कथा कौतुकम् - 5 - अष्टपदी
The article recounts the devotional legend surrounding Jayadeva’s Gītagovinda, in which Krishna is said to have completed a line that Jayadeva hesitated to write: “Place your feet upon my head.” It then presents the famous verse and highlights the continuing musical and dance traditions associated with the Gītagovinda.
Article compiled by Harsha M Krishna
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अद्य कृष्णजन्माष्टमी। अतः अद्य कृष्णस्य कथा। 🌸 adya kṛṣṇajanmāṣṭamī. ataḥ adya kṛṣṇasya kathā. (Today is Janmashtami. So today, a story of Krishna.)
द्वादशे शतके एकः कविः आसीत्। तस्य नाम जयदेवः। dvādaśe śatake ekaḥ kaviḥ āsīt. tasya nāma jayadevaḥ. (In the 12th century there was a poet named Jayadeva.)
सः “गीतगोविन्दम्” इति काव्यं लिखति स्म। saḥ “gītagovindam” iti kāvyaṃ likhati sma. (He was writing the poem Gītagovinda.)
एकदा सः एकं वाक्यं लिखितुम् इच्छति स्म — किन्तु न अलिखत्। ekadā saḥ ekaṃ vākyaṃ likhitum icchati sma — kintu na alikhat. (One day he wished to write a certain line — but he did not write it.)
कुतः? “अहं कथं लिखामि? इदं महत् अपराधम्” इति सः अचिन्तयत्। kutaḥ? “ahaṃ kathaṃ likhāmi? idaṃ mahat aparādham” iti saḥ acintayat. (Why? “How can I write this? It is a great offence,” he thought.)
सः लेखनीं त्यक्त्वा स्नानाय गतवान्। saḥ lekhanīṃ tyaktvā snānāya gatavān. (He put down his pen and went for his bath.)
अनन्तरं यत् अभवत् — तत् अधः पठन्तु। 👇
In English — the story 👇
Jayadeva was writing the Gītagovinda at Kenduli, near Puri. His wife Padmāvatī would dance as he composed.
He reached the climax of the poem. Rādhā is angry. Krishna has to plead. And the line that came to Jayadeva was Krishna saying:
“Place your feet upon my head.”
Jayadeva froze. A devotee may place the Lord’s feet on their head — but how can the Lord place a devotee’s feet on His? He wept. He called it apacāram, an offence. He threw down his pen and walked to the sea to bathe.
While he was gone, there was a knock at the door.
Padmāvatī opened it — and there stood Jayadeva. She was startled; he had barely left. He smiled and said he had suddenly remembered a line and feared he would forget it. He asked for the palm leaf.
He wrote. He returned the leaf. He asked for his meal, ate, and rested.
A little later, another knock.
Jayadeva stood at the door again — wet from the sea.
Padmāvatī went white. Jayadeva went to the manuscript. There, in handwriting like his own, was the very line he could not bring himself to write.
He asked her: did I tell anyone this? Did I tell even you? She said: no. Only whoever lives inside your heart could have written it.
And Jayadeva wept like a child. The Lord had accepted the words.
श्लोकः — Gītagovinda, Aṣṭapadi 19
स्मरगरलखण्डनं मम शिरसि मण्डनं देहि पदपल्लवमुदारम् । ज्वलति मयि दारुणो मदनकदनानलो हरतु तदुपाहितविकारम् ॥
smara-garala-khaṇḍanaṃ mama śirasi maṇḍanaṃ dehi pada-pallavam udāram | jvalati mayi dāruṇo madana-kadanānalo haratu tad-upāhita-vikāram ||
Meaning: Your tender feet are the antidote to the poison of love. Place them on my head as its ornament. A cruel fire of longing burns within me — let them take away all that it has done to me.
पद-पल्लवम् — “feet like fresh new leaves.” Not pāda, but pallava, the soft first sprout of spring. That’s the word Krishna is said to have chosen.
And it isn’t only a legend 🎶
The Gītagovinda is still sung as daily ritual at the Jagannath temple in Puri, eight centuries on. It was among the first Sanskrit works composed with rāga and tāla marked for every song — poetry written to be sung, not recited.
Odissi dance, Bharatanatyam, Kathak, temple music across India — all still carry these aṣṭapadis.
कृष्णजन्माष्टम्याः शुभाशयाः! 🙏🦚 Wishing you all a blessed Janmashtami.
भवतां प्रियः अष्टपदी कः? Which aṣṭapadi is your favourite? 🌸