Jaur Gita Govinda #6
BY: SUN STAFF
Nov 16, USA (SUN) — This month-long series explores text and manuscript illustrations from Gita-Govinda
Text Folio No. 13, Bhavas part 14 and 15
Bhava 14 continues with the sakhi's description of Radha and her weakened physical state. She is like the setting sun, her gait is unsteady and she has forgotten to care for herself. The sakhi scolds Krsna for his cruelty towards his beloved and again repeats her pleadings.
Illustration Folio 12
Illustration folio 12 is divided into three sections. In the first, the sakhi points towards a tree, possible suggesting her approaching Krsna or wondering where he is. While the tree's background is yellow, indicating daylight, the sakhi is framed on a dark night time background, with a line of storm clouds above. The changing colors suggest the passage of time.
In the second panel, Radha is seen lying on a couch in a despondent state. While none of the intensity of the many similies and metaphors from the verbal descriptions are pictorially captured, there is enough in sections one and two of the folio to convey the feeling of intense yearning and pining. In the text, the sakhis have been describing Radha's state. In this folio we see her directly, lying bereft on a couch at night. The red bhutis on her sari and the red of the bed provide the only relief in an otherwise despondent picture.
The third panel depicts a domestic scene, with the sakhi using her grinding stone in an effort to soothe Radha by the use of sandle paste. Here the colors are soft and delicate, indicative of the service mood.
