f.12

An illustration of the first verse of the third song of the Sanskrit devotional poem Gita Govinda (‘Song of the Cowherd’) by Jayadeva.

ललितलवङ्गलतापरिशीलनकोमलमलयसमीरे॥
मधुकरनिकरकरम्बितकोकिलकूजितकुञ्जकुटीरे॥१॥
विहरतिहरिरिहसरसवसन्ते॥ नृत्यतियुवतिजनेन समम् सखि विरहिजनस्यदुरन्ते ॥धृवम्॥

'Soft sandal mountain winds caress quivering vines of clove. Forest huts hum with droning bees and crying cuckoos.
When spring’s mood is rich, Hari [Krishna] roams here to dance with young women. A cruel time for deserted lovers, my friend. 1'

Out in the forest, enjoying the spring breezes, Krishna is seen first accepting paan from a beautiful young woman then dancing joyfully with another. The lovelorn Radha spies on him and faints at the sight. At the centre, peeping out of the bushes, is the poet Jayadeva who hold his finger to his mouth, originally an Iranian artistic convention denoting an emotional reaction.

For further information on this series of paintings see RCIN 1005114.

Translation adapted from Barbara Stoller Miller, Jayadeva’s Gitagovinda (1978).