GITA GOVINDAM ( गीतगोविन्दम् )Gita Govindam, lyrical poetry in Sanskrit celebrating the love between Krishna and the gopis, specifically Radha, is authored by Jayadeva, the 12th century devotee-poet from Orissa. The basis for this work is the 5 chapters 29 to 33 of Srimadbhagavatam (known as Rasapanchadhyaayi) which describe the events leading to the rasaleela, the great dance on the banks of the Yamuna where each gopi thinks that Krishna is with her. Srimadbhagavatam, however, does not specifically talk about a gopi named Radha though Radha is described as the very heart of Krishna in some of the other Puranas.
The Gita Govinda is the best known composition of Jayadeva, ranks among the finest examples of Sanskrit poetry. Jayadeva was instrumental in popularizing the Dasavatara, the ten incarnations of Vishnu in another composition, Dasakritikrite. Additionally, the Gita Govinda begins with a Dasavatara stotra. Songs from the Gita Govinda, such as “Priye Charusile” and “Chandana charchita” are known to all connoisseurs of classical Indian music regardless of school and style Sri Jayadeva married Padmavathi, a pious dancer in the temple of Sri Jagannatha in Puri.
Theabove theme has been developed in Gita Govindam to such an extent thatit is known as ‘Sringara Mahakavya’wherein the predominant sentiment is sringara(erotic sentiment) in all its various moods in relation to the divine lovebetween Radha and Krishna. The ecstasy of union, the agony of separation, the anxious momentsof wait for the loved one are all treated with sensitivity and poeticexcellence. The whole work is dividedinto twelve chapters ( sargas), each chapter containing one or more prabandhas.There are 24 prabandhas each containing couplets grouped into eightscalled Ashtapadis, songs with arefrain specific to thatAshatapadi. There are in all 24 Ashtapadisin Gita Govindam. Each Chapter may have one or more slokasin different metres of Sanskrit poetryinterspersed with the Ashtapadis. It is said that the Poet-devotee Jayadevawould sing the Ashtapadis and his wife Padmavati would dance to the music.
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There have been many choreographic works to enact and present the Ashtapadis as a dancedrama. Spring is the season whenthe mango tree sprout buds and spreads its frgrance all round. Attracted bythis the honey bees flock to the mangotree and hang on the sprouting buds. Thecuckoos also play and sing their songs sitting on the tops of mango treesinflicting pain in the ears of couples separated by long distance. The wayfarers, away from home and separatedfrom their loved ones, have somehow tospend their days content with the verybrief, imagined and visualsed unions withtheir loved ones.
Who is Radha? The direct counterpart of Lord Krishna. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord. She is also an expansion of the Lord's energy.She is an extension of Krishna, She is the feminine aspect of Krishna She is Krishna's spiritual power that is available to all. However she suffers due to separation In this beautiful poem Krishna expresses what she means to him.Poet Sri Jayadeva was born in 11th century in Bindu Bilva village near Puri Jagannath Temple in Orissa.
His wife Padmavati, was an accomplished temple dancer. He was very much influenced by the culture and devotion of Vaishnava Brahmanas. His magnum opus 'Gita Govinda' is one of the most popular compositions in Sanskrit language.Singer Shankar Mahadevan - Govindham is a devotional album of Jayadeva's Ashtapadis composed by Sudheer C.
The songs are rendered with soul-stirring bhava.English translation Ramesh Krishnakumar.