Govinda Pattabhishekham

It is often said that too much knowledge can be confusing. Similarly, a devotee could be overwhelmed by the wealth of material available in our scriptures and devotional literature. This is why our seers always say “ Ekam Bhagavatham”. Everything one needs to know is available there and in the Kali Yuga, it is sufficient if one listens to discourse on Govinda Pattabhishekam. It explains everything in a succinct manner for a devotee, said Sridhar Swami in a discourse.

When one visits Tirupati, one hears ‘Govinda’ everywhere, the chant echoes everywhere. Just as how a sugar candy attracts ants, devotees throng Tirupati, chanting, “Govinda, Govinda.” One interpretation of the word Govinda is that He is one who can be realised through the Vedas.

He lived as Krishna among ordinary people as a cowherd and they had unconditional love for Him. At the end of the day, when the happy cows came home from grazing on Govardhan hill, they would shake their bells, heralding Krishna’s return, the Gopikas would rush out. The dust from the herd would rise up, and Krishna’s earring would appear and vanish; others would get to see His feather; a few would catch a glimpse of His face as it appeared and disappeared in the dusty cloud, and everyone would feel enthralled.

On one such evening, when Krishna found his father Nandagopa preparing a huge sacrificial feast for Indra who had blessed them with bountiful showers and crops, Krishna objects saying, “Indra is merely doing his job. On the other hand, the Govardhan mountain is our lifeline, let us make the offerings to him.” To this day, after Deepavali a number of devotees offer a feast to the mountain. Indra, observing the denial of feast, unleashes a downpour unlike any other. Krishna urges all the people to herd under the Govardhan mountain that He holds aloft. They obediently follow the advise. None question Him as they all had faith in Him.