Krishna's Names

Sometimes at work, I end up with nothing at all to do while I wait for some tasks to be assigned to me. Obviously, I get really bored and try to come up with ways to entertain myself. I'll open up Excel, type down numbers, count the seconds, count in French, make lists, etc.

Yesterday, I thought I'd try to see how many names of Krishna I knew. I was sad to see that I only remembered about 10-12 names. Upon racking my brains, I got that number to about 20-25. Good enough, I thought. I wanted to reread the list.

Little did I know Krishna's joy was hiding somewhere. As I reread the list, Krishna's leelas flooded my mind. Each name reminded me of the story behind it. Each leela appeared before my eyes, but fast forwarded. 'Ranchoddrai' because he left a fight, 'Madhusudana' because he killed the demon Madhu, 'Govardhandhari' because he lifted the Govardhan hill... Each leela was played out in front of me and before I knew it, I was swelling with fond rememberance of his pastimes, smiling at my monitor like a mad girl, but my heart was in a whole other world.

 What a glorious way to spend my time! If only I could do this always! It would be nice to think of Krishna all the time! It feels soooooo gooooood! If only thinking of his wonderful names can create such a beautiful experience, imagine what being in his company will do! The Lord is so merciful that he has invested his potencies in all his names. Therefore even calling his name is as good as being in direct association with him. Could he make it any more easier for us to reach him?!

 Some of my favourite names of Krishna are: 'Madhav' meaning bringer of springtime; 'Krishna' meaning all-attractive; 'Gopinath' meaning Lord of the gopis; 'Keshav' meaning beautiful haired; and 'Madan' meaning the Lord of Love. What are some of your favorite names of Krishna and their meanings? Leave comments please :)