Lyrics · Meaning · Audio
A joyful Krishna kirtan of just a few names — Govinda, Gopala, Radha Ramana, Hari — repeated faster and faster until the singing itself becomes the prayer.
Traditional kirtan
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Govinda Jaya Jaya
Son of Kali · Divine Mantras Vol. 2
Each line shows an easy way to say it, with its English meaning. Turn on the Sanskrit, the exact pronunciation or the word-by-word meaning whenever you want to go deeper.
गोविन्द जय जय गोपाल जय जय ।
Govinda Jaya Jaya, Gopala Jaya Jaya
govinda jaya jaya gopāla jaya jaya
Glory, glory to Govinda! Glory, glory to Gopala!
राधारमण हरि गोविन्द जय जय ॥
Radha Ramana Hari, Govinda Jaya Jaya
rādhāramaṇa hari govinda jaya jaya
Beloved of Radha, Hari — glory, glory to Govinda!
“Govinda Jaya Jaya, Gopala Jaya Jaya” is one of the simplest and most loved kirtans to Krishna. Its words are nothing but his names and the word jaya, “victory” or “glory.”
Each name points to a different side of Krishna. Govinda is the protector of cows and the one who brings joy to the senses; Gopāla, the cowherd boy; Rādhā-ramaṇa, the one who delights Radha; Hari, the one who takes away sorrow.
Kirtan is call-and-response singing. A leader sings a line, the group answers, and the tempo slowly rises. Versions differ in which names they add; this page gives the core lines that almost every version shares.
When Indra sent a terrible storm to punish the people of Vraja for worshipping the mountain Govardhana instead of him, the boy Krishna lifted the whole mountain on his little finger and held it up like an umbrella for seven days.
Afterwards Indra bowed to him and the divine cow Surabhi named him Govinda — the protector of the cows and of all who depend on him.
When to chant
How many times
As long as the joy lasts — kirtan has no fixed count.
Sit with others in a circle if you can.
One person sings a line and the group repeats it.
Start slowly and let the rhythm gradually speed up.
When it ends, sit for a moment in the silence that follows.
The sounds that trip people up most in this hymn, and how to say them.
govinda
go-vin-da.
gopāla
go-paa-la.
rādhāramaṇa
raa-dhaa-ra-ma-na.
What does Govinda Jaya Jaya mean?
“Glory, glory to Govinda!” Govinda is a name of Krishna meaning the protector of cows and giver of joy.
What does Radha Ramana mean?
“The one who delights Radha” — Krishna as Radha’s beloved.
Why are there different versions?
Kirtans grow as they are sung, and every group adds its favourite names. The core lines on this page are shared by nearly all versions.
Do I need to know Sanskrit to sing it?
No — the words are just names of Krishna, so anyone can join in straight away.