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Read Part I
UttukkADu vE"nkaTakavi's tribute to JayadEva
UttukkADu venkaTa kavi,
the well-known pre-trinity composer, and an ardent devotee of Lord K.rSNa, has
showered praise, and paid glorious tribute to JayadEva through his popular
composition, “padmAvatI ramaNam” in rAgam pUrvikalyANi.
This k.rti, in simple Sanskrit, essentially summarizes all one has to
know about JayadEva and his great contribution, the gIta gOvindam.
padmAvatI ramaNam
rAgam:
pUrvikalyANi tALam: tripuTa
pallavi
padmAvati
ramaNam jayadEva kavirAja
bhOja
dEva suta padmapAda smaraNam kuru mAnasa
anupallavi
yad-gOpI vadanEndu pada candra cakOram shrI
caraNam
kindubilva
sadanam ati ati divya mangaLa vadanam
sundarAnga shubha shObhita madanam
sumukhi rAmAdEvi priyakara sutanum
(madhyamakAlam)
saha
paNDita samUhasEvyam
shata
manmata jita mahanIyam
satata
k.rSNa prEma rasamagna
samAna
rahita gIta gOvinda kAvyam
The phrase “yad gOpI
vadanEndu” in the anupallavi is perhaps a reference to the
following popular dhyAna shlOkam on Lord K.rSNa, that is chanted in
south Indian bhajans, prior to the rendition of an aSTapadi or
two.
yadgOpIvadanEndumaNDanamabhUt
kastUikApatrakaM
yallakSmIkucashAtakuMbhakalashE vyAgOcamindIvaram |
yannirvANavidhAnasAdhanavidhau
siddhA~njanaM yoginAM
tannashyAmaLamAvirastu h.rdayE
k.rSNAbhidhAnaM mahaH ||
The popularity of
gIta gOvindam
JayadEva’s dramatic lyrical
poem, gIta gOvindam is a unique work and one of the finest sources of
religious inspiration in medieval and contemporary VaiSNavism. In Puri,
it was already incorporated in the daily temple rituals for Lord JagannAtha.
An inscription in Oriya, carved on the left side of the JagannAtha doorway,
and dated 1499 A.D., prescribes these rituals. Despite its origin in eastern
India, it spread throughout India within the next few centuries, and was first
quoted in temple inscriptions in Gujarat, within a century. A stone
inscription of King shar”ngadEva vAghEla of Anahillapattan (1291 A.D.) opens
with JayadEva’s invocation to K.rSNa on the ten incarnations (first
aSTapadi). In Bengal, the singing of gIta gOvindam is
mandatory at the spring fair in the village of Kenduli. In Nepal, it is sung
during the spring celebration in which worship is offered to Lord KAma (cupid)
and his consort, Rati. GIta gOvindam forms an integral part of the most
important devotional music, saMkIrtanam, in Gujarat, Orissa, Bengal,
and all four southern states in India. Rajput paintings, and Kerala dance
forms were inspired by gIta gOvindam as early as the sixteenth century.
The sOpAnam music of kathakaLi dances in Kerala features
selected aSTapadi gItams. Many mystics like Saint Caitanya, and bhakta
mIrAbai and a host of others have been profoundly influenced by this love
poem. Audiences throughout the world have placed this poetry at a high
pedestal with appreciation for the emotional lyricism replete in every verse.
Whether it is heard in the JagannAtha Temple in Puri, or K.rSNa temple in
GuruvAyUr, or in a south Indian bhajan, the sensuous imagery of these
songs are of a special kind that invoke the madhura bAva (sweetness)
and bhakti rasam (devotion) in the minds of every listener.
Synopsis of the plot
The theme of gIta gOvindam
is sh.r”:ngaram (erotic), dramatizing the rAsa lIla (sacred
love-play) of Lord K.rSNa with the cowherdess RAdha. The agony
of separation from a lover (viraha tApam) is predominantly depicted.
The entire story takes place during a single night, and only three characters
are involved, namely Lord K.rSNa, RAdha, and a sakhi (a
chambermaid, who plays the role of a messenger between the hero and heroine).
In the opening sargam,
in the first aSTapadi, Lord K.rSNa, the supreme and transcendent Lord
of the universe, is praised through his ten avartAras (incarnations).
JaydEva presents the ten forms as: mInasharIra (fish), kacchapa
sharIra (tortoise), shUkara sharIra (boar), naraharirUpa
(half-man, half-lion), vAmana rUpa (dwarf), bh.rgupatirUpa (parashurAma),
haladharartUpa (plowman BalarAma), buddha sharIra ( Buddha),
and kalki sharIta (Kalki).
The story begins with a fine
description of the erotic spring season. K.rSna plays the rAsa lIla
with the gOpis, and captivates them with his muraLI gAna (flute
music). His love-plays are then narrated by her companions to RAdha, who was
waiting for his coming at the banks of river Yamuna. Separated from K.rSNa due
to her jealousy, she recounts the time she was first united with the Lord.
K.rSNa soon becomes disenchanted with other gOpis, and begins to long
for RAdha; The sakhi (friend) then describes RAdha's love-torn agony
to him. K.rSNa requests the sakhi to bring RAdha to him. The anxiety
of K.rSNa is conveyed to Radha, and the sakhi asks her to re-join him.
But RAdha is too feeble from longing to move. The sakhi returns to
K.rSNa and describe RAdha's sufferings, and convinces him to go to her.
Then, K.rSNA deplays and RAdha laments; When she sees the sakhi without
K.rSNa, she feels that Lord is playing with others. At dawn, finally, K.rSNa
arrives, and bows to her feet, but she scolds him in a fit of jealousy.
K.rSNa withdraws, and the friends chide RAdha for her pride and vanity, and
once again urge Radha to follow K.rSNa. Then, K.rSNa returns to appease her
with loving words and tender flattery. Finally, RAdha pursues him and is
entrapped by his beauty. K.rSNa beckons her to bed and they reconcile. In the
morning, RAdha discheveled from the playful battle of love asks K.rSNa to
dress her and re-do her ornaments and makeup and he complies.
The allegorical significance
of this story is highly philosophical, and is to be interpreted in a higher
plan as follows: RAdha is the human soul (jIvAtma) and is longing to
unite with the supreme Lord (paramAtma) for everlasting bliss. The role
of sakhi is to be viewed as that of a guru who guides the
individual soul through the path to supreme knowledge.
The structure of gIta gOvindam
The
entire poem is deceptively simple in style and choice of words. There are 12
sargams (chapters). Each sargam starts with a few shlOkams,
and one or two songs arranged in several couplets and a refraining line to be
recited after each couplet. These songs are known by several names, gItam,
prabandham, or aSTapadi, since most (but not all) employ eight
couplets. JayadEva himself calls them "padAvali"s (madhura kOmala
padAvalIM - sargam 1). Since the title of the work is “gIta
gOvindam”, it is more appropriate to refer to these songs as gItams.
We shall use the terms “gItam” and “aSTapadi” interchangeably.
There are more verses that follow each gItam. The number of shlOkams
vary anywhere from 70 to a maximum of 92, depending on the particular edition
we are looking at.
The names
of the 12 sargams, and the break-down of the gItams in each
chapter are as follows:
sargam |
Title |
gItams |
No. of shlOkams |
1. |
sAmOda dAmOdaram |
1, 2, 3, 4 |
13 |
2. |
akLesha kEshavam |
5, 6 |
5 |
3. |
mugdha madhusUdhanam |
7 |
8 |
4. |
snigdha madhusUdhanam |
8, 9 |
7 |
5. |
sAkAMkSa puNDarIkam |
10, 11 |
3 |
6. |
kuNTha vaikuNTham |
12 |
11 |
7. |
nAgara nArAyaNam |
13,14,15,16 |
3 |
8. |
vilakSya lakSmIpati |
17 |
3 |
9. |
manda mukundam |
18 |
8 |
10. |
Catura caturbhujam |
19 |
10 |
11. |
sAnanda dAmOdaram |
20,21,22 |
10 |
12. |
suprIta pItAMbaram |
23,24 |
14 |
|
|
|
92 |
(The
number of shlOkams differ in various publications, but the maximum
number available is shown above).
The shlOkams in
gIta gOvindam
The Four Opening shlOkams
The work
commences with four shlOkams that set the proper mood and atmosphere
for the plot.
mEghairmEduram ambaram
vanabhuvaH shyAmAH tamAladrumaiH
naktaM bhIrurayaM tvamEva
tadimaM rAdhE g.rhaM prApaya |
itthaM nandanidEshashcalitayOH
pratyadhvaku~njadrumam
rAdAmAdhavayOrjayanti
yamunAkUlE rahaHkElayaH ||1 ||
Meaning:
The sky is thick with clouds; the forest area is dark with the tamAla
trees; the night frightens him (K.rSNa); Oh RAdha! you take him home; This is
the command from Nanda. But, RAdha and MAdhava stray to the tree on the banks
of river Yamuna, and their secret love sport prevails.
This is one of the most
debated verses, with conflicting commentaries and interpretations of the exact
meaning of the phrase “nanda nidEshita”. One commentator has devoted an
entire chapter explaining the meaning of this particular shlOkam!
In the
second verse, which serves as a colophon to the work, the author provides an
introduction of himself:
vagdEvatAcaritacitritacittasadmA
padmAvatIcaraNacAraNacakravartI |
shrIvAsudEvaratikElikathAsamEtam
EtaM karOti jayadEvakaviH
prabandham || 2 ||
Meaning: The
poet JayadEva, the wandering bard, who is an abode of thoughts
elaborated by the deeds of the Goddess of speech (Sarasvati), who is at the
feet of PadmAvati, composes this great work comprising of the tales of the
love plays of shrI and vAsudEva.
Then the
poet goes on listing a host of talented scholars in whose company he is
penning this work, thus assuring us of the superior quality of his work.
vAcaH pallavayatyumApatidharaH
sandarbhashuddhiM giram
jAnItE jayadEva Eva sharanaH
shlAghyO durUhUdrutE |
sh.r"ngArOttara
satpramEyaracanairAcAryagOvardhana-
spardhI kOpi na vishrutaH
shrutidharO dhOyI kavikSmApatiH || 3 ||
Meaning:
Umapatidhara is eloquent and blossoms with speech; Sharana is famous for his
subtle flowing verses; but only JayadEva knows the regular coherence of divine
words; no one rivals AcArya Govarddana for compositions that are in erotic
mood and sacred truth; And DhOyI is the king of poets.
The
poet, then declares that he is going to commence the composition, and
prescribes the necessary qualifications to read the work:
yadi harismaraNE sarasaM manO
yadi vilAsakalAsu kutUhalam |
madhura kOmala kAnta padAvalIM
shruNU tadA jayadEva
sarasvatIM || 4 ||
Meaning: If
your mind is passionate in remembering Hari, if it is curious about the
amorous plays, then listen to the speech of JayadEva, in the sweet tender
loving string of verses
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