Sri Jayadeva Gosvami was the head pandita in the court of King Sri Lakshmana Sena. His father was Bhoja deva and his mother, Bama devi. His wife’s name was Padmavati. He made his appearance at Kendu-bilvagram in the district of Birhum, during the eleventh century.
During the time that he was engaged as head pandita of king Lakshmana Sena, he resided at Navadvipa on the banks of Ganga. He stayed with three other panditas who were also his close friends. He has mentioned their names in his Sri Gita-Govinda: Sri Umapatidhar, Acharya Sri Govardhan and Kavi Kshamapati.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to especially relish hearing the Gita Govinda as well as the works of Chandidas, Vidyapati, Ramananda Ray and the Krishna-karnamrita by Bilvamangala Thakur. Sri Gita Govinda is full of intimate pastimes of Sri Sri Radha Govinda and is therefore meant for those who have accumulated sufficient spiritual piety.
In the Gita Govinda, while writing about the pastimes of Radharani as She repented after Krishna had gone away, he became lost in thought. Not being able to decide whether or not he should write a particular verse, he decided to first take his bath, and return to his writing later. While he was taking his bath, Krishna Himself personally appeared in the form of Jayadeva, took his meal and then wrote down that very verse with His own hand. Then, while Padmavati was accepting her meal, Jayadeva returned from taking his bath in the Ganga. Padmavati was completely startled to see her husband, and Jayadeva too was surprised to see that his wife was accepting her meal before him (which is never done by Hindu wives). Finally she explained that he had already returned and taken his meal, and then gone to his room. Jayadeva went to where he had been writing and saw the verse that he had been considering whether to write or not, now composed in golden letters. With tears in his eyes and voice choked up he called out to his wife, “Padmavati! You are so fortunate! You had darshana of the Supreme Lord!”
Bhaktivinoda Thakura has commented that even though Sri Gauranga Deva hadn’t revealed His internal pastimes at that time, within the heart of Sri Jayadeva, Sri Bilvamangala, Sri Chandidas and Sri Vidyapati, the transcendental mood of Mahaprabhu was awakened even before He Himself actually made His appearance.
Jayadeva Gosvami also composed a book named Chandraloka. His disappearance is on Pausha Sankranti. He also composed the celebrated Dashavatara stotram.
His worshipable Deities, Sri Sri Radha-Madhava, are being worshipped in the former temple of Radha-Govinda just outside the present city of Jaipur.
