Course description

Gita Govinda which is also famous as Ashtapadi, depicts the love of Krishna and Radha. This was written by Jayadeva, a 12th century poet who lived in Bengal, north-east India. The poem symbolizes the striving of the human soul to God. The poem, written in Sanskrit, was enthusiastically translated in various Indian languages. The poem, though in Sanskrit, attracted great popular acclaim. Its influenced reached far and wide. Gita Govinda is called Ashtapadi, because it contains eight stanzas each in each of its 24 songs, presented in each of its 12 chapters.

The divine pastimes (leelas)  of Sri Radha-Krishna reside together like a collection of paintings in the mansion of Sri Jayadeva’s heart. An artist first has an internal vision. After transferring that vision to his canvas, it becomes a painting. Similarly, this picture of loving pastimes has been painted by the brush of Sri Jayadeva.

The marvelous mansion of his heart is decorated with paintings of Sri Radha-Madhava’s intimate encounters, and its fabulous treasury is his fascinating poetry. The poet has renounced all sense of responsibility for the authorship of this narration because his speech and mind are absorbed in Sri Krishna.

Sri Jayadeva appeared in Orissa around 1200 AD. He is most renowned for his composition, the “Gita Govinda” which has been sung across India in both Hindustani and Carnatic styles of classical music. Possibly his most famous work, the Dasavatara stotra is an invocation, following which, his songs on Radha and Krsna’s sweet Vrindavan pastimes unfold. 

The Gita Govinda consists of 12 chapters/Sargams, each consisting of prabhandhas/, further divided into couplets of eight (explaining the famous “ashtapadis” these songs are commonly referred to). 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. Together they served the Lord with exquisite devotion – Sri Jayadeva composed songs in the Lord’s honor, and Padmavathi danced to these compositions before the deities of Puri.