Welcome to the spiritual world, where every inhabitant is filled with the nectar of love for Krishna! Where Sri Krishna spends time with every living individual and all are filled with the bliss of love.
Krishna and Balarama Milking the Cows
| “Mother Yasoda would then address Nanda Maharaja, “See my dear son, whose eyes are white, who has a turban on His head, a wrapper on His body and leg bells which tinkle very sweetly on His feet. He is coming near, along with His surabhi calves, and just see how He is wandering upon the sacred land of Vrindavana!” Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 43 |
Kṛṣṇa had many thousands of cows, and they were divided into groups according to their colors. They were also differently named according to color. When He would prepare to return from the pasturing ground, He would gather all the cows. As Vaiṣṇavas count 108 beads, which represent the 108 individual gopīs, so Kṛṣṇa would also count on 108 beads to count the different groups of cows. (Krishna book CH 35) The cows taken care of by Kṛṣṇa had different names, and Kṛṣṇa would call them with love. After hearing Kṛṣṇa calling, the cows would immediately respond by mooing, and the boys would enjoy this exchange to their hearts’ content. They would all imitate the sound vibrations made by the different kinds of birds, especially the cakoras, peacocks, cuckoos and bhāradvājas. (Krishna book, CH 15) |
| These cows are the Lord’s pet animals. Of the surabhi cows, all of whom are very dear to Lord Krishna, seven are said to be the most important. They are: Mangala, Pingala, Ganga, Pisangi, Manikastani, Hamsi and Vamsipriya. Oxen are very beautiful and mingle freely with the cows in India. It is a little hard to tell the difference between oxen and cows actually, as photographed at a wonderful Goshala. Padmagandha and Pisangaksa are Krishna’s pet oxen. In addition to these pet surabhi cows, many other types of pets belong to Krishna and Radharani. Kalasvana is His pet swan, Tandavika His pet peacock and Daksa and Vicaksana His pet parrots. |
Vyaghra and Bhramaraka are Krishna’s pet dogs.
Suranga is Krishna’s pet deer and Dadhilobha is His pet monkey.
| “Krishna always tends the cows. His name is Govinda, cowherd boy. To become animal of Krisna is a great, great fortune. It is not ordinary thing. Any associate of Krishna, either His cowherd boyfriends or calf or cows, or the Vrindavana trees, plants, flowers or water, they are all devotees of Krishna. They like to serve Krishna in different capacities. Somebody is serving Krishna as animal. Somebody is serving Krishna as fruits and flowers, as tree, as Yamuna water, or the beautiful cowherds men and damsels or Krishna’s father and mother, so many with Krishna. Krishna is not impersonal. So He has got so many lovers. Krishna also loves them. So Krishna’s another name is pasu-pala, pasu-pala-pankaja. He is, mean, tender of the animals. Surabhir abhipalayantam. He takes pleasure in tending the cows, surabhi. These are surabhi cows, not these ordinary cows, surabhi cows. Surabhi cows means you can milk the cow as many times as you like and as much milk as you like. That is surabhi.” SP. Lecture on SB. 06-26-74, Melbourne |
Radharani’s pet Animals Srimati Radharani also has pet surabhi cows, among whom Sunada, Yamuna and Bahula are the most important, along with Tungi, Her chubby pet calf. Kakkhati is Her old pet monkey, Rangini is Her pet doe and Carucnadrika is Her pet cakori bird.Tundikeri is the name of Radharani’s pet swan, who is fond of swimming in Radha-kunda. Madhuri is Radharani’s pet elephant and Suksmadhi and Subha are Her two pet parrots.The two parrots perfectly imitate Lalita-devi’s playful jokes spoken to her master and mistress (Sri Sri Radha-Krishna). By this wonderful repetition the parrots astonish the gopis. (SSRKGD) |
Names of Krishna’s Pets
Daksa
A pet parrot of Lord Krishna.
Vamsipriya
Vamsipriya is a pet surabhi cow of Krishna.
Pisangi
Pisangi is a pet surabhi cow of Krishna.
Vicaksana
Vicaksana is Krishna’s pet parrot. Vicaksana appeared as the elder brother of Kavi Karmapura, namely Ramadasa.
Padmagandha
He is Krishna’s pet ox.
Hamsi
Hamsi is one of Krishna’s pet surabhi cows.
Pingala
Pingala is one of Krishna’s pet surabhi cows.
Manikastani
Manikastani is one of Krishna’s pet surabhi cows.
Dadhilobha
Dadhilobha is Krishna’s pet monkey.
Suranga
Suranga is Krishna’s pet deer.
Tandavika
Tandavika is the pet peacock of Lord Krishna.
Bhramaraka
Bhramaraka is Lord Krishna’s pet dog.
Vyaghra
Vyaghra is Lord Krishna’s pet dog.
Kalasvana
Kalasvana is Lord Krishna’s pet swan.
Mangala
It means “auspicious”. It is a name of one of Krishna‘s pet surabhi cows. She is a sakhi in the group of Indulekha devi. She is one of the leaders of those gopis who act as well-wishers of Srimati Radharani.
Ganga
It is a river flowing through Mayapur(the place where Lord Chaitanya was born). River Ganga was brought to Earth by Bhagirath. Ganga is also a pet Surabhi cow of Krishna in Vraja.
