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

Murali hugging cow sweet Krishna doll with a forest and sky backdrop

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.

Krishna with puppy friends and nanda maharaj shoes — Krishna carries Nanda’s golden sandals with his two puppies

Vyaghra and Bhramaraka are Krishna’s pet dogs.

Krishna doll walks in with poseable body cow and peacock — Tandavika is His pet Peacock

Suranga is Krishna’s pet deer and Dadhilobha is His pet monkey.

Poseable Krishna pictured with monkeys and arch

poseable krishna doll with frut and 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)

“I think the drones that are buzzing all around You must have been Your devotees in their past lives. They cannot leave Your company because no one can be a better, more affectionate master than You. You are the supreme and original Personality of Godhead, and the drones are just trying to spread Your glories by chanting every moment. I think some of them must be great sages, devotees of Your Lordship, and they are disguising themselves in the form of drones because they are unable to give up Your company even for a moment. My dear brother, You are the supreme worshipable Godhead. Just see how the peacocks in great ecstasy are dancing before You. The deer, whose behavior is just like the gopis, are welcoming You with the same affection. And the cuckoos who are residing in this forest are receiving You with great joy, because they consider that Your appearance is so auspicious in their home. Even though they are trees and animals, these residents of Vrndavana are glorifying You. They are prepared to welcome You to their best capacity, as is the practice of great souls in receiving another great soul at home. As for the land, it is so pious and fortunate that the footprints of Your lotus feet are marking its body.” Krishna Book, Chapter 15

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.