When Krishna Helped Jayadeva Complete Geet Govinda

In most ancient texts depicting the life of Krishna, Radha remains conspicuously absent. Her presence only emerges within the collection of poems known as the Geet Govind, authored by the devoted Jayadeva.

Jayadeva, a staunch follower of Krishna, faced a significant challenge while writing a particular story about Radha and Krishna. In this specific part of the narrative, Radha eagerly awaited Krishna’s arrival in her beautifully decorated room. However, when Krishna appeared, Radha was shocked to find another woman’s hair on his shoulder. This discovery left her deeply saddened and angered, causing her to refrain from speaking to him for an extended period.

In some versions of the legends, this event marked the beginning of Krishna and Radha going their separate ways, never to meet again (we will delve into this part of the story separately).

Jayadeva grappled with the task of articulating this episode in writing. He wrestled with the inner turmoil of being a devout worshiper of Krishna while attempting to convey such heartrending emotions. He felt trapped, akin to a writer experiencing writer’s block, and questioned whether he could truly convey it.

Seeking respite, Jayadeva informed his wife, Padmavati, of his intention to take a bath by the river and requested lunch upon his return. Padmavati assumed that the river was quite distant and anticipated his extended absence.

To her surprise, Jayadeva returned unexpectedly quickly. She inquired about lunch, and Jayadeva informed her that he had found the words to describe the story and wished to complete the poem first. Upon finishing, he sat down with Padmavati to share their meal together.

Feeling immensely relieved and happy, he asked Padmavati to feed him by hand. Padmavati, filled with love and devotion, willingly obliged. It was not uncommon for her to share her husband’s food because of her deep affection for him. While they were eating, Jayadeva abruptly stood up and informed his wife that he was going to take another bath. Padmavati was perplexed by his sudden return from the river and wondered why he was leaving so abruptly.

As she contemplated this, Jayadeva returned once more and requested food, citing an extreme hunger. Padmavati was taken aback and asked why he was requesting lunch again, especially after having already eaten following his earlier bath. She also reminded him that he had completed the unfinished poem before having lunch.

Shocked by Padmavati’s revelation, Jayadeva rushed to his writing desk and confirmed that the poem had indeed been completed, despite not having composed it himself. He was utterly astounded.

In that moment, both Jayadeva and Padmavati realized that Krishna, assuming the guise of Jayadeva, had intervened to assist his devoted follower in overcoming the creative impasse and completing the poem. It also became apparent to them that the divine being Jayadeva held in such high esteem had manifested himself before Padmavati, partaken of her food, and granted her the unique privilege of tasting the food Krishna himself had consumed.