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Krishna dances to the music of the gopis.

Gopinath ( Sanskrit: गोपीनाथ, romanizedGopīnātha) or Gopinatha [1] is a form of the Hindu god Krishna. It is also one of the primary names of Krishna, meaning, "the lord of the cowherdesses". [2]

Gopinath is associated with the gopis (milkmaids) of the Braj (Vraja) region. The gopis are regarded to symbolise selfless devotion ( bhakti) to the deity, flocking around him in love and worship. The relationship between the gopis and Krishna is described in texts such as the Harivamsa, Bhagavata Purana, and the Gita Govinda. [3]

Meanings

The name Gopinath is a Sanskrit compound. [4] Generally, Gopinath is understood to be a tatpuruṣa compound meaning "Lord (or protector) of the gopīs."

A Gaudiya interpretation of the name is that Gopinath is a bahuvrīhi compound meaning "Krishna whose masters are the gopīs."

Temples

In many Krishna temples, Krishna is worshipped as Gopinath. Historic temples of Gopinath includes:

See also

References

  1. ^ Rosen, Steven (2023-03-15). Forms of Krishna: Collected Essays on Vaishnava Murtis. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 206. ISBN  978-1-6669-3027-6.
  2. ^ Judah, J. Stillson (1974). Hare Krishna and the Counterculture. Wiley. p. 229. ISBN  978-0-471-45200-3.
  3. ^ Dalal, Roshen (2014-04-18). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin UK. p. 513. ISBN  978-81-8475-277-9.
  4. ^ Rosen, Steven (2023-03-15). Forms of Krishna: Collected Essays on Vaishnava Murtis. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 223. ISBN  978-1-6669-3027-6.
  5. ^ "Gopinath, JAIPUR, RADHAGOPINATH, RADHA GOPINATH, Madhu Pandit, Official Site Of The 5,000 Years Old Rich Heritage, GOPI NATHJI, Pink City Of India, KRISHNA, RADHA KRISHNA, RADHEY GOPINATH". gopinathji.net. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  6. ^ "Radha Gopinath Temple, Vrindavan". mathura.nic.in.