Radha Romancing The Self. By Pranav
Khllar. TOI Speaking Tree 26.06.2012
An intense lyrical outpouring of
feelings expressed through devotional music and dance has been at the centre of
Vaishavaite tradition, immortalized as ‘gopi bhava’ in Jayadeva’s Gita govindam.
The sensuous lyricism of Jayadeva’s poetry the deep spiritual longing of
individual soul, visualized as intense love of gopies for Krishna. To love god
as one’s lover is the highest form of Bhakti or devotion a concept which Jiva
Goswami later was to weave into Chaitanya Gaudiya school of Vedanta as achintya
bhedabheda; that is inconceivable oneness and difference.
Midway between Shankara’s Vedanta or
monism and Madhva’s dvaita or dualism and closer to Vishishtadvaita or the
mid-path position of Ramanuja, the achintya bhedabheda is distinct in stating
that ‘God is simultaneously one with and different from his creation.’ – the
individual soul is intrinsically one with the Creator yet not the same as Him
and the nature of this symbiotic relationship is incomprehensible to the human
mind. Vishnu or Krishna is Brahman or sad-chid-ananda’ both the efficient cause
and material cause of the world’ and even though He gets manifested differently
to different kind of seekers, a bhakta alone can enjoy the blissful love of a
personal God. It is this all-consuming love which is at the heart of gopibhava
in the Ashtapadi of Jayadeva.
Jayadeva
uses frankly ‘physical’ imagery in the Gita Govind only to drive home his
underlying principle of Bhakti as an ardent desire to merge with the Self,
which he felt could only be captured in the mood of gopies and of Radha towards
Krishna. As opposed to the vaidhe Bhakti, proposed by
scriptural injunctions, Jayadeva details what has been called the “raga –nuga”
Bhakti in Gaudiya tradition-devote filled with loving attachment.
Using amorous desire as a metaphor for
longing for union with self, Jayadeva subtly uses imagery to suggest that
gopies have transcended their body consciousness in their desire to be one with
Krishna, in their mood to experience mahanu bhava prema, which brooks no
separation of Radha herself. The union, separation and union of Radha and
Krishna is initiated in every emotion as to freeze the character Radha in time,
to sketch her as the perfect epitome of this maha bhava.
The sensuous and lyrical presentation is
interwoven within deep religious context. The religious context in which Gita
Govind was composed early on Jayadeva himself, in his Dasavatara Stotra a hymn
to the 10 incarnations in the first section of Geet Govind. Jayadeva resurrects the
character of Radha from obscurity and places her as Krishna’s eternal
soulmate at the centre of Vaishavaite tradition. Even while using physical imagery
all through Jayadeva transforms the contextuality by alluding to deeper meaning
of longing for union, the maha bhava of Radha towards Krishna, to Jayadeva the
experience Krishna through the eyes and soul of Radha is the highest form of
Bhakti.
It is this vision of Jayadeva that
beckons us all to look within and find our muse who would lead us from mere
worldly desire to the desire for Higher Self. It is an inner vision of
romancing the Self not an outer indulgence of senses.
AN OVERVIEW.
This is about the contents of Gita
Govindam. The work is that of Jayadeva an ardent devotee of Sri Krishna at
Puri, Odissa. The work is in twelve parts (Sargas); twenty four songs
(Ashtapadies) of eight steps and 90 or more verses. There seems to be more than
one version and they are divided on basis of region. Almost all editors and
commentators maintain that the composition is an ardent devotional in songs and
verses. They all ask devotees to completely disregard the prominence of sex in
the work. This attitude made them sometimes omit words and parts of verses and
songs. Many might include the Sanskrit text but omit the ones that they don’t
want the general reader to consider. So it goes.
My view is that the sexual overtones are
not secondary but primary to the whole composition thou shrouded with devotion
(Bhakti). The first verse introducing the work is evidence for my view. It
says: let the amours sports between Krishna and Radha among groves of trees are
praised. The second is more specific. The author says that he is describing the
sexual sports of Sri Krishna in this. The third says give a choice to the
audience. “Whether your mind is immersed in devotion to god or whether you are
fascinated with the sensuous arts (here it means mainly of love plays); in both
you could enjoy the sweet and beautiful garland of words composed by Jayadeva.”
The author makes it clear that sexual feelings and devotion to God are at the
same level; complementary and not contradictory. He keeps it through all the
way to the end and adds one more. “Yad gandharava kalasu kousalam”, meaning
qualified in singing, dancing and allied arts.
Yad
gandharva kalasu kousalam anudhyanam cha yad vaishnavam;
Yad sringara
viveka tatva rachana kavyeshu leelayitam; Tadsarvam
Jayadeva pandita kave: Krishnaikatanatmana: Sanandam parishodhayantu
sudhiya: Sri Gita Govindata://
What
is mastery in singing and dancing arts; what is uninterrupted devotion to
Vishnu and or what is displayed in knowledge and essence of romantic literary
works i.e. erotica?
Let
intellectuals please examine all these (three above) in Gita Govindam of Jayadeva
the learned poet and whose soul is one with god Krishna.
Jayadeva claims that his composition is
woven in three strand that of:
(1) Ardent devotion towards Vishnu;
(2) Qualified in singing, dancing and
allied arts ( There is a commentary called nritya lakshaNa samhita by Sri K.
Vaasudeva Saastry. This is an exhaustive and unique commentary, not commentary
exactly but a dance treatise, useful for any form of dancing schools, since
every word of Jayadeva is interpreted to have dance gestures, abhinaya,
mudra-s, bhangima-s.) and or
(3) Compositions of erotica imparting
essentials of sexual plays.
Though they look as separate for us they
are strung together by Jayadeva as one string. Those who try to explain and or
impart the philosophy of Gita Govinda should take all three strands together.
To the author of Gita Govinda they are linked. They should not be separated and
raised as high philosophy. Most of our commentators in Sanskrit as well as in
other languages indulge in one sided that is devotion to Vishnu the one and
only god.
The whole
composition is a series of dialogues; among the companion of Radha; Radha and
Krishna. The 24 songs here below try to capture the gist of the conversations.
At the end it is specifically mentioned that Radha and Krishna blissfully
complete their sexual play. There are verses one or more introducing and or
describing the given situation; prior to or after the songs. At many places the
verses are the continuation of the dialogues.
1.
This first song
is invoking the ten incarnations of Vishnu but a little different from popular
list. Here Jayadeva did not include Krishna as an incarnation and included
Buddha a non-Vedic person.
2.
The second song
starts with the words that mean “sticking on the rounded busts of Kamala”. It also recalls Rama another incarnation as
if Krishna is the same.
3.
This song is
from the companion to Radha, praising the spring season at Vrindavan on the
banks of Yamuna. At every step she
reminds of the grief and suffering of those separated lovers. The spring is
tormenting to separated lovers the men on long journey hasten to reach back
home and those women waiting at home. At that moment Radha is out of the group
of Gopies and wandering along the forest area. All descriptions of the season
have sexual connotations.
4.
This is a
continuation from last but talks about what the companion has observed that was
going on in the group between the Gopies and Krishna. One is embracing him
passionately by placing the full weight of her heavy hard busts. (Second step)
Similarly Krishna was embracing one, kissing one, making love to another, looks
at the smiling face of another and then follows still another (step 7)
5.
The fifth is
Radha talking in remorse about her lover who laughed at her earlier but
continued his plays with all other Gopies. This is a complete description of
the Rasaleela played there but without Radha.
6.
Jayadeva says
that the habits of Krishna’s sexual intercourse are surprising. The whole is
full of that surprise and very specific on them. The words are of Radha. “I felt shame at the first meeting for sex
but he made me to consent through several sweet talks. I sat on the bed made in
leaves and he was reclining on my chest. He embraced and kissed in my lips and
sucked them. I closed my tired eyes
while hairs in his face were raised. My body was sweating while his body is
loose through sexual acts. While I was cooing like a cuckoo, he was victorious
in sexual plays. My tresses were dangling while he wrote with his nails on my
heavy and weighty pairs of busts. When my jingling anklets became silent; that
marked the end of our intercourse. Making my girdle noisy he stretched my
tresses and kissed my face. I was tired after the most pleasurable intercourse
and his eyes were closed. While my body was weak and fell on the bed his libido
has risen high”. From these one
might conclude that Radha was having sexual relations with Krishna much earlier
to the group sex Raslila.
7.
The composer
says that while piling to meet her lover, Krishna dismissed the Vraj bueauties
meaning thereby they were asked to go home before it was midnight. So the
Raslila did not last longer as understood in popular culture.
Here Krishna
grieves the separation from Radha when she left the group carrying envy,
jealousy and betrayal. Krishna is crying just like any mortal left by his
lover. The grief is based on the denial of all sorts of sexual relief.
8.
Here the
companion talks to Krishna about aggravated state of Radha’s love sickness.
9.
The companion
continues to describe the emerging mental stress on Radha for being separated
from Krishna. Here sex is too explicit.
10.
The companion
still goes on to make Krishna understand the situation.
11. dhéra-samére yamunä-tére vasati vane vana-mali Gopee pina
payodhara mardana chanchala karayuga shaalee. (these words are left out in
northern version here.) it means that the hands of Krishna are gliding over and
beating the heavy stout busts of the cowherd ladies. The companion comes back when Krishna conveys that he will
wait for Radha to whom you go and bring here. She not only conveys the message
but also instructs Radha to act enticing her lover to elaborate sexual plays.
She tells Radha that Hari is self-centered and proud so you go to him and enjoy
sex. Take my word do fulfill his desire. “Oh
friend, enter the dark grove after removing the noise making anklets and the
blue covering your body. You will sparkle like the lightning on the dark clouds
when you engage in sex hovering over Krishna. Leaving out your clothes and removing the jingling belt; unite your
open pubis like a pleasurable treasure”.
12.
Companion come
back to Krishna saying that Radha is not in a position to move and come to him
due to severe mental and physical condition suffering separation from him.
13.
Radha deplores
herself and accuses her lover for not keeping appointment. She feels that she
cannot live when I am neglected. The night is bothering me since Hari might be
enjoying with some other. (Was he?)
14.
She continues
with her assumption that Krishna is having sex with some other. Formed ready
for sexual intercourse. The flowers dropped out of tresses. Some better formed
young lady is sporting with Krishna. Due to his embraces passion aroused her necklace
dangling over the pot like breasts. Bothered in the noisy waist belt when
moving her midriff. Bashful and smiling when lover saw her cooing like many
birds due to the ecstatic love making and enjoying therein. She goes on
imagining the step by step performance between the lovers and finally getting
tired sweating.
15. She goes on with more of the same complaint of cheating her
with someone else. Here Radha is clear that her competitor is too involved and
says that her vagina is the temple of love god much decorated and daubed with
sweet smelling scent. Waist is the abode of love goddess. Flaring hips show
golden throne of love god. The gem studded girdle is the festoons before the
temple. Emanating from there is a sweet fragrant smell.
16. Now she makes more of her grievances by talking to her
friend. Who was the one with Krishna in the night and enjoyed with him? (One
verse here gives a clue. In morning the companions laughed at Radha and Krishna
on seeing the change of clothes on each other; Radha’s on Krishna and his on
her.)
17.
This is the
sayings of Radha to Krishna on the next day. She tells him get away. Your eyes
show sleeplessness. Your lips show the black kajal while kissing her on eyes.
Your lips also show dental marks from the other. She goes on pointing many more
signs of having sex with her other. (May be these are her imaginations but what
is the truth?)
18.
Here her friend
tells Radha not lament and cry for the lost night. Keep ready for another
occasion with Krishna. Let him come and converse with you sweet humorous words.
So why are you keeping your heart in pain.
19. Yes, Krishna comes to her in the morning and tries to
assuage her disappointment and then promises more time with her. He claims that
Radha alone is his love and his life. At the end he tells her to put her foot
on his head as a punishment.
20. Up to now there was only one companion but now there are
more. They all follow her to the appointed destination to meet Krishna. They
tell Radha, walk slow as you have heavy and weighty busts and hips. Your body
is ready for all sexual plays. So be fast to reach Krishna’s abode.
21. The companions tell her that we have reached the designated
grove which is tastily decorated with flowers and leaves. After telling all these
companions leave her.
22. Here it is the author who describes the several forms of
Krishna who was in the grove. All of them are connected to love making thus
enhancing the atmosphere that Radha should feel.
23. Here Krishna talks in very loving words about his condition
without her. Now he is happy and tells Radha that he will do this and that. I
will massage the feet since you are coming from afar. Allow me to remove the
obstructing cover from your busts just like I saved you from separation.
Pressing your cool pot shaped busts on my chest remove my lovelorn heat. Now
they indulge in full sexual union in which Radha was on top.
24. Radha tired after her prolonged sexual acts tells Krishna
to put her tresses, body coverings, anklets, bracelets and girdles in proper
order. It is clear from the descriptions that the acts were intense and hard on
all parts of her body. Krishna complies and thus ends the songs.
K.N.Krishnan
