War · Departure · XIX. Avatāra Synthesis · Draupadī

Verse 164

नारायणो मधुपतिर्माधवो दोषवर्जितः ।गोविन्दः पुण्डरीकाक्षो विष्णुश्च मधुसूदनः॥

nārāyaṇō madhupatirmādhavō dōṣavarjitaḥ ·gōvindaḥ puṇḍarīkākṣō viṣṇuścha madhusūdanaḥ

The Names in This Verse (8)

781 nārāyaṇaḥ

Nārāyaṇa — who abides in all beings

S.B.G 1.1.1

The Bhāgavata's first verse begins with 'Nārāyaṇa'—the one who abides in all beings (nāra = beings, ayana = abode); the entire Bhāgavata is a commentary on this one name.

782 madhupatir

lord of Madhu, or: lord of sweetness

783 mādhavaḥ

Mādhava — of the spring, the honey-one, of the Mādhava clan

S.B.G 10.2.35

This name appears in the gods' Milk Ocean hymn: 'O Mādhava—you who arose from the spring (mādhava), or who belong to the Mādhava clan, or who are the lord of Śrī (Lakṣmī whose husband is spring itself)'.

784 doṣavarjitaḥ

free of all fault or blemish

785 govindaḥ

Govinda — finder of cows, of earth, of the Vedas

S.B.G 10.27.23

Indra performs the Govindābhiṣeka after the Govardhana episode: 'You protect (vinda) the cows (go) and the earth (go = earth) and the Vedas (go = Veda)'; the triple meaning is explained in Brahmā's narration.

786 puṇḍarīkākṣaḥ

lotus-eyed

787 viṣṇuḥ

Viṣṇu — the all-pervading

S.B.G 11.27.5

Viṣṇu ('the all-pervading') is the primary name of the Lord's manifestation of preservation; Kṛṣṇa identifies himself as the complete form of which Viṣṇu is one aspect.

788 madhusūdanaḥ

the slayer of Madhu

S.B.G 8.8-9

The name recalls Kṛṣṇa's earlier incarnation as Viṣṇu who killed the demon Madhu in the primordial ocean; S.B.G 8 has an extended account; Arjuna uses this name when first asking Kṛṣṇa to speak in the Gītā.