[Footnote 47: Note 16.]

[Footnote 48: Note 17.]

[Footnote 49: I.e. the whole of Krishna's career after his destruction of
the tyrant.]

[Footnote 50: Roy Campbell, _The Poems of St. John of the Cross_ (London,
1951), 11-12.]



(ii) The Gita Govinda


The first poem to express this changed conception is the _Gita
Govinda_--the Song of the Cowherd--a Sanskrit poem written by the Bengali
poet, Jayadeva, towards the close of the twelfth century. Its subject is
the estrangement of Radha and Krishna caused by Krishna's love for other
cowgirls, Radha's anguish at Krishna's neglect and lastly the rapture
which attends their final reunion. Jayadeva describes Radha's longing and
Krishna's love-making with glowing sensuality yet the poem reverts
continually to praise of Krishna as God.

If in recalling Krishna to mind there is flavour
Or if there is interest in love's art
Then to this necklace of words--sweetness,
tenderness, brightness--
The words of Jayadeva, listen.