24th ASHTAPADI ---JAYADEVA

 In her supreme ecstasy and bliss after the much desired conjugal act, Radha wants Krishna to beautify her in the following manner and addresses Him in the following words!

“ O the Son of the Yadu clan! Create the picture of the leaves of “ Makarika plant” on my heavy breasts tha  t signify Manmatha's good wishes, with your lotus hands that are very cool like the sandal paste!”

“ O My Darling!  Apply collyrium to my eyes that defy the arrows of Manmatha! It is of different hues that mock the bees that have kissed my lips!”

“ O the Auspicious Krishna! Adorn my ears that are mobile like the deer with studs! They are like chords of Love God Manmatha!

“ O Krishna! My face is pure like the lotus flower! My locks of hair falling over my face are shining like the bees! They invite you for fun! Kindly comb them with love and affection!” 

“O Madhava! My full moon like forehead is full of particles of sweat! Apply beautifully a thick bindi of  “Mrigamada”  that defeats the dark spots of the moon!”

“O Madhava!! Adorn my locks of hair similar to the fan of Manmatha's flagpost! They have slipped and loosened themselves due to our blissful conjugal act! Not only that, they are dense like peacock feathers!”

“O Auspicious Krishna! Deck my strong and heavy buttocks similar to the neck of Manmatha’s elephant with waist girdle full of precious stones! Adorn them with dress and other ornaments!”

O the One with the most charming personality! This Gita Govinda wards off all sins through remembrance of the nectar of the lotus feet of Sri Hari! This composition of poet Jayadeva is replete with with” Sringara rasa”! Kindly let the Heart be full of compassion!

Before completing his classic  “Sringara kavya” Gita Govinda, speaks of his lineage. “ Let this Gita Govinda of Jayadeva, the son of Bbhoja Deva and Rama Devi, remain for ever in the memory of friends like sage Parasara and others!”

Concluding his Composition “ Gita Govinda” Jayadeva acclaims the greatness of his work!

“ O Honey in the flower! Don’t imagine that you can equal JAYADEVA’S skill in composition!  O Sugarcane! By nature you are hard! O Grape! Who will turn to your side? O Amrita! Your arrogance has fallen! You are equal to death! O Milk! Your pride has fallen! You have lost your essence! O Sweet Mango! Weeping is your only lot! O the lips of beautiful damsels! Forget your exuberance and hang your heads in shame! You can never equal the poetic and Sringara rasa of Jayadeva! Jayadeva's smart words are not only good but full of Sringara rasa or erotic expressions!”

I have made a sincere attempt to translate the Sanskrit  ASHTAPADIiS of Jayadeva for the benefit of those who do not know Sanskrit. Translations can never bring out the true spirit of the original!  I am very happy that I have brought out the meaning of the ASHTAPADIiS of Jayadeva for the public! The ASHTAPADIiS are sung in bhajans and Nama sankirthanas but their meaning is not understood or enjoyed!

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23rd ASHTAPADI----JAYADEVA

 “Kshana madhuna Narayana anugata manusara Radhe..”

Radha and Madhava have now come together and their pangs of separation are things of the past! Their love for each other is heightened due to the temporary separation! In their heart is the unquenched desire for enjoyment and conjugal bliss!  Both Radha and Krishna are ready for love play and conjugal act! The ambience at the bush cottage is wonderful and conducive as it is Vasantakala and eminently suitable for the Divine Lover and Radha! Gita Govinda is a Sringara kavya and the poet enumerates in detail every single act and movement of the Divine Lover Krishna and His lovely damsel Radha! Jayadeva describes, in this ASHTAPADI, the fine words full of love and feelings addressed by Krishna to His paramour Radha during the conjugal act!

“ O Radha! Worship your favourable Narayana for a moment!  Place your lotus feet on the couch made up of tender sprouts! Let the bed made of tender sprouts experience its humiliation compared to your soft and delicate feet!”

“O Radha! I will support your lotus feet with my lotus palms!  You have come to me from a very long distance! Agree to place your ringing anklets on the couch!”

“O Radha! Speak favorably like the nectar oozing from the face of the moon! I will remove the dress on your chest like the sorrow caused by your separation!”

“O Radha! Place the heavy breasts in your unattainable great chest on my chest! They are egging me on for your warm embrace! Please be amenable and liberate me from this heat of Manmatha!”

“O Damsel!  Let me taste the sweetness of the amrita of your lips! I have suffered enough by the pangs of separation! I have always fixed you in my heart! I haven’t enjoyed any fun and I am your servant! In fact, I am equal to a dead person! Bring me back to life!” 

“ Supreme amongst the virgin women! O Radha! I Am polluted by the useless feeling of anger and yet you have looked at me with consideration! Come and have the conjugal act with me! Your eyes are closing themselves as if you are blushing! Leave off this sense of difference!”

“Let this ASHTAPADI composed by  poet Jayadeva that describes in every word the bliss of Krishna shall please the ' rasikas' because of the feelings of ' Srngara' embedded in it!” 

“ Radha’s chest grew red in color! It had marks of nails imprinted on it! Her eyes too grew red for want of proper sleep! Her lips were shorn of attraction! The flowers on her locks of hair slipped as they became loose! The girdle on her waist too loosened! Krishna lost Himself in Radha though it was early in the morning!”

“Totally satisfied after the conjugal act, Radha and Madhava were extremely happy! Later, Radha, who had taken Krishna under her control, desired Krishna to beautify her with adornments and said!”

22nd ASHTAPADI----JAYADEVA

   Radha vadana vilokana vikasita vividha vikara vibhangam

In this ASHTAPADI, poet Jayadeva describes how Krishna's paramour Radha  looks at Him and the feelings that surprise and startle her!

“Krishna loved her dearly and she had played with Him for long! His face is for ever full of ananda radiating the feelings of love emanating from Manmatha! The moment he sees the beautiful face of His darling Radha, He is very much disturbed in His person! Sri Krishna looked very much disturbed like the sea that is agitated by the sight of the full moon!”

“Krishna had decked himself with a radiant, pure, garland of pearls with a great pendant on His Chest! He appeared like the flood of Yamuna waters full of dense foam! Radha saw Krishna in such a state!”

 Krishna glowed in the blue color of Indranila precious stone with His tender body beautifully adorned with garlands! He had dressed Himself with the ‘Pitambara!' Thus Krishna appeared to Radha like the black lily flower stalk encircled by the green flower dust!

“Krishna looked handsome with his vibrating looks and beautiful face! He looked much interested in plays and fun! He appeared like a lake in ‘ Sarathkala' in which dark sparrow couples played in between the lotus blossoms!”

“Radha witnessed Muralmohana with ear studs that matched the dazzling rays of the Sun! His delicate lips sported a bewitching smile that foretold His intense desire for conjugal bliss!”

“Radha saw before her, lotus eyed  Krishna who resembled the cloud with interspace brightened by the cool rays of the moon! Krishna with His pure sandal paste mark shone like the moon that rose from darkness!”

“Radha witnessed Krishna whose hair straghtened up and who appeared a little jaded on account of His conjugal bliss! He was extremely handsome on account of various adornments like garlands of precious stones and others!!”

“ O Devotees! Fix Krishna, the Lord of all worlds in your hearts, the One described by poet Jayadeva! He is the repository of all prosperity, heavy with innumerable adornments, and the greatest outcome of all our holy deeds! Worship and pay obeisance to Him!”

“Witnessing her darling Krishna in this manner, Radha was overwhelmed with emotion and joy even as tears rolled down her cheeks in a flood! Radha's maids left the bush cottage. Krishna sported a false smile on His face and approached the flower couch indicating His desire for the conjugal act! Looking at the face of Krishna, Radha biushed!”

Radha  looked at Krishna with a desire for conjugal union. Krishna took her into His warm embrace again and again and tickled her and said, O Radha! It appears that your hard and taut breasts have pierced my back and come out!” So saying, Krishna turned left and was overwhelmed with feelings of Sringara rasa!”

21st ASHTAPADI--JAYADEVA

 The pangs of separation between Radha and Krishna are now over! Radha has described in detail how she suffered in the absence of Krishna. She has become almost mad and considered herself as dead! She had searched for Krishna in all directions but in vain! Her torment had redoubled when her maid narrated to her the fun that Krishna had elsewhere! Again and again she thought about Krishna and somehow satisfied herself. She went to the rendezvous and was disappointed as Krishna didn’t appear! All these troubles and disappointment are now things of the past! Krishna has also suffered enough! He felt guilty in making Radha suffer! Now the time is ripe for the union of the Divine couple! Extremely delighted at the oncoming union of Radha and Madhava, her maid suggests how she should approach Krishna and what she should do! Jayadeva, in this ASHTAPADI, makes the maid address Radha in the following words! 

“ O Radha! With garlands of pearls dangling over your big breasts, enjoy and play with Krishna in the great  cottage where a new bed has been prepared with the petals of Asoka tree!”

“ With delicate body like the freshly blossomed flower, O Radha! Have fun and play with Madhusudana at the bush cottage in the inner chamber decked with flowers!”

O Radha! Blessed with the music of intoxicated bees, play with your black Krishna in the cottage cooled by the gentle breeze”—'Malaya marutha'

 “O Radha! You have the purest, bright and sparkling teeth! In this season of Vasantha or Spring, the cottage is reverberating with the sound of moving cuckoos!  Play and enjoy yourself with Madana Gopala!”

“O Radha! Endowed with big breasts and buttacks, enjoy yourself  in this bush cottage dense with varieties of creepers and tender shoots!”

“ O Radha! Egged on by the force of the arrows of Manmatha, you are anxious for union with Krishna!  Enjoy and play with Krishna in the cottage filled with the buzzing of the bees that are happy in drinking the honey!”

“ O Radha! Even as poet Jayadeva, happy in association with Padmavati Devi, sings this song, please approach Madhava and enjoy yourself!” 

“ O Radha! Krishna has waited for you for long and thinks about you! He is very much tired and anxious to drink deep the nectar of your lips! Adorn His thighs for a while! Krishna is capable of granting wealth and all prosperity by the movement of His eyebrows to His devotees that worship His feet! Why are you afraid of Him?”

Thus with trepidation and joy, immersed in the thought of Krishna with the sound of ringing anklets, Radha entered the cottage for union and play with Krishna!

TWENTIETH ASHTAPADI---JAYADEVA

 The words of Radha and her pathetic state move the heart of Krishna and He decides to meet Radha. Krishna has now adorned himself suitably and has pleased her by His delectable talk. He is now engaged in arranging the flowery bed at the bush cottage! In the meantime, a beautiful maid with adornments addresses Radha in the evening!

“O Radha! Krishna is making amorous advances towards you and speaking with affection! He is now prostrating at your feet! Act according to His will even as he is engaged in arranging the bed of flowers! He has taken refuge in you!”

“O Radha! Walk steadily with your heavy buttocks and breasts and the resounding diamond studded anklets! Follow the royal gait of the Swan! Enjoy Krishna’s conjugal bliss!”

“O Radha! Hear the fine and mellifluous and bewitching music of the bees! Fix your mind on group of cuckoos that praise you under the mandate of Manmatha!”

“O Radha! The creepers are dancing in the wind as if they are instigated by the tender and delicate hands of leaves! Your movement shouldn't be late even for a second!”

“O Radha! Enquire about your breasts that move like the waves of Manmatha and those had the Fortune of Sri Hari's embrace!”

“O Radha! This body of yours is ready for the conjugal bliss with Krishna! It is now clear for all your maids! O angry Radha! Reach Krishna with the loud sound of your waist belt and with love and affection! Cast away all your modesty before Krishna!”

“O Radha!  Proceed like the flower arrows of Madana! Inform the nature of your gait through the sound of your clanging Bangles!”

“This ASHTAPADI, composed by poet Jayadeva mocks at the garland of pearls, shall always remain in the neck of the devotees who have fixed Krishna in their hearts!”