Meanings of Govinda.

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We shall continue with the insights

provided by Sri S.KrishNa Iyengar of SummApatti .

 

Earlier , we indicated that the name Govindha is

renowned for its Vedic Connotations , just as the

name GodhA . For instance , the name has been

understood as " GObhi: Veda Vaakhthya: vEdyatE

ithi Govinda : " (i-e)., He is the one that is

understood by

the Veda mantrAs . Another meaning for the name can

be

found in the statement : " SarvE vedA yadh

padhamAmananthi ",

(i-e) He is the one at whose lotus feet all the VedAs

long

to be at . Yet anothe r definition of the name of

GovindhA

is : Sarve VedA yathrai kam bhavanthi (i-e) ., The one

in

whom all the Vedas become happy through their union.

Ka means Brahman in the Vedic terminology . The

literal

translation that the Vedas become Brahman suggests

that

they merge with Him as His svAsam . Such a Veda

Purushan

is Govindhan . In His own words , the GeethAcharyan

has

revealed that he is the one to be known by all of the

Vedas

( Vedaisccha Sarvai : ahameva Vedha : ) .

 

Govindhan is the reason for his name because all the

praise/sthothram reach Him amd Him only . All archanAs

like the one ArjunA did for Lord Siva arrived at His

feet .

This si indicated by the following verse :

 

gowrevaishA tathaa vANi taam cha yath vindatE bhavAn I

Govindasthu tathO Deva munibhi : kathyatE BhavAn II

 

( Meaning) : Gow : means all sounds or words or Vedic

salutations.

Since Govindhan receives all these salutations

independent

of whomever they are addressed to as eulogies , the

sages declare

Him to be Govindhan .

 

In the Vaarthikam of PaNIni's suthrAs on grammar , it

is said

that the word GovindhA is the indicator or sign or

code (SamjnA )

for Sriman NaarayaNA .

 

Thirumazhisai has celebrarated the Sabdha Vaasyatvam

of

Govindhan this way : " SollinAl thodarchi nee,

sollapadum

poruLum nee" . There is nothing in this world that is

outside

His creation and they are linked together with Him as

Sarira -

Saariree tatvam .

 

Even though there are thousands of names for Sriman

NarAyaNA ,

the one name that is chosen unfailingly for

Sankeerthanam is

"GovindhAn ". The hills of Thirupathi echo with the

sounds of

"GovindhA , GovindhA " as Karpooratthi for Lord

SrinivasA is made.

In the lower Thirupathi , the Lord's name accordingly

is GovindarAjan .

 

One of the two key parts of the name Govindha is the

gO sabdham.

This sabdham has many meanings : (1) Moksham (2)

speeding Arrow

(3) ow (4) Divine speech (5) VajrA weapon (6)

JnaankkaNN (7) sight

(8) Flame/JwAlai (9) Bhumi (10) victory .

 

The second part of the name Govindhan is Vindhan and

the latter is

derived from the root (DhAthu ) Vidh. This root has

the following four

meanings : (1) Arithal or Cognition (2 ) Adaithal or

obtainment

(3) Irutthal or being there and (4) Vicharitthal or

inquiring .

 

When the two roots are united to form the Govindha

Naamam ,

it stands for the one who is the Moksha Pradhan ( One

who can

bless us with Moksham or release from the cycles of

births and

deaths ) or Veda Vedyan ( One who is understood by the

manthrAs

of the VedAs ) , one who gave the Vajra weapon to

IndrA and who

incarnated as the DasAvathara murthys .

 

There are also additional meanings for the Govindha

Naamam .

One of the meanikngs of gO sabdham is Jyothi or

resplendent flame.

Unlike other flames , this flame is svayam Jyothi

(NaarayaNa parO jyothi

according to Vedam ) . That is why nammAzhwAr

addresses Him as

" Paramjyothi GovindhA " .

 

GidhOpanishad and GodhOpanishad

*******************************************

 

In the previous posting and this posting , we covered

the many

esoteric meanings of the name of the Lord's consort,

GodhA

and the Lord eulogised by the name of GovindhA . Their

aruLiccheyalgaL

ar eknown as GodhOpanishad and gitOpanishad

respectively

and are intended for our salvation . They practise

Ekaseshithva Yogam .

GodhA states in one of Her Upanishads ( Naacchiyar

Thirumozhi ) :

" uNbathu sollil ulagaLanthAn Vaaiamudham " . She was

addressing

the divine Panchajanyam (conch ) and asking about the

nature of

the taste of the Lord"s lips and mouth, where it

rests during

the time of battle . She herself guesses it and

describes it in the above

manner. The inner meaning of this Paasuram passage is

: For the mind

of the BhagavathAs , the most delectable and desirable

item is

the nectar that flowed form the Lord's lips and mouth

as the Rahasya Trayam .

 

The Taittiriya Prasnam states in this conrext : "

EKAAKSHARAM

DWIPADHAM SHATPADHAAM CHA VAACHAM DEVAA

UPAJEEVANTHI VISWE VAACHAM DEVAA UPAJEEVANTHI VISWE"

(I-E) ., Om is the Ekaksharam or PraNavam . The dwi

padhams are

the syllables "NamO " and NaarayaNAya ". This is the

first rahasyam

or Moola Manthram . The sacred Dvayam has six

syllables and

is the second rahasyam . This is known as the Manthra

rathnam .

The third Rahasyam is indicated by the letter cha in

the above Upanishadic

passage and stands for the Sarama skokam taught for

the benefit of

Arjuna and us by GeethAchAryan. These three rahasyams

are the

means for the life and the well being of all

prapannAs

( SarvE devA ; Upajeevanthi ). By the Rahasya Traya

anusandhAnuAnam , GodhA is very pleased with the

PrapannAs

as suggested by the Veda Mnathram : SaanO havam

JushathAm

Indrapathnee ". Indra Pathnee or IndrA is the name of

Bhu Devi

indicated in Bhu Sooktham and Godha is the incarnation

in kali

Yugam of Bhu Devi at Srivilliputthur as the daughter

of PeriyAzhwAr .

 

There are 700 verses in Srimadh Bhagavadh GitA . There

are only

30 Paasurams in Thruppavai. In GitA , the Lord pointed

out the

Siddha Dharma with the words, Sarva DharMaan

Parithyajya

Maamekam charaNam vrja.e indicated the means for our

salvation in th form of command ( AjnA rupam ). AndAL

followed that SaraNAgathi Dharmam to set us an example

..

She had the Aacharam to practise this AjnA of Her Lord

on

their earth . This according to the learned people is

a

demonstration of the superiority of AchAram over AjnA

as

revealed by AndAL through Her GodhOpanishad.

 

She is both "our father and mother and AchArya" . Let

us

salute Her and her inseparable consort and conclude

this

section of the special postings for Marghazhi month .

 

GohA--Govindha divya dampathyai Namo Nama:

 

Sri VaishNava Daasan ,

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan

 

 

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