Life is felt worthless only due to the lack of bhakthi. Any amount of rebirth will not wean away bhakthi. He just prayed so that he may get that kind of bhakthi and for nothing else. Padmavathi, when she realized that bhagavan had come was also wonderstruck. But she did not feel too great about that, why because Jayadevar and herself were not there at that time when she only had the darshan of the bhagavan. Thinking thus tears flowed down her face. Jayadevar also was still expecting Sri Krishna would come.
All Ashtapathis are happening as their natyam (abhinayam) only. On one occasion, the Gita Govindam disappeared. Their bhakthi was solitary and nobody would enter into the Nikuncham and nobody was invited even. Only Padmavathi and Jayadevar existed in it. Jayadevar would play the veena and padmavathi would dance the radha bhavam. Leelais were easily danced as abhinayams, why even Raasa leelai. But Radha Viraha thapam, how abhinayam could be done about extolling this? This is an experience isn't it. Experience cannot be expressed in dance so easily. That feeling has to experienced in oneself, only if viraham comes to oneself then the abhinayam could be performed. As the Viraha thApa Ashtapathi was sung by Jayadevar, Padmavathi was still and could not dance, why because Padmavathi had to become that Radha, then only that viraham will come and only then she can be Radha.
nindati chandanam indukiraNam
anu vindati khedam adhIram
vyAla-nilaya-milanena garalam iva
kalayati malaya-samIram
sA virahe tava dInA
mAdhava manasija-vishikha-bhayAd iva
bhavad-avanayA tvayi InA
sA virahe tava dInA
Padmavathi standing still thinks how she can do the viraha thApa, it is possible only on separation from Sri Krishna. Her bhagavan is now sitting before her and how can she. Jayadevar asks padmavathi to dance and padmavathi replies, how, how is it possible. Jayadevar says now, "If this is too much, have the bhavam in your mind. In your mind have the bhavam of Radha".
shrI-jayadeva-bhaNitam idam adhikaM
yadi manasA naTaNIyam
hari-viraha-kula-ballava-yuvati
sakhI-vachanaM paThanIyam
sA virahe tava dInA
On meditating upon Radha, padmavathi got the bhavam of Radha. Becoming Radha thus, padmavathi, searching for Sri Krishna cries and cries. Jayadevar seeing this, keeps the veena down becomes a sakhi and says, "Radhe! Krishna will come, you should not grieve like this" and saying thus, he wipes away the tears from Padmavathis eyes. Jayadevar cries, Padmavathi cries and the environment is like that of the Sakhis and Krishna in that feeling he turns and suddenly there is a bright light. It looks as if the swing is rocking. In that swing, Sri Krishna is sitting in the divya roopam with Sri Radha. When Jayadevar and padmavathi saw this divya darshanam, they immediately fell at the feet of the bhagavan and were overjoyed and danced with happiness with Sri Krishna.
The bhagavan sri krishna threw his vaijayanthi mala around Jayadevar and Radha garlanded Padmavathi with her mala and all through the night they had the divya darshanam of the bhagavan bathed in the divine. Blessing Sri Jayadevar and Padmavathi with this joy forever, the bhagavan disappeared. Be in bhakthi and perform this always was the only wish the bhagavan gave Jayadevar and Padmavathi. What else would one wish for more than this. There is no bigger present than this.
Jayadevar was gratified with the Krishna darshanam. Singing the divine Gita Govindam, the couple lived happily. They were singing very well. They even taught this to some children. The children would then go to their homes and sing this as well as in the temples. Some pandits listened to this. What a great poem, why this is not coming out, they thought, just like a shadow being cast on the forest. If it did come out many rasikas would be happier and enjoy them, wouldn't they? So they thought that they will call upon Jayadevar and honor him at the kings court. Thinking thus, they came to Jayadevar and put forth their idea. Immediately Jayadevar said, "I did this only for Hari preethi and not for Nara preethi. What am I going to do when many people listen to this?" ok, they replied "if that's the case, you don't have to come to the kings court, why then don't you sing in Sri Jagannathars court?" Jayadevar definitely will accept this, why because the whole of Ashtapathi is on Jagannathar.
1st Ashtapathi itself is "jaya jagad-Isha hare". Jayadevar has kept this in the heart, the nama of bhagavan Sri Jagannathar. This poem dedicated to Sri Krishna as Krishnaarpanam, in the beginning itself its bhagavan Sri Jagannathar's name. The Ashtapathi songs were then accepted to be sung at bhagavan Sri Jagannathar temple by Jayadevar. Even today in the Puri Jagannathar temple, in the early morning suprabhatham hours, Gita Govindam is the daily suprabhataham.
The bhagavan was beaming with happiness on hearing this as well as the bhakthas. All were happy. Gita Govindam now became very famous. Someone in this country went to the king and told him about this. The name of the king then was Lakshmanasena. He thought, "such a famous poet as this has to definitely grace our court. Who is this poet? All poets in this country have become asthana vidwans and have been bestowed upon with gifts, why not this poet?"
1st Ashtapathi itself is "jaya jagad-Isha hare". Jayadevar has kept this in the heart, the nama of bhagavan Sri Jagannathar. This poem dedicated to Sri Krishna as Krishnaarpanam, in the beginning itself its bhagavan Sri Jagannathar's name. The Ashtapathi songs were then accepted to be sung at bhagavan Sri Jagannathar temple by Jayadevar. Even today in the Puri Jagannathar temple, in the early morning suprabhatham hours, Gita Govindam is the daily suprabhataham.
pralaya-payodhijale dhR^itavAn asi vedaM
vihita-vahitra-charitram akhedam
keshava dhR^ita-mIna-sharIra
jaya jagadIsha hare
Gopala Krishna jaya jagadIsha hare
The bhagavan was beaming with happiness on hearing this as well as the bhakthas. All were happy. Gita Govindam now became very famous. Someone in this country went to the king and told him about this. The name of the king then was Lakshmanasena. He thought, "such a famous poet as this has to definitely grace our court. Who is this poet? All poets in this country have become asthana vidwans and have been bestowed upon with gifts, why not this poet?"
But when an invitation was sent to Jayadevar, Jayadevar said he would not come. The king was not pleased. He wanted a competition to the Gita Govindam to prove its might and also to see whether the Gita Govindam is really the best. Normally if a famous person such as the king brought out a poem or something, it would become famous since its been propagated by a famous person and everyone would proclaim. The king wanted to bring about this so Jayadevar's poem would get less attention and become dull in the wake of a new poem. But Jayadevar was not at all worried about that.
The king wrote a big poem, invited all the pandits to review it and everyone said its very good, after all, when written by the king it ought to be good. But when the pandits were asked about how it compared with the Gita Govindam, they said this could not as the Gita Govindam was unsurpassed and matchless in its divinity. They replied, "Hey Maharaj! Your poem does not even compare, just 1:100 with the Gita Govindam, which is a poem for a lifetime. Gita Govindam is unique". There can be no discrimination or bedham when compared with the Gita Govindam. Between pandits, there will only be asUye.
But when talked about Gita Govindam they can say only with yaThArtHam without any discrimination. Jayadevar's Gita Govindam is a divya kavyam, divine poem. Jayadevar is no ordinary poet among us, he is divinity personified. The king then replied, "Well. We can then setup a test by keeping my poem and Jayadevar's poem at the feet of bhagavan Sri Jagannathar in the temple and let the bhagavan decide whose poem is better and which is far more superior. Sri Jayadevar however was in no way connected with all this and neither interested in the outcome nor even aware of this.
The pandits as instructed by the king went to the sannadhi of bhagavan Sri Jagannathar and kept the poems at the feet of the bhagavan, closed the temple doors for the night and came back. Guards were posted to look after the temple for this contest. Next day morning at the Suprabhatham time, "Uthishtothishta Govinda uthishta garudadhwaja Uthishta kamalakantha trilokyam mangalam kuru - "Sri Govinda! All the three worlds are under your rule; they have to prosper. Wake up, my child.", with all the musical ghoshas playing, bells ringing, the door to the sanctum sanctorum was opened and all were extremely interested to see the outcome of this contest. As we behold the bhagavan in all its magnificence 'Shrivatshankam udara-kaustubha-dharam pitambaram sundaram", 'sreejaydeva bhaNitham idham adhbutha kesave keli rahasyam'...Everyone present there was surprised and the king had tears in his eyes, not out of sadness that his poem was not accepted but out of happiness that the bhagavan had graced him. Just a lie, even that if it is said with the word Krishna is enough, to have the bhagavan's grace, such is its greatness. Your kavyam is sudHam. Jayadevar consoled the king telling him thus, "Only God did not accept it, but I will accept it, how, I will accept your poem as equal to my own". In Vedam, there is no distinction, we can't and we shouldn't and we can't even. How can Vedam have inclusions, in a manifested Vedic Gita Govindam, Jayadevar added the kings poems and made it a Mahakaviyam. Such a magnanimous mind must be there. Even today when the bhagavathars are singing the Gita Govindam slokas, the bhagavan is listening equally.
Gita Govindam became famous.
The children of that place now started learning ashtapathis. One poor girl was learning ashtapathi from Padmavathi. The girl had a job to do, selling vegetables in the morning and jasmine flowers in the evening. She would do that job well and also learn ashtapathi from Padmavathi. Its now evening, vasanthakalam, the girl is plucking lots of jasmine flowers putting it into a beautiful flower basket. Now as she is plucking the flowers from the bushes and being closely associated with Padmavathi she already had the bhAvam in her heart. Immediately she started singing ashtapathis....
lalita-lava~Nga-latA-parishIlana-komala-malaya-samIre
madhukara-nikara-karambita-kokila-kUjita-ku~nja-kuTIre
viharati harir iha sarasa-vasante
nR^ityati yuvatI-janena samaM sakhi virahi-janasya durante
She is dancing and singing ashtapathis as she is plucking the flowers, bhagavan Sri Jagannathar and Kannan are there now, listening. Wherever we sing in that place, the bhagavan is there, but the right to see we don't have, that's all. But just because we don't have it, we should not think the bhagavan is not there. Where Ramayanam is read, Sri Hanuman will definitely be there "yatra yatra raGhunAtha keerthanam tatra tatra krta mastakAnjalim". We should not say, we can't see. We don't have the bhakthi to see.
Where Gita Govindam is sung, definitely Sri Krishna will be there. Why is the bhagavan there, not because we are singing...Jayadeva...is being mentioned in the song and to listen to that. That's why the Gita Govindam has to be sung with bhakthi, thinking of the bhagavan it should be sung with bhakthi. This girl did not know the presence of Sri Krishna. Finished plucking flowers, the girl is about to leave as well as the bhagavan, but the bhagavan felt that he should give a gift to the girl.
Immediately, the bhagavan removed his ring from his finger and put that inside the flower basket and then disappeared. When the girl now started off selling the flowers and calling out to people to buy the flowers, the minister standing outside his house heard her and started to ask her how are the flowers and how much they cost. He put his hands inside the basket and as he took the flowers to examine them, a shiny ring fell out of that. He asked the girl, "what's the price of this ring, whose ring is this? where did you get this ring? The girl was surprised and asked, "what, was this ring in this basket?
Yes, it came from this basket. You only brought this. But the girl insisted, "I did not bring it, I did not". But the Minister further probed asking, "Where from did you steal this?". Krishna! The girl screamed, "I don't know, sir. I did not steal this". Where did you get this then? Was it from your home? No. Then whence from did it come? Did anybody give you this? No. Which houses did you visit, before coming here? The girl replied, "I have just come straight from the garden. Did not visit any house except yours being the first one". The Minister asked, "Where did this basket come from?" and the girl replied, "It's from my home". Then the Minister took the girl straight to the king and told the king that this girl has this ring and please enquire. Then the Minister left.
The king then interrogated the girl and the girl was terrified and crying. The king thought, the girls heart is clean and she is in truth terrified and she must be innocent. There is no wrong done by the girl. Also the one who has lost such a magnificent ring, would he stay silent, he would definitely come and complain to the king that this has been stolen, the king thought, so until then let the girl be in held and kept her in custody. The girl was crying for what, whether to go home or for the ring found in the basket. No she was crying as she could not see Padmavathi. The king was perplexed not knowing what to do. He thought, I cannot unjustly punish the girl, the owner of the ring has not come to claim it. Worrying, the king slept for the night.
At night, in his dream the owner of the ring came and said. "The girl is innocent, she has not done anything unjust. Free her!" The girl sang Gita Govindam, therefore we have given her the ring as a present. "Wherever Gita Govindam is sung, there I will be present dancing", the bhagavan said. "The poem of Jayadevar tantalizes my mind. Therefore O! king! Daily in the temple, celebrate me with the song of Gita Govindam. To make you aware of the mahimai of the Gita Govindam, this leelai has been performed". Telling thus, the bhagavan disappeared. Then the dream was over.
Morning came and the King immediately released the girl. The girl immediately ran to Jayadevar's house and told padmavathi, "You taught me ashtapathi, see here I have been gifted a ring". Padmavathi took the ring, saw it and pressed it to her eyes and said, "the bhagavan is bhakthavatsala, you have sung and being happy with your ashtapathi, the bhagavan has gifted you this". If the bhagavan is pleased, what you won't get. We don't know what more you are going to get. While she was saying thus, the king appeared. Coming towards Jayadevar, the king said, "Swami, your Gita Govindam must be sung in the temple, this is the order of the bhagavan.
You should please accept this kainkaryam". Jayadevar would have liked to very much do the kainkaryam, but still he was a person who desired freedom and could not be forced into. Rasikas generally wont like to forced to do something. So Jayadevar said, "One of my pupils will sing ashtapathis very well, why don't you get him and the girl who received the ring be married, daily their work has to be nominated to sing at the bhagavan Sri Jagannathar sannidhi singing ashtapathis. While they are singing, give them daily living a place to stay". The king liked this idea very much and immediately accepted it.
Jayadevar mahatmiyam as well as Gita Govindam mahatmiyam both are coming in conjunction with each other. Gita Govindam is sung in every kshetram. The Ashtapathis are sung in Badrikashramam, Tiruvananthapuram, Guruvayur, Jaganathan (Need no telling). In Tamil Nadu in every village and that too during the month of Marghazhi, ashtapathis are sung and also in each and every radha kalyanams being performed.
Even in Brindavanam there is not so much radhakalyanam as being celebrated in Tamil Nadu. How many Radha Kalyanams are being performed by so many bhakthas in Tamil Nadu, needless to say its unimaginable, over time immemorial. Such a melodious paddhathi shown (although jayadevar sang them), was brought as the treasure to the bhagavathas and all of us only by Marudanallur Sadguru Swamigal, he was the one who gave us the Gita Govindam. Gita Govindam if sang by itself is a Radha Kalyanam. There is no need to perform a Kalyanamam itself as a kriya. It's being done still due to the bhagavathars desire, even if its done as a bhagavathar sampradayam. Gita Govindam singing itself is a Radha Kalyanam. Radha Kalyanam itself is a loka kalyanam, mangalam for everyone, this perumai is Jayadevars Perumai.
When listening to Bhaktha charithram, only then bhakthi is growing more within us.
When listening to Bhaktha charithram, only then bhakthi is growing more within us.
