ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>JAIDEV (JAYADEVA)</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="JAIDEV,JAYADEVA"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279JAIDEV (JAYADEVA), saint and poet, two of whose hymns are incorporated in the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, is chiefly known to the literary world as the author of the <i>G&#299ta Govinda</i>, a lyrical poem in which the love of R&#257dh&#257 (soul or devotee) for Govinda (the Supreme Being) is described symbolically and mystically. Jaidev was born at Kindu Bilv&#257 which, according to some, is now Kend&#363l&#299, in B&#299rbh&#363m district of West-Bengal, on the river Ajay and, according to others, Kend&#363l&#299-Sasan, on Pr&#257ch&#299 river, near Jagann&#257th Pur&#299 in O&#7771iss&#257. At the end of his poem, he has given his father's name as Bhojadeva and mother's as R&#257dh&#257dev&#299, deciphered also as Ram&#257dev&#299, or V&#257madev&#299. He is said to have flourished in the reign of R&#257j&#257 Karnarnav (AD 1142-56) and R&#257j&#257 Purushottam Dev (AD 1170-80), both of O&#7771iss&#257. Several legends about him are recorded in the <i>Bhaktam&#257l</i> of Chandradatta. In his youth, he led the life of an ascetic and a wandering preacher. The course changed for him as, while in Pur&#299 once, a Br&#257hma&#7751 forced the hand of his daughter on him. It turned out to be a happy marriage. His wife sang with him the devotional songs which were of his own composition. He spent some years at Katham Kand&#299, now called Jaidevpur in his memory, where he composed his immortal lyric, the <i>G&#299ta Govinda</i>. From a devotee of Lord K&#7771&#7779&#7751a, he became a devotee of the Supreme Lord. He roamed about the country preaching the gospel of love of God and of man. R&#257j&#257 Lakshman Sen (AD 1175 -1200), of Bengal, became his disciple. Jaidev lived long and died in the village where he was born, in happy retirement. There is a <i>sam&#257dh&#299</i> of the saint in the village and an annual fair is held on the first of M&#257gh.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Besides the <i>G&#299ta Govinda</i>, two other compositions, the <i>Rasan&#257 R&#257ghava</i>, a drama, and the <i>Chandralok</i>, an essay on the grace of style, are also ascribed to him.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jaidev's hymns in the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, one in R&#257ga G&#363jar&#299 and the other in R&#257ga M&#257r&#363, are in adoration of Hari, the Supreme Being. "Duality," he says, "ended for me as I remembered God who is the fountainhead of all virtue. Cherish the Divine Name in your heart. By repeating His praise you will break the circuit of birth and death, and you will dread death no more. Your heart and your word and deed should be imbued with the love of One Hari alone." Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s in his <i>V&#257r&#257&#7749</i>, X. 10, pays tribute to Jaidev's loving devotion whereby he attained the state when no distinction remains between "the devotee and the infinite."</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Gurdit Si&#7749gh Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Itih&#257s Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib (Bhagat B&#257&#7751&#299 Bh&#257g) </i> . Chandigarh, 1990<BR> <li class="C1"> S&#257hib Si&#7749gh, <i>Bhagat B&#257&#7751&#299 Sa&#7789&#299k</i>. Amritsar, 1959-60<BR> <li class="C1"> T&#257ran Si&#7749gh, ed., <i>Gur&#363 Granth Ratnaval&#299</i>. Patiala, n.d.<BR> <li class="C1"> Prat&#257p Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Bhagat Darshan</i>. Amritsar, 2001 Bk<BR> <li class="C1"> Keyt, G., tr., <i>Sri Jayadeva's Gitagovinda</i>. Bombay, 1947<BR> <li class="C1"> Macauliffe, M.A., <i>The Sikh Religion</i>. Oxford, 1909<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Hardev B&#257hr&#299<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>