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Meaning & Translation
Sanskrit
गोविन्द दामोदर माधवेति
Transliteration
govinda dāmodara mādhaveti
Deity / Quality Invoked
Krishna
Pronunciation
go-VIN-dah DAH-mo-dar MAH-dhah-vay-tee
Full Translation
This is the recurring refrain of the Govinda Damodara Stotram, composed by Bilvamangala Thakura. Each verse returns to these three names, teaching the practice of remembering Krishna constantly — in joy and in sorrow, and especially at life's final moment. Jahnavi Harrison's "Like a River" sets the refrain to a flowing, contemplative melody.
Spiritual Significance
The stotram's central instruction is to never let the tongue be idle of Krishna's names. By weaving "Govinda Damodara Madhaveti" through every verse, it models a life soaked in remembrance — the names carrying the devotee the way a river carries a leaf to the sea.
Cultural Context & History
Attributed to Bilvamangala Thakura (author of the Krishna Karnamrita). The stotram famously imagines great devotees invoking these names in their hour of need. "Damodara" recalls the leela in which mother Yashoda lovingly bound the child Krishna at the waist with a rope.