After hearing the glories of Samudragaḍa and Samudra Sena, the pilgrims proceeded to Cāṁpāhāṭi. At the temple of Gaura-Gadādhara, Ācārya Kesarī described how in Satya-yuga, an elderly brāhmaṇa worshiped Rādhā-Govinda at this place with campaka flowers. Eventually he was granted a vision of Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu, whose form is the complexion of a campaka flower. Later, this place became famous for being the residence of the renowned divine poet Śrīla Jayadeva Gosvāmī.
Ācārya Kesarī then recounted well-known stories of Śrīla Jayadeva Gosvāmī. Śrīla Jayadeva Gosvāmī and Padmāvatī-devī worshiped Rādhā-Mādhava in Cāṁpāhāṭi. Jayadeva Gosvāmī realized all of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes at this place and composed verse about Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s divine romance—entitled Gīta-Govinda. Jayadeva’s relatives were gurus and priests of the royal family. From his youth, Jayadeva engaged fully in bhajana and avoided mundane interaction. Once, Jayadeva’s uncle declared to King Lakṣmaṇa Sena, “My son will become your guru. Jayadeva is not fit. He is only doing bhajana and has no knowledge of the Vedas.”
The King was surprised to hear this. “Why isn’t Jayadeva properly studying?” he asked. He went to Jayadeva’s home—a modest hut in the forest. He saw Jayadeva writing Gīta-Govinda in Sanskrit while his wife made an offering to Rādhā-Mādhava. The Divine Couple seemed to be taking directly from her hands like simple children. Jayadeva’s home was surrounded by a garden of campaka trees. Padmāvatī-devī picked flowers from the campaka trees and made garlands for Rādhā-Mādhava.
Śrīmatī Rādhārānī and Her sakhīs also picked these flowers and strung garlands for Kṛṣṇa. The King discreetly visited that place with his queen and was deeply impressed. They realized that while Jayadeva sang the glories of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, the Divine Couple Themselves appeared, along with the Vraja-devīs, to relish his poetry.
Lakṣmaṇa Sena soon announced that he would accept Jayadeva as his guru. Jayadeva’s envious family members told the King, “He is only a Bābājī. He is not qualified to be the guru of anyone.”
Lakṣmaṇa Sena said in surprise, “What are you saying? Jayadeva is directly connected to Bhagavān. Kṛṣṇa lives with Jayadeva and eagerly listens to his singing, yet you say that Jayadeva is foolish and not qualified to be my guru.”
Lakṣmaṇa Sena vowed to accept Jayadeva and no one else as his guru. Jayadeva’s family was furious when they heard that the King had made this decision. Hearts filled with envy, they hired dacoits to kill Jayadeva. The dacoits went to Jayadeva’s house just as Padmāvatī left to take bath in the Gaṅgā. They cut off Jayadeva’s arms and legs and buried him. When Padmāvatī returned from bathing, she could not find Jayadeva anywhere in their home, so she went out looking for him. While she was gone, the dacoits stole the Rādhā-Mādhava Deities.
Padmāvatī lamented, unable to find her husband. When she returned home, she saw that her Deities were also gone. She cried in agony, “O Rādhā-Mādhava, You are not helping me find my husband, and now You also have left me!”
She went to the Gaṅgā and sat to undergo penance, not knowing what else to do. In the meantime, the King came to Jayadeva’s āśrama, hoping to accept Jayadeva as his guru that very day. When he arrived, he saw that Jayadeva, Rādhā-Mādhava, and Padmāvatī had all disappeared. “Something is amiss,” he thought. While wandering around the area in search of a sign, he heard the muffled sound of Jayadeva singing Gīta-Govinda:
śrita-kamalākuca-maṇḍala! dhṛta-kuṇḍala! e kalita-lalita-vanamālā! jaya jaya deva! hare
O You who take shelter at the breasts of the Supreme Goddess Śrīmatī Rādhikā! O You who wear fish-shaped earrings and a charming garland of forest flowers! O Lord! Hare! All glories to You!
The King searched for the source of the sound and found Jayadeva buried in a hole with his arms and legs severed. The King fell to his knees in tears and summoned his ministers and soldiers to lift Jayadeva out of the ditch.
Jayadeva’s wicked relatives concocted a story and said that Padmāvatī had arranged that Jayadeva be killed. “That unchaste woman made a plot to murder him!” they said. “Padmāvatī has a loose character and keeps many paramours. When Jayadeva confronted her, she hired dacoits to kill him. Punish her for this crime!”
Padmāvatī was found and brought to the place where her husband lay mutilated. She fell senseless in shock and pain. When she awoke, she was accused of organizing his murder. Wailing in grief, she carried Jayadeva’s body with her into the Gaṅgā and said, “Let Gaṅgā-devī bear witness that I am chaste and honest. If I was ever unfaithful to my husband then let me die at this very moment. And if the accusations are false, then let my husband be healed.”
She vowed thus, standing in the Gaṅgā and holding Jayadeva’s maimed body in her arms. By the touch of the Gaṅgā’s waters, and the strength of her purity, Jayadeva’s limbs were miraculously restored.
Everyone came to know about this incident and Padmāvatī was glorified for her chastity. The King accepted Jayadeva as his guru and protected Jayadeva and Padmāvatī with his personal guards from that time onward.
The dacoits were soon caught. The King asked Jayadeva Gosvāmī, “Gurudeva, what punishment should these men be given?”
“Give them gold and proprietorship of several villages.”
The King did as instructed and the dacoits rejoiced. They returned the Rādhā-Mādhava Deities and went on their way. As the dacoits walked free, Lakṣmaṇa Sena’s general followed them and asked in confidence, “Why did Jayadeva give you wealth and villages?”
“He used to be the leader of a band of robbers,” the dacoits replied. “Now that the King caught us, he feared that we would reveal this fact and get him in trouble. He therefore arranged this reward as a bribe to keep us quiet.”
The general reported to the King, but the King was not fooled. Enraged, he said, “There is no end to the villainy of wicked men, even when rewarded and given the chance to right themselves.” Turning around in disgust, the King motioned to the general to have them promptly executed.
Jayadeva Gosvāmī and Padmāvatī continued to reside in Cāṁpāhāṭi. Once, as Jayadeva was composing the verses of Gīta-Govinda, he saw in his meditation a wonderful event. Śrīmatī Rādhikā was in māna (a sulky mood). She did not want to see or speak with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa tried to pacify Her anger in many ways, but all His attempts failed. Finally, He bowed His head to Her feet, and pleaded for forgiveness.
“How can I write that Kṛṣṇa falls at Śrīmatī Rādhārānī’s feet?” Jayadeva thought. “All beings are servants of Kṛṣṇa and His part and parcels. Śrīmatī Rādhikā is His potency and the foremost of His devotees. How can I write that Kṛṣṇa falls at Her feet?”
Perplexed, Jayadeva put down his quill and told Padmāvatī, “I’m going to the Gaṅgā. Please cook and offer bhoga to Rādhā-Mādhava.”
Śrī Kṛṣṇa assumed the form of Jayadeva and went to his house, just as Padmāvatī was offering bhoga. Kṛṣṇa as Jayadeva, told Padmāvatī, “I’m back. I forgot to write down a verse.” He took the book and completed that verse which the real Jayadeva was afraid to write. Kṛṣṇa Himself wrote:
smara-garala-khaṇḍanaṁ mama śirasi maṇḍanaṁ dehī pada-pallavam-udāraṁ
Gīta-Govinda 10.8
O My beloved, Cupid’s powerful poison is devastating Me. Please be merciful to Me and place upon My head the cooling, tender petals of Your lotus-like feet.
Padmāvatī then announced that prasādam was ready. Kṛṣṇa, in the form of Jayadeva, replied, “Good, I am very hungry.”
Jayadeva was never before so anxious for prasāda. He was always satisfied in the bliss of love for Rādhā-Mādhava. Today however, Padmāvatī noticed that Jayadeva ate with enthusiasm and relish.
After eating, He retired to rest. As Padmāvatī began to accept prasāda herself the real Jayadeva returned. Surprised, Jayadeva said, “You have never eaten before me. What strange incident has happened today?”
Padmāvatī was puzzled. “You were here just a few minutes ago,” she said. “You came and changed your cloth, then wrote in your book, accepted prasāda, and retired.” She checked his room and saw that no one was there.
“Bring the book,” Jayadeva said. Padmāvatī brought it. Jayadeva looked at the pages, paused, and then said in wonder, “That verse which I could not write is here. Kṛṣṇa Himself must have come and written it with His own hand. You are very fortunate Padmāvatī! Kṛṣṇa directly came here and interacted with You.” Jayadeva fell to the ground, weeping in ecstasy.
Rādhā-Mādhava performed many sweet happenings with Jayadeva Gosvāmī and Padmāvatī. Jayadeva and Padmāvatī lived in a humble straw cottage. Even now, we can visit that holy place and can recite the verses of Gīta-Govinda. That person who does not read, hear, and relish Jayadeva Gosvāmī’s divine poetry can hardly hope to experience vraja-bhakti-rasa.
Some time later, Jayadeva Gosvāmī prayed to Rādhā-Mādhava and received Their permission to go to Jagannātha Purī. There, he absorbed himself in singing for Jagannātha. Padmāvatī saw that Jagannātha had no hands or legs. She thought, “Could it be that Jagannātha gave His limbs to my husband?”
The dacoits severed Jayadeva Gosvāmī’s arms and legs from his body, but Jagannātha gave His own arms and legs to His dear devotee. Jagannātha had come all the way from Kṣetra-maṇḍala to hear Jayadeva’s siging of Gīta-Govinda, and after Jayadeva was attacked, Jagannātha saved him. Jagannātha is prepared to give everything to His bhaktas. In this līlā, Jagannātha showed the world the glory of His devotees—how they have no attachment to their bodies. This occurrence also indicates that the Lord takes away the material body of His devotees and bestows a transcendental body in its place.
Jagannātha told Jayadeva, “Soon, I will go to Navadvīpa-dhāma and I will manifest My līlā as Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Will you return to Navadvīpa to be with Me?”
Jayadeva replied, “Yes, I will come.”
Jagannātha appeared a few hundred years later in Navadvīpa as Gaurānga Mahāprabhu and Jayadeva appeared in the Lord’s pastimes as Dvija Vāṇīnātha, the younger brother of Gadādhara Paṇḍita. The beautiful temple of Gaura-Gadādhara is where Dvija Vāṇīnātha lived and did bhajana.