Devakinandana Gopala
Vaishnavism / Krishna Bhakti देवकीनन्दन गोपाल Devakinandana Gopala Devakinandana Gopala "Krishna, beloved son of Devaki, protector of the cows" Chords — Key of Bm · Mid-tempo soulful groove (~100 bpm) with a laid-back New Orleans backbeat Call BmDevakinandana DGopala F#mDevakinandana BmGopala Response BmDevakinandana DGopala F#mDevakinandana BmGopala Word by Word Devaki Krishna's mother, imprisoned by the tyrant Kamsa when Krishna was born Nandana son, delight, joy — "the joy of Devaki" Gopala protector of the cows (go = cow, pala = protector) — Krishna as the cowherd boy of Vrindavan 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. Pronunciation Tips day-vah-kee-NAHN-dah-nah go-PAH-lah — flowing and unhurried, the names melting into one another Traditional, public-domain text prepared by Kirtans.com — free to print for personal and group practice. kirtans.com/mantras/devakinandana-gopala

Vaishnavism / Krishna Bhakti

देवकीनन्दन गोपाल

Devakinandana Gopala

"Krishna, beloved son of Devaki, protector of the cows"

Chords — Key of Bm · Mid-tempo soulful groove (~100 bpm) with a laid-back New Orleans backbeat

Call

BmDevakinandana DGopala

F#mDevakinandana BmGopala

Response

BmDevakinandana DGopala

F#mDevakinandana BmGopala

Word by Word

Devaki: Krishna's mother, imprisoned by the tyrant Kamsa when Krishna was born
Nandana: son, delight, joy — "the joy of Devaki"
Gopala: protector of the cows (go = cow, pala = protector) — Krishna as the cowherd boy of Vrindavan

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.

Pronunciation Tips

day-vah-kee-NAHN-dah-nah go-PAH-lah — flowing and unhurried, the names melting into one another

Traditional, public-domain text prepared by Kirtans.com — free to print for personal and group practice.

kirtans.com/mantras/devakinandana-gopala