What use are wealth to the poor, what use sons to those who have none,
Verse 10 — mitra bāṃdhavaryārigè
mitra bāṃdhavaryārigè
what use friends and kinsmen?
Verse 11 — kartu yamanavarèl̤èdu òyvāga
kartu yamanavarèl̤èdu òyvāga
When Yama's messengers drag one away,
Verse 12 — artha putraru kāyvarè
artha putraru kāyvarè
neither wealth nor sons can save.
Verse 13 — taṃdu baṃdarè tanna puruṣana
taṃdu baṃdarè tanna puruṣana
When a woman's husband comes and takes her,
Verse 14 — hasidu bal̤alidirèṃbal̤u
hasidu bal̤alidirèṃbal̤u
she who was hungry and exhausted,
Verse 15 — òṃdu divasavu tāradiddarè
òṃdu divasavu tāradiddarè
if she does not come for even one day,
Verse 16 — haṃdi nāyaṃtè kèlèval̤u
haṃdi nāyaṃtè kèlèval̤u
she is treated like a pig or a dog.
Verse 17 — prāṇavallabhè tanna puruṣana
prāṇavallabhè tanna puruṣana
The wife who is the breath of life,
Verse 18 — kāṇadè nillalāral̤u
kāṇadè nillalāral̤u
cannot bear to be apart from her husband;
Verse 19 — prāṇa hoguva samayadalli
prāṇa hoguva samayadalli
but at the moment the life departs,
Verse 20 — jāṇè karèdaru bāral̤u
jāṇè karèdaru bāral̤u
even the clever woman will not come.
Verse 21 — uṃṭukālakè nèṃṭariṣṭaru
uṃṭukālakè nèṃṭariṣṭaru
When times are good, relatives and friends
Verse 22 — baṃṭarāgi kāyvaru
baṃṭarāgi kāyvaru
stand guard like soldiers;
Verse 23 — kaṃṭaka yamanavaru èl̤èvāga
kaṃṭaka yamanavaru èl̤èvāga
but when Yama's calamity pulls,
Verse 24 — nèṃṭariṣṭaru bāraru
nèṃṭariṣṭaru bāraru
not one kinsman appears.
Verse 25 — òḍèvè arasigè òḍalu agnigè
òḍèvè arasigè òḍalu agnigè
To the king the body belongs, to the fire the flesh,
Verse 26 — maḍadi mattòbba cèluvagè
maḍadi mattòbba cèluvagè
to another woman the wife —
Verse 27 — baḍidu hòḍèdu yamanavarèl̤èvāga
baḍidu hòḍèdu yamanavarèl̤èvāga
when Yama's men beat and strike,
Verse 28 — èḍavi bidditu nāligè
èḍavi bidditu nāligè
the tongue stumbles and falls silent.
Verse 29 — diṭṭatanadali paṭṭavāl̤uva
diṭṭatanadali paṭṭavāl̤uva
With steadfast courage, hold fast to the feet
Verse 30 — kṛṣṇarāyana caraṇava
kṛṣṇarāyana caraṇava
of Lord Krishna, the king of all —
Verse 31 — muṭṭi bhajisirò siri puraṃdara
muṭṭi bhajisirò siri puraṃdara
touch and worship the feet of Vitthala,
Verse 32 — viṭhaleśana pādava
viṭhaleśana pādava
O glorious Purandara. (the poet's signature)
About Gōvindā Namō Gōvindā
Gōvindā Namō Gōvindā is a Kannada devaranama, composed by Purandara Dāsa, addressed to Vishnu — a Devaranama. It is presented here in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, each verse with its English meaning. Source text: Kannada Wikisource.
Revered as the Pitāmaha (grandfather) of Carnatic music and a foremost Haridasa saint of Karnataka; a disciple of Vyāsatīrtha who composed a vast number of Kannada devaranamas under the signature "Purandara Viṭhala".
What is Gōvindā Namō Gōvindā and what does it mean?
Gōvindā Namō Gōvindā is a Kannada devaranama (devotional hymn), composed by Purandara Dāsa, addressed to Vishnu, of 32 verses. On Avabodhak every verse is shown with its English meaning, so you can understand the text line by line as you read.
How do I pronounce Gōvindā Namō Gōvindā correctly?
Avabodhak presents Gōvindā Namō Gōvindā in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada, Telugu, Tamil alongside IAST Roman transliteration that marks every long vowel (ā, ī, ū) and conjunct consonant. Reading the Devanagari text with the IAST line lets you follow the exact pronunciation syllable by syllable, and the guided practice mode replays it line by line.
What is the word-by-word meaning of Gōvindā Namō Gōvindā?
Avabodhak pairs each verse of Gōvindā Namō Gōvindā with its English meaning, and the practice view breaks lines into individual words — so you learn what each word means, not just the overall sense.
Who composed Gōvindā Namō Gōvindā?
Gōvindā Namō Gōvindā is attributed to Purandara Dāsa.
In which scripts can I read Gōvindā Namō Gōvindā?
Gōvindā Namō Gōvindā is available in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada, Telugu, Tamil on Avabodhak, each with English meaning and IAST transliteration.
Can I chant or practice Gōvindā Namō Gōvindā online?
Yes — Avabodhak offers a free reading view plus guided practice and word-puzzle modes to help you chant and memorise Gōvindā Namō Gōvindā.