A first-time visitor to Braj hears a flood of names. The boy at the tea stall calls out Radhe Radhe, the priest says Kanha, the singer says Gopal, the guide says Banke Bihari, and a grandmother mutters Dauji. They are not different gods. They are the one beloved, called by the name each person loves best.
This note is a small map of those names: where they come from, which are tied to a story, and which belong to a temple you can visit.
The story as the scripture tells it
The Bhagavatam gives many names to Krishna, and several come with a story. After he lifted Govardhan, Indra and the divine cow Surabhi bathed him with milk and named him Govinda, the lord of cows (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.27). When his mother tied him to the mortar with a rope, he became Damodara, the one with a rope on his belly (10.9). When he killed the horse-demon Kesi, he became Keshava, the slayer of Kesi (10.37).
Other names are from his deeds and looks: Giridhari, who held the hill; Murlidhar, who carries the flute; Makhanchor, the butter thief; Nandalal, the son of Nanda; Shyam, the dark one. The Vishnu Sahasranama, the thousand names of Vishnu, includes Keshava, Govinda, Damodara and Madhava among its names, and Braj sings them as names of the child it knows.
Names tied to temples
Some names are also the names of deities you can visit. Banke Bihari, the one bent in three places, presides over Vrindavan's most visited temple. Madan Mohan, the enchanter of the god of love, presides over the hilltop temple, now a replica of the original at Karauli. Govind Dev has his ruined red sandstone temple, and Gopinath, the lord of the gopis, is worshipped near Vamshi Vat. Radha Raman, Radha Vallabh, Radha Damodar and Radha Shyamsundar name the deities of four more temples.
Dwarkadhish in Mathura is Krishna as the king of Dwarka. Gokulnath is the Pushtimarg Lord of Gokul, and Shrinathji, the Lord of Nathdwara, first appeared at Jatipura on Govardhan. Chhote Radha Raman is the deity of the Shahji temple.
Names used in daily speech
Beyond the temple names, the people of Braj have a stock of affectionate names that no book fixes. Kanha or Kanhaiya is the commonest, a softened form of Krishna. Lalla and Laddu Gopal name the child, the second being the form of baby Krishna that families keep and serve at home. Nandkishor, Nandlal and Yashoda Nandan point to his parents. Shyamsundar and Ghanshyam point to his dark, cloud-like colour.
Women call him Priyatam, the beloved; children call him the butter thief, Makhanchor; singers call him Murlimanohar, the charmer with the flute. Each is a different door to the same room.
Do not worry about using the wrong one. Any name said sincerely is welcome.
Where in Braj it happened
Govinda is remembered at Govind Kund near Anyor, where tradition places the coronation by Indra and Surabhi, and in the name of the temple Govind Dev. Damodara is remembered at Mahavan and Gokul, where the mortar spot is shown, and at Radha Damodar in Vrindavan. Keshava is remembered at Kesi Ghat. These identifications are local tradition, though the stories are in the Bhagavatam.
The name Bihari means one who plays or wanders for joy, and the name Banke Bihari points to a particular deity first revealed at Nidhivan, according to Haridasi tradition.
Dauji: the elder brother
Dauji is Balarama, the elder brother. The word Dau or Dauji means big brother in Braj. In the Bhagavatam he is born as the seventh child of Devaki, transferred to Rohini's womb, and grows up beside Krishna in Gokul (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.2 and 10.8). He killed the demon Pralamba in Bhandirvan (10.18). At Baldeo, about 21 km from Mathura, the Dauji temple holds a tall dark image beside his wife Revati. On the day after Holi, the Huranga is held there.
Balarama is also seen as an incarnation of Shesha, the serpent on whom Vishnu rests. The Braj people call on him for protection.
What the story means to the people who live here
In Braj, a name is not a label. It is an invitation. A mother calls the child Lalla, a bride calls her beloved Priyatam, a singer calls him Hari. People change the name according to the mood of the day. The greeting Radhe Radhe, which names the Lord through his beloved, is the commonest name of all.
Many Braj families also name children after these names, so that the sound of the Lord is never far from the house.
How to read it before you go
Read Srimad Bhagavatam 10.27 for Govinda, 10.9 for Damodara and 10.37 for Keshava. The Vishnu Sahasranama is easy to find in print and recorded form. A bhajan collection in Braj bhasha, with names in the refrains, is a good companion on the road. Listening to the Hare Krishna kirtan at ISKCON gives another way into the same names.
Keep a small notebook and write down each name you hear and where you heard it.
- Srimad Bhagavatam 10.9, 10.27, 10.37
- Vishnu Sahasranama
- A Braj bhajan collection
Visit the places
Our guide has pages for Banke Bihari, Dauji at Baldeo, Madan Mohan, Govind Dev, Radha Raman, Radha Damodar and others. Use them as a map of the names.
Takeaway: carry the story, not the worry
You do not need to remember every name. Choose the one that comes naturally and say it. The Gita says that whatever name or form a devotee approaches him by, he receives it. A pilgrim who arrives with an open heart is never wrongly addressed.
At lala:Cab we try to be as plain: we say what we know, we mark what we do not, and we take responsibility for getting you to the door.
Questions, answered
Why is Krishna called Govinda?
Indra and the cow Surabhi named him so after the lifting of Govardhan (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.27).
Who is Dauji?
Balarama, Krishna's elder brother. Dau means elder brother in Braj.
Why is he called Damodara?
Because Yashoda tied a rope around his belly (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.9).
Timings, entry rules and fees change. Please confirm on the day with the temple or your driver.
- Which temple holds which name, as local usage varies
- Govind Kund site is tradition
- Vishnu Sahasranama verse references
Walking this path soon?
If you would like a driver who knows the lanes and the timings, the lala:Cab app is there when you are ready. No advance, no pressure.