Jayadeva and Gitagovinda
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Orissa Review * July - 2009 Jayadeva and Gitagovinda Ajit Kumar Tripathy Part-I had nothing much to offer except the brief description of Rasalila depicted in the Shrimad Historical Perspective Bhagavat between Krishna and Gopis. Towards the second half of the eleventh The Arabs had occupied Sind in 711 AD century AD the Indian society was in a phase of a and Sultan Mahmood of Ghajni in the first three directionless transition. Jainism and Buddhism decades of 11th century had attacked and were clearly on the wane but were not plundered India seventeen times. The maximum extinguished totally. The Jain appeal to damage was done to the Somenath temple in nonviolence, austerity and simplicity and the Gujurat. The Islamic sufis and saints had started Buddhist appeal of social equality for all those arriving in India. The threats to Hinduism had who were exploited and tortured by the excesses become real because of the rigid caste rules, of militant but decadent Brahminism, were still costly rituals and Brahmimic puritanism and strong. subjugation of women. The Gupta period had The Saivites after Adiguru Sankaracharya witnessed an improvement in the status of women had taken the leadership in crushing Buddhism in religion and education but the decline had by persecuting Buddhists and destroying Stupas, started again. Viharas and Monasteries. They constructed Shiva There was a necessity to make Hindu religion temples there even though Adisankara had particularly Vaisnavism more intelligible to the proclaimed for the first time, Buddha to be an common man, more interesting, and more incarnation of Vishnu. Saivas, Shaktas and entertaining to the majority of the people who had Buddhists had taken resort to Tantra and Magic no knowledge about the Vedas Upanishads and to attract the common folk to their side. This had Puranas. Conversion to Islamic faith of the socially led to social degeneration. down trodden and the culturally starved common Shaivism had its own points of absorbing folk was emerging as a threat. interest and attraction. The story depicting The concept of Radha as the beloved of Parvati¶s love and tough penance to get Shiva as Krishna had originated in the south but it was yet her husband culminating in Lord Shiva¶s marriage to be fully developed into a real love story. The to her had an emotional appeal to many. necessity was felt to turn away people from the Vaishnavism that was then reviving in the south tantriks and magicians, and take them away from 1 Jayadeva & Gita Govinda * Special Issue cremation grounds to the temples from postures and rituals for worship of the deity. From copper of dhyana to those of dance and drama in the plate issued by him it is known that he had brought name of the Lord. a number of families adept in dance from Sri Jayadeva filled up this critical void Baidumba kingdom, which was the home of the beautifully by composing the Gitagovinda, which maternal uncle of Vajrahasta Deva. These families not only became the Bible for the later Vaishnavites gradually increased in number and the king settled but also had profound influence on music, dance them in a village called Srikurampatak at the and drama in the whole country. The recognition distance of 19 km from Kalainga Nagar on the and respect for female sexuality and sea coast. There is a Vishnu temple there womanpower representing Maya and Shakti worshiping Srikuruma Avatar (Tortoise which are integral parts of the Supreme Lord, got incarnation). The Vaishnaveites who came from established in Literature and religion after southern India taught Sanskrit literature, Gitagovinda. The book also influenced art, philosophy and religious texts to the students. painting, literature, textiles and sculpture There was also a school for music and dance at throughout India. The process started by Srikurumpatak for the dancing girls and boys. The Jayadeva developed and reached its nadir in the temple dancers were called Sani. sixteenth century after the visit of Srichaitanya to The Ganga Kings ruled over Kalinga for Orissa. Thus, Gitagovinda was a distinct historical about 400 years and then Chodaganga Deva was necessity and that is why originating from Puri born to Maharaja Devendravarma Rajaraj Deva Jagannath Temple it was received so well and and queen Rajsundari who was the daughter of traveled so fast from Assam to Gujrat and from the Chola King of Kanchi named Maharaja Kanyakumari to Kashmir. Kulatunga Rajendra Chola the Second. The Ganga King ruled over Kalinga from Rajasundari had two sons namely, Cholaganga the 6th Century to 11th Century AD. At that time Deva and Pemardy. When Rajraj Deva died Kalinga was restricted by river Rusikulya in the prematurely in 1077 AD, Cholaganga Deva was north and Simhachal hills in the south. At the centre only 5 year old and Pemardy the second son was of Kalinga was the Mahendragiri range of hills. only 3 year old. The Mathar Kings who ruled over Kalinga before Kalinga was thus without a ruler. The the Gangas had Singhapur as their Capital. But neighbouring states wanted to occupy Kalinga. after the fall of Mathar dynasty the Ganga Kings In order to save the kingdom and the two kids established their Capital at Kalinga Nagar on the from the enemies Rajsundari the widowed queen bank of river Vamsadhara. To-day this is located desperately sought the help of her brother in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh known Virachoda who was ruling over the Bengi as Nagari Katak. Kingdom. Virachoda accepted the request, came Very close to this place is a place known as to Kalinga Nagar and organised the coronation Mukhalingam in which the Madhukeswar Siva of the child Cholaganga Deva. He got his own temple was constructed in the 10th century AD kid daughter Gundichodi, later on known as by Madhukumarnava Deva a Ganga king. His son Kasturikamodini, married to Cholaganga Deva Vajrahasta Deva did quite a lot of development and proclaimed that Kalinga was not without a works for the temple and laid down all the rites ruler. Virachoda was a brave and intelligent king 2 Orissa Review * July - 2009 himself. He engaged teachers of high caliber for palace at Puri for the rest of his life. This was in the education of his daughter and the son-in-law. the year 1142 AD. Cholaganga Deva started the Cholaganga Deva, later led a huge army and construction of the present Jagannath Temple at started a series of campaign against the Puri. At the coronation function temple dancers neighbouring enemy States. from Sri Kurumpatak were called to perform Situated to the east of Kalinga was Utkal dance at the Lord Jagannath Temple. This sect which was ruled at that time by a Somavansi king was known as Sanisect. As found out from the Karnadeva. Cholaganga attacked Utkal and temple inscriptions at Madhukeswar temple and occupied Jajati Nagar on the bank of river Simanchal Temple the Ganga Kings had Mahanadi which was the capital of Utkal. With encouraged this tradition of temple dancers in the this battle for the conquest of Utkal, the kingdom of Kalinga, and then the Kalinga empire. Somavansa got eliminated. Cholaganga then An inscription in the Lingaraj Temple, defeated Chalukya King or Bengi and also Bhubaneswar during the region of Raghava Deva defeated Pala King of Bangal at Mandargada and the second son of Chodaganga Deva describes Armyanagar, at present known as Arambag. He that all the land rights for a region called as Baheda extended his Kingdom Kalinga from Godavari in Khanda were purchased from Sadhu Pradhan the south-west to Ganga in the north-east. In 1112 Jayadeva of Kurmapataka and donated to AD he shifted his capital from Kalinga Nagar to Kirtivaswar (Lord Lingaraj) by Medam Devi, her Varanasi Katak at present known as Bidanasi. father Komi Nayaka and her mother. The three From Deopara copper plate inscription it is of them had donated three Akhanda Dipas known that Vijayasena prided himself as a friend (arrangements for nonstop burning of oil-lamps) of Cholaganga. to the temple. They belonged to the Sani sect. Since it took some time to bring about peace A similar inscription appears on and stability in the conquered territories of Utkal Madhukeswar temple at Mukhalingam where and Banga, Cholaganga alongwith his family Komi Nayak father of Medam Devi and his wife stayed in Kalinga Nagar upto 1126 AD and then Nagama Devi (Title of Gudisani meaning Temple shifted to Varanasi Katak after restoration of Dancer) arranged for offering an akhanda deepa peace and stability. In 1050 Sakabda (1128 AD) in the temple in 1113 A.D. his first year of rein was declared to be counted There is yet another inscription in the said as can be found from an inscription in Nrusingha Madhukeswar temple in which they had offered temple near Mukti Mandap at Srimandir. akhanda deepa in 1128 A.D. The system of Cholaganga assumed title of Parama Maheswar, providing akhanda deepa and donating rights of Parama Vaisnava and Parama Brahmanya. He land to the deities appears to be common in the was initially a Saiva and latteron became Vaisnava. three events in 1113, 1128 and 1156 A.D. The His Saiva Guru was a Sadhu in Madhukeswar presence of Jayadeva and his description as temple and his Vaisnav Guru were from Vishnu Kurmapataka Pravara establishes that he had Temple of Kurumpatak. close lineage with the dancing families of Cholaganga Deva organised the coronation Kurmapataka who had come to Orissa during of his eldest son Sri Kamarnav Deva at the Sri the period of Chodaganga Deva. Had the Gudi Purusottam Temple of Puri and stayed in his Sanis (temple actors and dancers) been socially 3 Jayadeva & Gita Govinda * Special Issue looked down upon, then their donations to were erected by Bhaumas, Somavanshis and the temples could not have been accepted and Gangas in the Prachi valley.