Living in an atmosphere of Krishna-bhakti preached by Sri Chaitanya (1486–1533), he composed extensively on the Radha-Krishna love legend.
The younger son of Chiranjeeva and Sunanda, Govindadasa was born in his mother's ancestral home in Srikhanda, a village in Purba Bardhaman district which was one of the centers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.
The Padavalis reflects an earthy view of divine love that, starting in South India, spread rapidly as part of the Bhakti movement.
His poems reflect a focus on the lovers' trysts, their anxiousness, and Radha's unhappiness, particularly at Krishna's wanton ways.
In rasabatI Radha rasamaya kAnhA, the lovers fight and exchange angry words, but it all ends in an embrace.
Writing under the disguise of an unknown 17th-century bhakti poet, Tagore also included a song by Govindadas sundari radhe Aoye bani (beautiful Radha comes to the forest), which he set to music.