Gita Govinda

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Gita Govinda
Original palm leaf manuscript of Gita Gobinda (Gita Govinda) written by Jayadeba (Jayadeva), Odisha state museum, Bhubaneswar 2013.JPG
Original palm leaf manuscript of the Gita Govinda in Odisha State Museum
Information
Religion Hinduism
Author Jayadeva
Language Sanskrit
Period12th CE
Chapters12

The Gita Govinda (Sanskrit : गीतगोविन्दम्; IAST: gītagovindam) is a work composed by the 12th-century Hindu poet, Jayadeva. It describes the relationship between Krishna, Radha and gopis (female cow herders) of Vrindavan. [1]

Contents

The Gita Govinda is organized into twelve chapters. Each chapter is further sub-divided into one or more divisions called prabandhas, totalling twenty-four in all. The prabandhas contain couplets grouped into eights, called ashtapadis . The text also elaborates the eight moods of Heroine, the Ashta Nayika , which has been an inspiration for many compositions and choreographic works in Indian classical dances. [2] Every night in the Jagannatha temple, the Gitagovinda of Jayadeva is sung in the style of Odissi music, a tradition that has continued unbroken since the time of Jayadeva himself. [3] [4] Musicians of Kerala have adapted the ashtapadis into a musical form performed in temples called sopana sangeetham. [5] Jayadeva's hymns are also included in the Guru Granth Sahib. [6] [7]

Summary

Jayadeva worshipping Krishna and Radha Delhi-National Museum-Jayadeva worshipping Radha and Krishna-20131006.jpg
Jayadeva worshipping Krishna and Radha

The work delineates the love of Krishna for Radha, the milkmaid, his faithlessness and subsequent return to her, and is taken as symbolical of the human soul's straying from its true allegiance but returning at length to the God which created it. [8]

Chapters

  1. Sāmodadāmodaram (Exuberant Krishna)
  2. Akleshakeshavam (Blithesome Krishna)
  3. Mugdhamadhusūdanam (Winsome Krishna)
  4. Snigdhamadhusūdanam (Tender Krishna)
  5. Sākāṅkṣa puṇdarīkākṣham (Passionate Krishna)
  6. Dhrṣta vaikuṇṭha (Audacious Krishna)
  7. NāgaranārāyanaH (Dexterous Krishna)
  8. VilakṣyalakṣmīpatiH (Apologetic Krishna)
  9. Mugdhadamukunda (Unpretentious Krishna)
  10. ChaturachaturbhujaH (Tactful Krishna)
  11. Sānandadāmodaram (Joyful Krishna)
  12. SuprītapītāmbaraH (Exultant Krishna)

Commentaries

A large number of commentaries have been written on the text, elaborating on its meaning and music. Scholar Thomas Donaldson mentions that the Gitagovinda was known at Puri not long after its composition, for the earliest commentary on it was written in Odisha around 1190 by Udayanacharya, the Bhavavibhavini Tika. [9] [10] Some of the notable commentaries are Kaviraja Narayana Dasa's Sarvangasundaritika, Rana Kumbha's Rasikapriya Tika, Krsna Das's Sarvangasundaritika, Dhananjaya Bipra's Nutana Sarvangasundaritika, Lakshmana Suri's Srtiranjani Tika, Lakshmana Bhatta's Rasikarangadatika and Dharanidhara's Odia Padyanuvadatika. [11]

Within the school of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, there is a medieval commentary known as the Sri-Gita-Govinda-Vyakhayana by Prabhodananda Sarasvati. [12] Another well-known medieval commentary is the Balabodhini-tika of Chaitanyadasa, also known as Sri Pujari Goswami (late 16th–17th centuries). [13] [14] A contemporary commentary from the Gaudiya Vaishnava school, drawing largely from the Balabodhini-tika, is the Balabodhini-prakasa of Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami. [15]

Translations

Handwritten palm leaf manuscript of Jayadeva's Gitagovinda by the medieval Odissi musician-poet Gopalakrusna Pattanayaka of Paralakhemundi Odissi poet Gopalakrusna's handwritten Gitagobinda Pothi.jpg
Handwritten palm leaf manuscript of Jayadeva's Gitagovinda by the medieval Odissi musician-poet Gopalakrusna Pattanayaka of Paralakhemundi

The poem has been translated into most modern Indian languages and many European languages. There is a German rendering which Goethe read by F. H . van Dalberg. Dalberg's version was based on the English translation done by William Jones published in the Transactions of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta in 1792. A verse translation by the German poet Friedrich Rückert was begun in 1829 and revised according to the edited Sanskrit and Latin translations of C. Lassen in Bonn 1837. There's also another manuscript at the Guimet Museum in Paris in Devanagari script narrating the love between Krishna and Radha. This oblong work is printed on paper in nagari script on seven lines per page, and has a foliation located in the left margin on the reverse. It is made up of 36 folios. This volume is decorated with a snow crystal motif scattered throughout the text, a practice typical of the Indian publisher Baburam. This edition was produced in Calcutta in 1808, in imitation of the manuscripts; devoid of title page, it is accompanied by a colophon. The present binding, executed at the museum in 1991, constitutes a reproduction very faithful to its original appearance. [16]

Notable English translations are: Edwin Arnold's The Indian Song of Songs (1875); Sri Jayadevas Gita Govinda: The loves of Krisna and Radha (Bombay 1940) by George Keyt and Harold Peiris; [17] S. Lakshminarasimha Sastri The Gita Govinda of Jayadeva, Madras, 1956; Duncan Greenlee's Theosophical rendering The Song of the Divine, Madras, 1962; Monica Varma's transcreation The Gita Govinda of Jayadeva published by Writer's Workshop, Calcutta, 1968; Barbara Stoler Miller's Jayadeva'sGitagovinda : Love song of the Dark Lord published by Oxford University Press, Delhi,1978; Lee Siegel's Gitagovinda: Love Songs of Radha and Krishna published in the Clay Sanskrit series.

The first English translation of the Gita Govinda was written by Sir William Jones in 1792, where Cenduli (Kenduli Sasana) of Calinga (Kalinga, ancient Odisha) is referred to as the widely-believed to be the place of Jayadeva's origin and that the poet himself mentions this. [18] Since then, the Gita Govinda has been translated to many languages throughout the world, and is considered to be among the finest examples of Sanskrit poetry. Barbara Stoler Miller translated the book in 1977 as Love Song of the Dark Lord: Jayadeva's Gita Govinda. The book contains a foreword by John Stratton Hawley and includes extensive commentary on the verse and topic of the poem. [19]

Music

Gita Govinda is one of the earliest musical texts in which the author indicates the exact raga (mode) and tala (rhythm) in which to sing each of the songs. These indications have been compiled below according to the ashtapadi number, based on the important ancient copies of the Gita Govinda and its commentaries such as Sarvangasundari Tika of Narayana Dasa (14th century), Dharanidhara's Tika (16th century), Jagannatha Mishra's Tika (16th century), Rasikapriya of Rana Kumbha (16th century) and Arthagobinda of Bajuri Dasa (17th century). [3]

  1. Mālava, Mālavagauḍa or Mālavagauḍā
  2. Maṅgala Gujjarī or Gurjarī
  3. Basanta
  4. Rāmakirī or Rāmakerī
  5. Gujjarī or Gurjarī
  6. Guṇḍakirī or Guṇḍakerī or Mālavagauḍa
  7. Gujjarī or Gurjarī
  8. Karṇṇāṭa
  9. Deśākhya or Deśākṣa
  10. Deśī Barāḍi or Deśa Barāḍi or Pañchama Barāḍi
  11. Gujjarī or Gurjarī
  12. Guṇḍakirī or Guṇḍakerī
  13. Mālava or Mālavagauḍā
  14. Basanta
  15. Gujjarī or Gurjarī
  16. Barāḍi or Deśa Barāḍi or Deśī Barāḍi
  17. Bhairabī
  18. Gujjarī or Gurjarī or Rāmakerī
  19. Deśī or Deśa Barāḍi
  20. Basanta
  21. Barāḍi or Deśa Barāḍi
  22. Barāḍi
  23. Rāmakirī or Rāmakerī or Bibhāsa
  24. Rāmakirī or Rāmakerī

Most of the ragas and talas indicated by Jayadeva, continue to be in practice in the tradition of Odissi music. [3] The ragas and talas prescribed by Jayadeva are unique to the tradition of Odissi music. [4] It is noteworthy that in Odisha, these ragas and talas have remained in continued usage for several centuries after Jayadeva, and enjoy extreme popularity in the state till date. [20]

Every night during the Badasinghara or the last ritual of the Jagannatha temple of Puri, the Gitagovinda of Jayadeva is sung, set to traditional Odissi ragas & talas, such as Mangala Gujjari. Jayadeva mentions many ragas and talas unique to Odisha, such as aṣṭatāli or āṭhatāli. [3] [21] This tradition has continued unbroken since the time of Jayadeva, who himself used to sing in the temple. After the time of the poet, the singing of the Gitagovinda according to the authentic Odissi ragas & talas, (such as the Raga Mangala Gujjari) was instated as a mandatory sevā at the temple, to be performed by the Maharis or Devadasis, systematically recorded in inscriptions, the Mādalā Pānji and other official documents that describe the functioning of the temple. [4]

Gita Govinda at Museums

RasaLila by Krishna, in Prem Mandir Vrindavan RassLeela by Sri Krishna, Prem Mandir Vrindavan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India (2014).jpg
RasaLila by Krishna, in Prem Mandir Vrindavan

Various Gita Govinda Miniature paintings in museums:

Publications

in English

See also

Related Research Articles

Ashtapadis or Ashtapadi refers to the Sanskrit hymns of the Gita Govinda, composed by Jayadeva in the 12th century. The ashtapadis, which describe the beauty of Lord Krishna and the love between Krishna and the gopis, are considered a masterpiece in esoteric spirituality and the theme of 'Divine romance'. The literal meaning of ashtapathi, 'eight-steps', refers to the fact that each hymn is made of eight couplets. It is also the source of the word ashtāpada, an Indian board game, the forerunner of chess. Although the original tunes of the ashtapadis were lost in history, they remain popular and are widely sung in a variety of tunes, and used in classical dance performances, across India. Ashtapadis are regularly performed at Kerala temples in the accompaniment of an idakka; a genre of music called sopana sangeetham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jayadeva</span> Vaishnava Sanskrit poet

Jayadeva, also spelt Jaideva, was a Sanskrit poet during the 12th century. He is most known for his epic poem Gita Govinda which concentrates on Krishna's love with the gopi, Radha, in a rite of spring. This poem, which presents the view that Radha is greater than Krishna, is considered an important text in the Bhakti movement of Hinduism.

The birthplace of the twelfth-century Sanskrit poet Jayadeva, author of the Gitagovinda, has been disputed, with the neighboring states of Odisha, West Bengal in eastern India and the region of Mithila staking a claim. This had led to a bitter feud between people on both sides that lasted for over a century. The issue is still debated by scholars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upendra Bhanja</span> Odia poet

Kabi SamrataUpendra Bhanja was a 17th-century Odia poet-composer of classical Odissi music. He is most known for his Odissi songs and kabyas written in the Odia language, primarily Baidehisa Bilasa, Labanyabati & Koti Brahmanda Sundari.

Jayadeva was an 11th-century Sanskrit poet and lyricist from present-day India. The works of Jayadeva have had a profound influence on Indian culture. They form the basis of the east Indian classical dance form, Odissi as well as traditional classical music of the state, Odissi music and have strongly influenced the Bharatanatyam classical dance as well as Carnatic music. Jayadeva's composition has also been incorporated in the Guru Granth Sahib.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Odissi music</span> Genre of Indian classical music

Odissi music is a genre of classical music originating from the eastern state of Odisha. It is played on traditional instruments like the mardala, veena, and bansuri. Rooted in the ancient ritual music tradition dedicated to Lord Jagannatha, Odissi music has a rich history spanning over two thousand years, distinguished by its unique sangita-shastras, a specialized system of Ragas and Talas, and a distinctive style of performance. While some Indian classical music like Carnatic music and Hindustani music, traditions evolved separately over centuries, Odissi music has retained its classical purity and its characteristic devotion-centered compositions. Odissi compositions are largely written in Sanskrit and Odia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raghunath Panigrahi</span> Musical artist

'Suramani' PanditRaghunath Panigrahi was an Odissi music Guru, vocalist, composer and music director. He is most known for his renditions of Jayadeva's Gita Govinda and his vocal support for his wife, the Odissi danseuse Sanjukta Panigrahi. Raghunath belonged to a family associated with Odissi music for centuries, members of which were 19th-century Odissi poet-composer Sadhaka Kabi Gourahari Parichha and Gayaka Siromani Apanna Panigrahi who was the royal musician (raja-sangitagya) of Paralakhemundi. He started his musical training from his father Pt Neelamani Panigrahi, who had been collecting traditional Odissi melodies of the Gita Govinda from the Jagannatha Temple of Puri. Later, Raghunath continued learning Odissi music under Pt Narasingha Nandasarma and Pt Biswanatha Das. He was widely known as 'Gitagobinda Panigrahi'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banamali Dasa</span> Odia poet

Banamali Dasa is an Indian medieval Odia bhakta-poet and composer of Odissi music from the state of Odisha. "Dinabandhu daitari", "Kede chanda jane lo sahi", and "Manima he etiki maguni mora" are some of his notable writings that are used in Odissi. His songs are popularly sung in festivals, public gatherings, and in Odissi dance. Banamali's compositions are set to traditional Odissi ragas and talas and are extremely popular in the Odissi music repertoire. He is considered to be the foremost poet of the medieval Odia bhakti-literature. He started by writing rustic devotional Poetry, he later began to compose "bhakti"-poetry which gained larger acceptance and popularity among the other contemporary poets of his time. Typically, his poems are eyewitness accounts, and their simple, fervent language is much appreciated. Banamali Dasa was patronised by Gajapati Birakishore Deva of Bhoi dynasty whom the poet also praised in his writings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abhimanyu Samanta Singhara</span>

Abhimanyu Samanta Singhara was an 18th-century Odia poet born in Balia, Jajpur best known as the writer of the kabya Bidagdha Chintamani. Abhimanyu was one of the important musician-poets in the tradition of Odissi music in the 18th century, composing mainly in the Chhānda style. He has also written many Odia folk songs like Bagha Gita, Chadhei Gita. He has written many poems about the love between Radha and Krishna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gopal Chandra Panda</span> Odissi Singer and Guru

PanditGopal Chandra Panda is a Guru of Odissi classical music, vocalist, researcher and composer. A disciple of Singhari Shyamsundar Kar, he has authored several books such as Odissi Raga Ratnabali & Odissi Raga Darpana, and is acclaimed for his efforts to collect & document several traditional Odissi ragas from the hinterlands. Panda served as a lecturer and head of department in the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya for nearly three decades. He has performed in music festivals across the country and is the founder of the Gopal Panda Odissi Academy. In 2011, Panda received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contributions to Odissi music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sangita Narayana</span> 17th-century Indian classical musical treatise

The Sangita Narayana is a 17th-century musical treatise belonging to the tradition of Odissi music, written by musician Kabiratna Purusottama Misra and attributed to Gajapati Sarbagya Jagannatha Narayana Deva of Paralakhemundi. It is one of the most important musical treatises discovered from Odisha and is one of the fundamental texts followed in Odissi music till date. The treatise was first published by the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1966, followed by a critical edition published by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in 2009. Manuscripts of the work are found across India, indicating its national circulation. In 1987, Jonathan Katz in his D. Phil. thesis extensively analysed the musicological portions of the Sangitanarayana.

Gujjari is a rāga belonging to the tradition of Odissi music. Falling under the meḷa Karnāta, the raga uses komala gandhara, komala dhaibata and komala nisada swaras and is traditionally associated with the karuṇa rasa. The raga is mentioned in treatises such as the Gita Prakasa and Sangita Narayana. Among its angaragas, Mangala Gujjari is most prominent and has been used by Jayadeva in his Gita Govinda, alongside Gujjari itself.

Ramakeri is a rāga belonging to the tradition of Odissi music. Falling under the meḷa Barādi, the raga uses komala rusabha, komala dhaibata and tibra madhyama swaras and is traditionally associated with the karuṇa rasa. The raga is mentioned in treatises such as the Gita Prakasa and Sangita Narayana. This raga has been used by the 12th-century Odia composer Jayadeva in his Gita Govinda.

Baradi is a rāga belonging to the tradition of Odissi music. Falling under the meḷa Barādi, the raga uses komala rusabha, komala dhaibata and tibra madhyama swaras and is traditionally associated with the karuṇa rasa. The raga is mentioned in treatises such as the Gita Prakasa and Sangita Narayana. This raga has been used by the 12th-century Odia composer Jayadeva in his Gita Govinda along with its angaraga Desa Barādi.

Sokabaradi is a rāga belonging to the tradition of Odissi music. Falling under the meḷa of the same name, the raga uses komala rusabha, komala dhaibata, komala nisada and tibra madhyama swaras and is traditionally associated with the karuṇa rasa. The raga is mentioned in treatises such as the Gita Prakasa and Sangita Narayana.

Panchama Baradi is a rāga belonging to the tradition of Odissi music. Falling under the meḷa of the same name, the raga uses all twelve swaras and is traditionally associated with the karuṇa rasa. It is said to be a composite of the ragas Panchama and Baradi.

Mangala Gujjari is a rāga belonging to the tradition of Odissi music. Falling under the meḷa Karnāta, the raga uses komala rusabha, komala gandhara, komala dhaibata and komala nisada swaras along with their suddha counterparts and is traditionally associated with the karuṇa rasa. The raga is mentioned in treatises such as the Gita Prakasa and Sangita Narayana. This raga is traditionally believed to have been created by Jayadeva in his Gita Govinda.

Kedaragouda is a rāga belonging to the tradition of Odissi music. Falling under the meḷa Sri, the raga uses both nisada swaras and is traditionally associated with the srungāra rasa. This raga is considered a conjunct of the rāgas Kedāra and Goudā. The raga is mentioned in treatises such as the Gita Prakasa and Sangita Narayana. The most famous song in this raga is from the Kisorachandrananda Champu, a composition of Kabisurjya Baladeba Ratha.

Debakiri is a rāga belonging to the tradition of Odissi music. Falling under the meḷa Dhanasri, the raga uses komala gandhara and komala nisada swaras and is traditionally associated with the karuṇa and bhakti rasas. The raga is mentioned in treatises such as the Gita Prakasa and Sangita Narayana.

Sri is a rāga belonging to the tradition of Odissi music. Falling under the meḷa of the same name, the raga uses komala nisada swara and is traditionally associated with the melancholic karuna rasa. The raga is mentioned in treatises such as the Gita Prakasa and Sangita Narayana. Among its angaragas, Dhanasri, Bangalasri, Karunasri, Malasri, Madhusri, Dakhinasri are well-known.

References

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  2. "Learn the lingo". The Hindu . 14 September 2007. Archived from the original on 12 February 2008.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Panda, Dr. Gopal Chandra (1995). Sri Gita Gobinda Swara Lipi[Notated music of the Gita Govinda] (in Odia). Bhubaneswar: Smt. Bhagabati Panda.
  4. 1 2 3 Das, Ramhari (2004). Odissi Sangeetara Parampara O Prayogaଓଡ଼ିଶୀ ସଙ୍ଗୀତର ପରମ୍ପରା ଓ ପ୍ରୟୋଗ[The tradition and method of Odissi music] (in Odia). Bhubaneswar, Odisha: Kaishikee Prakashani.
  5. Shankar, Hari (April 1, 2019). "The Indigenous Music of Kerala, 'Sopana Sangeetham'" . Retrieved January 7, 2023.
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  8. Rines, George Edwin, ed. (1920). "Jayadéva"  . Encyclopedia Americana .
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  13. Peterson, Peter (1892). Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Library of His Highness the Maharaja of Ulwar. Elphinstone College, Bombay. p. 38.
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  15. Goswami Maharaja, Bhaktivedanta Narayana. "Sri Gita Govinda – Sri Jayadeva Goswami". www.purebhakti.com. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
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