Dance of Divine Love : India's Classic Sacred Love Story: The Rasa Lila of Krishna / Graham M. Schweig.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Schweig, Graham M., author.

Contributor:

Schweig, Graham M., 1953-

Standardized Title:

Puranas. Bhāgavatapurāṇa. Selections.

Language:

English

Sanskrit

Subjects (All):

Rāsa līlā (Dance).

Puranas. Bhāgavatapurāṇa--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Puranas.

Krishna (Hindu deity).

Krishna.

Radha (Hindu deity).

Radha.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxiii, 390 pages) : illustrations, maps

Place of Publication:

Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, [2018]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

The heart of this book is a dramatic love poem, the Rasa Lila, which is the ultimate focal point of one of the most treasured Sanskrit texts of India, the Bhagavata Purana. Judged a literary masterpiece by Indian and Western scholars alike, this work of poetic genius and soaring religious vision is one of the world's greatest sacred love stories and, as Graham Schweig clearly demonstrates, should be regarded as India's Song of Songs. The story presents the supreme deity as the youthful and amorous cowherd, Krishna, who joins his beloved maidens in an enchanting and celebratory "dance of divine love." Schweig introduces this work of exquisite poetry and profound theology to the Western world in the form of a luminous translation and erudite scholarly treatment. His book explores the historical context and literary genre of the work and elucidates the aesthetic and emotional richness of the composition, highlighting poignant details of this drama of divine love. Schweig illuminates the religious dimensions and ethical nuances of the drama, drawing widely from the commentaries and esoteric vision of masters of the Caitanya school of Vaishnavism, a prominent devotional Hindu tradition. Themes such as transcendence of death through love, the yoga of devotion, the contrast between worldly love and passionate love for God, and the dialectical tension between ethical boundaries and boundless love are presented. The final event of the Rasa dance, the author concludes, presents a dynamic symbol of supreme love that provides the basis for a theological vision of genuine religious pluralism.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

List of Figures and Tables

Foreword / Hein, Norvin

Acknowledgments

Pronunciation

List of Abbreviations

Introduction The Sacred Love Story

Part I Poems from the Bhagavata Purana

Dance of Divine Love: Rasa Lila

Song of the Flute: Venu Gita

Song of the Black Bee: Bhramara Gita

Part II Textual Illuminations

1. Background of the Text

2. Aspects of the Story

3. Messages of the Text

Part III Notes and Comments

Introduction

Act One

Act Two

Act Three

Act Four

Act Five

Part IV The Sanskrit Text

Appendix 1 Note on Translation

Appendix 2 Poetic Meters in Sanskrit Text

Appendix 3 Synoptic Analysis of the Rasa Lila

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

About the Author

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (p. [355]-365) and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 08. Jul 2019)

ISBN:

9780691190174

0691190178

OCLC:

1132229318