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Q. WHAT DOES GOVINDA and GOPALA MEANS ?‏

Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that we are requesting everyone that give a trial this life at least. You have satisfied your senses in so many forms of life, huh? The dogs also satisfied their senses, the cat also satisfied his senses, the tiger, and these civilized, uncivilized, these god, everyone. Now you don't try to satisfy your senses, you try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That's all. And Kṛṣṇa, being full, complete, if Kṛṣṇa is satisfied, your senses will be satisfied automatically. Therefore His name is Govinda. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. Govinda means who satisfies the senses. Don't think that your senses will remain unsatisfied. It will be completely satisfied. That is the secret of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
(Lecture on Bhagavad-gita--introduction).

"Govinda." That also has meaning. Go means cow, go means senses, and go means land. So in these three features Kṛṣṇa can be applied. He gives pleasure to the senses; therefore He's Govinda. He's very kind to the cows; therefore He's Govinda. He is the proprietor of all land; therefore He's Govinda. So in this way "Govinda" means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, "Kṛṣṇa" means the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam----1:2:6).

Govinda is another name of Kṛṣṇa. Go means cows and go means land and go means senses. There are three meanings of go. So... And vinda means pleasure-giving. So He gives pleasure to the senses, He gives pleasure to the cows, and He gives pleasure to the land. That means whenever Kṛṣṇa appears, the land becomes very pleasing. The production, the situation, everything becomes very pleasing. So Govinda means one who gives pleasure to the senses and to the cows. Kṛṣṇa in His abode, Kṛṣṇaloka, is always busy as a cowherd's boy. Surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). He's always nursing the cows. He's always surrounded by cows. Surabhīr abhipālayantam. You see here is the picture. It is a cow. Govinda means the cowherd's boy, or one who gives pleasure to the senses. Gopāla. Go means cows and pāla means herds. So one who keeps the cowherds, that is also Gopāla.
(General Lecture excerpt).

Lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr, and surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). There Kṛṣṇa is very fond of cows. There is Kṛṣṇa's another name is Gopāla. Gopāla means who tends cows. Go means cow and pāla means one who tends. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's another name is Gopāla. Govinda. Govinda means one who gives pleasure to the cows or Govinda means one who gives pleasure to the senses. So Kṛṣṇa's name are different. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). There Kṛṣṇa is tending this surabhī. Surabhī cow means, that is also wonderful, spiritual. You can milk cow, milk from the cows, as many times as you like. Just like here in the, we have got experience, we can take milk from the cows morning and evening, not more than that. But there you can milk the cows whenever you like, and you can draw milk as much as you like. That is called surabhī cow. The trees are like that, the cows are like that, but there are houses, there are forests, jungle trees, cows, water, everything, but they are all spiritual. All spiritual, therefore there is one. Here is also one, because everything material. Whatever, either you take cow's body or your body, or tree's body, or any body, what it is made of? Kṣitir ap teja marut vyoma, the earth, water, air, fire, and sky, that's all. Here it is all one, but, and there also it is one, but there it is all spiritual, and here it is all material. That is the difference.
Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam----3:26:2).

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