________________ xiv experience through the symbolism of earthly love. The fact, however, remains that just as Jayadeva prides himself on his being a true devotee of Visnu-Krsna even so he prides himself on his being a prince among poets and expert in the Science of Erotics. It would not, therefore, be wrong if we were to hold that following Kalidasao and his successors Jayadeva frankly descibes the loves of Radha and Krsna in his impassioned poetry. One need not find fault with Jayadeva if a dispassionate critic understands the divine love of Radha and Krsna as a symbol of human love and deeply appreciates Jayadeva as a poet of true love and a great devotee of lord Visnu. The style of the Gitagovinda : Historians of Sanskrit literature have uniformly showered high eulogy on Jayadeva's poetic style. We cannot resist the temptation of reproducing some of their tributes while writing about the style of the Gitagovinda : "In the melody of its diction, in the perfection of its composition, in the ease of its alliteration and in the expression of varied emotions, the Gitagovinda has probably the first place in the lyrical literature of the world.3 "If Jayadeva claims religious merit, he also prides himself upon the elegance, softness and music of his poetic diction, as well as upon the felicity and richness of bis sentiments. The claims are in no way extravagant.""Jayadeva's work (1) "... it must not be forgotten that the religion of Jayadeva was the fervent Krsna worship which found in the god the power which is ever concerned with all the wishes, the hopes and fears of men, which, if in essence infinite and ineffable, yet expresses itself in the form of Krsna, and which sanctions in his amours the loves of Mankind." Kumarasambhava, Canto VIII describes, according to the principles of the Science of Erotics, the joys of Siva and Parvati, the wedded pair. (3) M. Krishnamachariar: History of Classical Sanskrit Literature, p. 341. (4) Dasgupta and Dey: History of Sanskrit Literature, pp. 392-393. For his claims read : (i) Fraldas Fl-a4e7aast zu den Paahfath 1-Conto I-3 (ii) Gry RTSHTSTA z goure Jeanfaa Hata2717log Daftah Canto XII-10. ab (iii) T Tatua... #fa7974322 1-Canto VII-p. 70 (iv) turfa fyda fa TERIT I-Canto XI-p. 99 (v) साध्वी माध्वीकचिन्ता न भवति भवतः शर्करे कर्कशासि द्राक्षे द्रक्ष्यन्ति के त्वाममृत मृतमसि क्षीर नीरं रसस्ते / माकन्द क्रन्द कान्ताधरधर न तुलां गच्छ यच्छन्ति भावं यावच्छृङ्गारसारं शुभमिव जयदेवस्य वैदग्ध्यवाचः // This verse, however, is not found in Mananka's text,
