>Abhimanyu 01a at 22:37, 9 March 2021

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{{Hinduism}}
'''Govindadasa''' (1535–1613, {{lang-bn|<big>গোবিন্দদাস</big>}}) was a [[Bengali language|Bengali]] [[Vaishnava]] poet known for his body of devotional songs addressed to [[Krishna]]. Living in an atmosphere of Krishna-bhakti preached by [[Sri Chaitanya]] (1486–1533), he composed extensively on the [[Radha]]-Krishna love legend. He is also known as '''Govindadasa Kaviraja'''.

==Life==
Govindadasa came from a [[Baidya]] family. The younger son of Chiranjeeva and Sunanda, Govindadasa was born in his mother's ancestral home in [[Srikhanda]], a village in [[Bardhaman district]] which was one of the centers of [[Gaudiya Vaishnavism]]. His grandfather (Sunanda's father) [[Damodar Sen]] was also a poet, the author of ''[[Sangit Damodar]]''.
His brother [[Ramachandra Kaviraja|Ramachandra]] was a noted philosopher-poet. After the death of his father, [[Ramachandra Sen|Ramachandra]] went to live in Srikhanda with his maternal grandfather, Damodar Sen, who was a disciple of [[Narahari Sarkar]]. Later, for a short duration, Ramchandra along with his younger brother Govindadasa went to live in the village of [[Telia Budhuri]] (now [[Bhagawangola]]) in [[Murshidabad district]],<ref name=bp>{{cite book |last=Ahmed |first=Wakil |year=2012 |chapter=Govindadas Kaviraj |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Govindadas_Kaviraj |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref> district. This place has the distinction of being his Shripat.

According to the [[Chaitanya Charitamrita]], in his early life, Govindadasa was at a [[shakta]], a worshiper of the goddess [[Shakti]], ([[Durga]]/ [[Kali]]).<ref>[[Chaitanya Charitamrita]], Adi lila 10:78-79, cited at [http://www.harekrsna.com/philosophy/gss/sastra/literature/texts/govinda.htm harekrishna.com]</ref> He and his brother Ramchandra were both initiated into [[Vaishnavism]] by [[Srinivasa Acharya]].

==Poetry==
Govindadas is one of the leading poets of the [[Vaishnava Padavali]] movement, a flowering of [[Bengali language|Bengali]] poetry from the 14th to 17th centuries, based on the Radha-Krishna legend. The Padavalis reflects an earthy view of divine love that, starting in South India, spread rapidly as part of the [[Bhakti]] movement. The literary movement was also marked by a shift from the classical language of [[Sanskrit]], to the local languages ([[Apabhramsha]]) or derivatives, e.g. the literary language of [[Brajabuli]]. Starting in the 14th century with [[Chandidas]] (1339-1399),<ref>banglapedia:chandidas</ref> the ''Padavali'' poets included Govindadas, [[Jnanadas]], [[Maladhar Basu]], [[Sheikh Faizullah]], [[Syed Sultan]], Balaram Das, Lochan Das, Basudev Ghosh, [[Murari Gupta]], and Narahari Das. The movement flowered in the 16th century with poets like he also wrote poems in the Brajabuli literary canon influenced by Vidyapati, and is often called "the second Vidyapati".

More than others in the movement, Govindadas was influenced by the work of [[Maithali]] poet [[Vidyapati]], and he travelled to Vidyapati's village of Bishphi in [[Madhubani, India|Madhubani]] to collect his works.

His poetic oeuvre is preserved in two texts, the ''Sangita-Madhava'' (songs of Krishna) and ''Gitamrta'' (nectar songs).
His poems reflect a focus on the lovers' trysts, their anxiousness, and Radha's unhappiness, particularly at Krishna's wanton ways.
The poem ''Shyam Abhisare Chalu Binodini Radha'' (the lover Radha
goes to meet Krishna) talks of how Radha comes to the woods to meet Krishna; when at last they find each other, each gazes on the other and their hair bristles with excitement. In ''rasabatI Radha rasamaya kAnhA'', the lovers fight and exchange angry words, but it all ends in an embrace. Quite often, Govindadas will enter the scene himself, and directly address one of the characters, as part of the vanity (''bhanita'') line at the end, a traditional line introducing the name of the poet.

His poetry influenced many future generations. In 1884, [[Rabindranath Tagore]] composed the opera ''Bhanusimher PadavalI'' in this genre. Writing under the disguise of an unknown 17th-century bhakti poet, Tagore also included a song by Govindadas ''sundari radhe Aoye bani'' (beautiful Radha comes to the forest), which he set to music.<ref>{{cite book |last=Chakrobarty |first=Mridul Kanti |year=2012 |chapter=Music |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Music |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref> Govindadas continues to be popular today, and his songs are regularly sung as [[kirtan]]s, especially among Vaishanavas.

Govindadasa's poetry has been translated into English by Arun Biswas, [[Denise Levertov]], and others. Here is a poem on Radha's anguish, where Govindadas personally enters the fray with some (not very sympathetic) advice for Radha:
: The marks of fingernails are on your breast
: and my heart burns.
: Kohl of someone's eyes upon your lips
: darkens my face.
: I am awake all night
: your eyes are red.
: So why do you entreat me, Kaan,
: saying that you and I have but one heart?...
: Go home, then,
:     says GovindadAsa. - trans. Edward C Dimock and Denise Levertov, ''In praise of Krishna''.<ref>Dimock, Edward C.; [[Denise Levertov]] (trans.);
In Praise of Krishna: Songs from the Bengali, 1967. Read the whole poem (and other excerpts):
[http://www.cse.iitk.ac.in/~amit/books/dimock-1967-in-praise-of.html#fingernails "The marks of fingernails"]</ref>

Govinda Das is also the author of the play ''sangIt sAdhak''.

He was listed as a ''kavirAj'' (''kavi''=poet; ''rAj'' = king) by [[Jiva Gosvami]].<ref>[[Chaitanya Charitamrita]], Adi lila 12:51</ref>

Another poet by the name of Govindadasa from the 18th century is associated with one of the [[mangalkavya]]s of Bengal, ''kalikAmangala'' of Govindadasa - a devotional song seeking blessings of the goddess. This is a later (18th century) work, showing the influence of [[Bharatchandra]]'s ''Annadamangal''.

==See also==
* [[Middle Bengali literature]]
* [[Chaitanya Mahaprabhu]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Bengali male poets]]
[[Category:Bengali Hindus]]
[[Category:Bengali people]]
[[Category:1535 births]]
[[Category:1613 deaths]]

Govindadasa - Revision history

>Abhimanyu 01a at 22:37, 9 March 2021