Natyasutra Online

The Many Hues of Radha

The true genius of Gita Govinda, the 12th century poet Jayadeva’s celebrated composition, perhaps lies hidden in the sheer simplicity of the story it paints! The plot is neither complex nor convoluted – it depicts the separation and eventual reunion of the eternal lovers, Radha and Lord Krishna. But the further we look, the more the poem reveals its beauty to us! For one, the range of hues in which Jayadeva depicts the character of Radha in Gita Govinda is truly mesmerizing. 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. Giving performers such a wide palette of emotions to work with, no wonder Gita Govinda is a favoured song among artists and admirers alike!

Radha, the Ashta nayika
To truly appreciate the beauty of Jayadeva’s composition, Gita Govinda, we just have to take a look at the way the 12th century poet expertly presents Radha in his poem. Bharatamuni, widely revered as the father of Indian theatrical art, was a sage of ancient India. He is said to have composed Natyasastra, a treatise on performing arts, sometime between 500 BCE and 500 CE. In it, he describes ashta nayikas or eight stages of a heroine in relation to the hero of the story. Jayadeva skilfully uses this concept in his presentation of Radha, the lover, who goes through seven stages of transformation – from a shy vasakasajja nayika to a domineering swadheena bhartrika nayika!

Radha, the Kalahantaritha Nayika
In his song about the eternal love between Lord Krishna and His beloved, Radha transforms into a kalahantaritha nayika – a heroine who suffers the pangs of separation after she has herself picked a quarrel with her beloved. This brings a new dimension to the character of the heroine. 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 being 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 (causer of disagreement).

Radha, the Vipralabdha Nayika
One of the many specialities of Jayadeva’s 12th century masterpiece, Gita Govinda, is the depiction of Radha as a character in his poem. She is no typecast heroine, but a woman with real emotions. At times, she is a vipralabdha nayika. Going by the traditional definition, a vipralabdha nayika is a heroine who feels deceived by her beloved. The source of anguish is jealousy. But Jayadeva is a unique poet because he gives this stereotype a twist, thus raising Radha from the level of an ordinary jealous and spiteful woman to a very noble lover. She is aware that Krishna frolics with other gopis (cowherdesses) of Vrindavana but when she remembers the numerous virtues of her Lord, she cannot help loving Him more!

Radha, the Khandita Nayika
Though Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda, is an epic song of love and devotion, anger too finds its place in the poem! There are occasions when Lord Krishna’s beloved Radha gets transformed into a khandita nayika. Why? Because she realizes she is just another woman in Lord Krishna’s life! The khandita nayika is traditionally an enraged heroine, and she is a formidable figure. However, the anger shown by Jayadeva’s Radha never becomes rage or fury. It is a muted display of annoyance or irritation. And even that emotion serves only to make her look more beautiful!

Radha, the Abhisarika Nayika
Love makes one do all sorts of impulsive things! In Jayadeva’s 12th century poem detailing the legendary Radha-Krishna romance, Radha turns from an angry lover to an adventurous one, or an abhisarika nayika, borrowing a term from Bharatamuni’s famed treatise on performing arts, Natyasastra. Sometimes, Jayadeva’s Radha is an active heroine, in the sense that she goes out to meet her beloved or keeps a tryst with him. In traditional plays and poems, the preferred places for such romantic meetings are a field, a ruined temple, a forest, the bank of a river, a garden or even the house of a sakhi or female messenger. One of the favourite haunts of Radha and Krishna, Jayadeva suggests in the poem Gita Govinda, is the bank of the Yamuna on moonlit nights.

Radha, the Swadheena Bhartrika Nayika
Like the mesmerizing colours forming a rainbow, the seven distinct nayika (heroine) stages in Gita Govinda paint for us a vivid portrait of Radha, Lord Krishna’s beloved. Such is the poetic genius of Jayadeva! Another hue of Radha is swadheena bhartrika nayika, the domineering lover. In the company of her beloved, she has achieved her desire and is at her charming best. Of all the ashta nayikas, the swadhina bhartruka nayika is the happiest. The hero agrees with all her wishes and fulfils all her demands. In the last ashtapadi of Gita Govinda, we see Radha asking Krishna to apply kohl in her eyes and tilak on her forehead, rearrange her tresses and all her ornaments. Gone is all her coyness as well as her insecurities. She is confident enough to take on the world!

Radha, the Virahotkanthita Nayika
Distance makes hearts grow fonder. Nothing makes the truth of this adage more obvious than Radha as a Virahotkanthita Nayika in Jayadeva’s beautiful song of love and devotion, Gita Govinda! This 12th century masterpiece revolves around the separation and eventual reunion of the eternal lovers, Radha and Lord Krishna. As Radha waits anxiously for her Lord, separation makes her love more intense, memories more painful, and expectations more colourful. Jayadeva exploits the full potential of this phase of love called vipralambha sringara, by making the heroine of his poem a lost and wandering figure. The Virahotkanthita Nayika is perhaps the most poetic and popular figure in all literature, and Radha in Gita Govinda is no exception to this rule!

Radha, the Vasakasajja Nayika
What make Jayadeva, the 12th century poet, and Gita Govinda, his composition celebrating Radha-Krishna love, so popular among experts in the performing arts? The way Jayadeva dexterously uses Bharatamuni’s Ashta Nayika concept to create a range of hues for his character, Radha, the lover! The first among Radha’s seven stages of transformation is vasakasajja nayika, a woman readies herself and her house to receive her lover. Vasaka means “perfume”. By extension, it suggests the heroine making herself and her abode fragrant, attractive and inviting. She is excited and impatient, full of delight and eager to please. Jayadeva’s Radha yearns to see her lover, weaves lotus stalks together to make bangles, and decorates her bower in the hope that Krishna will find the beauty appealing. In the madness of separation, she even dresses herself like her beloved!