Text 1

isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam

Word for Word

isvarah--the controller; paramah--supreme; krsnah--Lord Krishna; sat--comprising eternal existence; chit--absolute knowledge; ananda--and absolute bliss; vigrahah--whose form, anadih--without beginning; adih--the origin; govindah--Lord Govinda; sarva-karana-karanam--the cause of all causes.

Translation

Krishna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.

Purport (by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati)

Krishna is the exalted Supreme entity having His eternal name, eternal form, eternal attribution and eternal pastimes. The very name "Krishna" implies His love-attracting designation, expressing by His eternal nomenclature the acme of entity. His eternal beautiful heavenly blue-tinged body glowing with the intensity of ever-existing knowledge has a nude in both His hands. As His inconceivable spiritual energy is all-extending, still He maintains His all-charming medium size by His qualifying spiritual instrumentals. His all-accommodating supreme subjectivity is nicely manifested in His eternal form. The concentrated all time presence, uncovered knowledge and inebriating felicity have their beauty in Him. The mundane manifestive portion of His own Self is known as all-pervading Paramatma, Isvara (Superior Lord) or Vishnu (All-fostering). Hence it is evident that Krishna is sole Supreme Godhead. His unrivaled or unique spiritual body of super excellent charm is eternally unveiled with innumerable spiritual instrumentals (senses) and unreckonable attributes keeping their signifying location properly, adjusting at the same time by His inconceivable conciliative powers. This beautiful spiritual figure is identical with Krishna and the spiritual entity of Krishna is identical with His own figure.

The very intensely blended entity of eternal presence of felicitous cognition is the charming targeted holding or transcendental icon. It follows that the conception of the indistinguishable formless magnitude (Brahman) which is an indolent, lax, presentment of cognitive bliss is merely a penumbra of intensely blended glow of the three concomitants, viz., the blissful, the substantive and the cognitive. This transcendental manifestive icon Krishna in His original face is primordial background of magnitudinal infinite Brahman and of the all-pervasive oversoul. Krishna as truly visioned in His variegated pastimes, such as owner of transcendental cows, chief of cowherds, consort of milk-maids, ruler of the terrestrial abode Gokula and object of worship by transcendental residents of Goloka beauties, is Govinda. He is the root cause of all causes who are the predominating and predominated agents of the universe. The glance of His projected fractional portion in the sacred originating water viz., the personal oversoul or Paramatma, gives rise to a secondary potency--nature who creates this mundane universe. This oversoul's intermediate energy brings forth the individual souls analogously to the emanated rays of the sun.

This book is a treatise of Krishna; so the preamble is enacted by chanting His name in the beginning.

Srila Jiva Goswami's Commentary

Within my heart I worship the splendour of Lord Krishna's transcendental form. I desire that by Lord Krishna's mercy I will be able to explain the verses of Brahma-samhita.
 
Although the Brahma-samhita is a very difficult book, the commentaries of the sages have made it easy to understand. My words follow their explanations.
 
Although the Brahma-samhita contains one hundred chapters, because this chapter briefly describes Lord Krishna's transcendental form, it is the best.
 
The same transcendental sweetness the pure-hearted devotees sees in Srimad-Bhagavatam and other Vaisnava-sastras is also present in the Brahma-samhita. For this reason my heart is now happy.
 
After due reflection, in this book I have lightly touched on the same topics more elaborately explained in my Sri Krishna-sandarbha.

Krishna:

Srimad Bhagavatam (1.3.28) explains:
 
"All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Sri Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead.”

Brahma-samhita begins with a similar declaration of the supremacy of Lord Krishna. In this verse the Supreme Personality of Godhead is specifically identified as Lord Krishna. As the name Lord Krishna is spoken first in the passage beginning "Krishnavatarotsava" and other statements of Srila Sukadeva Gosvami and other great souls, as the name of Krishna is given first in the statement "krsnaya vasudevaya devaki-nandanaya" of the Sama Upanisad, as the name of Krishna is given first in Garga Muni's revelation of the Lord's holy names, and as the example "payasa kumbham purayati" is also given, in the same way this verse of Brahma-samhita gives the name Krishna first because the form of Lord Krishna is the origin of all other forms of Godhead.
 
That Krishna is the most important name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is explained in the Padma Purana, Prabhasa-khanda, where, in a conversation between Narada and Kusadhvaja, the following words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are repeated:
 
"O Arjuna, of all My holy names, Krishna is the most important."
 
The importance of the name Krishna is also confirmed in the Brahmanda Purana, Sri Krishnastottara-sata-nama-stotra, where Lord Krishna says:
 
"The pious results derived from chanting the thousand names of Lord Vishnu three times can be attained by only one repetition of the holy name of Krishna."
 
In the first verse of Brahma-samhita the name "Govinda" is also given. This name is given to Lord Krishna because He is the master of the spiritual surabhi cows. Because Lord Krishna is all-powerful, the first verse of Brahma-samhita describes Him as "isvara". Lord Krishna is also described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.8.13 and 15).
 
"Your son Krishna appears as an incarnations in every millennium. In the past He assumed three different colours: white, red, and yellow, and now He has appeared in a blackish colour."
 
"From this son of yours there are many forms and names according to His transcendental qualities and activities. These are known to me, but people in general do not understand them."
 
In these verses the word "asya" (of Him) refers to Lord Krishna "anuyugam means "in every millennium", "tanuh" means "the forms of various incarnations", "grhnatah" means "manifests", "varnas trayah" means "the colours beginning with white", an d "asan" means "manifested. In these verses Garga Muni says, "In Satya yuga and other yugas the Lord appeared in a white form and forms of other colours, but now (idanim) He has appeared in His original form, the form of Lord Krishna (krsnatam gatah). Because Lord Krishna is the original, the best form of the Personality of Godhead, the name Krishna is the most important of His names, and the other forms of Godhead (bahuni rupani) are manifested from the original form, Krishna. That the transcendental qualities of the name Krishna make it the most important of God's names is confirmed in the following statement of Vaishnava literature:
 
"The word "krs" is the attractive feature of the Lord's existence and "na" means spiritual pleasure. when the verb "krs" is added to the affix "na", it becomes Krishna, which indicates the Absolute Truth.
 
In this way the name Krishna is described. The verse of Vaishnava literature does not accept any other name as the most important name of God. In the Astadasaksara-mantra-vyakhya of both the Upasana Tantra and the Gautamiya Tantra the followin g similar verse may be seen:
 
"The word "krs" means 'eternal transcendental existence" and 'na' means "spiritual pleasure". When the verb "krs" is added to the affix "na", it becomes Krishna, which indicates the eternally blissful Absolute Truth."
 
The word "bhu" comes from the verb "bhu", which may mean "to be" or "to attract". In the quotation from Vaishnava literature the word is interpreted to mean "attraction" and in the quote from Gautamiya Tantra, "bhu" is interpreted to mean "ex istence".
 
The word "bhu" may thus be interpreted to mean "existence", but in this case it may not be interpreted to mean "movement" or "generalness". The primary meaning is "attraction". The secondary meaning is "existence". The meanings "movement" and "generalness" cannot be accepted here.
 
The word "nirvrtti" means "bliss". The phrase "tayor aikyam" means "when the two syllables are placed together into a word". "Param brahma" means "the substance that is the greatest of all". In the phrase "krsna ity abhidhiyate" an alternate reading replaces the word "abhidhiyate" with "iryate" (is named).
 
Aside from these varied considerations, the primary meaning of the two syllables Krishna is that "krs" means "attraction" and "na" means "transcendental bliss". The word "krs" meaning "attracting" should be understood to mean " that which attracts", just as in the adage "ayur ghrtam" (ghee is long life) ghee is equated with long life because eating foods cooked in ghee makes one long-lived.
 
Various explanations of the word "param brahma" are given in the scriptures. For example, the Vishnu Purana declares:
 
"The wise know that the word "param brahma" means 'He who is the greatest' and 'He who nourishes and protects all living entities'".
 
The Gautamiya Tantra also gives the following explanation of the word "param brahma":
 
"The word 'krs' means 'eternal transcendental existence' and 'na' means 'spiritual pleasure'. These two syllables, meaning eternal existence and spiritual pleasure, are joined to become the word 'Krishna', the name of the param brahma."
 
The advaitavadis (monists) think the phrase "satta-svanandayor yogat" in this verse means "distinction such as eternal existence and transcendental bliss lose their separateness and become one in the impersonal absolute." Because the words " sat" and "ananda" have different meanings, and because, even if these two words are taken to be synonyms, their repetition in a sentence is meaningless (as if we were to repeat the word "vrksa" and "taru", which both mean "tree" within a single sentence), the conclusion of the impersonalists must be false.
 
The word "sat" (eternal) is used here to mean "the Supreme Eternal, who is the source of all other eternals". This is described in these words of the Sruti-sastra:
 
"O noble student, in the beginning only the eternal existed."
 
The verse from the Gautamiya Tantra may be explained in the following way. The first half of the verse describes Lord Krishna, who is all-attractive and full of transcendental bliss. The second half of the first states that because Lord Krishna is blissful and all- attractive He delights all living entities. For this reason the scriptures declare:
 
"Because they find transcendental bliss in Him, the devotees have fallen in love with Sri Krishna."
 
In this way the word Krishna should be understood to mean "He who is full of transcendental bliss, and whose handsome form and transcendental qualities attract all living entities." For this reason popular usage interprets the word "devakinandana" to mean "He who pleases Devaki." Sri Krishna's delighting everyone may be seen in the following statement of the Vasudeva Upanisad:
 
"Lord Krishna, the son of Devaki delights everyone".
 
"Lord Krishna is independently perfect, eternally changeless, and the origin of all transcendental bliss."
 
For these reasons the popular explanation of the word Devakinandana (He who pleases Devaki) should be accepted and not rejected in favour of the views of pedantic grammarians. This is confirmed by the following statement of great scholars:
 
"When popular usage interprets a word in a way very appropriate to the object it describes, that interpretation should be accepted. When scientific etymology interprets a word in a way not appropriate to the object described, that meaning should not be accepted."
 
That Sri Krishna is the Supreme Brahman is affirmed in the words of Srimad-Bhagavatam:
 
"The form of the Supreme Brahman is the humanlike form of Sri Krishna."
 
In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.32) is also said:
 
"How greatly fortunate are Nanda Maharaja, the cowherd men and all the inhabitants of Vrajabhumi! There is no limit to their fortune because the Absolute Truth, the source of transcendental bliss, the eternal Supreme Brahma, has become their friend."
 
In the Vishnu Purana it is said:
 
"The Supreme Brahman, who has a humanlike form and who bears the name Krishna, has descended to this world."
 
In the Bhagavad-gita (14.27) Lord Krishna declares:
 
"I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman."
 
In the Gopala-tapani Upanishad it is said:
 
"The cowherd boy Krishna is the Supreme Brahman."

Isvara:

Now let us return to the first verse of Brahma-samhita. Now that we have explained the word "Krishna", we will proceed to the word "isvara". "Isvara" means "the supreme controller of everyone". This is seen in the following description of th e word Krishna in the Gautamiya Tantra:
 
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller, controls (krs) all moving and unmoving beings. Therefore He is name 'Krishna'".
 
In this verse the word "kala" means "controller". It is derived from the verb "kal", which means "to control". That Sri Krishna is the supreme controller is also confirmed by the following words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.2.21):
 
"Lord Sri Krishna is the Lord of all kinds of threes and is independently supreme by achievement of all kinds of fortune. He is worshipped by the eternal maintainers of the creation, who offer Him the paraphernalia of worship by touching their millions of helmets to His feet."
 
In Bhagavad-gita (10.42) Lord Krishna declares:
 
"With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe."
 
In the Gopala-tapani Upanishad it is said:
 
"Sri Krishna is the worshipable and all-pervading supreme controller." 

Parama:
 
Now that the word "isvara" has been explained, we will describe the word "parama". "Para" means "supreme" and "ma" means "mother". The "para-mas" therefore are the goddesses of fortune who are Lord Krishna's internal potencies. They are desc ribed in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.59.43).
 
"Full of transcendental bliss, Lord Krishna enjoyed pastimes with the beautiful gopis, who were all goddesses of fortune."
 
In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.47.60) it is also said:
 
"When Lord Sri Krishna was dancing with the gopis in the rasa-lila, the gopis were embraced by the arms of the Lord. This transcendental favour was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune or the other consorts in the spiritual world. Indeed, never was such a thing even imagined by the most beautiful girls in the heavenly planets whose bodily lustre and aroma resemble the lotus flower. And what to speak of worldly women who are very beautiful according to material estimation."
 
In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.33.6) it is also said:
 
"Although the son of Devaki, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is also the reservoir of all kinds of beauty, when He is among the gopis He nonetheless becomes more beautiful, for He resembles a marakata jewel surrounded by gold and other jewels."
 
In the Brahma-samhita (56) it is said:
 
"In Svetadvipa the Laksmis in their unalloyed spiritual essence practice the amorous service of the Supreme Lord Krishna as their only lover."
 
In the Gopala-tapani Upanishad it is said:
 
“Lord Krishna is worshipped by the goddess of fortune."  
 
Adi:
 
Sri Krishna is described as "adi" (the origin of all). This is explained in the following words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.72.15):
 
"Hearing that Jarasandha had not been defeated, Maharaja Yudhisthira began to think of a plan to defeat him. At that time Lord Hari, who is the origin of all, spoke the plan that had already been formulated by Uddhava."
 
"The word "hari" refers to Sri Krishna, who is the origin of all."
 
That Sri Krishna is the Supreme and the origin of all is declared in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam:
 
"I offer my respectful obeisances to Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is the origin of all."  
 
Anadi:
 
Then again, Sri Krishna is not "adi" but "anadi" (He who has no origin). This is described in Gopala-tapani Upanishad, which declares:
 
"Sri Krishna is the chief eternal among many eternals." 
  
Sarva-karana-karanam:
 
Next, the word "sarva-karana-karanam" means "the prime cause of all causes". This means that He is the creator of the universes and the origin of the purusa-avatara. This is described in Srimad- Bhagavatam (10.85.31) where Devaki tells Lord Krishna:
 
"O Lord of the universe, O original Supreme Person, by a portion of a portion of a portion of Yourself You create, maintain and destroy the material universes. Now I take shelter of You."
 
Sridhara Swami comments on this verse in these words: "The first portion mentioned here is the purusa-avatara. A portion of Him is the illusory potency maya. A portion of maya is the modes of nature. By a portion of the modes of nature th e universes are created, maintained and destroyed. "tva" means 'of You' and 'gatim gata' means 'I take shelter'."
 
That Sri Krishna is the origin of the purusa-avatara is also described in the following prayer of Lord Brahma (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.14):
 
"O Lord Krishna, Narayana refers to one whose abode is in the water born from Nara (Garbhodakasayi Vishnu) and that Narayana is Your plenary portion."
 
The word Narayana is also explained in these words:
 
"Manifested from Lord Garbhodakasayi Vishnu (Nara), the inert material elements are called 'nara'. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the ultimate resting place (ayana) of these material elements (nara), He is known as Narayana." These words, then, mean "O Lord, Narayana is a portion of Your body." That Sri Krishna is the origin of the purusa-avatara, a portion of whom creates, maintains and destroys the universes is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (10.42), where Lord Krishna declares:
 
"With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe."
 
By all of this the proper explanation of the word Krishna is given. By the two syllables "krs" and "na" the blissful Supreme Personality of Godhead is described. By the word "isvara" and other words Lord Krishna's transcendental potencies are described. He is declared to be the Supreme, who has no rival, who is the prime cause of all causes, and who is the master of His internal potencies. His potencies are described in these words of the Sruti-sastra:
 
"The Supreme Brahman is full of transcendental bliss."
 
In the Sruti-sastra it is also said:
 
"Who can find transcendental bliss if he does not find it in the Supreme Personality of Godhead?"
 
In the Svetasvatara Upanishad (6.8) it is said:
 
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead does not possess bodily form like that of an ordinary living entity. There is no difference between His body and His soul. He is absolute. All His senses are transcendental. any one of His senses can perform the action of any other sense. Therefore, no one is greater than Him or equal to Him. His potencies are multifarious, and thus His deeds are automatically performed as a natural sequence."  
 
Sac-cid-ananda-vigraha:
 
At this point someone may raise the following objection: "If Krishna is all-attractive and filled with supreme transcendental bliss, then must He not be formless? After all, forms do not contain transcendental bliss."
 
To this objection the following reply may be given: Yes. That is true. Material forms do not contain transcendental bliss. However, Lord Krishna's wonderful form is filled with perfect transcendental bliss. This is described in the first ve rse of Brahma-samhita in the word "sac-cid-ananda-vigraha" (He has an eternal, blissful spiritual body). This truth is also confirmed in the following words of Srimad- Bhagavatam (10.14.22):
 
"O Krishna, Your eternal transcendental form is full of knowledge and bliss."

In the Gopala-tapani Upanishad and the Hayasirsa-pancaratra it is said:
 
"I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Krishna, whose transcendental form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, and who rescues His devotees from distress."
 
In the Brahmanda Purana, Astottara-sata-nama-stotra, it is said:
 
"Lord Krishna's transcendental form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss. Lord Krishna delights the residents of Nanda Maharaja's land of Vraja." 
  
Sat:
 
In these verses the word "sat" should be understood to mean "eternal and unchanging". That Lord Krishna's form is eternal and unchanging is confirmed by the following words of the demigods in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.2.26):
 
"O Lord Krishna, You never deviate from Your vow, which is always perfect because whatever You decide is perfectly correct and cannot be stopped by anyone. Being present in the three phases of cosmic manifestation: creation, maintenance and annihilation, You are the Supreme Truth."
 
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.3.25) Devaki explains:
 
"After millions of years, at the time of cosmic annihilation, when everything, manifested and unmanifested is annihilated by the force of time, the five gross elements enter into the subtle conception, and the manifested categories enter into the unmanifested substance. At that time, You alone remain, and You are known as Ananta Sesa-naga."
 
In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.3.27), Devaki also declares:
 
"No one in this material world has become free from the four principles of birth, death, old age and disease, even by fleeing to various planets. But now that You have appeared, My Lord, death is fleeing in fear of You, and the living entities, having obtained shelter at Your lotus feet by Your mercy, are sleeping in full mental peace."
 
In the scriptures it is also said:
 
"O Lord Krishna, in the beginning You alone were manifest."
 
Lord Brahma also declares:
 
"In the end only the Supreme Brahman, who is free from all dualities, remains."
   
In Bhagavad-gita (14.27) Lord Krishna declares:
 
"And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal, imperishable, and eternal, and is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness."
 
In the Bhagavad-gita (15.18) Lord Krishna also declares:
 
"Because I am transcendental, beyond both the fallible and the infallible, and because I am the greatest, I am celebrated both in the world and in he Vedas as that Supreme Person."
 
In the Gopala-tapani Upanishad it is said:
 
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is always free from the material transformations of birth, death, old age, and disease. He is eternal and unchanging. He cannot be cut to pieces or killed by anyone. He stays in Vrndavana. He stays amon g the cows. He protects the cows. He stays among the cowherd people."
 
In the Gopala-tapani Upanishad it is also said:
 
"Death fears Lord Krishna."
 
In this verse the word "saurya" means "the land of Vrndavana".
 
"Surya" means "the sun-god", "sauri" means "the Yamuna river, who is the daughter of the sun-god", and "saurya" means "the land of Vrndavana, through which the Yamuna flows."  
 
Cit:
 
In this first verse of Brahma-samhita the word "cit" refers to Lord Krishna's spiritual form, which He reveals to others when He wishes." This form is described by Lord Brahma in these words (Srimad- Bhagavatam 10.1.4.23):
 
"You are the Supreme soul, Absolute Truth, and the Supreme original person. You are the Supreme, one without a second. You are the source of the original brahmajyoti."
 
This form of Krishna is also described in these word of Gopala-tapani Upanisad:
 
"It is Krishna who in the beginning instructed Brahma in Vedic knowledge and who disseminated Vedic knowledge in the past. They who aspire to become liberated surrender to Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who gives transcendental knowle dge to His devotees."
 
In the Sruti-sastra it is said:
 
"With material eyes one cannot see the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
 
In the Svetasvatara Upanishad it is said:
 
"By His own will the Supreme Personality of Godhead reveals Himself to whomever He chooses." 
  
Ananda:
 
Next we will discuss the explanation that Lord Krishna's transcendental body is full of bliss (ananda). Lord Krishna's form is full of bliss because His limbs are the abode of the boundless love. That Sri Krishna is the blissful Supreme Personali ty of Godhead is explained in the questions and answers of Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.49- 58. It is also explained in these words of Maharaja Vasudeva (Srimad- Bhagavatam 10.3.13):
 
"My Lord, You are the blissful Supreme Person, beyond material existence, and You are the Supersoul. Your form can be perceived by transcendental knowledge, by which You can be understood as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I now underst and Your position perfectly."
 
In the Sruti-sastra it is also said:
 
"The form of the supreme Personality of Godhead is full of bliss."
 
In this way it is proved that Lord Krishna has a perfect, eternal, blissful, spiritual body, he does not have a material body like that of a conditioned soul. This is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.55) where Srila Sukadeva Gosvami says:
 
"You should know Krishna as the original soul of all atmas (living entities). For the benefit of the whole universe, He has, out of His causeless mercy, appeared as an ordinary human being. He has done this with the strength of His own intern al potency."
 
This verse states that by Lord Krishna's mercy He manifests pastimes like those of an ordinary human being who has a material body. The word "mayaya" in this verse may be taken to mean "by His mercy". The Visva-prakasa dictionary declares:
 
"The word 'maya' may mean either 'illusion' or 'mercy'."  
 
Govinda:
 
Lord Krishna enjoys many different pastimes in His transcendental form. Sometimes He accepts the role of a king in the Vrsni dynasty, and sometimes He becomes Govinda, the protector of the surabhi cows. This is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.11.25):
 
"O Krishna, O friend of Arjuna, O chief among the descendants of Vrsni, You are the destroyer of those political parties that are disturbing elements on this earth. Your prowess never deteriorates. You are the proprietor of the transcendental abode, and Your most sacred glories, which are sung by Vrndavana's cowherd men and women and their servants, bestow all auspiciousness just by being heard. O Lord, please protect Your devotees." 

By His own wish the Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests His worshipable form of Govinda and enjoys specific transcendental pastimes with specific eternal associates. The Govinda feature of the Lord will be glorified in Brahma-samhita be ginning with text 29. Govinda is also described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.27.20-23), where, in the beginning of Govinda-abhiseka, the surabhi cow prayed:
 
"O Lord of the universe, You are our king, our Indra."
 
When the abhiseka was completed, Srimad-Bhagavatam explains:
 
"Then the surabhi cows gave the Lord the name Govinda."
 
After narrating these pastimes, Srila Sukadeva Gosvami prayed:
 
"May Lord Govinda, the king of the surabhi cows, be pleased with us."
 
Although Lord Krishna is the master and shelter of everyone, He is especially the master of the surabhi cows. For this reason the name Govinda should not be taken lightly. The importance of the cows is described in these words of the Go-sukta :
 
"Vedic yajnas are performed to worship the cows. The demigods rise out of respect for the cows. The four Vedas, six Vedangas, and the pada method of recitation are all manifested from the cows."
 
Lord Krishna is thus the master of the surabhi cows, who are liberated souls descended to this world from the Goloka Vrindavana planet in the spiritual sky. Lord Brahma also worships the Govinda feature of the Lord, as Brahma himself declares i n these words of the Gopala-tapani Upanishad (1.38):
 
"By offering prayers in the company of the Maruts and other demigods, I always please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Govinda, whose form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, and who sits beneath a kalpa-vrksa tree."
 
The glorious surabhi cows and other residents of Vrindavana are also glorified in these words spoken by Brahma (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.34). 

"My dear Lord, I am most humbly praying at Your lotus feet for You to please give me any sort of birth within this Vrindavana forest so that I may be able to be favoured by the dust of the feet of some of the devotees of Vrndavana. Even if I am given the chance to grow just as the humble grass in this land, that will be a glorious birth for me. But if I am not so fortunate to take birth within the forest of Vrndavana, I beg to be allowed to take birth outside the immediate area of Vrindavana so that when the devotees go out they will walk over me. Even that would be a great fortune for me. I am just aspiring for a birth in which I will be smeared by the dust of the devotees' feet. I can see that everyone here is simply full of Kr sna consciousness. They do not know anything but Mukunda. All the Vedas are indeed searching after the lotus feet of Krishna."

Lord Krishna is also known as Nandanandana (the son of Maharaja Nanda). This feature of the Lord is described in these words (Srimad- Bhagavatam 10.14.1) of Brahma:
 
"My dear Lord, You are the only worshipful Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead. Therefore I am offering my humble obeisances and prayers just to please You. Your bodily features are of the colour of clouds filled with water. You are glittering with silver electric flashes emanating from Your yellow garments. Let me offer my respectful repeated obeisances unto the son of Maharaja Nanda who is standing before me with conchshell earrings and peacock feather on His head. His face is beautiful. He is wearing a helmet, garlanded by forest flowers, and He stands with a morsel of food in His hand. He is decorated with cane, flute, and a bugle made o buffalo horn. He stands before me with small lotus feet."
 
In this way Govinda and the other transcendental names of the Lord are explained. To conclude this description of Lord Krishna as the "isvara" (controller) and "paramesvara" (supreme controller), we will now quote the Gautamiya Tantra's explanation of the dvadasaksara- mantra:
 
"In the dvadasaksara-mantra the word gopi means 'material nature' and 'jana' means 'the original feature of the mahat-tattva'. The word 'vallabha' means 'the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the shelter of both material nature and the mahat-tattva, who is full of transcendental bliss, who is effulgent, and who, because He is the original creator of everything and because He is all-pervading within the material creation, is known as 'isvara' (the controller).
 
"Another interpretation is that the word 'gopi' means 'the material nature' and 'jana' means 'the Lord's Vishnu-tattva expansions'. The word 'vallabha' means 'dear to them both' and it refers to Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the master of all causes and effects and who is glorified in the Vedas.
 
"Another interpretation is that the word 'gopijana' means 'the gopis, who attained spiritual perfection after many births.' Lord Krishna is thus their husband. In this way Lord Krishna, who is the son of Nanda Maharaja, and who delights the thr ee worlds, is described."
 
In these verse the word "prakrti" means "the potency named Maya, who creates the material universes." The word "tattva-samuhaka" means "the original feature of the mahat-tattva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is referred to by the w ords "anayor asrayah" and "sandranandam param jyotih" is described as "vallabhah".
 
The word "prakrtih" (used in the second verse) means the Maha-Lakshmi potency, who is manifested from the Supreme Lord's own form, who is beyond the touch of the mater ial energy, and who appears in the spiritual world of Vaikuntha." "Amsa-mandalam" means "the Lord's three primary Vishnu expansions beginning with Lord Sankarsana." The phrase "aneka-janma-siddhanam" refers to the beginningless cycle of births described by Lord Krishna in these words of Bhagavad-gita (4.5):
 
"Many births both you and I have passed, O Arjuna."
 
In this last interpretation the word "vallabha" should be understood to mean "Lord Krishna, the son of Maharaja Nanda".
 
Maharaja Nanda's fatherhood of Lord Krishna is thus explained.
 
Garga Muni told Maharaja Nanda (Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.8.14):
 
"For many reasons, this beautiful son of yours sometimes appeared previously as the son of Vasudeva."
 
Because He appeared in Vasudeva's heart, Lord Krishna is also the son of Maharaja Vasudeva. This is described in the following words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.2.16):
 
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead entered the mind of Vasudeva in full opulence."
 
Lord Krishna is also the son of Vraja's king because at the same moment when He appeared before Vasudeva, Lord Krishna also appeared before Nanda Maharaja. This fact is described in many scriptures. Therefore the parental love Nanda Maharaja bears for Lord Krishna is very appropriate. Lord Krishna was born as the son of Vasudeva and the son of Nanda at the same moment just as Lord Varaha simultaneously was manifested on Varahaloka and as the son of Brahma. Maharaja Nanda's love for Krishna was pure and unmixed, but Maharaja Vasudeva's love was mixed with knowledge of his son's divinity and transcendental opulence. Therefore the explanation in Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.8.14 is appropriate. In this way Lord Krishna is seen in the twelve syllable mantra.

Text 2

sahasra-patra-kamalam
gokulakhyam mahat padam
tat-karnikaram tad-dhama
tad-anantamsa-sambhavam

Word for Word

sahasra-patra--possessing a thousand petals; kamalam--a lotus; gokula-akhyam--known as Gokula; mahat padam--the super excellent station; tat--of that (lotus); i--the whorl; tat--of Him (Krishna); dhama--the abode, tat--that (Gokula); ananta--of His infinitary aspect, Balarama; amsa-- from a part; sambhavam--produced.

Translation

[The spiritual place of transcendental pastimes of Krishna is portrayed in the second verse.] The superexcellent station of Krishna, which is known as Gokula, has thousands of petals and a corolla like that of a lotus sprouted from a part of His infinitary aspect, the whorl of the leaves being the actual abode of Krishna.

Purport (by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati)

Gokula, like Goloka, is not a created mundane plane-- unbounded character forms the display of His unlimited potency and His propagating manifestation. Baladeva is the mainstay of that energy. The transcendental entity of Baladeva has two aspects viz., infinite spiritual manifestation and infinite accommodating space for insentient gross things. The uniquadrantal delineation of material universe will be dealt with in the proper place. The triquadrantal extensions of the transcendental infinitary field of the almighty, unlamenting, nonperishing and nonapprehending unlimited situations of halo which are fully spiritual majestic foliation. This very majestical extension portrays the manifested lofty rich feature of the vaster unlimited region or greater atmosphere which has its resplendent location wholly beyond the realm of mundane nature, on the further shore of Viraja surrounded by the halo of Brahman or indistinguishable entity. This majestical power of unlimited spirit emanates on the upper portion of the luminous sphere into the most charming Gokula or eternally existing Goloka, exceedingly beautified by the assorted display of effulgence. Some designate this region as the abode of the Supreme Narayana, or the original fountainhead. Hence Gokula, which is identical with Goloka, is the supreme plane. The same sphere shines as Goloka and Gokula respectively by its upper or transcendental and lower or mundane situation.

Sri Sanatana Goswami has told us as follows in his Brhad-bhagavatamrta which embodies the final essence of all the books of instructions: "He displays His pastimes here in this land as He is used to do in Goloka. The difference between the two planes lies only in their locations as high and low; that is, in other words, Krishna plays exactly the same part in Goloka as He exhibits on the mundane plane of Gokula. There is practically no difference between Gokula and Goloka save that this what exists in the shape of Goloka in the upper region is the same as Gokula on the mundane plane when Krishna showed His various activity there. Sri Jiva Goswami has also inculcated the same in the Bhagavat-sandarbha of his 'Six Treatises.' To ascertain the plane of Goloka--Vrndavana is the eternal abode of Krishna and Goloka and Vrindavana are identically one, and though both are identical, yet Krishna's inconceivable energy has made Goloka the acme of this spiritual kingdom and Gokula of Mathura province forming a part of the mundane plane which is also a manifestation of triquadrantal vibhuti (conducting majesty). Poor human understanding cannot possibly make out how the extensive triquadrantal, which is beyond human comprehension, can be accommodated in the limited nether material universe of a uniquadrantal disclosure. Gokula is a spiritual plane, hence his condescended position in the region of material space, time, etc., is in no way restricted but unlimitedly manifested with his full boundless propriety. But conditioned souls are apt to assert a material conception in regard to Gokula by their miserable senses so as to bring him below the level of their intellect. Though the eye of an observer is impeded by a cloud when gazing at the sun and though the tiny cloud can never really cover the sun, still the clouded vision apparently observes the sun as covered by the cloud. In just the same way the conditioned souls with their obscured intelligence, senses and decisions, accept Gokula as a piece of measurable land. We can see Gokula from Goloka which is eternal. This is also a mystery. The attainment of final beatitude is the success in attaining one's eternal self. The success in identifying the true self is finally achieved when the screen of gross and subtle coils of conditioned souls is removed by the sweet will of Krishna. However, the idea of Goloka is seen to differ from Gokula till the success in unalloyed devotion is achieved. The transcendental plane of infinite spiritual manifestation having thousands of petals and corolla like those of the lotus, is Gokula, the eternal abode of Krishna.

Commentary by Srila Jiva Goswami

Next the author describes the eternal abode of Sri Krishna. He describes it as a thousand-petal lotus flower in this verse, and later, in text 56, he will describe it as a lotus flower made of cintamani jewels.

In this second verse the word "mahat" means "superexcellent" and "padam" means "station". "Mahat" may also be taken to mean "the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna", and "padam" may mean "His abode of Maha-Vaikuntha". In this way the meanings may be interpreted in various ways.

In popular usage the word "gokula" is taken to mean "a place of gopas". Because this interpretation is very appropriate (rudhir yogam apaharati) it should be accepted. It is this interpretation of the word "gokula" that is accepted when the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam explains:

bhagavan gokulesvarah

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the king of Gokula."

In the latter part of Brahma-samhita also, Gokula will be described as a transcendental realm where Sri Krishna resides with Nanda, Yasoda, and the other cowherd people. In this verse the word "ananta" means "Lord Baladeva", "amsena" means "wi th a portion of His bodily effulgence", and "sambhavam" means "is eternally manifested". This is also described in the Tantras. In this way it is understood that the abode of Sri Krishna is manifested from a portion of the potency of Lord Baladeva, who is known as Ananta.