The journey of the Gita Govinda in Indian literature is a tale of prose transcending time, socio-economic and religious barriers. The world Jayadeva lived in has changed drastically in the centuries that followed his yet his tale of yearning, pain and eventual fulfilment continues to charm all who encounter it. His ode to Lord Krishna and Radha epitomises the ethos of ancient India that inspires a deeply self-aware approach to love, faith and life itself.
An epic poem that has influenced Indian art and culture for more than eight centuries, this 12th century classic is considered the greatest love story from India. It portrays the eternal and divine relationship between Radha and Krishna which is not found in any other text written prior to this. It is amazing that text reached all parts of India within less than a century and it continues to influence dance, music, theatre, art, sculpture, painting, craft and literature as well as designs almost all facets of art and culture.
What sets the story of the Gita Govinda apart is that, firstly, its impact is unprecedented among other comparable 12th century works or even older or modern compositions. Precious little is known about the author's origin. The power of Jayadeva’s craftsmanship alone carried it through the centuries. Few classical works in the history of contemporary literature enjoys the privilege of being recited daily at a prominent religious site for over 700 years.
The Gita Govinda allows believers to re-experience devotion more intimately, thereby releasing them from the stranglehold of dogma. In this classic, we find both forms of shringara – vipralambha shringara (love in separation) and sambhoga shringara (love in the union), each strengthening the other. Rasa, tone or flavour, is an important aspect of enjoying art. Of the nine rasas (navarasa) identified by Indian aestheticians, shringara rasa is the most popular. It is called rasa raja, the king of rasas. The Gita Govinda celebrates the sensuous while enriching the devotee’s soul. Jayadeva’s ability to embrace this dichotomy of faith and eroticism truly sets this work apart. The influence of Bharata’s Natyasastra and Vatsyayana’s Kamasutra is evident throughout the work.
Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Michelangelo’s frescoes, Shakespeare’s plays, Tagore’s Gitanjali. And Agatha Christie’s play The Mousetrap that has been running virtually non-stop for 80 years now. What do they have in common with Jayadeva’s song of devotion and love, Gita Govinda? They are all timeless works of beauty that have granted immortality to their creators! Gita Govinda is perhaps still more special, for it not only remains alive in people’s collective memory but is also an integral part of their everyday life. This beautiful composition is sung and performed at the Jagannatha temple at Puri every single day; a long and unbroken tradition of 800 years! Which other work of art in the world can claim such an impressive record?
In a land where love stories are passed down from one generation to another, the Gita Govinda is considered the greatest. It taught devotees and non-devotees alike that religious experience can be obtained through the medium of the senses too, especially sexual love. This rather unorthodox view has ardent loyalists and equally staunch opponents. However, Vipralambha shringara (love in separation), compared to sambhoga shringara (love in the union), has the more dominant power in Jayadeva’s celebrated poem. This adds to the Gita Govinda's mystique and explains the widespread acclaim it has received.
The plot is neither complex nor convoluted – it depicts the separation and eventual reunion of the eternal lovers, Radha and Lord Krishna. Through the poem, Radha, the lover, goes through seven stages of transformation – from a shy woman, perfumed and bedecked, awaiting her beloved, to a domineering lover who is at her happiest. Such a varied palette of emotions is what makes the story highly attractive.
It also shows a mortal standing up to a celestial being. Radha transforms herself into a kalahantaritha nayika – a heroine who suffers the pangs of separation after she has picked a quarrel with her beloved. Trapped in such a mood, Jayadeva’s Radha is not a coy and bashful heroine anymore but a wilful person who knows her mind. She is not shy about being assertive, getting herself heard, and her desires given due respect. Her quarrelsome nature is shown to drive her sakhi (friend) to exasperation and her Lord to dejection! The sakhi even calls Radha viparita karini (creator of discord). Such behaviour is highly unprecedented in the literature, as usually, mortals are never portrayed as aggressive towards Gods. Her distinct and brazen humanness makes her tale believable and resonates with people after all these centuries.
Though scholars have surmised from Jayadeva’s writings that he was born in a village called Kindubilva, we don’t know exactly where it stands on the present-day map of India. Consequently, three states of India claim ownership over Jayadeva – Bihar (Kenduli village near Mithila), Odisha (Kenduli Sasan village near Puri) and West Bengal (Jaydev Kenduli village). While looking for clues about Jayadeva in his magnum opus, Gita Govinda, scholars came across the names Umapathidhara, Charana, Govardhana, Shrutidhara and Dhoyi in the fourth stanza of the first canto. History tells us they were 12th-century poets who enjoyed the patronage of Laksmana Sena, the ruler of the Bengal region from 1178 to 1206. This, in general, establishes that he was a 12th-century poet who was active in Eastern India. His devotion towards Lord Krishna plays a significant role in his magnum opus.
Little is known about his personal life. Jayadeva himself may have been, as tradition asserts, an ascetic induced to settle into domesticity by marrying the temple dancer, Padmavati. The latter was a model wife, modest and devoted to Jayadeva, and very different from Radha, the typical heroine of classical Sanskrit poetry. The legend goes that Padmavati was the temple dancer at the Puri Jagannath temple, and Jayadeva married her and settled down there to serve the Lord and Padmavati simultaneously. This tradition of Devadasi dance continues at Lord Jagannath Temple to this day.
While looking for clues about Jayadeva in his magnum opus, Gita Govinda, scholars came across the names Umapathidhara, Charana, Govardhana, Shrutidhara and Dhoyi in the fourth stanza of the first canto. History tells us they were 12th-century poets who enjoyed the patronage of Laksmana Sena, the ruler of the Bengal region from 1178 to 1206. But who were these five contemporaries to Jayadeva? His rivals? Fellow-competitors? Was Jayadeva a court poet to Lakshmana Sena when he composed Gita Govinda? Scholars can’t seem to agree! Some believe that Gita Govinda was written earlier. Certain others think that the aforementioned stanza was not penned by Jayadeva but inserted by an admiring disciple to indicate the greatness of his guru. We may never have enough or absolute proof to substantiate or oppose these claims. But there is one thing we all can agree on – that Gita Govinda is one of the greatest Indian love songs of all times!
Like archaeologists sweeping through a promising site for hidden treasures and artifacts, scholars painstakingly went through works of literature with a metaphorical fine-toothed comb. When such dedicated academics scanned the Gita Govinda, they found certain vital clues. The fourth stanza of the first canto of this timeless love song contained a key, a poetic signature that revealed to them that Jayadeva lived in the 12th century!
Nearly eight centuries have gone by, and Jayadeva’s epic love song is still sung across the country and enjoyed...
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