Words of Gita Govinda

A simple dictionary of themes

Sujatha Ratnala
4 min readMay 8, 2021

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When the words begin to shine, the emotions and the message of the song slowly begin to trickle in. A naama keertana of prominent words classified under themes.

Spring at Brindavan

brundAvana vipinE (woods of Brundavan)

sarasa vasantE (ecstasy of spring)
kOmala malaya sameerE (gentle mountain winds)
kunja kuTeerE (bowers and cottages)
kisalaya Sayana (grass beds)
yamunAjala pootE (pure waters of yamuna), yamuna teerE(banks), yamunA jala koolE

Trees & Plants


madhukara, alikula sankula(cluster of bees)
kOkila koojita (cooing cuckoos)
mruga mada sourabha (perfume of musk deer)
kunja, nikunja (bowers & creepers)
kusuma samooha (cluster of flowers)
lalita lavanga latA(lavanga creeper)
tamAla(bay leaf), kinSuka (flame flower),
kEsara, kEtaka
paaTali paTala (cup like daffodil)
taruna karuNa (tender karuna flowers)
Fragrant flowers: mAdhavikA, nava mAlati, jAti sugandhou
muktalatA (creeper), nava chutE (mango buds)
kadamba tree
paraag, renu (pollen)

Young gopis

pallava yuvati, yuvajana, vadhoojana, sakhi, taruNa 
nitambavatee, nitambini (young lady with round hips)
peenapayOdhara (young lady with a big bosom)
abhisArika (messenger)
priyA, yAmini

Charming Hari

chandana charchita (smeared with chandanam)
neela kaLEbara (dark coloured)
peetavasana (yellow robe)
vanamAlee (flower garland)
maNi kunDala (earrings)
smita SAlee (smiling)
chanchala mouLi (wavering crown)
kapOla vilOla(moving ckeeks)
bindu lalATam (tilaka on forhead)
maNimaya makara manOhara kunDala (crocodile earrings)
madhuripu
mAdhava

Raasa Leela & Music

madhura dhvani mukharita (sweet music pours out)
mOhana vamSam (enchanting flute)
vAdayatE mrudu vENum (plays the flute)
panchama rAgam (high pitch tune),
karatala tALa (beats of the palm), nrutya(dance)
taranga (waves)

LoveS strikes

madana maheepati (king of love)
madana vikAram (delusions due to love)
madana dahana (fire of seperation)
rati sukha samaya, rathi sukha saare (union, rati is Manmada's wife)kandarpa jvara (love fever)
kusuma viSikha (flowers of manmada)
kusuma Sara bANa (arrows of flowers)

Sightings & Amazement

chakita vilOkita (amazed)
vilAsa vilOla vilOchana (gopi rolling her eyes and making gestures)
paTu chATu (sweet talk)
paSyati diSi diSi (looks in all directions)
sakala diSa (all ddirections)

Emotions

Slishyati chumbati ramayati(embracing, kissing, delightment)
vigaLita lajjita (embarassed)
pulakita (stimulated)
mugdha (smitten)
parihAsam (pranks, laughter)
adarapAnam, chumbanam (kiss)

Forlorn Radha

rAdhikA
priyE.. chAru SeelE.. O beautiful..
dik sundari, dehi sundari
kruSa tanu (growing lean)
khEdam (feeling sad)
viraha (seperation pangs)
vilapati hasati visheedati rOditi chamchati munchati tApam
(grieving laughing lamenting crying in seperation)

She meditates

smaraNam (remembers)
dhyAna layEna (immersed)
pratipada.. tava charaNE (wants to surrender to your feet)
haririti haririti japati sa kAmam (she yearns and chants Hari Hari)
Kali kalmasha nasham bhayam (wants fear of kali yuga to be dissolved)

Names of Hari

jaya jagadīśa hare
jaya jaya deva hare
hari hari
nAdha harE.. jagannAdha harE
nArAyaNam
madhusudana

Jayadeva signs off

Sri jayadEva bhaNita (articulates)
adbhuta kESava kELi rahasyam (mysteries of the Lord)
mangala ujjwala geetham
SubhAni yaSasyam vitanotu (may it radiate prosperity)
sundara mOhana madhuripu roopam (he describes beautiful roopam)
haricharaNa smaraNam (remembers)
utkantithum salila, vitanOtu saleelam (poetic waters of Jayadeva)
chATu paTu chAru (sweet words)
kavi bhAratee bhushitam (the great poetic work)

Body & Ornaments

HISmadhura adhara (sweet lips)
kara charaNa (hands feet)
bindu lalATam (tilaka on forhead)
nimeelita lOchanAya (half closed eyes)
lalita kapOlam (beautiful cheeks)
HERmaNi noopurA, manjeeram (gem studded anklets)
neela nichola (dark cloak)
kajjala (eye kohl)
valayam (bangles)
kAnchi, mEkhalA (waist girdle)
maNigaNa bhushaNa kiraNa (glitter of ornaments)
sthana (bosom), nitimba (hips)
bruh(brow), nakha(nail), danta(teeth)

Dasasavatara

mīna-śarīra, kaccapa-rūpa, sūkara-rūpa, hiraṇyakaśipu & nara-hari-rūpa, vāmana-rupa, bhṛgu-pati-rūpa, rāma-śarīra, hala-dhara-rūpa, dhṛta-buddha-śarīra, kalki-śarīra

Vishnu Mahima

kalita-lalita-vana-māla (beautiful garland)
muni-jana-mānasa-haṃsa (swan of the mind of munis)
kāliya-viṣa-dhara (conquers kalia snake)
madhu-mura-naraka-vināśana (conquers the demons)
garuḍāsana (on garuda)
amala-kamala-dala-locana (lotus buds like pure eyes)
bhava-mocana (frees from the worldly ocean)
abhinava-jala-dhara-sundara (beauty of a freshly formed rain-bearing cloud)
śrī-mukha-candra-cakora (lord is like the the chakora bird for the Goddess)
jaya jaya deva hare

Metaphors

vadana sarOjam (lotus face)
neela naLinAbha (blue lotus eyes)
pada pallava (lotus feet)
amala kamala lochana (pure lotus eyes)
Kuvalaya nayana (lotus eyes)
Vikasita sarasija Lalitha mukhe (lotus face)
Nayana dalina (bud like eye)
Sajala jala dalam.. moist eyes

Kta pratyaya Gerunds in Compound Words

charchita [smeared]
vigalita, lajjita, chakita [having been crushed, blushing, admiring]
mukhulita, pulakita [flowers blosomming, springing]
kUjita [birds cooing]

Feeling of Doubt & Uncertainity

kim karishyati (what will she do?)
kApi.. kamapi (some gopi is)

Other words

iha (now)

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Sujatha Ratnala

I write.. I weave.. I walk.. कवयामि.. वयामि.. यामि.. Musings on Patterns, Science, Linguistics, Sanskrit et al..