Smitalay: Gita Govinda by Jhelum Paranjape
Cinematographer: Shaina Anand
Duration: 01:15:53; Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1; Hue: 8.058; Saturation: 0.222; Lightness: 0.147; Volume: 0.340; Cuts per Minute: 1.673; Words per Minute: 30.452
Summary: Mahari Award winning Odissi Dancer Jhelum Paranjape in an extended solo performance of Jayadeva's Epic 12th Century Poem, the 'Geet Gobind'. Here, she combines several of the Ashtapadi's as choreographed by her Guruji, Padmavibushan Kelucharan Mahapatra, and weaves them into a 90-minute long recital. This is a live recording of a one-off performance at the Nehru Centre, Worli, in 2005 and is the first of a series of Odissi dance videos that will be entering pad.ma soon.
In this particular case, the transcript layer borrows the transliteration and translation and some citations of the Geet Gobind from the book, 'Sacred and profane dimensions of love in Indian traditions, as exemplified in the Gitagovinda of Jayadeva" by Lee Siegel, published by OUP.
Then Ketaki Desai, a disciple of Jhelum Paranjape, watches the video along with Jhelum, engaging her in conversation. This is presented here as a kind of running commentary, similar to the 'directors' commentaries that come packaged as bonuses on DVDs.
A third layer, by a well known dance critic will be added shortly, along with keywords, unique to the dance form and the repertoire, using Pad.ma's time-based annotation features to explore the possibilities of archiving and writing across this particular performing art form.
Music
Nehru Centre
Mythology
Vishnu
Jhelum Paranjape's student Ketaki Desai spoke to her guru while they were watching this video of the former's solo performance of the 'Geet Gobind'. What follows are excerpts from their conversation:
(Jhelum Paranjape begins the performance with a prayer dance, lamps in hand.)
"This is a way to invoke God. Geet Gobind is about Lord Krishna. So I'm going to invoke him. but I'm not performing 'Dashavtar', which is about Lord Vishnu's ten avatars or forms. Krishna is one of Vishnu's incarnations. Instead, i will be doing 'Sritakamala'. That too, i haven't taken the entire Sritakamala, I have taken about two of the avatars, you will see next.
"This is in fourteen 'matras' so this is Triputa Tala, and i think the Raga is Mrishrakhamaj. Actually, here all the Ragas keep changing. The Sritakamala, that is taught to all the students is in Raga Mishrakhamaj. But in my performance here, that tala and the raga both keep changing."
Dashavtar
God
Prayer
Gita Govinda
Indian Classical Dance
Indian Classical Music
Jayadeva
Jhelum Paranjape
Krishna
Mardala
Odissi
Radha
Veena
abhinaya
hasta-mudra
(Geet Govinda - First Canto. Second Song)
Transcript:
Jaya Jaya Deva Hare...
Jaya..Jaya.. (x3)
Translation:
O Hari, may you be triumphant!
"Now I'm bowing down before God. This is invoking Krishna in the form of Lord Vishnu."
(Geet Govinda - First Canto. Second Song)
Transcript:
srita-kamala ...srita-kamala ...kuca-mandala (x6)
Dhrta-kundala (x3)
Kalita-lalita-vana-maala (x2)
Jaya Jaya Deva Hare...
Jaya..Jaya..
Jaya Jaya Deva Hare...
Translation:
You lay upon the roundness of Kamala's breasts, wore ear-rings, wore a fair forest garland! Victory! Victory! Oh God! Hari!
"Lord Vishnu, who is reclining on his beautiful consort's bosom."
Vishnu
Sheshnaga
Vishnu
"Here he is shown as reclining on Shesha naga."
"With his beautiful consort next to him, who he loves."
love
Jagannath
Kelucharan Mohapatra
embrace
"Now this is the position taken to indicate Lord Jagannath. Vishnu is Krishna and Vishnu is also Lord Jagannath.
Now this is Guruji's (Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra) Sanchari, where the woman is holding on to him as he stands behind her...."
"...And he is holding her bosom as he hugs her."
embrace
"'Makara kundala' means the shape of his earrings are like that of a crocodile.
Makara is similar to a crocodile."
earrings
Sanchari Bhav
Vishnu
garland
Krishna is called Vanamali. 'Vanamala' means a garland of different wild flowers. and he is called Vanamali as he wears that vanamala.
So here is shown flowers, indicated that they are soft and then a garland.
This is to show how those earrings sway. All this is basically describing Vishnu. That is not in the text, but it is shown in the dance. It is the Sanchari bhav. In the text it is simply mentioned that he is wearing the earrings. but you dont stop at that in dance.
Here you show the earrings, then describe them further, their movement, then you dance with the movement. So just like he is supposed to be reclining on his lady's bosom is said, thrice, each time it is indicated with a difference.
Vanamali
flowers
garland
Now the garland is shown around his neck,
garland
Jaya Jayadeva Hare mean 'Hail Oh Lord! and Jayadeva'
ashta-taala
flute
music
(Geet Govinda - First Canto. Second Song)
Transcript:
Kaliya-visa-dhara (x2)
(music)
Kaliya-visa-dhara-gajana(x2)
Jana-ranjana (x3)
Yadu-kula-nalina-dinesa
Jaya Jaya Deva Hare...
Jaya..Jaya..
Jaya Jaya Deva Hare...
Jaya..Jaya..
Jaya Jaya Deva Hare...
Translation:
O quell-er of venom bearing serpent Kaliya!,O delight-er of men, O Lord-of-day (sun) to the lotus which is the Yadu family! Victory! Victory! Oh God! Hari!
Kaliya
Yadu
fight
hero
snake
Kaliya visadhara means the venomous snake Kaliya. Kaliya has poisoned the waters of the lake, which the people would drink or the children would play in. Because of which people are dying. So Krishna Jumps into the lake, fights with Kaliya and kills him.
Kaliya here is shown ready for a fight with Krishna. Ready to strike Krishna.
Krishna is also shown prepared for Kaliya's attack. Kaliya gliding around Krishna preparing to strike.
Now Kaliya has been overpowered by Krishna You can see him struggle and finally, defeated.
This is Krishna striking Kaliya's head and celebrating his victory.
Jana Ranjana means everybody is happy and are celebrating.
celebration
defeat
victory
crown
peacock feather
prince
Krishna is the prince of the Yadu clan. And he is also a cowherd. So hasta mudra of the left hand indicates the cow or the bull.
Krishna is shown guiding the cattle and this is Lord krishna, with the flute in one hand and the mayura or peacock feather as a crown tucked in his hair.
flute
(Geet Govinda - First Canto. Second Song)
Transcript:
sri-jayadeva-kaver idam
Kurute-mudam
Mangala ujjwala-gitam
Jaya Jaya Deva Hare...(x3)
Madhura Geeta Govindum(x4)
Translation:
This splendid song of the poet Sri Jayadeva causes happiness and joy! Victory! Victory! Oh God! Hari!
As Jayadeva has written the Geet Gobind, at the end of every ashtapadi, he has mentioned ' that i have written this, so if you read this you will be happy, or if you read this, you will be wise etc.
ashtapadi
happiness
poet
This is showing Jayadeva writing the geet gobind. Then he closes the book, and keeps it at the feet of Lord Krishna as an offering. 'Mangal ujjwala geetam' means these words when sung, will bring happiness and brightness to everyone's life.
I have again taken Lord Jagganath's posture, and looked towards him, and bowed down to him.
So this is 'Hail Lord Jagganth, and then 'Hail Lord Krishna'.
Jagannath
happiness
offering
poet
'Madhura Geet Govindum' means the sweet and beautiful words of the Geet Gobind.
This part is a conclusion to the first performance.
Cupid
gopis
(music)
Narration: it is spring time, flowers are in full bloom, bees hovering over the flowers.
Birds singing happily. Cupid, the God of Love, has struck one and all, with his arrows. In this beautiful atmosphere, Krishna is dallying with the Gopis. They are dancing happily with him. Radha, wandering in the forest, sees this. She sees Krishna with the Gopis, and she thinks...remembers the time when Krishna was with her. But seeing him now, she is hurt and jealous. She goes away in anger. Krishna watches her go away, but he does not stop her. He is guilty. He is upset at himself for letting Radha see him. He begs Radha to come back to him.
Cupid
Love
backstage
gopis
love play
narration
J: Now i have just narrated and given a brief description of what i m about to perform next.
I almost always narrate impromptu. I feel like if i read out something, it does not sound natural enough and with as much meaning. I have been told by many people that they don't like that, There are some people who even enjoy this. Those who don't like it, say i should have it nicely written down and then i should read it out, or get someone else to read it. My father used to say, that when i narrate directly after performing it doesn't sound nice as i m panting a bit... (laughs) But i enjoy this way. I feel that is my style! (laughs)
K: But i was wondering, that after performing when you come backstage and you have to calmly come up with words and speak over the mic, and not just speak anything, but say clearly what is going to happen next so that the audience understands it, don't you find that difficult?
J: I am in the mood at the time, i have begun the performance and i know the flow of the story and i know understand the characters i m talking about. So i don't find that problematic.
Love
Spring
blossoms
flowers
love
passion
youth
(Geet Govinda - First Canto. Second Song)
Transcript:
Vasante vasanti-kusuma-sukumarair avayavair
Bhramantim kantare bahu-vihita-krsnausaranam
amandam kandarpa-jvara-janita-cintakulataya
Valad-bandham Radham sarasam idam uce saha-cari
Translation:
In spring, with limbs delicate like the 'vasanti' blossoms (a type of spring Jasmine), Radha wanders in the forest searching hard for Krishna. Intensely her distress increases with the mental confusion which is produced by the fever of Love; passionately a companion said this to Radha:
This is the sound of the cuckoo.
Love
passion
youth
J: In spring, when the branches laden with flowers bend and sway, Radha, is also like the soft new buds. So this is like an analogy between the blossoms and Radha, speaking about their freshness and newness, youth and beauty.
Love
analogy
beauty
passion
womanhood
youth
This is showing the young Radha holding the extension of the sari, that has been draped over her head.
Love
passion
womanhood
youth
Gopi
gopis
passion
where many women or gopis, are wandering through the forest,
And together, these many women are searching for Krishna.
Love
Cupid
Cupid's arrows are piercing through all of them, and passion is burning within their hearts and bodies...
desire
passion
...Which they cannot bear and that's why they are restless and anxious, as each wants to be with Krishna.
Love
Radha too is affected by this passion and is pinning for Krishna.
desire
passion
sakhi
And this is what she tells her sakhis or friends.
(Geet Govinda - First Canto. Third Song)
(music)
Transcript:
Lalita-lavanga-lata-parisilana-komala-malaya-samire
Madhu-kara-nikara-karambita-kokila (x2)
Kujita-kunja-kutire.
Viharati harir iha sarasa-vasante (x2)
(music)
Viharati harir iha sarasa-vasante (x2)
Translation:
When the tender Malayan wind (the wind from the Western Ghats of India, along the Deccan Plateau and bordering on the Arabian Sea; the mountains are said to have abundant sandal-wood trees and the wind from the mountains is said to be heavily scented with sandal fragrance) touches the lovely clove creeper, when the hut of the grove is filled with the sounds of the cuckoo intermingled with the sounds of swarms of honey making bees....
(Jhelum gestures the musicians to increase the pace of the music. )
J: 'lalita lavanga' - lalita here means the new or fresh, and lavanga means clove. (reading from book) Soft sandal mountain winds caress the quivering wines of clove.
musician
Here i m showing how the creepers wind themselves around the branches.
passion
Komala malaya means soft breeze.
So here i m showing the wind carrying the mixed fragrance of the sandal wood and clove. Which is why love and passion are aroused in the Radha's heart.
passion
Sanchari bhav
This is again repetition. But this time the creepers are shown winding around a tree and it's branches with a slight difference.
And here as a Sanchari, the breeze is shown gently flowing and a leaf is shown falling with it.
Sanchari bhav
'Madhukara nikara' - this is showing many bees, all around, are humming is also mixing with the sound of the cuckoos.
J:In this sanchari of 'madhukara...' the bees are shown rushing towards flowers.
K: why is sanchari so important in dance?
J: see, when you talk in any language, suppose you are saying 'ketaki came here'. But this same line, in dance, can be shown in different ways. Like you can indicate footsteps with your hands. Or you can indicate a woman with the hansapakshaka mudra and then show her walking in a hurry. Or with the left hand in the 'alapadma' mudra under the chin and the the right hand in 'hamsasya' going around the face, to show a pretty woman, and may be this time to show her hurry, i will put in a jump somewhere. So the same line, can be shown say in ten ways, or somebody like Guruji, will show it in a hundred different ways! It depends on each one's imagination and creativity. Sanchari therefore is one sentence which is interpreted or shown in different imaginative and creative ways, through expressions, footwork and hands, through dance basically. It is nothing but elaboration of that one line, how much can you elaborate in one minute or in ten minutes.
Kelucharan Mohapatra
Sanchari bhav
expression
Kunja is the spot or the grove where Radha and Krishna are to supposed to meet. All of what was mentioned or described before, is happening at that place. And Radha is waiting there. And from there, she can see what is happening with Krishna and the other gopis.
Gopis
This means She can see Hari. That is Krishna dancing with the gopis. He hasn't not yet come to meet her at that kunja yet. Before coming to her he meets these gopis on the way, and he is flirting with them.
And when i say flirting, in today's relevance, people might understand it as something negative. But its meaning here, see Krishna makes every gopi feel that he belongs to her. and he is the Lord, which makes it possible for him to be at ten places at the same time - actually he might not even be there. He will come here and he will go somewhere else next, but you will keep thinking he is still here with you. So the spiritual meaning is that for us humans in general, Krishna that God, is with each of us. Becoming one with the lord.
And here therefore, since this is like a story, it is given in a bit of a poetic format, where he is shown with different women - Jayadev, has made the Lord human sometimes, but all the same not forgetting that he is God. See Radha was human. But because of her undying love for Krishna, she also got elevated.
Love-play
spiritual
In this beautiful spring Hari is with so many gopis dancing in the moonlight.
J: Now he is bringing a gopi close to him. And very slyly he picks up color and throws it on on her, so she hides her face...then looks up at him and blushes.
So that is how playful Krishna is, you know, he can kiss somebody, thorw color on someone else, pull at some other gopi's sari, he can remove someboday's bun, or pick a flower and put another gopi's hair. So whatever Guruji felt like doing here, he has done. So it is just a game between him and the gopis.
K: so this is not showing him with radha?
J: no no. this entire Lalita lavanga, this asthapadi is about Krishna and the Gopis.
Gopis
Love-play
ashtapadi
flirt
romance
Then even she picks up color and throws it on him.
Love-play
flirt
romance
Now she is seen making sandalwood paste, slowly grinding it on stone, mixing water, then taking some of it and putting it on krishna's forehead.
Love-play
flirt
romance
Now she is getting up, admiring him, he gets up too, and pulls her sari, so she is seen holding it back.
Love-play
flirt
love
passion
She is tugging at her sari, pleading him to give it back to her. And when he lets go, she smiles, shy, and drapes it back on herself. And then Krishna hugs her.
Love-play
flirt
Love-play
flirt
So these are the games Krishna is playing with so many gopis, in this beautiful spring.
Gopis
Love-play
Musician
(Geet Govinda - First Canto. Third Song)
Transcript:
nrtyati yuvati-janena saman sakhi
(music)
nrtyati yuvati-janena saman sakhi
Virahi-janasya durante.
Viharati harir iha sarasa-vasante(x2)
Translation:
....Hari plays, now,in the amorous spring time, endless of separated -lovers, he dances with the young girls,O Friend!
J: (laughs) Here he was supposed to repeat 'Viharati harir iha', but he started the next verse.
Krishna is dancing with all these young and beautiful gopis, all around him.
Love-play
This is Krishna dancing.
This is again the same idea, only shown how the gopis and krishna are dancing together.
Sanchari bhav
But those whose lovers or husbands are away from them, they are sad or unhappy and are pining for them, and Krishna is trying to make them happy.
So this is gopis, pining for their lovers or husbands, who have 'dhurante' means gone far away.
So in this beautiful spring, Hari is here with the gopis and trying to make them happy.
So see, Krishna or Hari can be shown in so many different ways.
And now Radha is watching him. He is with the gopis. Krishna is dallying with them. She is sad, because he is not with her.
Now she is telling her sakhi or her friend, that look Krishna is now with the gopis. Look at him, playing and loving all the gopis.
(Geet Govinda - Second Canto. Fifth Song)
(music)
Transcript:
Rase-harim-iha vihita vilasam (x2)
Smarati mano mama krta parihasam (x4)
Rase-harim-iha vihita vilasam (x2)
Sancarad-adhara-sudha-madhura-dhvani
mukharita-mohana-vamsam
valita-drg-ancala-cancala-mauli-kapola-vilola-vatamsam
Rase-harim-iha vihita vilasam
Translation:
His infatuating flute resounded with honey-ed tones like the nectar from his quavering lower -lip; an ear ornament was tremulous on his cheek as his head moved, tremulous at the corner of his quivering eye; my mind remembers Hari - he joked and played love games here during the rasa (dance)
vilas is again love, so the different ways he is expressing love or making love with the gopis.
Look at Krishna, there, with all the gopis, hugging them and loving them.
smarati - she rememebers, manomama - in her mind. Krita parihasam - She remembers him and she smiles at herself.
This is a sanchari, where she is shown thinking of him, remembering him in her heart, how Krishna had kissed her.
This is again him kissing her, in a different way. And her remembering it all and feeling shy or blushing at the thought of it. and again she smile at herself.
'Oh but now, He is with them (the gopis), and not with me, playing his love games with them'
And this is when he plays the flute - adhara is lips, and sanchara is movement - so when his lips move along the flute, the music that flows out, is like 'amrud' like an elixir for life, it is that sweet and melodious.
And this music would spread happiness to everyone.
Jhelum: Radha says, "I remember when He (Krishna) kissed me, his eyes moving and his eyes met my eyes....'
J: 'and as his head would move to steal those glances at me, his earrings would move and catch the light, and would shine and this light was thrownon his cheeks...that would look so grand... ' - That is guruji's interpretation.
Lets see what is written here (figure out books name): it says here, his restless eyes glanced, his head swayed. His earrings played at his cheek. - which is similar, but Guruji's interpretations shows this is how he was looking at me... and when he would glance, his head would move, and his earrings would move along with it...and then they would shine on his cheek....
'rase hari....
'when the rays of the moon'
(Geet Govinda - Second Canto. Fifth Song)
Transcript:
Candraka-caru-mayura-shikhandaka
mandala-valayita-kesam,
pracura-purandara-dhanur-anuranjita (x2)
medura-mudira-suvesam
Rase-harim-iha vihita vilasam
Translation:
His hair was surrounded with a ring of lovely peacock-tail-feathers with moon-eyes (the ocellated marking on the ends of the peacock feathers; in his lovely robe he was like a dark cloud colored with many rainbows; my mind remembers Hari...
'hit the peacock peacock feathered head dress, that he adorns...'
Jhelum: (explaining) With the spread of the fingers behind the Kapitha hasta mudra, I m indicating the peacock's feathers... Notice my body movement as well. it is to show how the peacock moves..This position that i took...this position in odissi is also used to show a peacock. 'Mayura' stands for peacock...and so to show peacock feathers, guruji has shown it this way, with the left hand bending overhead.
'in his hair which has been tied up... '
Sanchari Bhav - notice here, i m showing his long hair which is tied at the top and he also has long curly hair with the peacock feathers placed in his hair like a crown. See the left hand is indicating the peacock feather, while the right hand is showing how some of his hair has been left down, tumbling from his shoulders. 'Kesham' means hair....
Jhelum: (describing) So this bsically can be described as - In this beautiful time, when the rays of the moon fall on the peacock feathers which he is wearing... 'valaya' is somehting like a halo... see how in the ancient paintings of Gods, a glow is shown behind their crowns...a shine.,.that any God...for example Jesus Christ, or Ram, or Krishna etc, is shown with....so when the moon light falls on the peacock feathers that he is wearing, it shines, and that creates a halo around his face...
Prachura Purandhara...:
Jhelum: when the feathers on his crown, reflect the moonlight...different colours get reflected off the feathers..
Jhelum: So these colours together, which are reflected off the feathers, are described as a rainbow... And a position 'dhanu' is taken to describe the shape of the rainbow...it looks like a 'dhanu' that is a bow.
Jhelum: (describing) 'medura' means the dark body....which looks like a dark cloud...So Radha says that his dark body is like a dark cloud with the reflections of the feathers on his body looking like a rainbow on a dark cloud.
Rase Hari...
Jhelum: See how nice the ghunghroos sound with a mic is on the stage! After my performance, a Kathak performance was scheduled and they had kept the mic...even we should demand a mic be kept for our performances!
(Geet Govinda - Second Canto. Fifth Song)
Transcript:
Vipula-pulaka-bhuja-pallava-valayita-ballava-yuvati-sahasram
ballava-yuvati-sahasram...
Kara-caranorasi mani-gana-bhusana-kirana-vibhinna-tamisram...
Rase-harim-iha vihita vilasam.
Translation:
A thousand cowherd girls were encircled by the shoots which are his very bristled arms; upon his chest and hands and feet; the darkness was dispelled by the rays of his pearl ornaments; my mind remembers Hari...
vipula pulaka...:
Jhelum: Radha is talking about his long, soft, lotus hands, which embrace her...
Jhelum: (describing) See like i mentioned the last time....each gopi feels like Krishna is with her...that is because He gives the feeling that with his arms which are so long...like they can engulf everybody...His arms can hold so many 'Yuvati' gopis or women, at one time....
Jhelum: Radha says '...Krishna (shown with him holding the flute) has arms which can embrace and pull towards him, so many gopis...' and she says (Jhelum reading from book) 'the vines of his great throbbing arms...' That means his arms are like creepers or branches of trees... Just as the branches spread, or how the creepers go beyond... And here Guruj has taken the sanchari as Krishna's arms, pulling them closer...and embracing the gopis.
The ornaments that he is wearing on his hands, feet and in his neck...the jewels studded in them...
...In the evening or night, they shine and dispell the darkness of night and here Guruji's notice Guruji's interpretation, where he shows night and then he indicated teh pain in the gopis hearts... So basically it means, that just like the jewels kill the darkness...the brightness of his smile kiss the sadness in every gopi's heart, as remember the gopis are said to be earlier pining for their lovers, or husbands who are far away...
Jhelum: This is Radha being hurt, being jealous.,...and she cannot see this anymore...
Jhelum: Now this is Krishna...krishna was with the gopis and He sees Radha watching Him and her going away hurt. Radha has left...
(Geet Govinda - Second Canto. Seventh Song)
Transcript:
Mam iyam calita vilokya vrtam vadhu-nicayena (x2)
Saparadhatya mayapi na varita' tibhayena
Hari hari hatadarataya (x2)
Gata sa kupiteva
Mam iyam calita vilokya
Translation:
She left having seen me surrounded by the group of women, she was not stopped by me for i was truly guilty and very frightened; Hari! Hari! Because her respect for me is destroyed , she is gone, apparently angry!
He places his flute in his waist cloth... he is shown feeling guilty here...
mam iyam...: this means...'mam iyam' is 'i m here'... 'calita vilokyam' is 'she has gone away'...vilokyam is 'seeing me, she has gone away'...
So Krishna says with guilt that, i m here...she has gone away...
she saw me together with so many gopis, embracing them, and she has left and i m too ashamed to stop her...
Jhelum: 'Forgive me...i have committed a mistake....i m afraid...
(explaining): Here it does not exactly mean he is afraid of losing her... more like he is afraid what she must be thinking...He is sure he will never lose her....he loves her too much and she loves him too much...there might be misunderstnadings in between them, but they will never lose each other... they have that much faith in each other...
"she has gone. I m here, and i m afraid. Oh! i have hurt her!"
Jhelum: this is showing regret...'what have i done!'
This action indicates anger. so it used to show Radha who has gone away in anger...
mam iyam...
Jhelum: this is my interpretation, where i put in the Sanchari bhav as Krishna asking the birds, to go tell Radha that He is not such a bad person....
(Geet Govinda - Second Canto. Fifth Song)
(music)
Transcript:
Kim karisyati kim vadisyati (x2)
sa ciram viharena
kim janena dhanena kim mama (x2)
jivitena grhena...
Mam iyam calita vilokya.
Translation:
What will she do? What will she say after separation from me for such a long time? what use have i for relatives (or people) or wealth? for life or home? Hari! Hari! she is gone...
Jhelum: Krishna is wondering here, 'what must she (Radha)be doing... what will she say to me?
'kim arisati' mean what she must be doing...
Jhelum: this again shows Krishna sad because of the 'viraha'...the separation.
Jhelum: Krishna wonders 'what is the use of having so many women around....what is the meaning of this life without Radha by my side. ...it is useless to me...'
Jhelum: 'without her i cannot live...i will die...'
mam iyam...
(Geet Govinda - Second Canto. Fifth Song)
(music)
Transcript:
Ksamyatam aparam kadapi (x2)
Tavedrsam na karomi (x2)
Dehi sundari darsanam maa (x2)
Manmathena dunomi...
Mam iyam calita vilokya Vrtam vadhu-nicayena (x2)
Translation:
Forgive me! - in the future i shall not do such things to you at any time! Give me a vision of you, o beautiful woman! i m burning with passion; Hari! hari! she is gone....
Jhelum: This is again my interpretation. I have shown Krishna wondering 'Do the creepers also feel what i m feeling?'
Jhelum: Krishna is begging for Kshyamyata that is forgiveness
Jhelum: Here Krishna is seen begging for forgiveness saying, 'Let me see you again, I will never repeat this again'
Jhelum: 'Come here, Let me see you once again O beautiful woman...'
Jhelum: 'Because, Mammat (Cupid) has now struck me with his arrows and i m burning with passion...'
mam iyam
Jhelum: Krishna is seen here looking out for Radha, searching for her...
(music)
Narration:
Krishna...guilty Krishna...he wants Radha back. He waits for Radha on the banks of River Yamuna, where a gentle breeze is blowing. Radha's sakhis describe his plight to Radha and say, 'He is there, waiting for you. Even if he hears a slightest sound, even if he feels a leaf fall down, he thinks it is his beloved Radha, coming quietly to meet him. So dear beautiful Radha, make haste, come quick, Krishna is really waiting for you, eagerly. Your langorous walk, slow walk will not do. Take quick steps! And with all that jewellery that you wear, go quietly, don't let it make a sound! Or better still, remove some of it. And oh yes!, wear a dark garment and go, so that, you become one with the darkness of night...Come! quick, come! let us go! We will take you to Krishna! '
(Geet Govinda - Fifth Canto. Eleventh Song)
(music)
Transcript:
Dhira samire yamuna-tire (x2)
Vasati vane vanamali (x2)
Pina-payodhara-parisara-mardana-cancala-kara-yuga-sali
Translation:
....where the wind is gentle, on the bank of the Yamuna, he, the one who wears a forest garland, dwells in the forest, his hands are ever-moving in squeezing the cowherdesses' swollen breasts.
J: This is the entry of the Sakhis and Radha.
J: Now this is the sakhi is telling Radha, that on the banks of the River Yamuna, where a soft breeze is blowing....'Dheere Sameere' means soft slow breeze...
The river is shown with the movement of hands, indicating small waves...
This movement is showing how the the soft breeze is blowing...
And here this action indicates the river bank...
K: Oh i thought that you were indicating, soft breeze gently touching the surface of the River...
J: No, that is not exactly what i was showing, but you could interpret it like that...see the viewer is also always given the freedom to imagine and interpret what he sees...
K: I thought here it means...gently touching the surface of the waters....generating ripples...
J: yea yea..that's fine...that is your imagination...
J: So the sakhi says that, sitting in a grove, Vanamali that is Krishna, is waiting for you.
'Vasati' means sitting...
Now this is Guruji's idea, where he went further and said that there Krishna is sitting under a tree. You see this is a Sanchari, where the same line is repeated, and i m seen showing a tree and with Krishna sitting under it with his flute.
The sakhi tells Radha, that Krishna is waiting there for you, waiting to caress you....
So here she is indicating round full breasts...
'Payodhara' stands for breasts.
He wants to hold and caress the Parisara that is the area of the breasts...
mardana: is caressing...
His 'cancala kar', that is restless, soft hands are waiting to do that...go to him...
Your love gives him immense pleasure and satisfaction.
Rati stands for Love and Sukha is pleasure.
(Geet Govinda - Fifth Canto. Eleventh Song)
Transcript:
rati-sukha-sare gatam abhisare madana-manohara-vesam
rati-sukha-sare(x2)
gatam abhisare madana-manohara-vesam
Na kuru nitambini gamana-vilambanam (x3)
Anusara am hrdayesam.
Dhira samire yamuna-tire vasati vane vanamali
Translation:
He has gone to the tryst which is the essence of sexual delight; he has the beautiful appearance of the god of Love; o-fair-hipped-girl! don't delay going to him! follow him, the lord of your heart! .....
So go, go to him, walk softly....
Radhas sakhis are advicing her to go softly, without making any sounds, to maintain secrecy...
K: why the secrecy?
J: you see she is a married woman. Radha was married, but her true love was Krishna...So therefore they ask her to maintain secrecy and go softly...
K: Is this to show that Cupid has struck??
J: No. Now the sakhi is saying that Krishna himself is like Cupid now, not struck by Cupid,but taken his form...
K: why is it like that?
J: Because Cupid has struck him so much, that now he is overcome with love and passion and so is like Cupid himself! Like the God of love!
Now this is sanchari bhav of Rati sukha....
So here Guruji imagined the sakhi telling Radha, what all she can expect, he will kiss her gently...
... When she visits that grove to meet Krishna, when he will see you, with the passion, there will be love play....
So basically this is the sakhis telling Radha, how Krishna is longing for her....
So then the sakhi is saying, 'You (Radha) with your narrow waist and full hips...dont walk slowly like that'
this mudra mean 'sitting'...but if the same thing you do by pulling it closer or pulling it back, ...it means going late or going slow, because it is an extension to sitting...
Notice the walk here. This is the sakhi telling Radha to not walk slowly like this....
...But to hurry and walk fast, with your nice full hips....see notice the slight graceful movement of the hips...To show how graceful Radha is when she is walking with her hips swaying like that.
Again you see the sakhi telling her 'dont walk like this, slowly...walk like this ...fast'
So this is the sanchari...just repetition of the same idea in different ways...
Here you see hse showing the path and telling Radha, you go, meet your love, Krishna, and embrace him.
Again, this is Dheere Sameere, with the river Yamuna being shown in a slight different way.
Here you see the sakhi is telling Radha what Krishna is going through there, at the banks of Yamuna, waiting for her.
So (the sakhis says) when Krishna hears a soft sound,
(Geet Govinda - Fifth Canto. Eleventh Song)
Transcript:
Patati patatre vicalati patre sankita-bhavad-upayanam
patati patatre (x2) vicalati patre sankita-bhavad-upayanam
Racayati sayanam sacakita-nayanam (2)
Pasyati tava panthanam
Dhira samire yamuna-tire vasati vane vanamali
Translation:
When a feather falls or a leaf stirs, his trembling eye looks to the path by which your arrival is anxiously expected; and he prepares the bed, where the wind is gentle...he dwells...
He eagerly looks around to see ...
'If you, his beloved Radha, are coming to meet him... Yes that is how anxious he is to meet you'
Actually what happens is, when a bird comes and sits on the branc of a tree nearby with a gentle sound...
Or as the wind blows through the forest, and a leaf falls down...creating a rustle...
He hears the sound, and and that makes him happy because he feels it is you coming quietly to surprise him...by coming queitly ...
So he very happily and excitedly makes a bed of leaves and flowers to for you to lie down on...
So here Krishna is seen clearing the area...
Here he is picking the flowers and leaves....
Arranging them on his bed for Radha...
He is shown thinking that here she will come and rest, or sleep... and then looking for her...
Moving the branches aside to see if Radha is approaching...
Don't forget this is athe sakhi describing Krishna and his eagerness to meet her...
So she is seen telling Radha again that, that is how he is waiting looking at the path where you will come from...
Here i have slightly made a mistake....here the hands indicating the waves shouldn't be go high! But during performance when you get involved these things tend to happen....but as long as it is clear and you can understand... When teaching, i will tell my students, the hand shouldnt go so high...
(jhelum looking at the musicians signalling them to increase pace of the music)
J: I wanted them to increase teh pace! What happens is, if it goes too slow, the audience wont enjoy it!
(Again Jhelum is seen telling the musicians to increase the rhythm)
(Geet Govinda - Fifth Canto. Eleventh Song)
(music)
Now the sakhi is point at the payal or anklets that Radha has worn...
(Geet Govinda - Fifth Canto. Eleventh Song)
Transcript:
Mukharam adhiram tyaja manjiram ripum iva keli-sulonam (x2)
Cala sakhi kunjam satimira punjam (x2) silaya nila-nicolam
Dhira samire yamuna-tire
Vasati vane vanamali(x2)
Translation:
Abandon the noisy capricious anklet which shakes-well during love play-it is like an enemy Go, O Friend, to the dense dark grove; wear a dark blue cloak; where the wind is gentle ...he dwells.
The sakhi says, 'when you walk your payals will make sound, you should remove them! They will become your enemies, on the path of love....remove your payals...
The bangles worn by you...
The necklace...
Your earrings...
And you belt...remove it..
And remove your anklets too...
So that you can go quietly...
Now she telling Radha, 'when you go to see him, when you are walking through the forest, at night, you cannot wear this (your regular bright clothes) and go...
'..Let me drape you in a black colorued shawl, so that you can mingle with the darkness...ahh! Now it is just perfect!'
So again you go back to the first line...
Krishna, is shown here with the chakra in his hands..
This is the sakhi pursuading Radha to hurry, go on fast to meet Krishna....
Here you see her finally tugging at radha's hand asking her to hurry up....
This is again my addition to the piece as now for the next piece there has to be a continuity...a smooth transition to the next piece...
Originally, choreographed by Guruji, this item is some 15 minutes long, and in detail with a lot more things that the sakhi describes and tells Radha. But i couldn't bring it all here. So i have performed three to four minutes for all the items i presented here.
(music)
Narration:
Krishna is still waiting. Radha has not arrived. What will he do? Then suddenly...who comes?! Chandravali. A beautiful Gopi. She ___ him to ____ , enticing Krishna. Krishna waivers, forgetting Radha for a while, and he dances in abandon with her. Radha's sakhis plead with Krishna, 'Dear Lord, please dear Lord. Radha cannot bear this seperation anymore. She imagines you to be everywhere! She embraces a tree, thinking that it is you! She garlands you, she kisses you! But alas! You were not there! You are not there with her, for her! These are all visions! They are all apparitions...that's how much she is missing you! In her haste to meet you, she trips and falls but she does not care! She wants to be with you....Please dear Lord! We beseech you... please..please go to her.
(music)
J: Now what happens is Krishna is waiting for Radha, but before Radha arrives, another gopi, Chandravali comes...and he is attracted by her....
This is Chandravali's entry...She has come to the place where Krishna is waiting for Radha...
I have taken a pallavi here to show the interaction between Chandravali and Krishna. This is because, what happens generally is, if an Abhinay is performed over and over, for the lay audience, it can get boring. And so with this Pallavi, i have brought in Chandravlai. And Chandravali is a character who entices, she tries to entice Krishna away from Radha.
So to show her 'chanchalta' i have brought in a pallavi.
Actually this is Bilahari Pallavi. The raga is Bilahari.
Now she has seen Krishna...
....she tries to hold his hand or basically get his attention...but he moves away...
She tries again and this time brings him closer. And then she begins to flirt, entice him, seduce him...You will see her now dancing, enticing him, sometimes pulling him towards her, holding his hand....
Now she is seen embracing him...
She wonders, 'where has krishna gone....' she is looking for him....
She moves the branches aside, walking through the forest, looking for Krishna 'He was just here...where has he gone now?...ah! There he is!' And she finds him.
Again now she is inviting him.
Unlike an abhinay where there is some sort of communication with another person and you have to look in the direction where that person is supposed to be standing, in a pallavi one doesnt do that. But here, since this is also supposed to show Chandravali's chanchalta and Krishna falling for it, i have added a touch of interaction between Krishna and her, with her pulling him, or looking at him in a direction, and things like that.
This is krishna. Now he goes. He gets attracted to her and goes with her.
And that is krishna's dance of pleasure, with her.
First it was her dancing. For her i took a song, and for him i took only 'bol', to indicate the difference in the male and female characters.
This is part of an item called Nachanti. These 'bols' are taken from there.
Nachanti range sri hari - has dance showing his happiness. So i have taken it here. Guruji has created different items, but one can always take parts of them to create a story, a ballet like i have done here.
I m really enjoying the sound of the ghonghroos, it is soo pleasing to the ears! I really should ask for a mic to be placed on the stage, everytime there is a performance!
that was him dancing,...now it is her....
Now it is both of them dancing together. I have mixed it up...where he is playing and she is dancing...This part i have taken from Bada Mokhsa...
And through all of this, remember that he has gone elsewhere with Chandravali, and Radha, has come to the place where she was to meet Him. She has come with her sakhis after them convincing her a lot, but he wasn't there.
(Geet Govinda - Sixth Canto. Twelfth Song)
(music)
Transcript:
Nath Hare (x3)
Sidhati Radha vasa-grhe.
Psyati disi disi rahasi bhavantam (x6)
Tad-adhara-madhura-madhini-pibantam (x3)
Nath hare jagannath hare
Tvad-abhisarana-rabhasena valanti (x2)
Patati padani kiyanti calanti (x2)
Nath Hare Jagannath Hare
Nath Hare (x2)
Nath Hare Jagannath Hare
Nath Hare (x2)
Translation:
Secretly she sees you everywhere, drinking the sweet honey of her lower-lip; O Lord Hari, Radha sadly waits in her bed chamber
Now he stops, because the sakhis, who were with Radha have found him and have come to him begging him to go meet Radha, for she is waiting for him there!
The sakhi is at his feet pleading him, is touching his feet, for he is the Lord.
'Nath' means Krishna...
Sakhi is now telling Krishna about what Radha is going through. You know, she is sad, and waiting there, at the kunja for you...
'She is looking for you, everywhere. Looking at the road hoping you will come soon. But you don't...'
'She is sitting there, waiting for you... '
'...when she sees a tree, she thinks you are sitting below the tree....
Notice that here, unlike earlier, the mudra to indicate 'sitting' is used with a slight variation, and that is to show Krishna holding a flute, sitting.
'...So she runs and hugs you. ..'
'...But when she hugs, she realises it is only a tree...not you, not her Krishna....'
'...then was making garland of flowers for you... she when she saw that is was incomplete... she began stringing the flowers again with love for you, hoping that when you come she would garland you...
You can see Radha sitting and putting the flowers together on the string.
But Radha sees that her Krishna is not there, so sadly, she wipes her tears...
Suddenly she thinks she sees his lotus feet....
As he looks up she sees his waist cloth...
Then she sees his necklace...
And she sees his peacock feather and the flute!
So she thinks, 'Oh so it has to be Krishna! Where were you, i was waiting for you, here, for so long...
and she continues to talk to him, 'Wait....i have just completed the garland of flowers for you.' So then she gets up and garlands him.
Here she doesnt realise that the garland has fallen. All this she is imagining. She thinks Krishna is there, but he isn't.
Also, remember all this is the Sakhi narrating to Krishna about Radha and what she was going through waiting for Krishna.
So then she embraces him and she imagines that he is kissing her. So she stretches out her hand to take his face, and she kisses him.
And that's when she realises 'it is my hand! Where is he!' that is her condition, says the Sakhi to Krishna.
And the sakhi continues that, 'That is how she is imagining you around her, she imagines the nectar of your lips. There she is waiting for you...so dear krishna...
Now the sakhi is tellng Krishna, that this is how in order to come meet you, she got ready...
She applied her bindi, she wore her earrings, her necklace, her bangles, she wore flowers in her hair, she then took her sari, and draped it around her, like this...
And as she hurried to meet you, in her eagerness to meet you, she fell and hurt herself!
All this pain she took for you...She came all the way, hurt herself, but she didnot care, only so that she can meet you.
So dear Krishna, i m begging to you. As Radha is upset and crying and waiting for you.
This is now the sanchari bhav again, where he is singing, Nath Hare, but you can see the sakhi telling Krishna, go meet your Radha, embrace her,
This is now the sanchari bhav again, where he is singing, Nath Hare, but you can see the sakhi telling Krishna, go meet your Radha, embrace her
Narration:
Thus the Sakhis, plead and beseech Lord Krishna to come to Radha. Having done so, they rush back to Radha and convince her that krishna is definitely coming. He is coming to a particular 'kunja'. So they convince her, that she go with them to that particular 'kunja'. Happily Radha agrees and goes with them. They leave her safely in the 'kunja'. On the way, crossing a few difficulties, Radha gets there happily...but Krishna, fails to come. Radha waits and waits, longing for him. 'Have my Sakhis lied to me? Why isn't Krishna coming? What use is this life of mine?! Shall i drown myself in water? Sould i burn in fire? Dear Mother Earth! Open up and swallow me! I see no point in living! I cannot bear this seperation anymore! Of what use is my youth? Of what use (are) these ornaments that i wear? Without Krishna, these ornaments bind me in a prison. Oh Free me from all this! Oh dear Sakhi, why did you lie to me? Why!?' Exhausted, Radha falls...and Krishna arrives...Krishna arrives with tell-tale marks on his body. Radha is shattered, hurt, angry. She turns away from him asking him to go away. But Krishna begs forgivenss. "Dear Radha, donot be so angry. I am yours always. Forever yours. You are my life. I am like a corpse without you. You are like a rare jewel that i have found in life. I may not be with you always, but you are in my heart forever. You are the only one. Dear Radha, I fall at your feet!". Radha is overwhelmed and ashamed at her own anger. She stops Krishna and the two come together. The two unite...Radha and Krishna.
(music)
So now the sakhis have come to tell Radha that Krishna has gone to a different kunja so lets go there.....so this is a description of what all happens on the way there...
Radha is admiring the flowers everywhere...
'...all these are looking so nice in this moonlight....'
J: This is my imagination and my input to the story....
Now she jumps to pluck a flower and is putting it in her hair...
Radha seems to be asking her sakhis, 'how does it look', they must have said nice, so she is blushing now.
She continue to walk with her sakhis to go meet Krishna.
She notices a beautiful bird, points out to it...
As she is looking at the bird flying away, the runs to see where it has gone, and suddenly hurt as a thorn pricks her.
So she reaches out to her foot, and plucks the thorn out and throws it away.
J: Now you can see her limp, as her foot is hurting.
Look at how delicate she is! That one thorn pricks her and she is in so much pain! (laughs)
She is scared. She sees a snake crossing her path. She moves aside to let the snake pass. As she goes to hide from the snake, something has tugged at her sari, she cautiously looks behind her to see what it is...
But it is nothing but a branch in which her sari is caught! So she removes her sari off the branch, and drapes it over her head, and continues on her journey.
Now she has reached the kunja and is seen telling her sakhi, that now you can go, as i wait for my Krishna, and she waves her good bye.
Radha is thinking, 'Aah, now my Krishna will come here', and she is looking around to see if she can see him come.
Gradually, you can see her happiness and excitement fade away, through the long wait for Krishna. She is even tired a bit now. She is waiting alone at night for him there, and he hasn't come yet!
J: Radha is wondering, 'O Krishna! Where are you? What shall i do without him!
She is sad he has not kept his promise.
(Geet Govinda - Seventh Canto. Thirteenth Song)
Transcript:
Yami he kam iha saranam sakhi-jana-vacana-vancita (x4)
Kathitha-samaye'pi harir ahaha na yayau vanam (x2)
mama viphalam idam amala-rupam api yauvanam (x2)
Yami he kam iha saranam sakhi-jana-vacana-vancita
Translation:
Even at the time which he appointed, Hari, ah, ah, did not go to the forest. Thisd youth of mine is fruitless even though it has a spotless body; to whom shall i, deceived by the words of my friends, go for refuge here?
She says, 'The sakhis promised me He would come. But it all seems a lie now!'
'Vachanam' is pomise.
J: (laughing) Here again i m telling him to increase the speed a bit!
J: She is showing water here, cause she is wondering, 'Should i drown myself in the river?...'
This is sanchari bhav. It is the same line, that he is singing.
'...All my sakhis have just lied to me!...'
'...O! Should i jump into the fire and let the fire engulf me completely and kill me?...'
J: She is indicating the flames burning her here.
'...What should i do!jump into the water...what should i do!...'
'...O Earth! Open up and swallow me!
Radha is expressing her pain here, where she no longer wishes to live. As she truly believes that her sakhis, whom she trusted and came with to meet Krishna, only lied to her, for Krishna has not come to meet her.
(Jhelum's earring gets stuck and she struggles to remove it.)
Pathita samaye means they told me that at this particular time Krishna will come but he has not come.
Now she is indicating passage of time. He was supposed to meet me when the refelction of the moon was here, but now it has moved uptil there and he still hasn't come.
That means so much time has passed and he still hasn't come, to meet me here.
Radha says, 'I m fruitlessly waiting there. My youth is getting wasted. This youth and this beauty, all of it is pointless... 'mama viphala' means useless or pointless.
Here too the same idea is repeated. Where she continues to find her beauty and youth - shown by her point out to her hair, her round face, her breasts - useless without Krishna there to appreciate it.
'...What shall i do? I just want to end this life! Everyone seems to have betrayed me!...'
(Geet Govinda - Seventh Canto. Thirteenth Song)
(music)
Transcript:
Ahaha kalayami valayadi-mani-bhusanam (x3)
Hari-viraha-dahana-vahanena bahu-dusanam (x2)
Yami he kam iha saranam sakhi-jana-vacana-vancita
sakhi-jana-vacana-vancita (x3)
Translation:
Ah! Ah! I consider the jewelled ornaments, bracelets and so forth, very offensive because they carry the flame of separation from Hari; to whom shall i go for refuge...??
'...My bangles, and all my jewellery have become so laden with passion, and love and waiting for him, now my body cannot bear the weight of these jewels...'
So you see her on her knees unable to bear the weight of her jewellery. They are like a burden for her now. She calls them a burden as, firstly she is tired and they are heavy etc, and also beacuse Krishna is not there to appreciate them. She finds them worthless without Krishna around her to admire her in them.
So she removes her earring, and throws them away.
Here she is saying, that this belth on her waist, which is so tight is like his embrace, but he is not here, and now i just want to break this belt off!...
J: (reading from book) Here in this book it is written, every bangle and jewel pains me, as it is carrying the fire of Hari's desertion.
So what i have done here is shown the discomfort of each piece of jewellery with some difference.
' ...Hari has pierced my heart with the arrow of love, and i cannot bear the separation anymore. Hari's love and this seperation are both hurting me, and i cannot take this anymore!...'
So again she says, 'i do not wish to live any more! Should i drown myself in the waters, should i burn myself or should the earth open up so i can be swallowed by it. O sakhi! why did you lie to me, my Krishna isn't here!'
(Geet Govinda - Eighth Canto. Seventeenth Song)
(music)
Transcript:
Rajani-janita-guru-jagara-raga-kasayitam alasa nivesam
Vahati nayanam anuragam iva sphutam udita-rasabhinivesam
Hari! Hari!
(music)
yahi madhava yahi kesava ma vada kaitava-vadam (x2)
Tam anusara sarasi-ruha-locana (x2) ya tava harati visadam
ma vada kaitava-vadam
Translation:
Red with the passion (stained, impure with passion) of long wakefulness produced during the night, sluggishly settling, your eye displays, as if your passion were made visible, your attachment to the savour of love which has arisen; Hari! Hari! Go Madhava! go Kesava! Don't speak of your deceitful speech to me! Follow her, O lotus eyed one, her who dispels your depression!
The whole night has passed and she has waited for him. But he didn't come. So now she has removed the heavy clothing/vastra, and jewellery , she is tired.
And then she hears his flute. Now she sees him,..
She sayss, 'Oh! So now you have arrived. Why? The night is over..'
'..You...with sleepy eyes have come...(she looks at him up and down), yawning, dozing all the way.
'Alasa nivesam' means sleep, dozing, yawning ,stretching off the sleep.
There.... look at your eyes, they are closing with sleep!!
She is angry now, so her expression and her tone is supposed to be very kuchchita that is very sarcastic.
She says to him, 'Look at your eyes, they are filled with love for another woman. '
J: That is the action I did for 'udita-rasabhinivesam' ...means your love has been awakened by somebody else...(Reading from book) 'blood shot from a sleepless night of passion, listless now, your eyes express the mood of awakened love'
This is again her sad, asking him oh why did you do it! She walks away from him, heart broken.
He tries to plead with her. But she does not want to hear anything, now. She tells him to go away, and she falls with grief.
Krishna holds her hand and pulls her, but she pulls her hand backm, and turns away from him.
Yahi madhava, yahi kesava mean go away madava go away keshava.
This means, 'To me, you have lied'.
Now in her sarcastic tone again she is telling him, 'Aah very sweetly you are trying to lie to me that nothing like that happened...i don't want to hear it.
'...Go. Go away. Go my dear....' this is again with a lot of sarcasm.
'...Your lies have cut my heart, and this is hurting me constantly, slowly and painfully poking my heart! Go away!...'
'...You went there, to the one who had beautiful lotus eyes...'
'..you went to her house! And you met her...'
'.. you made love to her...only she will vanquish your passion ...'
So she is basically telling him, that if that woman has satisfied you, why have you come to me now? Go back to her, only she will further vanquish your passion. So stop lying now to me, i don't want to hear anything.
(Jhelum's earring gets stuck again. and she struggles to remove it)
Radha notices a mark on Krishna's lips. so she says, 'What is that? On the lips?! There is a mark of kohl!! Why is there a smudge of kolh on your lips?!How could it have come there?!...'
(Geet Govinda - Eighth Canto. Seventeenth Song)
Transcript:
Kajjala-malina-vilocana-cumbana-viracita-nilima-rupam
Dasana-vasanam arunam tava krsna tanoti tanor anurupam
ma vada kaitava-vadam
Hari! Hari! ma vada kaitava-vadam
Translation:
Having an appearance of darkness caused by kissing eyes dark with mascara, your red lip, O Krsna, conforms in colours now, to your dark body. O Hari! O Hari! Go...
'...I know...overcome with passion, when you kissed her kohl filled eyes (chumbana – means kiss)...'
'...That's why your bright lips stained with the kajal, are now dark, like the rest of your body!..'
'...Your beautiful teeth which shine like the sun are now covered with your darkened lips..'
'dashana' is teeth....'vashana' is cloth but here it means being covered. This is how guruji explained it to us. Here it is written, remember he has come there at dawn to finally meet her, so (reading) 'Dark from kissing her kohl blackened eyes, at dawn, your lips match the colour of your body' .So they are saying that his lips and the rest of his body, is blending with the darkness at dawn.
'...Look at your 'rupam' (appearance)! Why you are still lying to me?...'
'...I don't want to hear you lying constantly to me! ...'
(Geet Govinda - Eighth Canto. Seventeenth Song)
Transcript:
Vapur anuharati tava smara-sangara-khara-nakhara-ksata-rekham
Marakata-sakala-kalita-kaladhauta-liper iva rati-jaya-lekham
ma vada kaitava-vadam (x5)
Translation:
Your body, which has the lines of wounds from hard-curved-nails, inflicted in the battle of love, resembles a record of her love victory in love-pleasure from an inscribing on gold done with emerald chip; Hari! Hari! Go....
'...These nail marks you have on your body which you got during your strong love play when you were kissing her...'
'...overcome with passion, she held you and her nails scratched your body...'
Now radha describes the nail marks on his body - (reading from book) it looks like an inscription of triumph of passion in gold writing on sapphire
So she says that Krishna's body is 'marakata sakala' like a dark stone. In this book, they have refered to it as sapphire, but Guruji said that Krishna's body is like a dark shining stone and on that it is written in gold, refering to the nail marks as golden letters, proclaiming 'i have made love'.
'... i don't want any expl,anations anymore...'
'..Why did you hurt me?! Go away...i can't bear your lies anymore! ..'
And she begs him to stop talking and explaning, she seems to have had enough.
(Geet Govinda - Tenth Canto. Ninteenth Song)
Transcript:
Priye caru-sile munca mayi manam anidanam
sapadi madananalo dahati mama manasam
Dehi mukha-kamala-madhu-panam(x2)
vadasi yadi kimcid api danta-ruci-kaumudi (x2)
harati dara-timiram atighoram (x2)
Sphurad-adhara-sidhave tava vandana-candrama (x3)
rocayatu locana-cakoram (x2)
Translation:
If you speak, even a little bit, the splendid moon-light of your teeth rips apart the very dreadful darkness of fear; may the moon, which is your face cause the cakora (bird) which is my eye, to long for the intoxicating nectar from your quavering lip; beloved! sweet-natured-woman! stop being piqued with me-it is unjustified! suddenly the fire of love burns my mind-give me a drink of the mead from the lotus of your mouth!
Now this is Krishna- he is sorry for what he has done, he sees her hurt and in pain. He is guilty and sorry. so he tells her, 'Listen to me i beg forgiveness.
'Priye' means loved one, 'caru sile' means the greatest woman, most beautiful etc refering to Radha
Krishna tells her, 'Please give up your pride...'
Saying this, he tries to hold her but she moves away.
'...Cupid has really struck me and i m burning with passion....'
'...Bring wine in your lotus mouth, and let me kiss you'
Madhu pana – means something intoxication, like alcohol, or tobacco etc. Here the intoxication is the kiss, an intoxicating kiss.
Here he is holding her face, but she moves away
Now she is not talking to him, so he is pleading to her, 'Atleast say something, speak a little bit, so that i can see the brightness of your beautiful teeth...'
'... for it is only this brightness that will dispel the darkness and the fear in my heart...'
This is him saying the same thing, but with a sanchari. Notice this time the part about 'fear' is shown differently.
Now he is saying,'You with your beauty and a face like the bright full moon..'
While he is saying this she has moved to the other side.
This is the sanchari bhav, where he is comparing her beauty to that of the moon.
He is saying this thrice, each time with a different sanchari.
So he is saying, 'I m like the cakora bird, my eyes keep looking at you. Just as the cakora looks at the moon with longing in his eyes, i m looking at you...'
K - Why does he compare himself to the cakora and her to the moon?? What is the significance of it?
J – Just before it rains the moon looks different. There is some connection with the rains and the moon and the cakora looks at the moon , eagerly, waiting for rain. So here it means that since Krishna is burning with passion when she will come back to him, his thirst, will be quenched.
(Geet Govinda - Tenth Canto. Ninteenth Song )
Transcript:
tvam asi mama bhusanam tvam asi mama jivanam (x4)
tvam asi mama bhava-jaladhi-ratnam
bhavatu bahavatiha mayi satanam anurodhini (x2)
tatra mama hrdayam atiyatnam
Translation:
You are my adornment, you are my life. You are my jewel in the ocean of existence! May you be here, constantly compliant to me - for that my heart is making great efforts! beloved, sweet natured woman! stop being piqued with me!
Then Krishna says, 'you are my 'Bhushanam' means 'you are my jewel'.
So her arms around him are like a necklace. so you can see him taking her arms around him.
'...and, you are my life'
This here, he is showing how much she means to him.
He tells her, '...just like a fish needs water to live in, I need you and cannot live without you...'
'...or as a tree supports a creeper, and they cannot be separated, likewise i need you, and we cannot be separated...'
'...Just as bees are attracted to flowers, i m attracted to you....'
'...To me, you are the gem at the bottom of the sea...and you are mine...'
Here he is singing something else and i have danced something else! But basically, Krishna says, ' you are the one who will eradicate the darkness in my life...'
What has happened is i started to perform that and he began to sing some other verse...so the words are something else and i have performed something completely different.
Now Krishna says,' You are giving a lot of trouble to my heart..'
Lets see what has been written in this book...you are my ornament my life my jewel in the sea of existence... by yielding to me forever, my heart pleads... so basically it means, my heart is telling you to please give away your pride....
Krishna feels like the sweet posion of love is spreading through him, burning him with passion.
(Geet Govinda - Tenth Canto. Ninteenth Song )
Transcript:
smara-garala-khandanam mama sirasi mandanam (x2)
dehi pada-pallavam udaram
jvalati mayi daruno madana-kadanaruno
haratu tad-upathita-vikaram
dehi pada-pallavam udaram
Translation:
Place the noble sprout of your foot as an ornament upon my head, it dispels the poison of love in separation; the pitiless sun which is the destruction by love burns in me- may your foot take away the symptom produced; Beloved! Sweet natured woman! stopped being piqued with me!...
So he tells her 'dehi pada pallava' that is, to place her lotus foot on his head. 'pada' means foot.
He tells her that her foot is like a sublime flower capable of destroying the poison of love.
He is telling her that if she places her foot on his head, it will quell the harsh sun, that seems to be burning its fiery form, within his body. Again he refers to cupid and passion and love flowing through him.
Again he pleads to her, that if she places her foot on him, that will be like forgiving him.
Her she is going away and he is following her and now he falls at her feet.
(music)
Now she has forgiven him, he is holding her, and is wiping off his tears.
Now happy, he takes his flute, gives it to Radha and they are now dancing together.
This is radha holding the flute on one side, looking up at him with love.
Narration: Radha and Krishna have come together. They have united. Atma and Parmatma.The all-prevailing presence of Krishna. Krishna, the Lord, Krishna, the Saviour.
(music)
This is concluding part of my performance. I have taken the steps for Moksha. See usually in odissi, performance begins with a prayaer and ends with Moksha, so we began wityh a prayer with the lamps in our hand and ending with a performance of Moksha.
But instead of the usual piece, i tried something different, i mean, as this performance was in the form of a solo ballet, and this music was there in guruji's one original recording, i used it here and set the steps of moksha to it.
You see, Moksha is in ek tali - with four matras and this music goes in four matras so i fitted the moksha, with slight different steps to this music.
Again the musci has gone slow, see i m telling him to increase the speed.
So this mean, whatever I, jayadeva, have said and have written, I place this at your feet, O Lord.
(Geet Govinda - First Canto.First Song)
Transcript:
Sri-Javadeva-kaver idam udita udaram
srnu sukhadam subhadam bhava saram
Kesava drtha-dasa-vidha-rupa
jaya jagad-isa hare (x5)
Translation:
Hear this noble proclamation of the poet Sri Jayadeva, which gives happiness, gives prosperity, which is the epitome of existence; O Kesava who bore ten forms! O Lord of the world! Victory! O Hari! O Jagadisvara! O Sri Hari! O 'Kesi-nisudana'! Oh you who appear in ten different forms! May you be pleased to hear this magnanimous prayer of glorification by Sri Jayadeva, which bestows both happiness and auspiciousness. It is the extracted essence of all material existence.
When everyone will hear it, they will experience happiness.
For this is about you o Lord, you who has dashavtars, that is ten forms. You are an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, here i have taken the last part of the piece of Jayadeva's Dashavtar.
This is me bowing down before Lord Jaganath and the audience...
This means, Krishna i bow down to you, i will be one with you....
Krishnayatubhyam
Namo namaha (x3)
Jhelum Paranjape: Thank you very much to the audience and to Nehru Centre for inviting me to perform at this festival.
I would like to introduce my musicians. On the Mardala - Rohan Dahale, Vocal - Jatin Sahu, Violin - Agnimitra Behra, Sitar - Aparna Deodhar,
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