Category:God As Govinda
Theme Analysis
The name Govinda refers to the original, primeval Personality of Godhead who gives pleasure to the cows and the senses. Throughout his teachings, Śrīla Prabhupāda continuously points to Lord Brahmā's authoritative prayers in the Brahma-saṁhitā to establish Govinda as the supreme cause of all causes (ādi-puruṣam). All other divine manifestations—including the majestic Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, the all-powerful Mahā-Viṣṇu (from whose pores universes emanate), Lord Śiva, and the material energy personified as Durgādevī—are merely expansions or obedient servants of Govinda. Even the all-pervading, impersonal Brahman effulgence is simply the glowing rays emanating from Govinda's transcendental body.
Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that true spiritual perfection means purifying one's senses so they can be engaged in the service of Govinda, thereby deriving genuine transcendental pleasure. However, understanding Govinda is not cheap. Dry speculators and mundane scholars cannot fathom His form or His absolute nature. As Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes, one can only see Govinda when their eyes are smeared with the ointment of pure love (premāñjana-cchurita). This intense love was perfectly demonstrated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who, in the ecstasy of separation (mahābhāva), declared that without Govinda, a single moment felt like twelve years, and the entire universe appeared completely vacant.
- The Primeval Cause: Śrīla Prabhupāda relies on the Brahma-saṁhitā to establish that Govinda is the unborn, beginningless ādi-puruṣam. All visnu-tattvas, demigods, and material creations emanate from Him.
- The Source of Brahman: The impersonal Brahman, often mistaken by speculators as the ultimate truth, is described by Śrīla Prabhupāda simply as the bodily effulgence of Govinda.
- Pleasing the Senses: The name Govinda means one who pleases the cows and the senses. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that only when the conditioned soul's senses are purified through devotional service can they properly serve and derive pleasure from Govinda.
- The Ecstasy of Separation: Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights the supreme stage of love exhibited by Lord Caitanya, who felt that the entire world was completely vacant without the presence of Govinda.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: God As Govinda - The Primeval Cause of All Causes.
Pages in category "God As Govinda"
The following 61 pages are in this category, out of 61 total.
A
- A Vaisnava worships the demigods in relation to Govinda, not independently. Vaisnavas are not so foolish that they consider the demigods independent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- All glories to Govinda, the primeval Personality of Godhead
- All the cosmic manifestations that exist on the gross and subtle elements, as well as the means of their agitation comes from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda
- All the demigods, including Lord Brahma, are manifested from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the original person, the cause of all causes, is Govinda, the adi-purusam
- Anyone who is fixed in the service of the lotus feet of Govinda is called tirtha-pada; he does not need to travel on various pilgrimages, for he can enjoy all the benefits of such travel simply by engaging in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord
- As meditation on any form of the Lord is valuable, so is chanting of different names of the Lord, such as Hari, Govinda and Narayana
- As meditation on any form of the Lord is valuable, so is chanting of different names of the Lord, such as Hari, Govinda and Narayana. But in this age we are especially advised to chant the Hare Krsna mantra as enunciated in the sastra
B
- Both the dvija-devas and the devas always establish temples of Lord Visnu in His various forms, such as Govinda, Madhusudana, Nrsimha, Madhava, Kesava, Narayana, Padmanabha, Partha-sarathi and many others
- Brahma & other lords of the mundane worlds, appear from the pores of hair of Maha-Visnu, remain alive as long as the duration of His one exhalation. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, of whose subjective personality Maha-Visnu is the portion of a portion
- BS 5.35: "I worship the Personality of Godhead, Govinda, who by one of His plenary portions enters the existence of every universe and every atomic particle and thus manifests His infinite energy unlimitedly throughout the material creation"
H
- He (Brahma) has described expansions of the Supreme Lord, Govinda, in his Brahma-samhita (BS 5.38), - Although He is the oldest personality, He is ever youthful, unaffected by old age
- He (Brahma) has described expansions of the Supreme Lord, Govinda, in his Brahma-samhita (BS 5.38), - I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is nondual and infallible. He is the original cause of all causes, even though He expands in many, many forms
- He (Brahma) has described expansions of the Supreme Lord, Govinda, in his Brahma-samhita (BS 5.38), - The Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be known by the academic wisdom of the Vedas; one has to approach the devotee of the Lord to understand Him
- He (Caitanya Mahaprabhu) was feeling separation of Govinda, Krsna, so intensely that He was thinking one moment as twelve years. So these are mahabhava. Great transcendental ecstasy can be achieved simply by chanting this Hare Krsna mantra
- He (Narottama dasa Thakura) has recommended that instead of taking the trouble to travel to such places, one should concentrate his mind on Govinda, and that will help him
- He is Govinda because He is the pleasure of the cows and the senses. Those who have purified their senses by the devotional service of the Lord can render unto Him real service and thereby derive transcendental pleasure out of such purified senses
- Here (SB 4.29.3) it is clearly stated: namabhir va kriya-gunaih. The Lord has specific names such as Rama, Krsna, Govinda, Narayana, Visnu and Adhoksaja. There are indeed many names, but the conditioned soul cannot understand them
I
- I (Brahma) worship the original Personality of Godhead, Govinda, whom the pure devotees whose eyes are smeared with the ointment of love of Godhead always observe within their hearts - Brahma-Samhita 5.38
- I (Lord Brahma) adore the primeval Lord Govinda, in accordance with whose will Durga conducts herself
- I (Lord Brahma) worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, under whose control even the sun, which is considered to be the eye of the Lord, rotates within the fixed orbit of eternal time
- I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is endowed with great power. The glowing effulgence of His transcendental form is the impersonal Brahman, which is absolute, complete and unlimited - BS 5.40
- I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose transcendental form displays the varieties of countless planets, with their different opulences, in millions and millions of universes - BS 5.40
- I worship Govinda. He is my Lord. Only by His grace am I empowered to create the universe
- If he (the living entity) is absorbed in material thoughts and ignorant of spiritual life, and if he does not take shelter under the lotus feet of the SPG, Govinda, who solves all questions of birth and death, he will become a woman in the next life
- In material life we are all separated from Govinda & are absorbed in material sense gratification. Therefore, when one comes to his senses on the spiritual platform he becomes so eager to meet Govinda that without Govinda the entire world becomes vacant
- In the Brahma-samhita (5.35) it is said that Govinda, the primeval Lord, enters everything by His plenary portion. He enters the universe as well as all the atoms of the universe. He is outside in His virat form, and He is within everything as antaryami
- In the Brahma-samhita Lord Brahma offers his respect to the adi-purusa, Govinda, the original person, who has no beginning, whereas the creation of this material world has a beginning
- In the Brahma-samhita, the important demigods - Lord Siva, Lord Brahma and even the incarnations and expansions of Lord Krsna like Maha-Visnu - are all worshiped by the process of worshiping Govinda with the words govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
- In the BS it is stated, premanjanacchurita... One can see the SPG, Govinda, always within himself and outside himself if he has developed the transcendental loving attitude towards Him. Thus for people in general He is not visible. BG 1972 purports
- In the Vedanta-sutra, Vedic language, it is said, If you know simply Govinda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you know everything. All knowledge is perfect
- It is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita, anadir adir govindah: (Bs. 5.1) Govinda, the Supreme person, has no cause. He is unborn. But the living entity is born of Him
- It is stated in the Brahma-samhita (BS 5.38): I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, who is always seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp of love. He is seen in His eternal form of Syamasundara, situated within the heart of the devotee
- It is stated in the BS: I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, who is always seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp of love. He is seen in His eternal form of Syamasundara situated within the heart of the devotee. (BS 5.38). BG 1972 pur
- It was with great difficulty that we attained this human form of life just to take advantage of this body and reestablish our relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda
L
- Lord Brahma prays in his Brahma-samhita (BS 5.38): I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead under whose control even the sun, which is considered to be the eye of the Lord, rotates within the fixed orbit of eternal time
- Lord Siva is described in the Brahma-samhita (BS 5.38): Govinda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, assumes the form of Lord Siva for the special purpose of material transactions. I (Brahma) offer my obeisances at Lord Govinda's lotus feet
M
- Madana-mohana is He who charms Cupid, the god of love, Govinda is He who pleases the senses and the cows, and Gopijana-vallabha is the transcendental lover of the gopis
- Maha-Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and all the other visnu-tattvas, as well as the sakti-tattvas like Durgadevi - are all worshiped by the process of worshiping Govinda with the words govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
O
- On the mundane platform one cannot believe that prasadam is transcendental, that Govinda is the original form of the SPG, or that a Vaisnava is a liberated person. These transcendental considerations are out of the ordinary Vedic scholar’s jurisdiction
- One should worship that Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, who thus expands Himself
S
- Sanatana Gosvami compiled many, many books, all with the aim of describing how to serve the principal Deities of Vrndavana - Govinda and Madana-gopala. Later, other Deities were gradually established, and the importance of Vrndavana increased
- Sankaracarya warned his disciples that if they concerned themselves only with the principles of grammar, not worshiping Govinda, they were fools who would never be saved
- Stated in Brahma-samhita: "I worship the SPG, Govinda, who, by expansion of His internal potency of transcendental existence, knowledge & bliss, enjoys in His own & expanded forms. Simultaneously He enters into every atom of the creation"
- Sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda virahena me: "I see everything vacant without Govinda." That is the supreme stage of love. Is that clear or not
T
- The best thing to do on fasting days is to remember the pastimes of Govinda and to hear His holy name constantly
- The Brahmas and other lords of the mundane worlds appear from the pores of Maha-Visnu and remain alive for the duration of His one exhalation. I adore the primeval Lord, Govinda, of whom Maha-Visnu is a portion of a plenary portion
- The Deity referred to herein as Govinda is the vijaya-vigraha in the temple of Jagannatha. When there is a need to take Jagannatha somewhere, the vijaya-vigraha is taken because the body of Jagannatha is very heavy
- The dry speculators, however, because of their following the principles of austerity and penance, can have knowledge of the impersonal features of the Lord to some extent, but there is no chance of their understanding His ultimate form as Govinda
- The inhabitants of Brahmaloka and the planets below Brahmaloka worship Lord Govinda by meditating with this mantra - astadasaksara (eighteen-syllable) mantra
- The Lord has different names according to His different activities. For example, His name is Madhusudana because He killed the demon of the name Madhu; His name is Govinda because He gives pleasure to the cows and to the senses. BG 1972 purports
- The Lord is called "Govinda," or the prime cause of all causes and the reservoir of all blessings. & the people in general can attain to perfect peace and tranquillity when they come to know Him by the gradual process of work with transcendental results
- The original Personality of Godhead (adyah), Govinda, expands Himself as the Maha-visnu incarnation and rests in the Causal Ocean, which He Himself creates
- The sun is considered to be the eye of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, and it also has a specific orbit within which it circles. Similarly, all other planets have their specific orbits. But together all of them encircle the polestar
- The three gunas, the living entity, creation, maintenance, annihilation and everything going on in the external energy of the Lord - all this comes from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda
- The vijaya-vigraha in the Jagannatha temple is known as Govinda. For the pastimes in Narendra-sarovara, the vijaya-vigraha was carried there instead of Lord Jagannatha
- The words sarvatra tad-iksanam describe the highest perfection of devotional service, in which one sees everything with reference to Govinda's activities. The highly elevated devotee never sees anything unrelated to Govinda
- To concentrate one's mind on Govinda in any place is a path meant for those who are the most spiritually advanced; it is not for ordinary persons