Gopala
Krishna as the cowherd boy of Braj, protector of cows.
Also: Gopal, Govinda, Gopala Krishna, cowherd Krishna
Gopala, protector of cows, is the name of Krishna in his childhood and youth among the cowherds of Braj, around Mathura, Gokul and Vrindavan. Stories in the Bhagavata Purana and later poetry tell of him herding cattle in the forests along the Yamuna, playing his flute so that the cows gathered round, stealing butter and dancing with the gopis, the cowherd women. The name Govinda is often explained as one who gives joy to cows. The cowherd Krishna is among the most loved images of Hindu devotion, and it underlies much of the reverence for cattle in Braj and beyond, seen at Gopashtami and Govardhan Puja.