Upanishads · Gopāla-tāpanī Pūrva 42
॥
Devanāgarī
बर्हापीडाभिरामाय रामायाकुण्ठमेधसे ।
रमामानसहंसाय गोविन्दाय नमो नमः
Transliteration (IAST)
barhāpīḍābhirāmāya rāmāyākuṇṭhamedhase |
ramāmānasahaṁsāya govindāya namo namaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
बर्हापीडाभिरामायbarhāpīḍābhirāmāyalovely with a crest of peacock feathers; charming in His peacock adornment
रामायrāmāyato Rāma; to the delightful one
अकुण्ठमेधसेakuṇṭhamedhasewhose understanding is not blunted; of undulled discernment
रमामानसहंसायramāmānasahaṁsāyathe swan on the lake of Ramā's mind; the swan in the thoughts of Lakṣmī
गोविन्दाय नमो नमःgovindāya namo namaḥto Govinda obeisance and obeisance; to Govinda homage again and again
Translation
Obeisance to Him who is lovely with a crest of peacock feathers, the Delighter, whose understanding is not blunted, the swan on the lake of Lakṣmī's mind — to Govinda obeisance and obeisance.
Version
b3832f111eca · published Jul 28, 2026, 2:22:17 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The verse joins three images, all three of beauty, but of different kinds.
The first is the peacock adornment, barhāpīḍa: the feather stuck in a cowherd's hair. This is the most recognisable mark of the Kṛṣṇa of Vṛndāvana, and it is put first.
The second is akuṇṭha-medhas, "whose understanding is not blunted". In the middle of a list of beauties something is suddenly said about the mind, and this is more fitting than it seems: beauty here is not a mindless charm, full consciousness always goes with it. The word kuṇṭha means "dull, blunted"; its negation is "sharp, unfailing".
The third image is the loveliest of all: ramā-mānasa-haṁsa, "the swan on the lake of Ramā's mind", that is, of Lakṣmī. The goddess's mind is called a lake, and the Lord a swan that swims upon it. So it is said that He lives in Her thoughts; and it is said in a language for which sovereignty and tenderness do not quarrel.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa cites this line in the Govinda-bhāṣya beside "sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha" — as testimony that the Lord's form is described by śruti in portrait, with distinguishing marks, and not only by abstract definitions.