The Meanings of Krishna's Names

Verse 1 (5.69.1)

भूयो मे पुण्डरीकाक्षं सञ्जयाचक्ष्व पृच्छतः । नामकर्मार्थवित्तात प्राप्नुयां पुरुषोत्तमम् ॥

bhūyo me puṇḍarīkākṣaṃ sañjayācakṣva pṛcchataḥ | nāmakarmārthavittāta prāpnuyāṃ puruṣottamam

"Tell me more of the lotus-eyed one, Sanjaya, since I ask you. Knowing the meaning of his names and deeds, dear son, I may reach the supreme person."

Verse 2 (5.69.2)

श्रुतं मे वासुदेवस्य नामनिर्वचनं शुभम् । यावत्तत्राभिजानेऽहमप्रमेयो हि केशवः ॥

śrutaṃ me vāsudevasya nāmanirvacanaṃ śubham | yāvattatrābhijāne'hamaprameyo hi keśavaḥ

"I have heard the auspicious explanation of Vasudeva's names, and I will tell it as far as I understand it — for Keshava is beyond all measure.

Verse 3 (5.69.3)

वसनात्सर्वभूतानां वसुत्वाद्देवयोनितः । वासुदेवस्ततो वेद्यो बृहत्त्वाद्विष्णुरुच्यते ॥

vasanātsarvabhūtānāṃ vasutvāddevayonitaḥ | vāsudevastato vedyo bṛhattvādviṣṇurucyate

Because all beings dwell in him, because he is a Vasu and because he is the womb from which the gods arise, he is to be known as Vasudeva; because he is vast and all-pervading, he is called Vishnu.

Verse 4 (5.69.4)

मौनाद्ध्यानाच्च योगाच्च विद्धि भारत माधवम् । सर्वतत्त्वलयाच्चैव मधुहा मधुसूदनः ॥

maunāddhyānācca yogācca viddhi bhārata mādhavam | sarvatattvalayāccaiva madhuhā madhusūdanaḥ

Know, O Bharata, that he is Madhava because of silent reflection, meditation and yoga; and because he dissolves all the elements into himself, he is Madhuha and Madhusudana.

Note on the text: Corrected विद्दि → विद्धि (misprint in Wikisource; द्दि for द्धि, the imperative "know"; CE viddhi).

Verse 5 (5.69.5)

कृषिर्भूवाचकः शब्दो णश्च निर्वृतिवाचकः । विष्णुस्तद्भावयोगाच्च कृष्णो भवति सात्वतः ॥

kṛṣirbhūvācakaḥ śabdo ṇaśca nirvṛtivācakaḥ | viṣṇustadbhāvayogācca kṛṣṇo bhavati sātvataḥ

The word krishi denotes the earth, and na denotes bliss; Vishnu, being joined to the nature of both, becomes Krishna, the Satvata.

Note on the text: Corrected गश्च → णश्च (misprint in Wikisource; the derivation of कृष्ण needs the syllable ण, and ग has no place in it; CE ṇaś ca). विष्णुः and सात्वतः (CE kṛṣṇas, śāśvataḥ) are kept as variants.

Verse 6 (5.69.6)

पुण्डरीकं परं धाम नित्यमक्षयमव्ययम् । तद्भावात्पुण्डरीकाक्षो दस्युत्रासाज्जनार्दनः ॥

puṇḍarīkaṃ paraṃ dhāma nityamakṣayamavyayam | tadbhāvātpuṇḍarīkākṣo dasyutrāsājjanārdanaḥ

The lotus of the heart is the supreme abode, eternal, undecaying and imperishable; because he dwells there he is Pundarikaksha. Because he strikes terror into the Dasyus, he is Janardana.

Note on the text: Corrected दस्युत्रासाज्जानार्दनः → दस्युत्रासाज्जनार्दनः (misprint in Wikisource; a stray ā, which also spoils the metre; CE janārdanaḥ). अव्ययम् (CE akṣaram) is kept as a variant.

Verse 7 (5.69.7)

यतः सत्वं न च्यवते यच्च सत्वान्न हीयते । सत्वतः सात्वतस्तस्मादार्षभाद्वृषभेक्षणः ॥

yataḥ satvaṃ na cyavate yacca satvānna hīyate | satvataḥ sātvatastasmādārṣabhādvṛṣabhekṣaṇaḥ

Because sattva never departs from him and he never falls away from sattva, he is Satvata, named from sattva; and because he is revealed by the Veda, he is Vrishabhekshana.

Note on the text: Corrected यत्वान्न → सत्वान्न and सात्वतः सात्वतस् → सत्वतः सात्वतस् (misprints in Wikisource; य for स, and a stray ā that turns the etymology "from sattva, Satvata" into a meaningless repetition; CE sattvān, sattvataḥ). The page's single-त spelling सत्व is kept.

Verse 8 (5.69.8)

न जायते जनित्राऽयमजस्तस्मादनीकजित् । देवानां स्वप्रकाशत्वाद्दमाद्दामोदरो विभुः ॥

na jāyate janitrā'yamajastasmādanīkajit | devānāṃ svaprakāśatvāddamāddāmodaro vibhuḥ

He is not born of any begetter, and so the conqueror of armies is Aja, the Unborn. Because he shines by his own light among the gods, and because of his self-restraint, the all-pervading Lord is Damodara.

Verse 9 (5.69.9)

हर्षात्सुखात्सुखैश्वर्याद्धृषीकेशत्वमश्नुते । बाहुभ्यां रोदसी बिभ्रन्महाबाहुरिति स्मृतः ॥

harṣātsukhātsukhaiśvaryāddhṛṣīkeśatvamaśnute | bāhubhyāṃ rodasī bibhranmahābāhuriti smṛtaḥ

From joy, from happiness and from sovereign bliss he gains the name Hrishikesha; bearing heaven and earth with his two arms, he is known as Mahabahu, the Mighty-armed.

Note on the text: Corrected अश्रुते → अश्नुते (misprint in Wikisource; श्र for श्न, "attains"; CE aśnute). सुखात् (CE saukhyāt) is kept; the page's commentary reads it too.

Verse 10 (5.69.10)

अधो न क्षीयते जातु यस्मात्तस्मादधोक्षजः । नराणामयनाच्चापि ततो नारायणः स्मृतः ॥

adho na kṣīyate jātu yasmāttasmādadhokṣajaḥ | narāṇāmayanāccāpi tato nārāyaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ

Because he never sinks low and never wastes away, he is Adhokshaja; and because he is the refuge of men, he is known as Narayana.

Note on the text: Corrected अघो → अधो (misprint in Wikisource; घ for ध — the line derives Adhokshaja from adhaḥ, and the page's commentary explains the ja of the name; CE adho). The automatic alignment missed this verse: it is the first two lines of CE 5.68.10, whose third line opens Wikisource 11. ततो (CE tena) is kept as a variant.

Verse 11 (5.69.11)

पूरणात्सदनाच्चापि ततोऽसौपुरुषोत्तमः । असतश्च सतश्चैव सर्वस्य प्रभवाप्ययात् । सर्वस्य च सदा ज्ञानात्सर्वमेतं प्रचक्षते ॥

pūraṇātsadanāccāpi tato'saupuruṣottamaḥ | asataśca sataścaiva sarvasya prabhavāpyayāt | sarvasya ca sadā jñānātsarvametaṃ pracakṣate

Because he fills all things and is the seat of all, he is Purushottama. Because he is the origin and dissolution of all, the unreal and the real, and because he ever knows all, they call him Sarva, the All.

Note on the text: The automatic alignment missed this verse. Its first line is the last line of CE 5.68.10 (CE sadanāc caiva for सदनाच्चापि) and its other two lines are CE 5.68.11 (CE sarvam enaṃ for सर्वमेतं); the page's own verse-end marks are followed.

Verse 12 (5.69.12)

सत्ये प्रतिष्ठितः कृष्णः सत्यमत्र प्रतिष्ठितम् । सत्यात्सत्यं तु गोविन्दस्तस्मात्सत्योऽपि नामतः ॥

satye pratiṣṭhitaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ satyamatra pratiṣṭhitam | satyātsatyaṃ tu govindastasmātsatyo'pi nāmataḥ

Krishna is established in truth, and truth is established in him; Govinda is truer than truth itself, and so his name is also Satya, the True.

Note on the text: Corrected सत्योपि → सत्योऽपि (missing avagraha in Wikisource; CE satyo 'pi).

Verse 13 (5.69.13)

विष्णुर्विक्रमणाद्देवो जयनाज्जिष्णुरुच्यते । शाश्वतत्वादनन्तश्च गोविन्दो वेदनाद्गवाम् ॥

viṣṇurvikramaṇāddevo jayanājjiṣṇurucyate | śāśvatatvādanantaśca govindo vedanādgavām

The god is Vishnu because of his mighty striding; he is called Jishnu because he conquers; Ananta because he is eternal; and Govinda because he knows and illumines the cows, that is, the senses.

Note on the text: Corrected जयनाञ्जिष्णुः → जयनाज्जिष्णुः (त् before ज becomes ज्, not ञ्; CE jayanāj jiṣṇur) and वेदनाद्भवाम् → वेदनाद्गवाम् (भ for ग; Govinda is derived from gavām, "of the cows / senses", as the page's commentary has it; CE vedanād gavām) — misprints in Wikisource. देवो (CE eva) is kept as a variant.

Verse 14 (5.69.14)

अतत्त्वं कुरुते तत्त्वं तेन मोहयते प्रजाः ॥

atattvaṃ kurute tattvaṃ tena mohayate prajāḥ

He makes the unreal seem real, and by this he deludes all creatures.

Note on the text: Wikisource prints this as a one-line verse (numbered 14a only). It is the first line of CE 5.68.14, whose other two lines are Wikisource 15; nothing is lost, the two editions only divide differently. The page's own verse-end mark is followed.

Verse 15 (5.69.15)

एवंविधो धर्मनित्यो भगवान्मधुसूदनः । आगन्ता हि महाबाहुरानृशंस्यार्थमच्युतः ॥

evaṃvidho dharmanityo bhagavānmadhusūdanaḥ | āgantā hi mahābāhurānṛśaṃsyārthamacyutaḥ

Such is the Blessed Madhusudana, ever steadfast in dharma. The mighty-armed, unfailing Achyuta will come here out of compassion, to spare both sides."

Note on the text: The automatic alignment missed this verse: it is the second and third lines of CE 5.68.14 (CE munibhiḥ saha for मधुसूदनः, kept as a variant).