कृष्णाय वासुदेवाय देवकी-नन्दनाय च |
नन्दगोप-कुमाराय गोविन्दाय नमो नमः ||
krishNAya vAsudEvAya dEvakI nandanAya ca |
nandagOpa kumArAya gOvindAya namO namaH ||
कृष्णाय वासुदेवाय देवकी नन्दनाय नन्दगोप कुमाराय गोविन्दाय च नमः नमः
कृष्णाय (krishNAya) - for Krishna; वासुदेवाय (vAsudEvAya) - for the son of Vasudeva; देवकी नन्दनाय (dEvakI nandanAya) - for the child of dEvakI; नन्दगोप कुमाराय (nandagOpa kumArAya) - for the son of nandagOpa; गोविन्दाय (gOvindAya) - for the chief of cowherds; च (ca) - and; नमः (namaH) - salutations / greetings
Salutations / Greetings to Krishna, the son vasudeva, the child of dEvakI, the (adopted) son of nandagOpa, and the chief cowherd (i.e., the one who guides us all)
What action is being asked in this shlOka?
(astu): Let it be
Let it be what?
namaH namaH (astu): Let there be salutations upon salutations (very many greetings)
Let there be salutations to who?
krishNAya: Let there be salutations upon salutations to Krishna
vAsudEvAya: Let there be salutations upon salutations to the son of vasudEva
dEvakI nandanAya: Let there be salutations upon salutations to the child of dEvakI
nandagOpa kumArAya: Let there be salutations upon salutations to the (adopted) son of nandagOpa
gOvindAya: Let there be salutations upon salutations to the chief of cowherds
Note that while “gOvinda” can be literally taken as the chief of cowherds, symbolically it also refers to all human beings as cows that graze this earth upon being born with krishNA being the chief cowherd who nourishes us and guides us throughout our life.
Hence this shlOka does not expect anything from krishNA but simply thanks him for being a great guide and helping us everyday with his grace.