For this reason, it is believed that 'Govinda' is how the Lord is addressed by devotees when they have lost it all and have nothing more to lose. In the Mahabharata, when Draupadi's saree was stripped by Dushasana in the court of Hastinapura, it is said that Draupadi prayed towards Krishna (who was in Dwaraka at that time) invoking him as 'Govinda' at the instance of extreme distress where she could no longer hold her saree to her chest.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, in his commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita, states that Govinda means 'master of the senses'. In another scripture, Brahma Samhita, Krishna is praised as Govinda, who is eternal and origin of all living beings. In the Harivamsa, Indra praised Krishna for having attained loving leadership of the cows which Krishna tended as a cowherd, by saying, 'So men too shall praise Him as Govinda.'.Alternatively, it means 'He who is known by Vedic words alone'.The Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata states that Vishnu restored the earth that had sunk into the netherworld, so all the devas praised Him as Govind (Protector of the Land).The sages call Krishna 'Govinda' as He pervades all the worlds, giving them power.Īccording to Adi Shankara's commentary on Vishnu Sahasranama, translated by Swami Tapasyananda, Govinda has four meanings: Govinda is a name of Krishna and also appears as the 187th and 539th name of Vishnu in the Vishnu Sahasranama, the 1,000 names of Vishnu. Krishna as Govind at Sri Sri Radha Govind temple, Ahmedabad

Govinda namavali in sanskrit