्यं भोगाः सुखानि च"
"Kiṁ no rājyena govinda kiṁ bhogair jīvitena vā
yeșām arthe kāṅkșitam no rājyaṁ bhogāḥ sukhāni ca"
"O Govinda, what use is a kingdom, happiness or even mere life, if all those for whom we desire this are now before us (on the battlefield)?"
"एवमुक्त्वा हृषीकेशं गुडाकेशः परन्तप
न योत्स्य इति गोविन्दमुक्त्वा तूष्णीं बभूव ह"
"Evam uktvā hŗșīkeśaṁ guḍākeśaḥ parantapaḥ
na yotsya iti govindam uktvā tūșṇīṁ babhūva ha"
“After Arjuna, the conqueror of enemies, spoke like this, he said to Krishna: Govinda, I will not fight! and fell silent. "
Govinda-bhashya
The Govinda-bhashya is a commentary on the philosophy of Vedanta written by Baladeva Vidyabhushana .
Prayers
Adi Shankara wrote the Bhaja Govindam , a famous prayer, the message of which is: "Whoever worships Govinda can easily cross the great ocean of birth and death". This expresses the belief that the worship of Vishnu or Krishna can free believers from the cycle of rebirth or samsara and lead them to an eternal life full of bliss in Vaikuntha - Govinda's highest abode beyond this material world. Vishnus). In his prayer Bhaja Govindam, Adi Shankara expresses the value of deep inner devotion to Vishnu.
In a prayer of Vishnu Purana to Krishna / Govinda the protection of the cows and the Brahmins is emphasized:
"Namo brahmaṇya-devāya go brahmaṇa-hitāya ca
jagad-dhitāya kŗșnāya govindāya namo namaḥ"
"Sir, you are the well-meaning friend of the cows and the brahmins, and you are the well-meaning friend of all human society and the whole world"
In the Brahma Samhita , Brahma comes to the following conclusion:
"Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kŗșnaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥsarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam"
“Krishna is the supreme person and his body is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. He is the first Lord, Govinda, and he is the cause of all causes. "
Later, Govinda is revered as the oldest living being and ruler of the solar system :
"Govindam ādi-purușam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi"
Individual evidence
- ↑ Swami Tapasyananda (translator): Sri Vishnu Sahasranama (commentary by Sri Sankaracharya) . Ramakrishna Math Publications, Chennai, S. 69 and 115 .
- ↑ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad-Gita, a New Translation and Commentary, Chapters 1-6 . Penguin Books, 1969, pp. 57 (v 32) .
- ^ Klostermaier, Klaus K .: A Survey of Hinduism (3rd ed.) . State University of New York Press, 2005, ISBN 0-7914-7081-4 , pp. 206 .