Vidyapati

Vidyapati was a Maithili poet of the 14th century, whose parents migrated to Mithila from Karnataka.

One of finest poets, he was a trail blazer in the Vaishnava tradition of poetry, and wrote some beautiful poems not inferior to the compositions of Jayadeva while devoting himself largely to narrating the idyllic romance of Radha and Krishna.

As a devout Vaishnava, Vidyapati belongs to the classical Hindu tradition where the archetypal Radha-Krishna love is considered symbolic of the god-devotee relationship.

He seems to be happiest when he describes the beauty of Krishna's beloved young women. His uninhibited description of the female form drew sharp criticism from the orthodoxy and he was accused of obscenity and writing pornography. Thanks to royal patronage, Vidyapati survived all criticism.

Vidyapati writes his own ankita ( signature ) into his songs. Often, he mentions the names of his patrons, Raja Shiva Simha (sometimes called Shiva Simha Roop Narayana ) and Lachuma Devi. He used a fresh mode of signature in each song, never repeating himself. That is the hallmark of a creative genius.