The many meanings of Govindha Naamam

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Dear All :

 

Sriman Sadagopan IyengAr in his inimitable style has posted an important article on

the many mysteries of Govindha Naamam. Sriman Susdarshanan of Kuwait and

Dr.Saroja RaamAnujam have added their inputs on Govinda Naamam.

 

Here is adiyEn's contribution on the etymology snd more than that

the artha gouravam and Mahimai of Govindha Sabdham , which is part of

the write up on Sri VenkatEsa AshtOttharam . You can access the full commentary

on Sri VenkatEsa AshtOttharam in the web .

 

Here is an excerpt on the 7th Naamam of Lord VenkatEsa: Govindhan

 

DaasOham , V.Sadagopan

 

 

Sri VenkatEsa AshtOtthara Satha NaamAvaLI: Part 8/ Seventh NaamA: (PraNavm) GovindhAya nama:

Sadagopan <sgopan (AT) computer (DOT) net>

<Ponnappan>, <Swami>, <SG>, <DS>, <Haresh>, <Iowa>, <Rajeev>, <sv-poetry>

May 19 2006 - 1:07pm

 

 

ChithrabhAnu Samvathsaram, UttharAyaNam ,GrIshma Ruthu ,

Aani(Mithunam) , Sukla Paksha Panchami, Aayilyam

SrI:

 

NamO VenkatEsAya

 

Dear BhakthAs of the Lord of Saptha Giri :

 

Let us reflect today on the Seventh NaamA of

SrI VenkatEsa AshtOttharam : (praNavam)

GOVINDHAAYA NAMA:

 

The First Ten NaamAs of Sri VenkatEsa AshtOttharam

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

 

1. (PraNavam) SrI VenkatEsAya nama:

2. (PraNavam) SrivAsAya nama:

3. (PraNavam) LakshmI PathayE nama:

4. (Pranavam) anAmayAya nama:

5. (PraNavam) amruthAmsAya nama:

6. (Pranavam) Jagadh-vandhyAya nama:

 

7. (PraNavam) GOVINDHAAYA NAMA:

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

8. (PraNavam) SaasvathAya nama:

9. (PraNavam) PrabhavE nama:

10.(Pranavam) SEshAdhri-nilayAya nama:

 

The Seventh Naamam : Meaning

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(PraNavam) GovindhAya nama: = SALUTATIONS TO THE REVERED LORD

KNOWN BY THE NAME OF GOVINDHAN.

 

The Naamam "Govindhan" is made up of two sabdhams : "gO"

and the dhAthu , "Viddh" . The "gO" sabdham has been given

ten meanings by scholars (SummA Patti SrI KrishNa Iyengar ).

The DhAthu "Viddh" has been given four meanings. The combination of

"gO' and "Viddh" reveals that the Lord Is the One who grants

Moksham ( Mokshapradhan ),The One who is understood through

VedAs and saluted by the VedAs (Veda-vEdhyan) , One who gifted

VajrAyudham to Indhran and the One who took on the ten avathArams (DasAvathAran).

 

Additional Comments

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

Govindha Naamam is celebrated in the ancient Rg Vedam

already:

 

chamUshchyEna: sakunO vibhuthvaam

GOVINDUR-DRAPSA aayudhAni Bibrath

apAm Urmim sachamAna: samudhram

thurIyam dhAma nahishO vivakthi

--Rg Vedam: IX.96.19

 

The meaning is that one eagle (GarudA?)joined the assembly of

eternally liberated (nithya sooris) by adorning the weapons

of Lord Govindhan. Those , who are in SamsAra world due to

prakruthi sambhandham will reach the Lord's Parama Padham ,

if they also wore those aayudhams of the Lord and will be

venerated by one and all.

 

This "Govindha "naamam has been pointed out as being

unique to our Lord Govindhan , the cowherd of Gokulam

thru PaaNini Soothram rules and is recognized as :

"gavAdhishu vindhEssamj~nAyAm ".That is why ANDAL,

PeriyAzhwAr and Swamy NammAzhwAr placedspecial emphasis

on Govindhan ( KaNNan). ANdal saluted Him as "KaNNan

yennum Karum Dhaivam". PriyAzhwAr enjoyed Him as

Baala GOpAlan and Swamy NammAzhwAr instructed us

to perform SaraNAgathi at the sacred feet of KaNNan

(Govindhan).

 

Govindha Naama sankIrthanam is very special to Thiruppathi

Venkatesan. PerumAL's name is Venkata KrishNan

as at ThiruvallikkENi . On PurattAsi Saturdays ,

the sweet sound of Govindha naama ucchAranam (GovindhA !

GovindhA !)echos from the sacred hills of Thirumalai.

On His "Birthday " of PurattAsi SravaNam , the sanctifying

Govindha naama gOsham reaches a crescendo from dawn to dusk

in the inner chambers of the Lord's sannidhi and all around.

 

Lord VenkatEsan is " the KuRai onRum illa Govindhan"

( Blemishless Lord: Sakala KalyANa GuNa SampoorNan)

adored by His divine consort ANDAL in Her sacred

ThiruppAvai. She declared the inalienable relationship

of us , the jeevans with Her Lord and showed us the way to

perform kaimkaryam to Him. Vaikunta Vaasi U.Ve . MukkUr

Lakshmi NarasimhAcchAr Swamy has celebrated the doctrines

behind the blemishless Tattvams behind the name ,

"KuRai OnRum illA Govindhan" in his multi-tomed ,

brilliant monographs.

 

A great Govindha Bhakthar from Chennai by the apt name of

SrI VaasudEvan is writing beautifuly about the auspicious

guNam of Govindhan for the past many months in the Internet

Lists. His thesis is that Govindhan is Tatthvam , Hitham and

PurushArtam. That is along the way shown by AzhwArs in general

and PeriyAzhwAr/ ANDAL focused on the name of Govindhan

in particular.

 

ANDAL declares that She will wait for His grace as long

as it takes through singing of the nAmam of Govindhan and

keep Her life in tact: "Govindhan guNam paadi Aavi kAtthiruppEn" .

In the 28th ThiruppAvai, She salutes "KuRai onRum ilaa

Govindhan " , Her dear Lord . She performs MangaLAsAsanam

for "Govindhan " and identifies Him Specifically as

VenkatAchalapathi in Her NaacchiyAr Thirmozhi Paasurams

(NTM 1.3, 10.7 and 12.4).

 

Her dear father, SrI VishNu chitthar is lost in the bliss

of listening to the divine flute playing of Govindhan

( Periya Thirumozhi : 3.6.2 , 3.6.3 , 3.6.8 and 3.6.11).

AzhwAr invites the Young Moon to come near Her (YasOdhai's)

son, Govindhan . AzhwAr as YasOdhai invites Her son

by the name of Govindhan to have His ears pierced.

PeriyAzhwAr does Govinda Naama sankIrthanam in His

PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi TWELVE times . This essay will

get longer if we describe these exquisite anubhavams

of the AzhwAr's PiLLai Tamizh (PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi:

4.3.4, 4.4.9 , 4.5.8 , 4.6.4, 2.3.4, 2.5.6, 2.9.11 and

3.4.1).

 

Govindhan is SaraNAgatha rakshakan and responded immediately

to the urgent appeals of Droupathi , when she was being

humiliated at the court of KauravAs. She did not call

Krishna by the names of Achyuthan, Maadhavan or VaasudEvan,

but she called him in great pain with the name of

Govindhan .He responded immediately .

 

Govindhan is the name of KrishNa-VaasudEvan and as such is

recognized by Upanishads:

 

1."BrahmaNyO DevakI Puthraaya:" (NaarAyaNOPanishad)

2."KrishNAya DevakI PuthrAya" ( ChAndhOgya Upanishad)

3. NaarAyaNa GayathrI Manthram

4."Tadhasmyaham VaasudEva:" (Brahma Bindhu Upanishda)

5.GopAla TaapanIyOpanishad passages.

 

This is the same "Govindha "nAmam that is being celebrated

by Upanishads and Vedam . Thirupathi GOvindhan is thus

the Veda Moorthy , who is celebrated by the Seventh Naamam

of SrI VenkatEsa AshtOtthara satha Naamam.

 

The Ten Meanings of "gO" sabdham (SummApatti Swamy)

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

Veda prasiddham is the Govindha Naamam: "gObhi: Veda-vaakdhya

vEdhyathE ithi Govindha:". His pious feet are enjoyed as bliss

by the VedAs( sarvE VedA yath Padham aamananthi). Govindan

is Sarva sabdha-vaachyan. "SarvE VedA-yathrai: kam bhavanthi "

is another sruthi pramANam.

 

"SollinAl thodarcchi Nee , sollappadum poruLum Nee"

is the mangaLAsAsanam of Thirumazhisai AzhwAr , the expert

researcher on SrIman NaarAyaNa Para-tatthvam. He bases his

conclusion on the "gO" sabdham of Govindhan , which refers

to (1) Veda Vaak(2) Moksham (3) arrow (4) Cow (5) divine

speech (6) VajrA weapon (7) Divine sight (8) Jwaalai or

Param JyOthi/Param JyOthi GovindhA is Swamy NammazhwAr's

salutation (9) BhUmi and (10) Jayam or Victory.

 

The many derivative meanings of the ten intrepretaions are

limitless . adiyEn will conclude this salutation to Govindha

Naamam with the adaptation of Sruthi Vaakyam:

 

"MaathA PithA BhrAthA nivAsa:SaraNam suhruth gathi Govindha:"

That NivAsan is SrInivAsan of Thirumalai.

 

SrImath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sri

Dear Sriman Sadagopan Swami

Pranams. It was a delight to go through your elucidation of Govinda nama. It need repeated reading with devotion and concentration. Many thanks for the write up on His ever glorious name.

Adiyen,

Srivilliputtur Govindakrishnan Alagar.