SB 1.8.21 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 21
- Krishnaya vasudevaya devakinandanaya
- Nandagopa kumaraya govindaya namo namah.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Krishnaya—the Supreme Lord, Vasudevaya—unto the son of Vasudeva. Devakinandanaya—unto the son of Devaki, Cha—and, Nandagopa—Nanda and the cowhardsmen, Kumaraya—unto their son, Govindaya—unto the Personality of Godhead Who enlivens the cow and the senses, Namo—respectful obeisances, Namah—obeisances.
TRANSLATION
Let me therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto the Lord Who has become the son of Vasudeva, the pleasure of Devaki, the boy of Nanda and other cowhardsmen of Vrindaban, and the enlivener of the cows and senses.
PURPORT
The Lord being thus unapproachable by any material assets, out of unbounded and causeless mercy only, He descends on the earth as He is in order to show His special mercy upon His unalloyed devotees and to diminish the upsurges of the demoniac persons. The queen Kunti specifically adores the incarnation or descent of Lord Krishna than all other incarnations because in this particular incarnation He is more homely than other incarnations. In the Rama incarnation He remained a King's son from the very childhood but in the incarnation of Krishna although He is son of King He at once left the shelter of His real father and mother King Vasudeva and Queen Devaki just after His appearance and went to the lap of Yasodamayee to play the part of an ordinary cowherd boy in the blessed Brajabhumi which is ever sanctified on account of His childhood pastimes. Therefore Lord Krishna is more merciful than Lord Rama and therefore He signifies His Name Krishna more respectfully. He is undoubtedly very kind upon her brother Vasudeva and the family. Had He had not become the son of Vasudeva and Devaki queen Kunti could not claim Him to be her nephew and thus address Krishna in filial affection. But more than Vasudeva and Devaki, Nanda Yasoda are fortunate because they could relish the Lord's childhood pastimes more attractively than all other pastimes. There is no parallel of His childhood pastimes as exhibited at Brajabhumi just the prototype of His eternal affairs in the Original Krishnaloka described as the Chintamani Dhama in the Brahmasamhita. Lord Sri Krishna descended Himself at Brajabhume exactly with all His transcendental encourage and paraphernalia. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu therefore confirmed that nobody is so fortunate as the residents of Brajabhumi specifically the cowherd girls who dedicated their everything for the satisfaction of the Lord, His pastimes with Nanda Yasoda, His pastimes with the cowherds men and specially the cowherds boys and the cows have celebrated Him to be known as Govinda. Lord Krishna as Govinda is more inclined to the Brahmins and the cows indicating thereby that human prosperity depends more on these two items namely the Brahminical culture and cow protection. Lord Krishna is never satisfied where these two things are lacking in fact.