AN OVERVIEW.

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