Gopinath (Krishna)

Krishna dances with gopis.
For the television presenter, see C. Gopinath.

Gopinath (Sanskrit: गोपीनाथ, romanized: Gopīnātha) 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]

  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.