When the world sought love, Jayadeva bestowed upon it the tale of Lord Krishna. When the world looked for the true meaning of loyalty, he pointed to the character of Radha. And when the world needed hope, he offered respite. All by composing the Gita Govinda. It conveyed the message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam or “The World is One Family,” with its foregrounding of the jeevatma-paramatma dynamics.
Eight hundred years since this masterpiece was crafted on the eastern shores of India, it continues to mesmerise and enchant all. From the younger generations of today, for whom this story has the charm of an inherited piece of folklore, to scholars of distant lands, who seek the truths hidden in its verses, all find a place in the poem and a message in the divine shlokas.
This literary masterpiece has had a huge impact on Indian literature and profoundly influenced the Bhakti movement. It brought the common people in direct contact with divinity, and made prayer and devotion a truly cathartic experience. Our paintings, dramas, theatre, architecture and political structures draw heavily from the world Jayadeva created. The India which emerged in the post-medieval age, owes a priceless debt to the Gita Govinda due to its influence on the subcontinent’s ethos.
Eight-hundred years ago, a wandering poet in the eastern parts of India composed a devotional song in Sanskrit about...
Read moreNearly eight centuries have gone by, and Jayadeva’s epic love song is still sung across the country and enjoyed...
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