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Home , Gita Govinda, Govinda

Odisha Review April - May - 2014

Geeta - Its Place in History

Dr. Ajit Kumar Tripathy

Geeta Govinda by Saint Poet is a The influence of Buddhism though medieval text of a Dance-Drama in . dormant by this time was still quite strong in many Though medieval in dating as it was written during parts of India, eventhough the Saivite reactions the 12th Century A.D., yet it was highly modern had continued to be also quite strong. The revival in terms of its contents and presentation. Jayadeva of in South was at a nascent stage. gifted the character of to Sanskrit literature Beyond the descriptions of Rasalila of Sri as up to his period, there was neither a finished and the in Shreemad Bhagavat model of Radha nor any predecessor or Vaishnavism did not have much in it to hold on to prototype. popular imagination. On the other hand, the Shaiva Geeta Govinda was written at a time , Literature had detailed descriptions of intense when the Indian Sub-Continent was subject of between Shiva and Parvati. The decadent external invasion, wars, battles, rise of a number Buddhism in most parts of India had taken to of principalities and multifarious religious ideas. tantrik practices to hold on to popular The Arabs had already occupied Sindh for more imagination, particularly amongst the weaker than two centuries without any organized sections. resistance from any other part of India. Years were spent in prolonged battles Mahammed of Gazni had attacked India and between different States of India leading to social looted and destroyed the Somanath Temple 17 indiscipline at home. Compared to Christianity, times. None except the local king put up any which had already established itself in Kerala and worthwhile fight. There was no upsurge of in parts of the western coast and Islam, which nationalism or religious renaissance in India. had started making inroads from north east, It was also a period of rise of regional was not a mass based propagative literatures specific to identities of each cultural religion. It believed in individualistic relationship region. The general background was one of with God and that also confined itself to the elites political unrest and the absence of central political namely, Brahmins, Kshyatriyas and Vaisyas. It power. The different regions were out to develop was mass worship and community participation and build upon their own literary and artistic in religious rites and festivals that keep a traditions, local styles in religious practices and community together. Only massively built temples local models in art and sculpture. could be the convergence point for such mass

76 April-May - 2014 Review worship and mass participation. Temples had to Karnataka. The emergence of Cult and be made centres of social and cultural the critical importance of Puri as a centre of entertainment, so that the society would be held pilgrimage had attracted Shree Chaitanya from together with religion as the focal point. Massive Bengal. Raya Ramananda was the Governor of Building alone would not be sufficient if items and Deccan Province of the Utkal empire with programmes of entertainment is not made a part headquarters at Rajamahendri and Sri Chaitanya of the mode of worship. The soldiers of the land met him there. Shri Chaitanya came to know the based army were to stay for years away from inner meaning and philosophy of their homes in battles. They were also from Raya Ramananda and highly appreciated householders, who needed some entertainment it. The popularity of Gita Govinda in Vaishnavism in their Camps either through music, dance or was then established firmly. Gita Govinda and both. Therefore, there was a necessity for literary worship of Radha became central theme to the master-pieces, which could be enacted through theology, doctrine and the rituals of the Goudiya music and dance. Vaishnav followers of Chaitanya and the Gita Govinda came to fill up this need Vaishnavs of Odisha. The Goswamis took it to wonderfully well. Coupled with the Deba Dasi . System, it provided top quality entertainment to In some temples, Gita Govinda was sung devotees, who assembled in temples in poojas. before the image of Krishna, in some of the Performed by (dancing boys in the attire temples it was sung before the image of Radha of girls), it also fulfilled needs of providing leisure and in many others, it was sung before both. At time entertainment to the fighting armies. Gita Puri, where the epic was created, it was sung and Govinda made Vaishnavism more romantic than performed in dance before the images of Lord Shaivism and socially more safe and acceptable Jagannath, Balabhadra and . than Tantrik Buddhism. Written in Sanskrit, which was easy to understand throughout India and Whereas some commentaries, such as by rhythmic and perfectly lyrical to sing, it spread to the Goswamis, understood the Gita Govinda different regions of India. The first dated purely as a theological work, there are others by manuscript comes from Nepal (1248 A.D.). Rana Kumbha of Rashika Priya Tika, which Geeta Govinda was sung in Vaishnavite Centres comprehended and interpreted the work as an of Patan in Gujrat at the end of 13th Century. Alankar Text dealing with Alankar, Nayak and Manank of Gujrat and Rana Kumbha from Nayika Veda. A few other commentaries looked Rajasthan wrote major commentaries on Gita at the text of Gita Govinda as an work of erotica Govinda. Gita Govinda provided materials in and grouped it with Kama Shastra and Koka artistic creations to Western and Central Asia. Shastra. Alongwith Gita Govinda, Radha travelled to The Gita Govinda was taken in performing temples and art studies of different artists in arts as an work of purely musical excellence painting and textiles. dealing with different ragas, talas and The commentaries of Gita Govinda in chhandas. Gita Govinda was also taken as a Indian languages accompanied by its translations Dance Drama and it also induced many works of and its imitations are most prolific in Odisha dramatized prose dealing with the theme of love followed by Bengal, Rajasthan, Gujurat and between Radha and Krishna.

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The imitations of Gita Govinda in verse had played in making Vaishnavism more charming, are found in all parts of India, but the maximum interesting and absorbing is unique in the history number of them came from Odisha. As regards of Indian renaissance. Had Vaishnavism not been the number of imitations, the Gita Govinda is, made more appealing to the common mass, which perhaps, second only to Meghadutam by started with the Gita Govinda then national unity, Mahakabi Kalidas. perhaps, could not have survived from the The Gita Govinda with illustrations have onslaught of Tantrik Buddhism, Islam and been found and preserved in Nepal, Gujurat, Christianity and last but not the least 750 years Delhi, Jeipur, Ahmedabad, Hydrabad, Madurai, of alien rule. , Bhubaneswar, Mewar in Rajasthan, It is in this historical context that Assam, Ashutos Museum in Kolkata, British Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda has to be appreciated Museum in London, National Museum of as a great and infallible instrument of national Chandigarh and in Darbhanga in Bihar. It is integration through its impact on movement obvious that starting from the last decade of 12th at a time when cultural and social fabric of India Century Gita Govinda had an unparalleled seemed to be falling apart. It was Jayadeva’s popularity all over India from Kanya Kumari to Radha and Krishna, which together united the Kashmir and from Assam to Gujurat. The original religious factions amongst all over. It made and sub-styles it had evolved in Kerala, Tamil religion an all absorbing passion and not merely Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, an abstract exercise in intellect. The untouchables Bengal and Manipur, make it evident that Gita and the socially backward classes, which had got Govinda singing was universal in Temples attracted towards Buddhism and other throughout India, but in Odisha it is also sung propagated religions accepted Vaishnavism as even till to-day in Shiva and Shakti Temples. their own religion and continued to be in the Singing styles of Bhajans and Music are definitely mainstream. Mere Vishnu worship and a non different in different States, but singing style of romantic Bhakti cult could not perhaps have Gita Govinda corresponding to the dance and achieved such a miracle without the intervention dance drama traditions are peculiar only to of Jayadeva’s epic on romance between Radha Odisha and Manipur. and Krishna. The great unifying impact of the Gita Govinda thus, had an unique role in Bhakti cult which has been felt throughout last the development of a whole gamut artistic nine centuries is strongly felt even to-day in the traditions of India, namely – literature, painting, ISKCON and so many other post renaissance music, dance, textile design and sculpture. In the movements. evolution of theological doctrines, pictorial styles, music and dance schools, it played a pivotal and unique role. Eminent Sanskrit Scholars have called Gita Govinda as the last great work in Sanskrit Literature. It is great because it provided a basis of cultural unity of India at a time, when there Dr. A.K. Tripathy, State Election Commissioner, Odisha, was fragmentation, rift and unrest. The role it Qrs. No.6R-1, Unit-6, Bhubaneswar.

78 April-May - 2014 Odisha Review

The Philosophy of the Gitagovinda

P.C. Tripathy

God, is the Chidatma, and the Absolute that due to all-pervading darkness in the dense Consciousness, whose mysterious existence can forest caused by clouds, Krsna, the child, was be conceived at heart by the acquisition of afraid and so asked Radha to lead the kid Brahmajnana through vedantic meditation. home, but Radha on her way indulged in secret Brahmajnana is the source of wisdom and blissful union with , her beloved, in the consciousness. The Mahayogi who knows our groves on the bank of the river Yamuna. inner feeling is the Cosmic power or Brahma who Due to excess of tama (darkness) jiva is also the ultimate Reality. He is also the protector forgets God and there is not the slightest trace of of His creation, the Dharma. He is the stainless yearning in his heart for God-realisation. The one, shining in peerless light and appearing in creator is at a loss to observe this spiritual Soul-bewitching wondrous form. He is known as degeneration in His creation. Though a part and Govinda. The collection of sweet and musical parcel of the Supreme Self, Jiva forgets his inner slokas dedicated to Him is the Gitagovinda. self coming under the shell of world-bewitching The scripture Gitagovinda of Jayadeva maya or illusion which envelops him in complete centres round the conjoined love episode of darkness. The jiva can dispel this darkness of Radha and Krsna. According to Shri ignorance by kindling at heart the spirit of Radha, Krishna Paramahansa, “As a devotee cannot live the pleasing consort of Madhava by spiritual without God, so also God cannot live without His discipline at the dictates of conscience and enjoy devotee. The devotee becomes the sweetness the bliss of communion with the Supreme Self on and God its enjoyer. The devotee becomes the the bank of the river Yamuna at Vrindavana. lotus and God the bee. It is also the God-head Devotion with dedication is the main that has become all these in order to enjoy its weapon to cut all the fetters that bind the Jiva to own Bliss. That is the significance of the episode worldliness. The sages of the past have recorded of Radha and Krsna”. According to one school eight shackles which obstruct the way to the of Vaisnava religion, the supreme God Himself realisation of God. became Radha and Krsna to enjoy the bliss of their mutual union. “Ghrna, sanka, bhayam, lajja, jugupsa cheti panchami, At the beginning of the scripture of the Kulam silam cha manam cha astu pasah Gitagovinda, it is described in the very first sloka prakrtitah”

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