Gitagovinda of Jayadeva: Love Song of the Dark Lord

Jayadeva's dramatic lyrical poem Gitagovinda is a unique work in Indian Literature and a source of inspiration in both medieval and contemporary Vaisnavism. It concentrates on Krsna's love with the Cowherdess Radha. Intense earthly passion is the example Jayadeva uses to express the complexities of divine and human love. It describes the loves of Krsna and Radha in twelve cantos containing twenty-four songs. The songs are sung by Krsna or Radha or by Radha's maid and are connected by brief narrative or descriptive passages. The appropriate musical mode and rhythm for each song are noted in the text. This poem is really a king of drama, of the ragkavya type, since it is usually acted.