Odia Books

Gopalakrishna Pattanayak was born in 1784. He is the most popular and famous odia Vaishnava lyricist, was born at Paralakhimundi. His father Banabasi was a Vaishnavite devotee of the Chaitanya order and served under the Gajapati Maharaja Paralakhimundi. Gopalakrishna was initiated into the traditional faith, and when his father died he took up a job under the Maharaja as ‘Panjia karana’ (record writer). Besides his everyday work, he devoted himself to the study of ‘alamkara’ (rhetoric), ‘vyakarana’ (grammar), ‘kavya’ (Sanskrit and odia poetry), Srimadbhagavata and the famous Vaishnavite works of the six Vrindabana, Goswamis, and to the worship of his family deity, Rasikaraja. He had the opportunity to attend the learned discourses on religion and scriptures at the ‘Pandita Sabha’ (meeting of scholars) in the court of the Maharaja.

Gopalakrishna initially composed chaupadis on earthly love following in the footsteps of his predecessors. Later he took up the theme of the divine love sport of Radhakrishna and composed a large number of chaupadis setting them to various types of melodious tunes of the Karnatic style. Like Gahasattasai of Hala Satabahana (compiler of the famous Prakrit love poetry) and Amaru shataka of Amaru (Sanskrit poet), his chaupadis are songs based on various single emotions and aspects of the erotic sports of Radha-Krishna in Braja and Vrindabana. Though we do not find a proper development of the story and construction of plot in his Padavali (anthology of songs), the beauty and the dramatic touch of Kishorachandrananda champu and other Vaishnavite Krishna kavyas are not lacking in them. A good number of his songs have attained a classic dignity and are marked by their musical and sincere portrayal of human feelings. In spite of the Vaishnavite conception of the divinity of Radha-Krishna, the depiction of love, hope, despair and agony is true to human life. This humanization of the love of divine characters with the help of local colour peculiar to the social life of odisha has enhanced the realistic beauty of his composition. His portrayal of Radha as the beloved of Krishna is supreme in odia literature not only for its human appeal but also for the sublimity of the emotion of love. Besides the erotic portrayal of Radhakrishna, the depiction of the childhood pranks of Krishna and the maternal affection of Yashoda are no less charming. Gopalakrishna has given a spontaneous and realistic shape to his emotions in a language direct and simple, and in a style lucid and charming, though on occasions there is a coarseness in his choice of diction and use of assonance. He composed a large number of songs (bhajana, kirtana, stuti, etc.) which are cultic in character and spirit. In almost all his songs we come across a devoted soul, surrendering himself to the Lord in ‘dasya bhava’ or ‘manjaribhava’ (spirit of servitude). (

Chaupadis
Hala Satabahana
Amaru Shataka

Brajaku Chora Asichi
Patha Chhadi De Mu Jibi Phula Toli
Kananara Bitanare
Muhamuhin Kisora Chandramankara Mora
Karuthili Mun Nahi Nahi Re
Bajuchhi Sahi Bajare To Naare Brajabajare
Chhailabara Chhamure Padili
Aja Sri Gostha Chandrama
Banchiba Kehire
Syama Ja Ja Juhara To Piratiki
Bhaja Mana Brajabana Dwijarajanku