Listen & Chant Along
Meaning & Translation
Sanskrit
देवकीनन्दन गोपाल
Transliteration
Devakinandana Gopala
Deity / Quality Invoked
Krishna
Word by Word
Pronunciation
day-vah-kee-NAHN-dah-nah go-PAH-lah — flowing and unhurried, the names melting into one another
Full Translation
Two names of Krishna woven into one flowing chant: Devakinandana, "the joy of Devaki" — the divine child born to his imprisoned mother against all odds — and Gopala, "protector of the cows," the playful cowherd boy of Vrindavan. Together they hold both the miracle of Krishna's birth and the sweetness of his childhood, inviting the singer into an intimate, familial love of the divine.
Spiritual Significance
This chant is a staple of namasankirtana — the practice of singing the divine names — sung for centuries across India's devotional traditions and cherished in the repertoires of saints and wandering kirtan singers. Its simple two-name refrain makes it endlessly expandable: leaders layer melody upon melody as the chant builds, which is exactly why it has become a mainstay of the Western kirtan circuit.
Cultural Context & History
Sean Johnson & The Wild Lotus Band recorded "Devakinandana Gopala (Love)" on Unity, their ambitious triple album whose three discs — Grit, Grace, and Love — trace the full arc of devotional feeling. The New Orleans trio's signature blend of bhakti chant with swampy Southern rock and soul gives this ancient refrain an unmistakably American groove.
Terms in the Glossary
Words from this page, explained in our A–Z reference.