528:2 The purport of Indra's speech is to explain the meaning of two of Krishńa's names, Upendra and Govinda. The commentators on the Amara Kosha agree in p. 529 explaining the first, the younger brother of Indra, ### conformably to the synonyme that immediately follows in the text of Amara, Indrávaraja; a name that occurs also in the Mahábhárata: Krishńa, as the son of Devakí, who is an incarnation of Adití, being born of the latter subsequently to Indra. Govinda is he who knows, finds, or tends cattle; Gám vindati. The Pauráńik etymology makes the latter the Indra (### quasi ###) of cows; and in this capacity he may well be considered as a minor or inferior Indra, such being the proper sense of the term Upendra (Upa in composition); as, Upa-puráńa, 'a minor Puráńa,' &c. The proper import of the word Upendra has, however, been anxiously distorted by the sectarian followers of Krishńa. Thus the commentator on our text asserts that Upa is here synonymous with Upari, and that Upendratwa, 'the station of Upendra,' means 'rule in the heaven of heavens, Goloka;' a new creation of this sect, above Satya-loka, which, in the uncorrupt Pauráńik system, is the highest of the seven Lokas: see p. 213. So the Hari Vanśa makes Indra say, 'As thou, Krishńa, art appointed, by the cows, Indra superior to me, therefore the deities in heaven shall call thee Upendra.' The Bhágavata does not introduce the name, though it no doubt alludes to it in making the divine cow Surabhi, who is said to have come from Goloka with Indra, address Krishńa, and say, 'We, instructed by Brahmá, will crown you as our Indra.' Accordingly Krishńa has the water of the Ganges thrown over him by the elephant of Indra, and Indra, the gods, and sages praise him, and salute him by the appellation of Govinda. The Hari Vanśa assigns this to Indra alone, who says, 'I am only the Indra of the gods; thou hast attained the rank of Indra of the kine, and they shall for ever celebrate thee on earth as Govinda.' All this is very different from the sober account of our text, and is undoubtedly of comparatively recent origin.

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