Gouranga
Encyclopedia
Gauranga is a term popularized by the Hare Krishna movement
in the 1970s.
It is derived from Sanskrit (Devanagari
) "having a white or yellowish body", a bahuvrihi
compound from "white, yellowish, reddish" and "limb, member; the body".
is a name of Krishna
in Puranic literature, and in Gaudiya Vaishnavism
in particular a name of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
(considered a reincarnation of Krishna).
's golden skin complexion.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu was born in Mayapur
, West Bengal
, in 1486. His activities and teachings are described in detail in the book "Teachings of Lord Caitanya" and the multi-volume Chaitanya Charitamrita
.
The term predates Caitanya as an epithet of incarnations of Vishnu
-Krishna
, appearing in various Vaishna Puranas, for example in the Agni Purana
(before 1100 CE),
propagated that whoever hears, reads, or speaks the name is blessed with fortune and happiness due to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's extraordinary saintly nature.
Stickers bearing the word Gouranga or stating "Call out Gouranga and be happy!" began appearing on bridges over motorways and railways in Scotland
, the North of England
and Wales
from the mid-nineties onwards. Stickers and fridge magnets with the phrase have also been handed out by Hare Krishna monk
s at music festivals throughout the UK
, such as Glastonbury
and Download
.
by Half Man Half Biscuit
references this occurrence, with the lyrics "Gouranga Gouranga, yes I'll be happy, when you've been arrested for defacing the bridge."
The word is involved in one of the many Easter egg
s in the first of the Grand Theft Auto
video game series. The game displays the text "GOURANGA!" whenever the player runs over a complete group of Hare Krishnas, who are occasionally featured as pedestrians. "GOURANGA" is also the name the player has to enter in Grand Theft Auto 2
to enable the cheat mode. Additionally, in the online GTA IV mode, the message "Player X Gouranga'd Player Y" appears occasionally when a player is killed by running over with a vehicle.
Gouranga is also the alias of a world renown competitive Counter-Strike 1.6 player.
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
in the 1970s.
It is derived from Sanskrit (Devanagari
Devanagari
Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
) "having a white or yellowish body", a bahuvrihi
Bahuvrihi
A bahuvrihi compound is a type of compound that denotes a referent by specifying a certain characteristic or quality the referent possesses. A bahuvrihi is exocentric, so that the compound is not a hyponym of its head...
compound from "white, yellowish, reddish" and "limb, member; the body".
is a name of Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
in Puranic literature, and in Gaudiya Vaishnavism
Gaudiya Vaishnavism
Gaudiya Vaishnavism is a Vaishnava religious movement founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in India in the 16th century. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gauḍa region with Vaishnavism meaning "the worship of Vishnu"...
in particular a name of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was a Vaishnava saint and social reformer in eastern India in the 16th century, believed by followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism to be the full incarnation of Lord Krishna...
(considered a reincarnation of Krishna).
In Vaishnavism
Within Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition it is taken to refer to Chaitanya MahaprabhuChaitanya Mahaprabhu
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was a Vaishnava saint and social reformer in eastern India in the 16th century, believed by followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism to be the full incarnation of Lord Krishna...
's golden skin complexion.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu was born in Mayapur
Mayapur
Mayapur is located on the banks of the Ganges river, at the point of its confluence with the Jalangi, near Navadvip, West Bengal, India, 130 km north of Kolkata...
, West Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, in 1486. His activities and teachings are described in detail in the book "Teachings of Lord Caitanya" and the multi-volume Chaitanya Charitamrita
Chaitanya Charitamrita
The Chaitanya Charitamrita is one of the primary biographies detailing the life and teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu , a Vaisnava saint and founder of the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya. It was written by Krishna Das Kaviraja , primarily in the Bengali language, but also including a great number of...
.
The term predates Caitanya as an epithet of incarnations of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
-Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
, appearing in various Vaishna Puranas, for example in the Agni Purana
Agni Purana
The Agni Purana, one of the 18 Mahapuranas, a genre of Hindu religious texts, contains descriptions and details of various incarnations of Vishnu. It also has details account about Rama, Krishna, Prithvi, and the stars...
(before 1100 CE),
- "the supreme SelfAtman (Hinduism)Ātman is a Sanskrit word that means 'self'. In Hindu philosophy, especially in the Vedanta school of Hinduism it refers to one's true self beyond identification with phenomena...
, long-necked / and golden-limbed, surrounded by sages"
Hare Krishna movement
Within ISKCON, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadaA. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was a Gaudiya Vaishnava teacher and the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, commonly known as the "Hare Krishna Movement"...
propagated that whoever hears, reads, or speaks the name is blessed with fortune and happiness due to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's extraordinary saintly nature.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the North of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
from the mid-nineties onwards. Stickers and fridge magnets with the phrase have also been handed out by Hare Krishna monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s at music festivals throughout the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, such as Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
and Download
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
.
Gouranga in popular culture
The song "Twydale's Lament" from the album Achtung BonoAchtung Bono
Achtung Bono is the tenth album by UK rock band Half Man Half Biscuit, released in 2005.The title is a satirical reference to the title of the 1991 album by Irish rock band U2 – Achtung Baby....
by Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit, often "HMHB", are an English rock band from Birkenhead, Merseyside, active since the mid-1980s, known for satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs. The group comprises Nigel Blackwell , Neil Crossley , Ken Hancock , and Carl Henry...
references this occurrence, with the lyrics "Gouranga Gouranga, yes I'll be happy, when you've been arrested for defacing the bridge."
The word is involved in one of the many Easter egg
Easter egg (media)
Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
s in the first of the Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto (series)
Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games...
video game series. The game displays the text "GOURANGA!" whenever the player runs over a complete group of Hare Krishnas, who are occasionally featured as pedestrians. "GOURANGA" is also the name the player has to enter in Grand Theft Auto 2
Grand Theft Auto 2
Grand Theft Auto 2 is a video game that was released worldwide on October 25, 1999, by developer DMA Design , initially for the Windows operating system and the PlayStation console. The game was later ported to the Dreamcast console and the Game Boy Color. It is the sequel to 1997 hit Grand Theft...
to enable the cheat mode. Additionally, in the online GTA IV mode, the message "Player X Gouranga'd Player Y" appears occasionally when a player is killed by running over with a vehicle.
Gouranga is also the alias of a world renown competitive Counter-Strike 1.6 player.
See also
- Hare Krishna (mantra)
- Hare Krishna in popular cultureHare Krishna in popular cultureContributions to popular culture involving direct reference to the Hare Krishna mantra, or the Hare Krishna movement include the following:-Beatles influence:...
- NityanandaNityanandaImage:Panca-tattva Altar.jpg|thumb|This is interactive image-map. Click! on lotus feet. Sri Krishna Chaitanya , Sri Nityananda Prabhu , Sri Advaita Acharya , Sri Gadadhara Pandit , Sri Srivas Pandit...
- Chaitanya MahaprabhuChaitanya MahaprabhuChaitanya Mahaprabhu was a Vaishnava saint and social reformer in eastern India in the 16th century, believed by followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism to be the full incarnation of Lord Krishna...
- SiksastakaSiksastakaThe Siksastaka is a Gaudiya Vaishnava Hindu prayer of eight verses composed in the Sanskrit language. They are believed to be the only verses left personally written by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, with the majority of his philosophy being codyfied by his primary disciples, known as the Six Goswamis of...
- Svayam BhagavanSvayam BhagavanSvayam Bhagavan , "The Lord" or Lord Himself, is a Sanskrit theological term. The term refers to the concept of absolute representation of the monotheistic God as Bhagavan within Hinduism....
External links
- "Vedic Encyclopedia"
- "On Siksastakam" Satsvarupa das Goswami wwww.iskcon.com