कृष्णाय वासुदेवाय देवकीनन्दनाय च ।
नन्दगोपकुमाराय गोविन्दाय नमो नमः ॥२१॥

kṛṣṇÄya vÄsudevÄya
devakÄ«-nandanÄya ca
nanda-gopa-kumÄrÄya
govindÄya namo namaḥ


Text

I repeatedly offer respects to Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva, who gave joy to Devakī, who was the child of Nanda and satisfier of the senses of the gopīs.

Purport

Among all the avataras you are the best. Though all those who have prema are fortunate, my brother Vasudeva was most fortunate, since you selected him as your father. That is the significance of the word Vasudeva, son of Vasudeva. And your mother, endowed with even more prema is most fortunate. You made her more successful than all others by situating yourself in her womb alone. Thus Kunti addresses Krsna as devaki-nandana: he who gives joy to Devaki. Nanda, endowed with more prema is most fortunate. You let him alone experience the sweetness of your infant (kumara) pastimes (nanda-gopa-kumara). Yasoda with abundant prema is most fortunate. This will be explained in verse 31. The pastimes of your kaisora age have even more sweetness than the kaumara pastimes. Thus Kunti addresses Krsna as Govinda. Krsna got the name Govinda at the beginning of his kaisora age after he was bathed by the Surabhi cow. You take possession (vinda) of all the senses (go) of all people. The enjoyers of this form of Krsna are not mentioned because of their extraordinary nature, the esoteric nature of this love and the lack of qualification of others to taste it.