GEETAGOVINDAM

Radhe Krishna
I would like to share something abt the importance of Ashtapathy(Although i know a little
abt it, i would like to share it).

The Geetagovinda mahakavyam comprising 24 ashtapathies is really a treasure of bhakthi
and shringara.The Ashtapathy is called so b'coz it has got 8 charanams.
First i would like 2 share abt the importance of 19th ashtapathy.

Jayadeva was writing 19th ashtapathy when he wrote the charanam:

"Smaragarala kandanam mama sirasi mandanam
dehi pada pallavamudaram
jvalathi mayi dharuno madhana kathananalo
harathuthathu pahitha vikaram."

Radha decides to have fun and enacts as if she is angry with Krishnar.But Krishnar is
unable to bear even that fun.So he asks Radha to place her feet on his head,
so that she may get consoled. As Jayadeva wrote this charanam he suddenly stopped writing and
removed it from the scripture.
How can a bhaktha's feet be placed above Bhagavan's head?He was totally confused.

Incidentally that day happened to be holy Ekadeshi falling on tuesday. Jayadeva
went to attend bhajan held in the palace. Padmavathi,his wife was alone in the house.

After sometime Padmavathi heard somebody knocking at the door. She opened the door to find
Jayadeva standing there outside.Jayadeva came inside.He was so tired and decided to have
a bath.He asked Padmavathi to apply oil on his head.Padmavathi did so.Jayadevar then asked
her to bring that ashtapthy so that he could complete it. He then wrote the same charanam
which he removed earlier. As Jayadeva had oil applied on his body, some oil spread
on the scripture on which he was writing. Having finished the charanam Jayadeva went out.

After sometime Padmavathi again heard somebody knocking at the door.She went and opened
the door.She saw Jayadeva standing outside.She became really wondered and perplexed.

Jayadeva came inside and gave instructions to Padmavathi to make arrangements for puja.
Padmavathi asked him why he returned so early.

Jayadeva asked "Are u joking? I left home early morning and have reached home only now.
What happened to you? "

Padmavathi was astonished and she narrated the whole incident.

Jayadevar said"Padmavathi i think u have dreamt abt me.i will prove it.
Bring that scripture".

When Padmavathi brought the scripture, Jayadeva found the charanam ,the one that he had
removed earlier, being writeen on it.He couldnt believe his eyes.He then called Padmavati
and asked who wrote it. Padmavati replied, "You only wrote it.You can even see the
impression of the oil on the scripture".Jayadeva became angry. Overruled by his anger
he even went to the extent of killing her.Suddenly Jayadeva felt somebody pulling
his hand from behind.It was none other than "Neelameghasyamala roopa dhara Krishna".

In his state of anger he was not even aware of the fact that Sakshat Bhagavan was
standing infront of him.He started talking very casually to Lord Krishna.

He said,"Krishna do u know what my wife has done?She is lying that i came here and
wrote this charanam"

Krishna replied,"Jayadeva she isnt lying. Shall i ask you one thing?
You have written so many ashtapathies. Is tht ur own credit or something else?".

Jayadeva said calmly,"Krishna u r the one who resides in my heart and make me write them."

Krishna:"Yes,it was I who made u write tht. since you removed it, i took ur form,came here and wrote tht charanam again. "

Jayadeva realised his folly and fell on the lotus feet of Padmavathi and said:

"Amma, u r not my wife. u r my Guru.I have sung many ashtapaties but till now Krishna has
not given me His darshan. But today u have got tht divya darshanam."

Krishna:"Jayadeva get up! get up!what r u doing?"

Jayadeva:"Krishna there is nothing wrong in it.Now Padmavathi stands above me."

Krishna:"This was what i meant. In Bhakthi,Radha is supreme and hence superior
to me.There is nothing wrong if she place her lotus feet on my head.It gives me bliss."

Krishnar blessed the couple and disappeared.

Such an importance this ashtapathy has. In the last charanam,Jayadeva has written
"Jayathu Padmavathi ramana jayadeva kavi". Here emphasis is on Padmavathi.
Through these lines he expresses his pride of being the husband of Padmavati.

So it is customary to perform deeparadhana twice during this ashtapathy:one during
"smaragarala kandanam" and the other during "Jayathu Padmavathi ramana jayadeva kavi".

This ashtapathy has two more importance which we'll share later.

RADHE KRISHNA!!!! LOKA SAMASTHA SUKHINO BHAVANTHU!!!!