What is the literal translation of Gita Govinda, the twelfth-century poem by Jayadeva?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Song of the Cowherd
Option (1) Seven Hundred Verses — Incorrect. This is what Bihari Satsai by Bihari Lal stands for: it is made up of 700 verses (satsai).
Option (2) Song of the Cowherd — Correct. Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda is the ‘Song of the Cowherd’, a lyrical poem in Sanskrit on the love of Radha and Krishna.
Option (3) Bouquet of Delight — Incorrect. This is Rasamanjari, the text by Bhanu Datta.
Option (4) The Connoisseur’s Delight — Incorrect. This is Rasikapriya, composed by Keshav Das.
NCERT (2026-27): “Themes of Paintings – An Overview …Composed in the twelfth century by Jayadeva, who is believed to have been the court poet of Lakshmana Sen of Bengal, Gita Govinda, the ‘Song of the Cowherd’, is a lyrical poem in Sanskrit, evoking shringara rasa, portraying the mystical love between Radha and Krishna through worldly imageries. Bhanu Datta, a Maithil Brahmin who lived in Bihar in the fourteenth century, composed another favourite text of artists, Rasamanjari, interpreted as the ‘Bouquet of Delight’.” “Themes of Paintings – An Overview …Rasikapriya, translated as ‘The Connoisseur’s Delight’, is replete with complex poetic interpretations and was composed to incite aesthetic pleasure to elite courtiers.” |