Singing Krishna : sound becomes sight in Paramanand's poetry / A. Whitney Sanford.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sanford, A. Whitney, 1961-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Krishna (Hindu deity)--In literature.

Krishna.

Paramāṇandadāsa, 1493-1584--Criticism and interpretation.

Paramāṇandadāsa.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 207 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, c2008.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"Singing Krishna introduces Paramanand, one of north India's greatest medieval poet-saints, whose poetry has been sung from the sixteenth century to the present in ritual service to the Hindu deity Krishna. A. Whitney Sanford examines how hearing Paramanand's poetry in ritual context serves as a threshold for devotees between this world and Krishna's divine world. To "see Krishna" is a primary goal of the devotee, and Paramanand deftly constructs a vision through words. Sanford employs the dual strategies of interpreting Paramanand's poems - which sing the cycles of Krishna's activities - and illustrating the importance of their ritual contexts. This approach offers insight into the nature of the devotional experience that is not accessible by simply studying the poetry or rituals in isolation. Sanford shows that the significance of Paramanand's poetry lies not only in its beauty and historical importance but finally in its capacity to permit the devotee to see through the ephemeral world into Krishna's world."--book jacket

Contents:

Intro

Singing Krishna

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

A Critical Perspective

The Research Context

The Experience of the Temple

Situated Poetry: Sound Becoming Sight

Plan for the Book: Following the Cycles

1. Paramānand's Poetic World

About Paramānand's Poetry

Paramānand's Poetic Environment

Serving Krishna

Synaesthesia, Metaphor, and Transformation

2. The End of the Night: Poetry, Memory, and Culture

Śayan: While Braj Sleeps

Paramānand's World

Theater of Memory

Mangalā-Krishna Rises

Śrngār-Ornamentation

3. Krishna's Morning Games: Creating Intimacy through Treachery

Gvāl-Boyhood Play

The Gopī's Complaints to Yaśodā

Mixed Bhāvas

Shattered Boundaries and Spilled Milk: Metonymies of Love

4. Afternoon: Experiencing the Food of Love

Rājbhog: A Lunchtime Tryst in the Forest

Mahātmya: Separation during the Afternoon Watch

Public and Private Līlā

Utthāpan-Āvanī: Krishna's Arrival in Braj

Exemplars of Bhāva: The Cows and the Gopīs

Bhog and Sandhyāratī:The Connoisseur of Rasa Eats and Goes to Bed

5. Night: Playing the Game of Love

Śayan Māna: Divine Jealousy

The Sakhī's Counsel to Rādhā about Her Sulking and Pride

Setting the Stage: A Romantic Evening and the Beauty of the Lovers

The Sakhī's Warning

The Sakhī's Message to Krishna

The Resolution of Māna

Krishna's Māna

The Sakhī in Māna Poems

6. Autumn to Spring: Gopīs, Birds, and the Moon

Śarad: The Autumn Full Moon

Hemant: Vows of the Cold Winter

Vasant: Spring and Holī

7. Summer-Seeing Reality: The Synaesthetic Transformation

Grīsma: The Hot Season

Vars.: The Rainy Season

Back to the Beginning

Notes

Works Cited

Index

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 195-197) and index.

ISBN:

9780791478622

0791478629

9781435641242

1435641248

OCLC:

225152813