As a deity name
Name 460 of the Hanuman Sahasranāma — Rasvin Samhita / Brahmanda Purana, as taught by Lord Ram / Sages
Name 211 of the Krishna Sahasranāma — Mahabharata / Padma Purana, as taught by Sages and Devotees
Name 518 of the Surya Sahasranāma — Bhavishya Purana, as taught by Lord Brahma / Sages
As a Hindi name
गोपाल · noun · masculine
गौ का पालन पोषण करनेवाला · अहीर । ग्वाला — Śabdasāgara
गोपाल · go-pāl · s.m.
See s.v. go — Platts (1884), digital edition courtesy DSAL, University of Chicago, p. 922
गोपाल · masculine
a male given name, Gopal, from Sanskrit
गोपाल · masculine
a cowherd; protector of the earth: a king; a title of Krishna
a Hindi word, derived from the Sanskrit गोपाल — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
“From Sanskrit गोपाल (gopāla). Doublet of ग्वाला (gvālā).” — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
go—pāla m. (proparox., Pāṇ. vi, 2, 78) a cowherd, VS. xxx, 11; ŚBr. iv; Mn. iv, 253; Yājñ. &c. (ifc. f(ā). , R. ii, 67, 25)
‘earth-protector’, a king (and ‘cowherd’), Pañcat.
As a Sanskrit word
Meaning
a cowherd, &c. (ifc. ā, )
Scripturally attested Verified derivationMultiple readings (13)Why this matches what you typed
M3 · meaning shifts "gopāla" is derived from "gopā" with the lac suffix — a related word whose meaning shifts, so both meanings are shown.
go—pā m. (nom. ās acc. ām du. ā or au pl. nom. ās instr. ābhis) a herdsman, guardian, RV.; AV.; VS.; TBr. iii; ChUp.; ŚvetUp.
go—pā f. (ās) a female guardian, AV. xii, 1, 57; TBr. iii (cf. gopa s.v., a-, deva-, vāyu-, saha-, soma-, su-gopā)
go—pāla m. (proparox., Pāṇ. vi, 2, 78) a cowherd, VS. xxx, 11; ŚBr. iv; Mn. iv, 253; Yājñ. &c. (ifc. f(ā). , R. ii, 67, 25)
‘earth-protector’, a king (and ‘cowherd’), Pañcat.
Dictionary citations
go—pāla m. (proparox., Pāṇ. vi, 2, 78) a cowherd, VS. xxx, 11; ŚBr. iv; Mn. iv, 253; Yājñ. &c. (ifc. f(ā). , R. ii, 67, 25)
‘earth-protector’, a king (and ‘cowherd’), Pañcat.
(= -pati) Kṛṣṇa, MBh. iii, 15530
Śiva, L.
N. of a demon causing fever, Hariv. 9556
go—pā m. (nom. ās acc. ām du. ā or au pl. nom. ās instr. ābhis) a herdsman, guardian, RV.; AV.; VS.; TBr. iii; ChUp.; ŚvetUp.
go—pā f. (ās) a female guardian, AV. xii, 1, 57; TBr. iii (cf. gopa s.v., a-, deva-, vāyu-, saha-, soma-, su-gopā)
Alternative readings
More than one analysis survives full verification. That ambiguity is real, so we show every reading rather than pick one silently.
Caveats
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