Govardhan mantra: the Bhagavata verse to Giriraj, with word meanings
Tirth editorial · 12 Jan 2026 · 4 min read
For a Govardhan mantra, this post picks Bhagavata Purana 10.21.18, the verse that begins “hantayam adrir abala”. A gopi says it. She and her friends are praising Krishna‘s flute when she calls Govardhan Hill the best among the servants of Hari, because the feet of Rama and Krishna touch it and it looks after the two of them and their cows in return.
Govardhan Puja is kept on Kartika Shukla Pratipada. This verse is our own editorial pick for the day, chosen because it praises the hill the festival honours, and it has a scripture and verse number you can look up.
Govardhan Puja in 2026 (New Delhi): Tuesday, 10 November. Kartika Shukla Pratipada: 12:30 PM on 9 November to 1:59 PM on 10 November. Sunrise in New Delhi: 6:39 AM.
Checked on 25 Oct 2026. Timings for your city in the Tirth Spiritual Calendar
Hantayam adrir abala in Sanskrit, with its meaning
This is the verse as the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust prints it in its Srimad Bhagavatam, at tenth book, chapter 21, verse 18. Antya-lila 14.86 of the Chaitanya Charitamrita quotes it as well.
हन्तायमद्रिरबला हरिदासवर्यो यद् रामकृष्णचरणस्परशप्रमोदः । मानं तनोति सहगोगणयोस्तयोर्यत् पानीयसूयवसकन्दरकन्दमूलैः ॥ १८ ॥
hantāyam adrir abalā hari-dāsa-varyo / yad rāma-kṛṣṇa-caraṇa-sparaśa-pramodaḥ / mānaṁ tanoti saha-go-gaṇayos tayor yat / pānīya-sūyavasa-kandara-kandamūlaiḥ
Meaning (Tirth’s rendering of the printed word meanings): Oh, friends, this hill is the best among the servants of Hari. Delighted by the touch of the feet of Balarama and Krishna, it offers honour to the two of them and to their cows, with drinking water, very soft grass, caves and edible roots.
One small point in the second line. Its Rama is Balarama, going by the printed word meanings, so the hill honours the two of them, with the cows, calves and cowherd boys.
What does hari-dasa-varya mean, word by word?
The table below breaks the four lines into short phrases, with the meanings the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust prints beside the verse.
| Sanskrit | Meaning (printed word meanings, SB 10.21.18) |
|---|---|
| hanta | Oh |
| ayam adriḥ | This hill (Govardhan) |
| abalāḥ | O friends (said to the gopis) |
| hari-dāsa-varyaḥ | Best among the servants of Hari |
| yat | Because (it comes twice) |
| rāma-kṛṣṇa-caraṇa-sparaśa-pramodaḥ | Delighted by the touch of the feet of Balarama and Krishna |
| mānam tanoti | Offers honour |
| saha go-gaṇayoḥ tayoḥ | To those two (Krishna and Balarama), with the cows, calves and cowherd boys |
| pānīya | Drinking water |
| sūyavasa | Very soft grass |
| kandara | Caves |
| kanda-mūlaiḥ | And edible roots |
Everything in the verse leans on hari-dasa-varyah, printed as “best among the servants of Hari”. In the same breath the gopi lists what the hill gives: water to drink and fresh grass for the cows, caves for shelter and edible roots. When someone asks why Govardhan gets the title, point them to the same verse. The hill is glad at the touch of Balarama’s and Krishna’s feet and serves them and their cows (on a phone, turn the screen sideways and the table above is far easier to read).
Where in the Bhagavata does Krishna lift the hill?
Krishna lifts Govardhan Hill with one hand at 10.25.19 of the Bhagavata Purana, four chapters after the gopi’s praise, and 10.25.23 says he held it up for seven days.
Verse 18 of chapter 21 praises the hill and chapter 25 shows it lifted, both in the tenth book. We picked this verse partly for that reason, since its place in the text is easy to find.
For the offerings, see our Govardhan Puja guide.
If you meet another verse offered for the day, look for its text and verse number before you add it to your puja.
How do you recite it during Govardhan Puja?
Keep it simple. Fold the verse into your own puja to Giriraj wherever it suits you. If you like, you could say it while the offerings go down, on the parikrama, or after the Govardhan Maharaj aarti when the family is still sitting together.
First time doing the puja for your parents, or new to Sanskrit altogether? Then read the English meaning aloud once, and only after that the verse. Slowly, line by line. Keep the page open beside the puja plate; nobody needs it by heart in the first year.
Other prayers for the festival days are on the pages for Krishna mantras, the Krishna aarti, Vishnu mantras and the Bhai Dooj aarti.
Frequently asked questions
Which mantra is chanted on Govardhan Puja?
Our pick is Bhagavata Purana 10.21.18, which opens “hantayam adrir abala”.
What does “hari-dasa-varya” mean?
“Best among the servants of Hari”, the title a gopi gives Govardhan in SB 10.21.18.
Where in the Bhagavata does Krishna lift Govardhan?
Tenth book, chapter 25, verses 19 and 23.
How many times should I chant the Govardhan mantra?
We suggest saying it once, with attention, during the puja or after the aarti. Reading the English meaning first helps if the Sanskrit is new to you.
When is Govardhan Puja kept?
It falls on Kartika Shukla Pratipada, the first day of Kartika’s bright half, and your city’s date and tithi timings are on the Tirth Spiritual Calendar.