India's Classic Sacred Love Story: The Rasa Lila of Krishna
Buch, Englisch, 448 Seiten, Format (B × H): 145 mm x 222 mm, Gewicht: 721 g
ISBN: 978-0-691-11446-0
Verlag: Princeton University Press
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.
Autoren/Hrsg.
Fachgebiete
Weitere Infos & Material
List of Figures and Tables ix
Foreword by Norvin Hein xi
Acknowledgments xvii
Pronunciation xxi
Abbreviations xxv
Introduction: The Sacred Love Story 1
A Drama of Love 1
Sacred Love Stories 6
India's Song of Songs 8
Bh gavata as the Ultimate Scripture 11
Sacred Context of the Rasa Lila 16
Part I: Poems from the Bhagavata Purana
Dance of Divine Love: Rasa Lila 23
Act One. Krishna Attracts the Gop s and Disappears 25
Act Two. The Gop s Search for Krishna 39
Act Three. The Song of the Gopis: Gopi Gita 51
Act Four. Krishna Reappears and Speaks of Love 58
Act Five. The Rasa Dance 65
Song of the Flute: Venu Gita 78
Song of the Black Bee: Bhramara Gita 86
Part II: Textual Illuminations
Chapter 1: Background of the Text 97
Devotional Love as "Rasa" 97
Ancient Sources of Devotional Love 101
Devotional Love as the Path to God 105
Forms of the Deity Vishnu 108
Chapter 2: Aspects of the Story 111
Framing Passages of the Rasa Lila 111
Poetic and Dramatic Dimensions 114
Krishna: Lord of Love and Beauty 117
Vraja: Pastoral Paradise 125
Yogamaya:Potency for Intimacy 130
The Gopis: Beloveds of Krishna 137
The Special Gopi:Radha 147
Chapter 3: Messages of the Text 152
Devotional Yoga Transcends Death 152
Ethical Boundaries and Boundless Love 158
The Vision of Devotional Love 166
Symbolism in the Rasa Lila 172
Part III: Notes and Comments
Introduction 187
Act One 189
Act Two 222
Act Three 237
Act Four 250
Act Five 263
Part IV: The Sanskrit Text
Introduction 291
Act One 293
Act Two 304
Act Three 313
Act Four 318
Act Five 322
Appendix 1: Note on Translation 331
Appendix 2: Poetic Meters in Sanskrit Text 336
Accent and Syllable Length: Emphasis and Rhythm in Sanskrit Verse 337
Sanskrit Meters Used in R sa L l Te x t 337
Story Line and Poetic Meter Analysis 339
Verse Number Variations and Actual Verse Count 342
Appendix 3: Synoptic Analysis of the Rasa Lila 344
Glossary 347
Bibliography 355
Index 367
