Jayadeva Ashtapadhi

Shri Jayadeva takes the pride of place in every Sampradaya Bhajan in view of the im­portance of his Gita Govinda Kavya which either in full or in parts occupies a central place in every Bhajan or Utsavam.

Jayadeva was born in 1175 AD in a Brahmin family in Kenduli Sasan in the Prachi val­ley, Khurda district in Orissa. Kenduli Sasan is a village near the famous temple city of Puri Jayadeva was born to Kamalabai and Narayana Sastri, a very pious Brahmin couple after Lord Krishna appeared in Sastri’s dream and promised him a great son.  Jayadeva was very devoted to Shri Krishna from his childhood and learnt the scrip­tures at a very young age. He was incessantly lost in prayers of Shri Krishna. His parents left for Vanaprastha
after sometime and Jayadeva led a nomadic life.

 One day, he had a divine visualization and went into an ecstatic state. In his divine vision, he saw the Yamuna River flowing through four Blue Mountains. Beside the river bank, under a tree, Lord Shri Krishna was playing his flute delightfully. The vision of Krishna and His music enthralled Jayadeva so much that he composed a Shloka extempore.  This gave birth to the famous epic, ‘Gita Govinda’. Jayadeva described Shriman Na­rayana’s Dasha Avataar in his first Ashtapadi ‘Jaya Jagadeesha Hare!’. He had a vi­sualisation of these ten avatars and was in a trance as he witnessed the vast ocean, which depicted the presence of God in His vast creation. Later, he went to Jagannath Puri Temple with his friend Parasara and spent all his time in prayer, meditation and chanting the name of the Lord.

 Deva Sharma, a Brahmin in Puri, offered his daughter Padmavati to Jayadeva as his life partner. Initially Jayadeva refused as he was leading the life of Sanyasi and said he was unfit to be a householder. But Deva Sharma persuaded Jayadeva as it was Lord Jagannath’s order and he could not go against it.  Jayadeva married Padmavati and came back to his village Kendybilva and they lived happily there and prayed to Radha Madhav in their house regularly. Many miracu­lous incidents are reported to have occurred during the composition including the visit of Lord Krishna himself to make a correction in one of his poems.  After sometime, Jayadeva went on a pilgrimage. King Lakshmana Sena adopted him as his Guru. Later, Padmavati joined Jayadeva, and the King was surprised to learn that his Guru was a Grihastha. Jayadeva explained to the King that one can be a Sanyasin even as a Grihastha if one performs one’s duties without attachment to the fruits. Jayadeva’s life is an
example to the world that God realisation can be had even as a Grihastha.

 After some time Jayadeva came back to his village and while residing here, he composed his famous “Gita Govinda”.  The Gita Govinda comprising of Sanskrit songs and poems describes Shri Krishna’s eternal love and courtship of Radha. With lucid and tender lyrics, the Gita Govinda explored many aspects of love and passion. He was deeply involved in his songs and sang them wholeheartedly. These songs are sung before Lord Jagannath during the annual festival even to this day. Jayadeva had taken a vow that he would take bath in the Ganga till the end of his life. In his old age when he became infirm Ganga herself appeared with lotus flowers in the well of
Jayadeva’s house. Jayadeva attained the Lotus feet of Lord Shri Krishna in 1245
AD. His name remains immortal wherever Sampradaya Bhajan is sung.

His works includes,

1.      Gita Govindam, a magnumopus of musical extravaganza comprising of several songs and shlokas depicting the divine love between Radha and Madhav 

2.      Dasakritikrite, a poetic description of the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu