Vidyapathi, Lachima and Shiva Simha

© Parvathy Baul & Ravi Gopalan Nair
 
Vidyapati was an erudite sanskrit scholar belonging to the Northern part of India. Some scholars identify his origin to be in the ancient Mithila region.
As a royal poet he composed many works. Among his works the most popular ones are those that centre around Sri Krishna and Sri Radha’s devotional play.
He belonged to the fourteenth century.
By then Sri Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda has achieved a great impact on the imagination of many scholars and poets.
 
Vidyapati’s compositions however dive deep into diverse moods of devotional intimacy.
Many of these love songs were written in the court of Shiva Simha, grandson of Vidyapati’s first patron.
 
In this woodcut Vidyapati is reciting his poems in front of King Shiva Simha and queen Lacchima.