Jayadeva facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jayadeva |
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Jayadeva's idol at Kendubilwa, Odisha
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| Birth Date | c. 1170 East India |
| Died on | c. 1245 |
| Philosophy | Vaishnava |
Jayadeva (born around 1170 CE), also known as Jaideva, was a famous Sanskrit poet from the 12th century. He is best known for his long poem called Gita Govinda. This poem tells the story of the love between the Hindu god Krishna and a cowherd girl named Radha. It shows Radha as being very important, even more so than Krishna. This poem is a key text in the Bhakti movement of Hinduism, which focuses on loving devotion to God.
Not much is known about Jayadeva's personal life. He was a poet who liked to be alone and was a Hindu mendicant, meaning he lived a simple life, often traveling. People in eastern India greatly admired his poetry. His songs, called ashtapadis, are very important in Odissi music, which is the traditional classical music of Odisha, a state in India. Jayadeva is also the earliest known author whose hymns are included in the Guru Granth Sahib, the main holy book of Sikhism. Sikhism started centuries after Jayadeva lived.
Jayadeva's Life Story
Jayadeva was born into a Brahmin family, which is a priestly group in Hinduism. We don't know the exact date or place of his birth. His poem Gitagovinda mentions a village called "Kindubilva." Scholars from different parts of India, like Odisha, Bengal, and Mithila, all believe this village was in their own region. For example, some think it was Kenduli Sasan in Odisha, while others say it was Jaydev Kenduli in West Bengal.
Jayadeva's parents were named Bhojadeva and Ramadevi. We know from old temple writings that Jayadeva learned about Sanskrit poetry at a place called Kurmapataka. This place might have been near Konark in Odisha.
What Records Tell Us
Inscriptions found in temples like Lingaraj, Madhukeswar, and Simhachal have given us some clues about Jayadeva's early life. These writings say that Jayadeva was a teacher at a school in Kurmapataka. He might have also studied there himself. It seems that after his childhood education, he went to Kurmapataka. There, he became skilled in writing poetry, creating music, and dancing.
His Famous Writings
Jayadeva wrote some poems in an old form of the Odia language. These poems talk about the romantic stories of Radha and Krishna. They share many ideas with his famous Gita Govinda. Jayadeva is also seen as one of the first musicians of Odissi music.
Every night, during the last ritual at the Jagannatha temple in Puri, Jayadeva's Gitagovinda is sung. It is performed using traditional Odissi ragas (melodies) and talas (rhythms). This tradition has continued since Jayadeva's time, as he himself used to sing in the temple. Later, singing the Gitagovinda became a required part of the temple's daily activities. This was done by special dancers called Maharis or Devadasis. Even today, the Jagannatha temple keeps the oldest and most true forms of Odissi music alive.
Two of Jayadeva's hymns are also part of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikh religion. These hymns are a mix of Sanskrit and an old Indian language called Apabhramsha. There are stories that say Jayadeva's work greatly influenced Guru Nanak, who founded Sikhism, when he visited Puri.
Images for kids
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Ancient stone idol of Jayadeba at Akhandaleswara Temple, Prataparudrapura, Odisha
