Erotism in 'Geeta Govinda'

EROTISM IN ‘GEETA GOVINDA’

D. V. S. R. MURTY
Government Arts College, Rajahmundry

Jayadeva’s sage-mind and artistic heart have blended to make Geeta Govinda an erotic work of the highest order that will be cherished in the minds of all people of all times. Indeed, it is a unique work of art, for it is a full-bloomed lotus in the pond of erotic literature. Erotism has a more fascinating felicity and delight than all other sentiments (Rasa). It originates in the desire for sensual pleasures and strikes a high note if it is between a noble and a virtuous hero and heroine. Jayadeva has chosen Radha and Krishna for his poem, Geeta Govinda, which deals with their ecstatic love. He welcomes the reader to go through the poem if he likes to pray God Vishnu and know the art of love. He also avows that his poem is sweeter than honey without the grainy hardness of sugar and softer and more delicious than a young lady’s lips.

Erotism

The erotic sentiment is classified into love-in-separation (Vipralambha Sringara) and love-in-consummation (Sambhoga Sringara). Geeta Govinda embodies both kinds. Jayadeva suggests the whole theme and atmosphere of the poem superbly in the first stanza itself. The stanza tells that the sky is crowded with clouds. The woods have become pitch dark on account of Kanugu (black) trees. Krishna fears darkness unnecessarily. So Nanda entrusts Krishna to the care of Radha asking her to bring him home early:

“Meghairmeduramambaram Vanabhuvassyamaastamaladrumaik,
Naktam Bhirurayam twamewa ta dimam Radha! gruham prapaya.”

The poem begins with love-in-separation, for Radha and Krishna are away from each other. He suggests also that there is love-in-consummation at the end, for Radha and Krishna begin to roam happily on the bank of Yamuna entering the bowers to make love:

“Yiththam Nandanidesata schalitayoh Pratyadhvakunjadrumam
Radhaamaadhavayor jayanti Yamunaakule rahah kelayah.”

The entire theme and atmosphere of the poem is placed before the reader in an epic way. He paints the entire canvas with dark colour. The sky is black with dark clouds. The woods have become dark with Kanugu trees. It is night. Yamuna which flows there is also dark. The atmosphere is most propitious for lovers. Jayadeva suggests with the symbol of darkness the erotic atmosphere of the poem in the first stanza. The erotic atmosphere rouses desire in the mind of Radha. It is spring season also.

Spring (Vasanta)

Jayadeva has vividly portrayed the spring season that makes people erotic. The whole earth blooms with joy and happiness. Nature has beautified the mother earth. The jesamines have been spreading the pollen in the air. The breeze is flooded with the fragrance of Gedangi flowers. The gentle breeze from Malaya mountain is like the life force of Cupid. The people cannot but think of their lovers now. Jayadeva superbly lets us the intensity of erotism by avowing that the travellers have also become victims of it and have been enjoying the embraces when they felt the union with their lovers, when the black bumble-bees have been sucking honey and when the cuckoos have been melodiously singing:

Neyante padhikaih katham kathamapi dhyaanaavadhaanakshana
Praaptapraanasamaana maagamarasollasai rami vaasaraah.

Radha’s Desire (Purvaraga)

Radha desires to meet Krishna and it is called First Desire. Her maid fans her passion in that exciting atmosphere. Radha goes in search of him. She is taken awhen she finds Krishna sporting with Gopikas in Brindavan. Krishna winks at her and his flute falls down from his hands. The Gopikas disappear soon from the place. But Radha becomes angry with him and turns . She is much distressed by envy.

Radha’s amour with Krishna

Envy leads her to the ten states of love in First Desire. She finds him first. She thinks of his faithlessness and feels sorry. She becomes, then, sleepless. She begins to dislike all things and becomes shameless. She suffers from delirium and about to become unconscious. The final stage is death only.

Radha tells her maid about the sports (Rasacreeda) of Krishna cursing her mind that thinks of Krishna alone without minding his unfaithfulness.

She, then, narrated her maiden experience with Krishna as her lover. He drove all shyness from her with a few words and enchantingly made her speak to him soon. He began to take liberty with her slowly and removed the cloth from her waist. He made her lie on a bed of tender leaves and flowers. He pillowed upon her fair breasts for a long time. He showered kisses and embraces on her. In joy she closed her eyes half. Her body was completely drenched with sweat. Then Krishna became restless with passion. He examined the ways of making love when she uttered sweet sounds of joy. Her long locks of hair became loose. Krishna made love with her while the ornaments in her ankles produced gingling noise. Then she was helpless and motionless for a while on the bed. Now Radha wishes to have such experiences.

Krishna’s pangs

Krishna is equally afflicted with pangs of love. He leaves the Gopikas and searches for her but in vain. He enters into a bower and curses Cupid for he has been shooting at him arrows of tender mango shoots. He tells Cupid that he is already killed by love and it is not heroism if he kills a dead man. Then Radha’s maid comes to him to explain Radha’s plight. Her hair is standing on end. She has been making strange noises. She is weeping, trembling, and closing her eyes. She is also becoming unconscious:

Saa romaanchati sitkaroti vilaparyaakampate taamyati
Dhyayaryudbhramati pramelati pataryudyati moorcharyapi.

Finally she tells him that she has been suffering from love-fever. But Krishna asks her to send Radha there. She conveys the message of Krishna to Radha persuading her to go to him. But Radha is adamant. Her maid goes to Krishna to tell her helplesss state. In the absence of her maid Radha is subjected to baseless fears and doubts. She curses the moon who has been troubling her. She imagines that Krishna might be making love with some woman. She also indicts her maid that Krishna might have gratified her desire and so she is happy and has not been sympathising with her.

Krishna’s Visit

The night is spent in separation. In the morning Krishna comes to her but she rebukes him and rejects his love. Radha becomes more miserable. Her maid blames her. By evening her anger cools down. Krishna pays another visit and begs her favour. Then he enters into a bower. Radha puts on black clothes, wears ornaments and goes to meet him in the bower.

Love-in-Consummation (Sambhoga Sringara)

Krishna embraced her intensely. Radha began to show signs of passion and look at the bed of flowers. He requests her to occupy the bed and speak sweet words. Her breasts swelled and he removed the cloth from them. He asks her to make her pot like breasts rest on his chest. She shall resurrect him with the manna of her lips.

They begin to make love. When they embraced heartily their hair stood on end. When they looked at each other thoughtfully they began to close their eyes for a while. When they kissed they spoke love-stories. Then Krishna was tied by the hands ofRadha. The weight of her breasts troubled him. He was scratched. They exchanged love-bites. He was pulled down with his hair. But every act made him more Joyous.

Radha sat on his thigh but abruptly tried to defeat him in love-battle and started making love. Soon her waist became motionless. Her hands lost movements. Her heartbeat increased. She closed her eyes. There is no boldness in women. Her lipstic faded. The brightness of her jewels mixed with the luster of her breasts. Radha felt shy and covered her breasts with one hand and her waist with another. She looked at him lovely delighting him though she was upset by love.

Erotic Grandeur

How the flood-lights concentrate on erotism is unpredictable in Geeta Govinda. The erotic grandeur floods every corner and every stanza of the poem and simply leaves the reader in abounding surprises. The atmosphere is made propitious for erotism and the different kinds of love-making have been delicately portrayed. The sports of Krishna with Gopikas are handled in a masterly way. The Gopikas in Brindavan have been lifting up their hands on the pretext of fastening their loose locks of hair to show their breasts to Krishna. The travellers have been enjoying embraces in the erotic atmosphere when they felt union with their lovers. Even husbands and wives are no exception to the erotic influence. It is making them promiscuous. A man and a woman had a rendezvous and entered a bower in darkness. They embraced, kissed and exchanged love bites. They were soon excited and gratified their desires. They began to talk. Soon they knew that they were both husband and wife. In shyness they left the bower:

Aasleshaa danuchumbanaa danunakhollekhaa danuswantaja
Prodbodhaa danusambhramaa danurataarambhaa danupreetayoh
Anyardham gatayor bhramaan militayo sambhashanair janatoh
Dampatyo riha konu konu tamasi vridaa vimisro rasah?

Jayadeva alone can imagine such a situation.

Radha and Krishna made love in a bower all the night and their clothes got exchanged. Radha covered Krishna’s silken upper cloth and Krishna put on Radha’s black blanket. In the morning they came out. The maids of Radha burst into laughter. Radha becomes shy but Krishna smiles at her:

Pratar nilanichola machyuta murasamveeta pitambaram
Radhayaa schakitam vilokya hasati swairaa sakhimandale.

The reader can understand the shyness of Radha and the smile of Krishna and what has happened in the bower. Again there is a lake. The lotuses blossom in it. A swan is playing with them. But the lake is not an ordinary one but it is the lake of Radha’s heart and her breasts are lotuses. The swan is only Krishna who is playing with them. Indeed Jayadeva is master of erotism.

Radha and Krishna met in a bower. Krishna slowly drew her into his hands. He placed his chest on her breasts and embraced her intensely. Immediately he turned to find out whether her swelled, hard and pointed breasts broke his and came out:

Tungou tasya uroja vatanu varatanornirgatou
Masma bhutam prustam nirbhidya tasmaabhiriti valita grivam lokyantah.

What those embraces and what those meetings are Jayadeva alone comprehends completely as poet of erotism.

“Geeta Govinda” is a unique work in erotic literature. Moreover erotism of the divine beings like Radha and Krishna elevates the mind and sets an ideal love before the reader, i.e., prakriti together transports them to the highest bliss or Ananda. There will be no true union of hearts when the minds dominate. Radha’s anger and envy made her miserable. There is bliss when their hearts exulted in love. From times immemorial Man has been pursuing this bliss and Jayadeva shows us a way to enjoy and possess it.

If erotism is the food of life “Geeta Govinda” is manna to the literary world. Great isthe poet that has left us the poem which is an “Indian song of songs.”