Jayadeva birth controversy
Encyclopedia
Until recently, the origins of the great twelfth century poet Jayadeva
( ) had been somewhat obscure, with the two neighboring states of Orissa and Bengal in Eastern India staking a claim to Jayadeva's origins. This had led to a bitter feud between people on both sides, that lasted for over a century.
, the fourth ruler of the Sena dynasty
and the last Hindu
ruler of unified Bengal
. These views originated from a single Bengali book, Jayadeva Charita authored by someone called Banamali Das, then subsequently disseminated by Bengali historians. The book was written in 1803 when little was known about the poet's life. Since this was the only published source of information then, it eventually came to be accepted that Jayadeva may have been born in Bengal. This idea was further propagated in 1906 through an article by a certain M. M. Chakrobarty where he mentioned that the great poet belonged to Bengal in the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Since Jayadeva mentions the village of Kendubilva as his birthplace, a location in Birbhum, where a traditional Baul festival is held each year, was identified to have been the original Kenduli village of Jayadeva. Under the assumption that the illustrious poet was born there, that festival too became associated with Jayadeva. A nearby village acquired the sobriquet of "Jayadeva Kenduli" and became a tourist attraction, and the Baul festival was renamed as "Jayadeva Mela" in spite of having originated centuries later during the time of Chaitanya.
Since Jayadeva's composition, including the Gita Govinda clearly were composed in Puri in Orissa, Bengali historians who supported the idea that Jayadeva must have been from that state, went on to explain that the poet eventually settled in Puri in that state where he began composing poetry.
Recent reports suggest that this erstwhile claim has now been rejected by experts on Jayadeva. A few of the scholars have begun to describe this distortion variously as a "forgery" and a "humbug".
Furthermore, researchers opine that Jayadeva is among the centralmost figures in Oriya culture. Jayadeva's works, they observe, have spread to southern India, but are rare in neighboring Bengal. It has been pointed out that the Gita Govinda's influence outside Orissa is most felt in the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where verses of the poet's work have been incorporated into the Kathakali
and Bharatanatyam
classical dance forms respectively. It is Jayadeva's ashtapadis that are sung in dance performances of Odissi
, the classical dance of Orissa. Oriya bhajan
s (devotional songs) are based on raga
s and tala
s specified by Jayadeva's hymns. Jayadeva was a devotee of Krishna, and Krishna in the form of Jagannath
is the central deity of Orissa, whereas the female deity Durga
is prominent in Bengal. The Gita Govinda
composed by Jayadeva is one of the popular themes in the traditional patachitra paintings of Orissa. In stark contrast, according to Thomas Donaldson, an American specialist on Indian art history, Jayadeva's ragas do not match the lyrical patterns of Bengal, which unlike Orissa, does not even possess a classical vocal tradition. The lack of correlation between Bengali traditional music and the compositions of Jayadeva were independently observed in Barbara Stoler Miller's book, Love Song of the Dark Lord. Additionally, a highly Sanskritized and sophisticated classical culture had been firmly entrenched in Orissa during that period, while neighboring Bengal only had a folk based culture until recent times.
Some further details about Jayadeva have been garnered from Madhaba Patnaik's book. It gives a clear account of Chaitanya's visit to Puri. He mentions that Chaitanya paid a visit to Kenduli Sasan near Puri to pay homage to Jayadeva and to chant passages from the Gita Govinda. The book mentions that Kenduli Sasan was in fact the birthplace of the illustrious poet. Madhava Patnaik's book also gives an account of Jayadeva's early life from the legends around Puri. It mentions Jayadeva as excelling in the Shastras and the Puranas (sacred Hindu texts) from early childhood.
In view of the preponderance of evidence in this direction, historians have concluded that Gita Govinda's author, Jayadeva was a son of Orissa, not Bengal. The government of Orissa, through the Odissi
Akademi, has initiated an annual Jayadeva Utsav (festival) in Bhubaneswar and New Delhi to commemorate the great poet's birth in Orissa, through classical music and dance.
(KBC III) erroneously mentioned Jayadeva as the court poet of king Lakshmanasena of Bengal. This triggered an immediate volley of protests by the culture-aware people of Orissa. Shah Rukh Khan, the game show's host was denounced for spreading false information. The government of Orissa has also demanded an apology from Kaun Banega Crorepati as it claims that the game show "mutilated historical facts" and "hurt the feelings of the people of Orissa". The Jayadeva Foundation Trust launched a protest against the TV show. Some scholars have expressed concern over the false depiction of Jayadeva's origin by Kaun Banega Crorepati, which they call a "historical humbug".
, or Dasavatara, that the poet popularized in his epic poem, the Gita Govinda
. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik unveiled the stamps at a special function in Jayadev Bhawan. The stamps are in the denomination of Rs 5. A total of 800,000 stamps were released for sale in Orissa.
Jayadeva
Jayadeva was a Sanskrit poet circa 1200 AD. He is most known for his composition, the epic poem Gita Govinda, which depicts the divine love of Krishna-an avatar of Vishnu and his consort, Radha, and it is mentioned that Radha is greater than Hari, and is considered an important text in the...
( ) had been somewhat obscure, with the two neighboring states of Orissa and Bengal in Eastern India staking a claim to Jayadeva's origins. This had led to a bitter feud between people on both sides, that lasted for over a century.
The Bengali view
A few earlier accounts by Bengali writers had linked Jayadeva to the famous king of Bengal Lakshman SenLakshman Sen
Lakshman Sen was the fourth king of the Sen dynasty of Bengal, who ruled for about 28 years. Lakshman Sen succeeded his father Ballal Sen...
, the fourth ruler of the Sena dynasty
Sena dynasty
The Sena Empire was a Hindu dynasty that ruled from Bengal through the 11th and 12th centuries. At its peak the empire covered much of the north-eastern region in the Indian Subcontinent. They were called Brahma-Kshatriyas, as evidenced through their surname, which is derived from the Sanskrit,...
and the last Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
ruler of unified Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. These views originated from a single Bengali book, Jayadeva Charita authored by someone called Banamali Das, then subsequently disseminated by Bengali historians. The book was written in 1803 when little was known about the poet's life. Since this was the only published source of information then, it eventually came to be accepted that Jayadeva may have been born in Bengal. This idea was further propagated in 1906 through an article by a certain M. M. Chakrobarty where he mentioned that the great poet belonged to Bengal in the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Since Jayadeva mentions the village of Kendubilva as his birthplace, a location in Birbhum, where a traditional Baul festival is held each year, was identified to have been the original Kenduli village of Jayadeva. Under the assumption that the illustrious poet was born there, that festival too became associated with Jayadeva. A nearby village acquired the sobriquet of "Jayadeva Kenduli" and became a tourist attraction, and the Baul festival was renamed as "Jayadeva Mela" in spite of having originated centuries later during the time of Chaitanya.
Since Jayadeva's composition, including the Gita Govinda clearly were composed in Puri in Orissa, Bengali historians who supported the idea that Jayadeva must have been from that state, went on to explain that the poet eventually settled in Puri in that state where he began composing poetry.
Recent reports suggest that this erstwhile claim has now been rejected by experts on Jayadeva. A few of the scholars have begun to describe this distortion variously as a "forgery" and a "humbug".
The Oriya view
Protagonists of the Oriya viewpoint point out that all of Jayadeva's composition took place when the poet was in Puri, supporting the idea that he must have lived in Puri for most, if not all of his life. Archaeological discoveries in Orissa establish Jayadeva's extended presence in Orissa. In addition, there also exists a village called Kenduli Sasan in Orissa where the Hindu deity Krishna, who was also the main theme in Jayadeva's works, has traditionally been worshipped as the main god. Coincidentally, the inhabitants of that village also worship Jayadeva. A Sasan is a name for villages that traditionally were centers of Brahmin scholarly activity in Orissa, and Jayadeva himself was a Brahmin.Furthermore, researchers opine that Jayadeva is among the centralmost figures in Oriya culture. Jayadeva's works, they observe, have spread to southern India, but are rare in neighboring Bengal. It has been pointed out that the Gita Govinda's influence outside Orissa is most felt in the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where verses of the poet's work have been incorporated into the Kathakali
Kathakali
Kathakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion...
and Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam
Bharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...
classical dance forms respectively. It is Jayadeva's ashtapadis that are sung in dance performances of Odissi
Odissi
Odissi, also spelled Orissi , is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. It originates from the state of Orissa, in eastern India. It is the oldest surviving dance form of India on the basis of archaeological evidences. The classic treatise of Indian dance, Natya Shastra, refers to it as...
, the classical dance of Orissa. Oriya bhajan
Bhajan
A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
s (devotional songs) are based on raga
Raga
A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
s and tala
Tala (music)
Tāla, Taal or Tal is the term used in Indian classical music for the rhythmic pattern of any composition and for the entire subject of rhythm, roughly corresponding to metre in Western music, though closer conceptual equivalents are to be found in other Asian classical systems such as the notion...
s specified by Jayadeva's hymns. Jayadeva was a devotee of Krishna, and Krishna in the form of Jagannath
Jagannath
Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
is the central deity of Orissa, whereas the female deity Durga
Durga
For the 1985 Hindi Film of Rajesh Khanna see DurgaaIn Hinduism, Durga ; ; meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; , durga) or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress" is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eighteen arms, riding a lion...
is prominent in Bengal. The Gita Govinda
Gita Govinda
The Gita Govinda is a work composed by the 12th-century poet, Jayadeva, who was born in Kenduli Sasan near Puri in Orissa. It describes the relationship between Krishna and the gopis of Vrindavana, and in particular one gopi named Radha...
composed by Jayadeva is one of the popular themes in the traditional patachitra paintings of Orissa. In stark contrast, according to Thomas Donaldson, an American specialist on Indian art history, Jayadeva's ragas do not match the lyrical patterns of Bengal, which unlike Orissa, does not even possess a classical vocal tradition. The lack of correlation between Bengali traditional music and the compositions of Jayadeva were independently observed in Barbara Stoler Miller's book, Love Song of the Dark Lord. Additionally, a highly Sanskritized and sophisticated classical culture had been firmly entrenched in Orissa during that period, while neighboring Bengal only had a folk based culture until recent times.
Settlement in favor of the Oriya view
After decades of intense feuding between historians of the two states of Orissa and Bengal, recent studies have concluded in favor of the Oriya view, based on evidence gleaned from various sources, as outlined below.Archaeological evidence
According to very recent media reports and scholarly publications, closer scrutiny of the archaeological records, including temple inscriptions, palm manuscripts and lithographs of that era have revealed the poet's Oriya origin. The worship of the Hindu deity, Krishna, in the form of Jagannath was widespread in Orissa during Jayadeva's birth. On the other hand, there is no archaeological evidence of such worship in Bengal until the arrival of Chaitanya, which was over three centuries after the era of Jayadeva. Inscription at the Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar tells us that Jayadeva had been a member of the teaching faculty of the school at Srikurmapataka, near Puri in Orissa. The inscriptions, that refer to "Sadhu Pradhan Jayadeva" were carved by the Orissa monarch of that period. Later discoveries of inscriptions at the Madhukeswar and Simhachal temples, also in Orissa, establishes the linkage between Jayadeva and the dancing families of Kurmapataka, who held sway during the reign of the Orissan monarch Chodagangadeva. The most conclusive evidence comes with the discovery of pottery and copper plates at Kenduli village in Orissa, that mention the existence of the great poet, Jayadeva.Evidence based on medieval manuscripts
Furthermore, scholars maintain that accounts by numerous medieval authors, such as Chandra Dutta of Mithila and Navaji of Gwalior supports Orissa as the poet's birthplace. The poet Mahipati of Maharashtra writes in his book Bhakti Bijaya, that Jayadeva's native village was very close to Puri. The Assamese text, Sampradaya Kula Dipak as well as the Telugu text, Sanskruta Kabi Jivani, contain elaborate descriptions of the poet's birth taking place near the Jagannath Dham in Utkala (Orissa). Another book, Vaishnava Leelamruta by Madhaba Patnaik who lived in the sixteenth century and was contemporaneous to Chaitanya, clearly mentions that the poet was born near Puri.Some further details about Jayadeva have been garnered from Madhaba Patnaik's book. It gives a clear account of Chaitanya's visit to Puri. He mentions that Chaitanya paid a visit to Kenduli Sasan near Puri to pay homage to Jayadeva and to chant passages from the Gita Govinda. The book mentions that Kenduli Sasan was in fact the birthplace of the illustrious poet. Madhava Patnaik's book also gives an account of Jayadeva's early life from the legends around Puri. It mentions Jayadeva as excelling in the Shastras and the Puranas (sacred Hindu texts) from early childhood.
Evidence from Jayadeva's own writings
Historians now suggest that some of the poet's own compositions in Oriya unequivocally support the idea that Jayadeva belonged to Puri, Orissa. Jayadeva mentions his birthplace as "Kendubilva by the sea" ("Kendubilva Samudra Sambhava") in his 7th Ashtapadi, and Birbhum, unlike Puri, does not abut on the sea. Jayadeva used to bathe each morning in the banks of a river, mentions the book Bhaktamala. A. K. Tripathy, an eminent scholar on Jayadeva, and P. C. Tripathy point out that the poet could never have walked daily to the river Ajeya which is 36 miles away from the Bengali village, unlike the Prachi river upon whose banks is situated the Kenduli village near Puri. Jayadeva's hymns refer to the ocean using the Sanskrit word "Mahodadhi", which is a typical name given to the sea in Puri. None of Jayadeva's compositions remotely suggest that he ever served in the court of any monarch. Besides, Lakshmanasena ruled Birbhum between 1179 AD and 1185 AD, that was about a century after the birth of Jayadeva.The current scholarly opinion
As far back as in 1910, R. Krishna Rao noted that Jayadeva could only have been born in Kenduli in Orissa. His article appeared in the 18th July, 1910 edition of the popular newspaper, Amrita Bazar Patrika. Even earlier, the first English translation of the Gita Govinda, published by Sir William Jones in 1792, identified Kalinga (Orissa) as the saint poet's birthplace. Much more data has been garnered from historical records ever since by scholars such as Subas Pani, all pointing in the same direction. Currently, the overwhelming evidence in favor of Puri as the birthplace of Jayadeva has even prompted eminent Bengali scholars such as Asish Kumar Chakraborty and Satyakam Sengupta to acknowledge this as a fact. Noted Bengali historian Sukumar Sen states: "The place where the Baul fair is held is vaguely called Kenduli and has no connection with any village". The word Kendu itself, is an Oriya derivative of the Sanskrit word Tenduka (Diospyros melonoxylon), which is not used in Bengal.In view of the preponderance of evidence in this direction, historians have concluded that Gita Govinda's author, Jayadeva was a son of Orissa, not Bengal. The government of Orissa, through the Odissi
Odissi
Odissi, also spelled Orissi , is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. It originates from the state of Orissa, in eastern India. It is the oldest surviving dance form of India on the basis of archaeological evidences. The classic treatise of Indian dance, Natya Shastra, refers to it as...
Akademi, has initiated an annual Jayadeva Utsav (festival) in Bhubaneswar and New Delhi to commemorate the great poet's birth in Orissa, through classical music and dance.
The Kaun Banega Crorepati faux pas
In spite of Jayadeva's proven birthplace in Kenduli village, near Puri in Orissa, the April 16, 2007 episode of the popular Indian TV game show Kaun Banega CrorepatiKaun Banega Crorepati
Kaun Banega Crorepati is an Indian reality/game show based on the UK game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? which offers a maximum cash prize of £1 million. The show first aired in 2000 and was hosted by Amitabh Bachchan. This was the first appearance of Bachchan on Indian television...
(KBC III) erroneously mentioned Jayadeva as the court poet of king Lakshmanasena of Bengal. This triggered an immediate volley of protests by the culture-aware people of Orissa. Shah Rukh Khan, the game show's host was denounced for spreading false information. The government of Orissa has also demanded an apology from Kaun Banega Crorepati as it claims that the game show "mutilated historical facts" and "hurt the feelings of the people of Orissa". The Jayadeva Foundation Trust launched a protest against the TV show. Some scholars have expressed concern over the false depiction of Jayadeva's origin by Kaun Banega Crorepati, which they call a "historical humbug".
Postage stamps commemorating Jayadeva's birth in Orissa
In July 2009, the government of India's Department of Posts has decided to release 11 stamps in Bhubaneswar to commemorate the birth of Jayadeva. One stamp depicts the poet himself, while the other ten show the 10 incarnations of VishnuVishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
, or Dasavatara, that the poet popularized in his epic poem, the Gita Govinda
Gita Govinda
The Gita Govinda is a work composed by the 12th-century poet, Jayadeva, who was born in Kenduli Sasan near Puri in Orissa. It describes the relationship between Krishna and the gopis of Vrindavana, and in particular one gopi named Radha...
. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik unveiled the stamps at a special function in Jayadev Bhawan. The stamps are in the denomination of Rs 5. A total of 800,000 stamps were released for sale in Orissa.
See also
- Kenduli SasanKenduli SasanKenduli Sasan in Khurda district is the birth place of the Sanskrit lyricist, Jayadeva. Medieval Indian literature refer to this place by the name Kenduvilva.-Location:...
- Jaydev KenduliJaydev KenduliJaydev Kenduli is a village and gram panchayat in Ilambazar community development block in Bolpur subdivision of Birbhum District in the Indian state of West Bengal...